Brackenridge couple receive community service award

Heather Rodgriguez wasn’t surprised months ago when the Allegheny Valley Marine Corps League Detachment 827 reached out to her about nominating her husband, Jay Rodriguez, for an award recognizing his service to the community.

“They don’t have to ask him twice, he’ll be there,” she said of Jay, a retired Marine who serves as the detachment’s sergeant at arms and was previously named the detachment’s Marine of the Year.

What she didn’t know was that Jay was helping to compile an application on her behalf at the same time.

“There are so many things that she does — how much she puts others before herself,” he said.

Jesus “Jay” and Heather Rodriguez, both 45, of Brackenridge, were recognized Saturday with the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation Legion of Honor Humanitarian Award. It was presented during the detachment’s annual Marine Corps Ball celebrating the establishment of the U.S. Marine Corps, held at the Springdale Veterans’ Association in Springdale.

The award, which is granted around the world by the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation, celebrates people who make an ongoing commitment to serving their communities, according to a description provided by the foundation.

It was established in memory of four World War II Army chaplains who in 1943 gave up their life vests to save the lives of others as their ship sank off the coast of Greenland.

“Today, so many good people go unnoticed, and so many good people that go unnoticed don’t ask for it — and not only do they not ask for it, those that appreciate them don’t take the time to do something,” said Andrew Burch, who nominated the couple for the award.

He serves as the detachment’s chaplain.

“They’re such a lovely couple,” Burch said. “Despite their hardships, they just give and do.”

The couple is known within the detachment not only for their selflessness and support for its members, but also for their work handling distribution and orders for the Toys for Tots program, Burch said.

Jay Rodriguez served in the Marines from 1993 to 2006 as a motor vehicle operator and retired as an aviation mobile refueler. He now works in logistics for the Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs.

He’s known for always stepping up for whatever the detachment needs, Burch said. He regularly volunteers for funeral details and events.

“It’s always history and traditions, making sure that the past doesn’t get forgotten, what the Marines have done,” Rodriguez said of his volunteer work. “And making sure that the future generation of Marines knows that we’re here for you after your service, before, after and during.”

Heather Rodriguez stays at home with their two children, who are both on the autism spectrum. Her own family’s needs have informed her volunteer work, she said.

“I get to play Santa,” she said of their work with Toys for Tots. “I know they blessed us in the past, and I just want to be able to pay it forward. I look forward to it every year.”

She loves being able to help families find just the right gift to meet a child’s needs, she said.

What motivates the couple the most is being part of the “band of brothers” — the generations of families committed to service who make up the detachment, they said.

“Different eras, but we served,” Jay Rodgriguez said. “But we’re all one big family here.”