Raul Gabriel Villaronga

Villaronga served in the 7th Special Forces Group in Fort Bragg, NC, and was a member of the original 8th Special Forces Group in the Panama Canal Zone, where he was promoted to Captain. He served 9 months as Commander, Co B 1/8 Cav (Airborne).

Villaronga received his Regular Army commission as Major while assigned to the US Army Quartermaster School as an instructor. Assigned to the Saigon Support Command during his second tour in Vietnam, he served as Executive Office of the 266th Supply and Service Battalion.

Upon return from Vietnam, he attended Texas Tech University and received his Master of Industrial Engineering. Subsequently, assigned to Defense Depot Mechanicsburg, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and selected for command in Germany, where he commanded the 66th Maintenance Battalion (DS/G5).

After his return from overseas, Villaronga was assigned to the Logistics Evaluation Agency, a Department of the Army Field Agency at New Cumberland Army Depot, where he was Director of the Integrated Logistics System Branch. Where there he was promoted to Colonel.

Assigned to Fort Hood Texas as Deputy Commander, 13th COSCOM, he served until his transfer to TCATA in West Fort Hood as Director of Instrumentation. His last assignment was directing the Army’s Study of Palletized Loading System, which resulted in the Army’s adaptation of this tactical transportation system.

Upon retirement, he spent time serving in the Killeen City Council. In 1992, he was elected Mayor of Killeen, where he became the first native born Puerto Rican to serve as mayor of a Texas city. After serving three consecutive terms, he was then appointed as Associate Municipal Judge in the Killeen Municipal Court, where he served as Juvenile Court Judge until he retired in 2002.

His military awards include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with Valor device and 3 Oak Leaf clusters, Distinguished Service Medal, Air Medal, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Silver Star for Gallantry, Combat Infantryman’s Badge and Master Parachutist Badge.

He served as Chairman Emeritus of the Greater Killeen Area’s Promise (America’s Promise), Chairman of the Killeen League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 4535, Board of Directors of the Killeen Crime Stoppers, Founder of the Central Texas Area Veterans Advisory Committee and was past member of the Board of Directors of the Killeen Volunteers Inc and the Killeen Volunteer Corps.

Memberships include a Life Member of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) 9191, Commander and Life Member of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) 29, Commander of DAV District III, American Legion Post 223, Societe 40&8, Voitre Locale 1031, Knights of Columbus (4th Degree), Military Affairs Committee for Killeen Chamber of Commerce and Past Director of Youth Programs, Exchange Club of Killeen.

Villaronga was preceded in death by his father Raul Gil Villaronga Pasarell, his mother Maria Monserrate Martinez Perez, his sister Magdalena Villaronga and his nephew, Ramon Thaddeus Quesada. He is survived by his wife, Julia, his sister Margarita Villaronga Mejias, his sons Raul and his wife Robin, Rafael and his wife Marie, and Robert, nieces Cristi Quesada, Justine Smith, Alexandra Hildebrandt and nephews William Bush and Richard Sturtz. Also survived by his grandchildren Rafael Lee Villaronga, Christopher Raul Villaronga, Victoria Stewart and Oleata Mason, and numerous great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, March 26, at the Killeen Convention Center in Killeen, TX, from at 5pm. His burial with full Military Honors will be at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery on Thursday, April 1 at 11am.