Roberto Néstor Estévez (24 February 1957 – 28 May 1982) was an officer in the

Argentine Army The Argentine Army () is the Army, land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander-in-chief of the Armed For ...

who was killed in action during the

Battle of Goose Green The Battle of Goose Green () was fought from 28 to 29 May 1982 by United Kingdom, British and Argentina, Argentine forces during the Falklands War. Located on East Falkland's central isthmus, the settlement of Goose Green was the site of a tac ...

in the

Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...

. He was posthumously awarded the Cross for Heroic Valour in Combat, Argentina's highest military decoration.

Early life and military career

Born in

Posadas, Misiones Posadas () is the capital city of the Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Misiones Province, Misiones, in its south, at the far north-west of the country on the left bank of the Paraná River, opposite Encarnación, Paraguay. The city ...

, Estévez was the seventh of nine siblings. He attended Escuela Nº 3 "Domingo F. Sarmiento" for primary education and Colegio Nacional Nº 1 "Martín de Moussy" for secondary school. In 1975, he entered the Colegio Militar de la Nación, graduating as a second lieutenant in the infantry in 1978. In 1981, while attending a commando course, Estévez suffered two cardiac arrests but recovered and completed the training.

Falklands War

During the Falklands War, Estévez served with the 25th Infantry Regiment. On 28 May 1982, during the Battle of Goose Green, he led a counterattack to relieve pressure on Argentine positions. Despite being under fire, Estévez moved between positions giving orders and was hit twice, once in the arm and once in the leg, but continued to lead his

platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

. Upon reaching another foxhole, he encountered wounded conscript Sergio Daniel Rodríguez and placed the helmet of a fallen soldier on Rodríguez's head for protection. Moments later, Estévez was fatally struck in the cheek by a bullet. Because he was carrying grenades, his body was moved out of the position where it attracted further fire, making it almost unrecognisable.

Legacy

Estévez was posthumously promoted to first lieutenant and awarded the Cross for Heroic Valour in Combat. His remains are buried at the

Argentine Military Cemetery The Argentine Military Cemetery, (Darwin Cemetery), is a military cemetery on East Falkland that holds the remains of 236 Argentine combatants killed during the 1982 Falklands War (). It is located at Fish Creek to the east of the Darwin Set ...

in Darwin. In 2022, a plaza was inaugurated in his honour in San Juan Province. A poignant letter he wrote to his father before departing for the islands has become widely cited as a symbol of personal sacrifice and patriotism.{{cite web , title=Carta del Teniente Roberto Néstor Estévez , url=https://patriotaargentino.blogspot.com/2010/09/carta-del-teniente-roberto-nestor.html , website=Patriota Argentino , access-date=21 May 2025 , language=es

External links

Bio (Spanish)

References

1957 births 1982 deaths Argentine Army personnel Argentine military personnel killed in the Falklands War People from Posadas, Misiones