Army vet Chi Chi Rodriguez, 88 passes

A lot of older celebrities were also veterans – that’s just the nature of having a draft. Some just served their time and got out quietly, some did surprisingly well like Johnny Cash, an airman who enlisted and became a Morse code intercept operator (reputedly the op who intercepted the first news of Stalin’s death.) By the bye, he originally wrote “Folsom Prison Blues” while stationed at Landsberg in the FRG.   Station Hypo

But we note the passing Thursday last of ChiChi Rodriguez, a poor kid from Puerto Rico who enlisted in 1954 or ’55 (accounts differ) for one of the oldest reasons in the world, to help support his family. He served until 1957. He died at the age of 88 in his native Puerto Rico.

ChiChi was a fixture on the pro golf tour back in the ’60s and ’70s. A small man, he could drive 300 yards  with the best of ’em. Noted for some of his somewhat goofy routines (like putting his hat over the hole after sinking his putt to keep the “birdie” in – reputedly once he dropped a ball which a large toad pushed back out and lost the bet on the hole.) Or dancing a salsa dance after putting out. Or pantomining a toreador’s coup de grace finish – with a golf club.  He not only won 8 majors, he was a tremendous fan favorite.  Britannica

On one occasion, Rodríguez had a brief encounter with Mother Teresa, a moment he considered to be the greatest of his life and which inspired him to help others. Together with former professional golfer Bill Hayes and Bob James, Rodríguez established the Chi-Chi Rodríguez Youth Foundation, an afterschool program at the Glen Oaks Golf Course in Clearwater, Florida. The principal idea behind the foundation was to instill self-esteem in young people who are victims of abuse, have experienced minor brushes with the law, or have suffered any other hardships.

A class act from back in the day. Interesting to note his name was used a couple of times in Hollywood – in the ’95 movie “To Wong Foo” John Leguizano’s character was name Chi Chi Rodriguez (that cost the film a settlement) and there was a scene in “WKRP Cincinnati” when Les Nesman, despite corrections, kept broadcasting a story about  “Chai Chai Rodriguez” – think they had permission for that one.

Wonder if his NCOs ever thought he would go far…

Category: We Remember