Rodrigo Álvares Pereira

Born on 10 June 1891 in the parish of Sé, Angra do Heroísmo, on the island of Terceira. He served in the former 26th Infantry Regiment of the Ponta Delgada garrison and the Independent Machine Gun Battery of the same unit, eventually serving as the head of the 18th Recruitment and Mobilisation District. For many years, he provided his services to the Army Cartographic Services and served as the 2nd Commander and, subsequently, the acting 1st Commander of the School of Infantry (Escola Prática de Infantaria) in Mafra. He also held leadership positions as the Director of the Military College (Colégio Militar), District Commander of the Portuguese Legion in Beja and, later, in Ponta Delgada at the invitation of General Craveiro Lopes. Furthermore, he served as the President of the District General Board (Junta Geral) and the District Assistance Commission of Ponta Delgada.

As a historian, he was a contributor to the newspapers “Diário dos Açores” and “Correio dos Açores”, distinguishing himself through his advocacy for regional memory and heritage. He published several military and historical studies, including the 1947 article Monumentos Histórico-Militares Micaelenses, in which he called for the preservation of the Fort of São Brás and the establishment of a military museum—a proposal that later materialised with the creation of the Military Museum of the Azores, keeping the region’s military history alive. He also contributed studies regarding the fortifications of São Miguel, serving as a cornerstone for subsequent research on the strategic defence of the Azores.

He was decorated as a member of the Military Order of Aviz, receiving the insignia of Officer in 1929 and Commander in 1944, both during the presidency of António Óscar Carmona.

His funeral took place at 6:00 pm on 11 June, departing from his residence in the parish of São José, Ponta Delgada, to the São Joaquim Cemetery.