Luis Raul Esteves, born April 30, 1893 in Puerto Rico, was the first person of Hispanic heritage to graduate from the US Military Academy in West Point and was the founder of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
He graduated from West Point in 1915, with Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley. He obtained rank of Second Lieutenant and assigned to the 23rd Infantry Regiment.
He served in the 8th Infantry Brigade under General Pershing in El Paso, Texas. He was promoted to First Lieutenant during the onset of the Battle of Columbus in June 1916.
When Esteves was promoted to Captain, he helped organize the 23rd Battalion, composed of Puerto Ricans, stationed in Panama during World War I. That is when he saw a need for a Puerto Rican National Guard. His request was approved and in 1918 he was promoted to Major. By 1919, the first regiment of the Puerto Rican National Guard was formed.
He held the position of Adjutant General until he retired in 1957. He passed away in March 1958.
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