Hector Negron (14 June 1918 - 11 November 2005) was a Puerto Rican-American soldier who served at the rank of Corporal as a radioman in the US 92nd Infantry Division of the US Army. Negron was one of the four soldiers to get lost in Italy, and the only one of the four soldiers to survive during the second world war.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Hector Negron was born on June 14, 1918, in Puerto Rico as the oldest among his siblings. At age 3, his family emigrated to the United States, Negron living most of his life in Harlem, New York. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Negron and his brother signed up for the US Army; however, due to his brother having lighter skin, he was allowed to serve with white soldiers while Hector was forced to be in the segregated US 92nd Infantry Division due to his darker skin.

The Café incident in 1943
World War 2 service[]
When Negron went to boot camp at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, he befriended Aubrey Stamps, James Huggs, and Bishop Cummings. After boot camp, Negron was promoted to the rank of corporal. In 1943, he was involved in an incident in 1943 where he and another group of black soldiers traveled to Merryville, Louisiana near Camp Claiborne on leave. When they went to grab ice cream sundaes, but were discriminated against by the café manager at gun point. This resulted in the soldiers pointing their own guns at the café manager and two of his friends in front of the manager's family. Afterwards, Negron was shipped overseas to go fight in the Italian campaign.
Meeting the Boy[]
At one point, during a failed assault, Negron's friend Pfc. Samuel Train had found an injured child and went straight towards the mountains. When he, Stamps, and Cummings caught up to him, Train was found in an old barn with the injured child. With one look, Hector knew that the boy had to go to the hospital.
Entering the village[]
Negron and the others arrived at the house of a man named Ludovico Salducchi. There, Negron acted as a translator for the group and often tried to talk to the child and fix his radio. He eventually did, and an officer named Captain Nokes barked orders to Stamps: bring in a German prisoner to interrogate.
Salducchi was later visited by Italian partisans led by Peppi Grotta, also known as the Black Butterfly. They were holding a German prisoner. The partisans did not start off on good terms with the soldiers at first, but they eventually cooperated. Negron then noticed that the boy was terrified at one of the partisans, Rodolfo Berelli. He then talked to the kid, finding out his name, Angelo Tornacelli, and that Tornacelli was a survivor of the St. Anna massacre that happened apparently due to Berelli. Hector then tries to tell Stamps, but he is rebuffed.
Betrayal[]

Negron getting his cross to Angelo before he leaves the town to escape the Nazis.
Hector was watching the German prisoner and Berelli. Suddenly, Berelli attacked and killed the German. He would have also killed Hector had he not turned his head at the last second. Hector then reported this to Stamps, later breaking up a fight between Stamps and Bishop when Nokes arrived. Hector watched as Nokes badmouthed Stamps. When Train was angered by Nokes shouting in front of Angelo, Hector and Stamps stopped Train from doing any damage. He then watched as Train choked 2Lt. Birdsong, and he watched as the jeeps were blown up and cast down from the ledge, killing the occupants inside.
Losing friends[]
Hector would unfortunately lose his friends and most of his allies to the Germans. Train was shot in the back and died at the church. Stamps was killed while shooting down a machine gun position. Bishop was killed after he had saved Angelo from death, though Hector didn't know that Angelo was still alive. Hector hid in the town for months, eating the rations of dead Germans and finding a Luger on the battlefield. When he was finally found, he was awarded the Silver Star and was on the way home, though he could not forget his friends.

Hector Negron in January 24, 1984, being bailed from his trial thanks by the help of Angelo.
Post-war life[]
Hector spent the rest of his life a bitter veteran, suffering from survivor's guilt and post-traumatic disorder. He usually spent his time watching war films glorifying white people. He eventually married, but his wife, Laurdes, died of a heart attack before they could have children. On December 19th, 1983, a few days short of retirement, Hector was working at the post office, he saw an old enemy, Rodolfo. Hector shot the traitor in the chest and was promptly arrested, his house searched. The Primavera's head was found, with reporter Tim Boyle as witness, making a story about it on the front page of his newspaper, which attracted the attention of a wealthy Italian man. Hector was put on trial some time later, aided by Zana Wilder acting on behalf of the Italian man. The bail was set at two million, and Hector was accosted out of the courtroom.
Afterwards, he was sent to the Bahamas where he finally talked of his war experiences to the Italian man on the beach. The man revealed himself to be none other than an adult Angelo, the kid that Hector's friend Train rescued and bonded with. Hector broke down in tears, with Angelo comforting him and holding him as gently and warmly as Train did with him before. Hector Negron spent the rest of his life peacefully in the Bahamas and kept in touch with his brother and cousin; he died peacefully in 2005 at the age of 87.