David Sanes

David Sanes Rodríguez (1954 – 19 April 1999) was a native of Vieques, Puerto Rico, whose death became a rallying point for those opposed to the United States military presence on and use of his home island for live-fire bombing practice. His death sparked the organization of the Cause for Vieques and a series of protests by residents and activists that culminated in the U.S. Navy abandoning Vieques.

Biography
Sanes Rodríguez was a civilian employee of the U.S. Navy, working as a security guard at the Navy's Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility on Vieques. During a night training exercise, he was killed when two errant 500 lb Mk 82 bombs from a Marine F/A-18C Hornet fighter landed 100 yd from a clearly identified hilltop observation post in which Sanes Rodríguez was working. Four others were injured.

Known amongst his friends for his happy-go-lucky, partying lifestyle, in death, Sanes Rodríguez became a household name in Puerto Rico. His funeral received widespread media coverage, including U.S. newspapers and international television networks. Sanes Rodríguez had two children that he raised as his own, named Jessica Cruz and Manuel Cruz.