Rafael Celestino Benítez

Rear Admiral Rafael Celestino Benítez (March 9, 1917 – March 6, 1999) was a highly decorated American submarine commander who led the rescue effort of the crew members of the during the Cold War. After retiring from the navy, he was Pan American World Airways' vice president for Latin America. He taught international law for 16 years at the University of Miami School of Law, and served as associate dean, interim dean and director and founder of the foreign graduate law program. While there, he founded the comparative law LL.M. program, the inter-American law LL.M. program, and the Inter-American Law Review. After his death, the university established a scholarship in his memory to benefit a foreign attorney who is enrolled in one of the Law School's LL.M. programs.

Early years

Benítez was born in Juncos, Puerto Rico, He attended George Washington High School and Army-Navy Preparatory School, both in New York City. After he finished high school, he was accepted in the United States Naval Academy by appointment of the Honorable Santiago Iglesias, Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner. He graduated from the academy in 1939 and was assigned to submarine duty.

World War II During World War II, Benítez saw action aboard the submarines USS Dace (SS-247) and USS Grenadier (SS-210) and on various occasions weathered depth charge attacks. For his actions, he was awarded the Silver Star twice and the Bronze Star Medal. The Halibut was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the halibut, a large species of flatfish. She was launched on December 3, 1941, and commissioned on April 10, 1942. The Halibut had an impressive war record, which included sinking 12 Japanese ships, but was damaged beyond reasonable repair on her tenth and final war patrol, which ended on December 1, 1944. Benítez's only mission as commander of the Halibut was to bring her from San Francisco to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she was decommissioned on July 18, 1945.

Cochino incident During the latter part of 1949, early in the Cold War Era, Benítez was given the command of the submarine USS Cochino. On August 12, 1949, the Cochino, along with the USS Tusk, departed from the harbor of Portsmouth, England. Both diesel submarines were reported to be on a cold-water training mission. However, according to Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage,

Benítez resided in Easton, Maryland, with his wife and three children, a son and two daughters. On March 6, 1999, he died at the Memorial Hospital located in Easton. He was buried with full military honors at Oxford Cemetery in Talbot County, Maryland.

Silver Star and Bronze Star citations

Among Rear Admiral Benítez's decorations and medals were the following:

Submarine Officers Warfare insigniaSilver Star with gold starBronze Star with "V" deviceNavy Unit CommendationAmerican Defense Service MedalAmerican Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medalwith four battle starsWorld War II Victory MedalNavy Occupation Service MedalNational Defense Service Medal Philippine Liberation MedalSubmarine Combat Patrol insignia