Telesforo Trinidad

{{Short description|Medal of Honor recipient}}

{{Infobox military person

|name= Telesforo Trinidad

|birth_date= {{birth date|1890|11|25}}

|death_date= {{death date and age|1968|5|8|1890|11|25}}

|birth_place= Aklan, Philippines{{cite news |title=Pinoy WWII vets still top Fil-Am concern |author=Rodney Jaleco |url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/10/19/10/pinoy-wwii-vets-still-top-fil-am-concern |newspaper=ABS-CBN |date=19 October 2010 |access-date=16 January 2011}}

|death_place= Imus, Cavite, Philippines{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/vignettes/filipino/trinidad-t.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203164507/http://www.history.navy.mil/vignettes/filipino/trinidad-t.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 3, 2010 |title=Vignette, Telesforo Trinidad - Medal of Honor |work=Naval History & Heritage Command |publisher=United States Navy |access-date=16 January 2011}}

|placeofburial=

|placeofburial_label= Place of burial

|image= Telesforo Trinidad.jpg

|image_size = 200px

|caption=Trinidad wearing his Medal of Honor

|nickname=

|allegiance=United States

|branch= United States Navy

|serviceyears=

|rank= Fireman 2nd Class{{cite journal |date=May 1915 |title=Members of San Diego's Crew Rewarded |journal=Our Navy, the Standard Publication of the U.S. Navy |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=101 |publisher=Our Navy Publishing Co |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2JcmAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Telesforo+Trinidad%22&pg=PA30 |access-date=4 March 2011 }}

|commands=

|unit= USS San Diego{{cite book |title=General Orders of Navy Department,series of 1913: Orders Remaining in Force Up to January 29, 1918 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zYEtAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Telesforo+Trinidad%22&pg=PP178 |access-date=18 February 2013 |year=1918 |publisher=United States Department of Navy |page=178 |chapter=General Order No. 142. }}

|battles= World War I
World War II

|awards= Medal of Honor

|laterwork=

}}Telesforo de la Cruz Trinidad{{cite web |url=http://www.chcp.org/memorialday.html |title=Asian/Pacific American Military Timeline |author=Rudi Williams |year=1999 |publisher=The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project |access-date=16 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130063434/http://www.chcp.org/memorialday.html |archive-date=30 January 2009 }} (November 25, 1890 – May 8, 1968) was a Filipino{{cite news |title=Medals of Honor Bestowed on 10 Asian Pacific Americans |author=Rudi Williams |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/id/42746/ |newspaper=American Forces Press Service |date=5 May 1999 |access-date=16 January 2011}} fireman 2nd class in the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor for actions in Mexican waters{{cite news |title=Commends Brave Seaman. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1915/03/21/119029232.pdf |newspaper=The New York Times |date=21 March 1915 |access-date=16 January 2011}} near La Paz,{{cite news |title=First San Diego was flagship cruiser of Navy's Pacific Fleet |author=Richard Crawford |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080816/news_1cz16history.html |newspaper=San Diego Union Tribune |date=16 August 2008 |access-date=16 January 2011}} on board the USS San Diego on 21 January 1915.{{cite web |url=http://www.militarymuseum.org/USSSanDiego.html |title=The U.S.S. San Diego and the California Naval Militia |author=Captain George J. Albert |work=The California State Military Museum |publisher=California State Military Department |access-date=16 January 2011}} He is the second service member, and first and so far only sailor of Asian descent to receive the award in peacetime.{{cite web |url=http://www.deomi.org/downloadableFiles/ap98.pdf |title=Asian and Pacific Island American Heritage |year=1998 |publisher=Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute |access-date=1 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725230207/http://www.deomi.org/downloadableFiles/ap98.pdf |archive-date=25 July 2011 }}
{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/biographies-list/bios-t/trinidad-telesford.html |title=Telesforo Trinidad |author= |date=20 February 2015 |website=Naval History and Heritage Command |publisher=United States Navy |access-date=20 February 2020 |quote=Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad is the only Filipino in the U.S. Navy to be awarded the Medal of Honor. }} Trinidad served during both World Wars before retiring to the Philippines and living on his pension.{{cite book|author1=Huping Ling|author2=Allan W. Austin|title=Asian American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0PFnBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA298|date=17 March 2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-47645-0|page=298}}

On May 20, 2022, Navy Secretary Carlos del Toro announced that a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be named {{USS|Telesforo Trinidad}}.{{Cite web |author=Brad Lendon |title=US Navy names destroyer after Filipino Medal of Honor recipient |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/19/politics/us-navy-destroyer-filipino-medal-of-honor-recipient-intl-hnk-ml/index.html |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=CNN|date=20 May 2022 }}