Vincente T. Blaz

Infobox Military Person
name= Vincente T. Blaz
born= Birth date and age|1928|2|14
died=
placeofbirth= Agana, Territory of Guam
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption= BGen Vincente T. Blaz
nickname= "Ben"
allegiance= flagicon|United States flagicon|Guam United States of America
branch= United States Marine Corps
serviceyears= 1951–1980
rank= Brigadier General
commands= 9th Marine Regiment
unit=
battles= Korean War Vietnam War
awards= Legion of Merit Bronze Star
laterwork= U.S. Representative from Guam (1985–1993)Brigadier General Vincente T. Blaz (born February 14, 1928), also known as Ben Blaz, is a retired United States Marine Corps Brigadier General. Blaz served in the Marine Corps from 1951 to until July 1, 1980. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.

Blaz was elected the delegate to Congress from Guam in 1984 as a Republican. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 until 1993.

As his mother's maiden name was Garrido, he is sometimes called Ben Garrido Blaz, in accordance with Spanish naming customs.

Biography

Vincente Blaz was born on February 14, 1928 in the Territory of Guam. He was living on the island during the three years of Japanese occupation during World War II. During the occupation he was forced to work in labor battalions building to build aviation fields and plant rice.

In 1947, he was awarded a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. At the beginning of the Korean War, he joined the Marine Corp Reserve and attended Officer Candidate School. He graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1951, and was awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with Combat "V", the Navy Commendation Medal and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

Marine Corps career

Blaz was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps after graduation.

He subsequently attended George Washington University, Washington, D.C., where he received a Master of Arts degree in 1963.

Infobox_Congressman
name = Vincente T. Blaz


date of birth = birth date and age|1928|2|14
place of birth = Agana, Guam
state = Guam
district = At-large
term_start = January 3, 1985
term_end = January 3, 1993
preceded = Antonio Borja Won Pat
succeeded = Robert A. Underwood
party = Republican
spouse =
children =
religion = Service schools he attended include the Navy’s School of Naval Justice for legal officers, Newport, Rhode Island; the Army’s Artillery and Guided Missile School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, Virginia; and, the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, where he was designated a Distinguished Graduate. His thesis, The Cross of Micronesia, was published in the Naval War College Review and entered verbatim in the Congressional Record in August 1971.

General Blaz served in a variety of command and staff billets throughout the Marine Corps, highlighted in 1972 by his assignment as Commanding Officer, 9th Marine Regiment, which was one of the major units involved in the liberation of his native Guam during World War II.

From September 1972 to August 1975, General Blaz served as Chief, United Nations and Maritime Matters Branch, International Negotiations Division, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. In this assignment, he represented the Joint Chiefs of Staff on U.S. Delegations to several international multi-lateral negotiations in Helsinki (Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe) and Geneva (Law of War) and was an action officer on Law of the Sea matters.

;Decorations and Medals: For his service in the Joint Staff, he was awarded the Legion of Merit. His other personal decorations include the Bronze Star with Combat “V”, the Navy Commendation Medal (twice awarded), and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

In December 1974, the University of Guam conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws on General Blaz.

Blaz retired from the Marine Corps with the rank of Brigadier General in 1980. He was a professor at the University of Guam, and was then elected as a Republican to the House in 1984.

Delegate, U.S. Congress

Blaz served as a Delegate from his native Guam to the U.S. House of Representatives for eight years from January 3, 1985 to January 3, 1993. He served on the Armed Services, the Interior and Insular Affairs Committees, and the Select Committee on Aging. During his first term, the 99th United States Congress, he introduced legislation — the Veterans' Educational Assistance Act — to expand eligibility under the G.I. Bill. Defeated for re-election by Democrat Robert A. Underwood, in 1992, he retired to Ordot, Guam.

Honors

In 1988, Blaz was honored by his alma mater, when the Notre Dame Alumni Association presented him with the Corby Award, which honors alumni who have distinguished themselves in military service. [cite web
url=http://alumni.nd.edu/awards/corby.html
title="Corby Award"
publisher=Alumni Association, University of Notre Dame
accessdate=2006-07-07]

ee also

*List of Korean War veterans who are recipients of the Bronze Star

Notes

References

:Marine Corps
* [http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Blaz_VT.htm Brigadier General Vincente T. Blaz, USMC (Retired)] , "Who's Who in Marine Corps History", History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on 2007-09-06.
*cite web|url=http://www.bisitaguam.com/bio/index.html
title=Ben Blaz Bio
publisher=Bisita Guam
accessdate=2006-07-07

*cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/congress/blaz.html
title=Ben Blaz Garrido
work=Hispanic Americans in Congress
publisher=Library of Congress
accessdate=2006-07-07