Admiral Amancio Rodríguez Castaños Donates His Merits to Our Lady of the Snows

During his lifetime, Admiral Amancio Rodríguez Castaños, Favorite Son of La Palma, donated a painting containing his decorations, sash, and general's belt to Our Lady of the Snows as an expression of gratitude towards the Patroness of La Palma, for whom he felt special devotion, and to the island where he was born and with which he always maintained ties throughout his lengthy military career.

Two years after his passing and on the occasion of the upcoming visit of the training ship “Juan Sebastián de Elcano” to the port of La Palma, his widow, who resides in Madrid, and his children will travel to La Palma to deliver the wishes of the distinguished Palmero, the third admiral in the history of the island, after Francisco Díaz Pimienta and Antonio Fernández Rojas, to the rector of the Royal Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Snows, Antonio Hernández Hernández.

The commander of the training ship “Juan Sebastián de Elcano,” Captain Victoriano Gilabert Agote, along with a representation of the crew and other civil and military authorities from the island, will attend the ceremony, as will his brothers Alberto and Pedro Manuel Rodríguez Castaños and their respective families, which will take place at noon on December 8.

Born on August 5, 1933, in Santa Cruz de La Palma, the firstborn of Amancio Rodríguez Martín and Victoria Natividad Castaños Villarreal, he was 20 years old when he entered the Naval Military School in Marín (Pontevedra). In August 1956, he embarked on the training ship “Juan Sebastián de Elcano” - commanded by Captain González López - to complete his fourth year of studies. In 1957, he was promoted to Ensign, to Sub-Lieutenant in 1958, and to Lieutenant in 1962, during which he commanded the minesweeper “Ebro” (1968-1970).

With the rank of Lieutenant Commander (1972), he was the second-in-command of the destroyer “Álava” and later served in the Fleet General Staff and as aide to the Fleet Commander, Admiral Juan Carlos Muñoz-Delgado y Pintó. During this time, he was also appointed commander of the corvette “Descubierta” (1979-1980), then the most modern ship in the Spanish Navy, with which he made a circumnavigation trip around South America, promoting the new product of the Spanish military shipbuilding industry.

When he was promoted to Frigate Captain (1980), he headed the Fleet Evaluation and Training Office (OVAF), commanded the destroyer “Alcalá Galiano” (1984-1985), and led the operations section of the Mediterranean Maritime Zone General Staff.

With the rank of Captain (1985), he was the head of the Military Arsenal of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (1987-1990) and in that year was promoted to Rear Admiral, serving as deputy director of maintenance for the Logistics Division of the Logistics Support Headquarters and as Admiral in charge of the Logistics Division of the Navy General Staff.

In 1993, he was promoted to Vice Admiral and first directed the Military Naval Construction Division and in 1995 took the position of Admiral in charge of the Maritime Zone of the Canary Islands, under whose command he presided over the ceremony of handing over the battle flag to the frigate “Canarias,” which took place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and to the offshore patrol vessel “Centinela,” offered by the Insular Council of La Palma (July 9, 1995). He attended the Lustral Festivals of the Descent of Our Lady of the Snows and on August 3 of the following year, he retired upon reaching the mandatory age.

A graduate of the Navy General Staff, a specialist in submarine weapons, he completed courses in underwater combat and warfare, torpedo maintenance, and pedagogical techniques. He was a professor at the Submarine Weapons School and the Fleet Instruction and Training Center.

He held the Grand Cross of Naval Merit with a white badge, five first-class crosses of Naval Merit with a white badge, the first-class Military Medal of the Armed Forces of Portugal, and the Cross, Encomienda, Plaque, and Grand Cross of the Royal and Military Order of San Hermenegildo, in addition to being named Favorite Son of La Palma by unanimous plenary agreement of the Insular Council. He married in January 1960 in Germany to Anne Marie Fehst Brocke and has four children.

Photo: José Guillermo Rodríguez Escudero