Burnettown mayor receives state's top civilian honor
Aug. 18—GRANITEVILLE — One of South Carolina's most prominent Puerto Ricans received a massive community salute Aug. 17, in honor of decades of service in a variety of roles in the public and private sectors.
Burnettown Mayor Hector Rodriguez, an Army veteran originally from San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, was in the spotlight, being awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor bestowed by South Carolina's governor.
Midland Valley Community Church of the Nazarene was the host site, and pews were packed with neighbors, family members and other well-wishers on hand for the 81-year-old. He is a longtime member of Langley First Baptist Church and is also known as a former employee of J.M. Huber Clay and Aiken County's school system.
S.C. Sen. Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, and S.C. Rep. Melissa Oremus, R-Aiken, helped lead the program. Massey emphasized Rodriguez's military involvement and particularly his efforts on behalf of veterans, including creation, expansion and maintenance of Horse Creek/Midland Valley Veterans Park, established in 1998.
Massey, following a partial listing of Rodriguez's roles, said, "For all of us who thought Hector's done a lot of stuff — and he has — we've learned something, haven't we? He's done even more than we thought he'd done, and I don't think it is a surprise to anybody that Hector's going to show up for work tomorrow morning, and he's going to do even more stuff, and he's never going to ask for credit for it. He's never going to be out trying to solicit credit."
Most of the time, the legislator added, Rodriguez would prefer not to get credit. "Those are the people that we need to honor and we need to recognize, so I think Hector Rodriguez is definitely deserving of the state's highest civilian honor," he said.
Rodriguez, who is now undergoing cancer treatment, stepped into one of his most prominent roles in 1988, becoming mayor. He served in that role through 2001, stepping aside to help with family medical issues, and resumed his mayoral role in 2021.
Karen Jones, a member of Burnettown's town council, noted that Rodriguez was the oldest of 13 children in his family and was drafted into the Army in 1961, which meant time at Fort Dix, in New Jersey, for basic training, followed by a stretch at Fort Gordon, to begin his introduction to the Aiken-Augusta area, which included his future wife, Judy. She worked at Homestead Draperies, a division of United Merchants — the same company that employed Rodriguez at that point.
They married in 1967 and moved into the same house where they now live. The household grew to include two sons and one daughter, and the family tree also includes eight grandchildren now. The patriarch has served in a variety of roles in Midland Valley Lions Club, Midland Valley Chamber of Commerce, Langley Masonic Lodge 174 and American Legion Post 153, among other organizations.
Hundreds of local children came to know him through other roles, as Rodriguez served the school district largely as a bus driver and also as a hall monitor and student shadow, among other capacities.
Rodriguez, addressing the assembly in his honor, said, "I know as long as I am the mayor of Burnettown, I will be doing what I love to do most, and that is serving the people in our community. I'm proud to be from Puerto Rico, and I'm proud to have called South Carolina home for over 55 years, and I'm also very proud to receive such an amazing honor. I thank you for being here tonight."
His listeners had the chance to speak with the evening's honoree after the award ceremony, gathering for pictures and attending a reception.
The website for the governor's office notes, "The Order of the Palmetto recognizes individuals who have selflessly given of their time, resources and goodwill through a variety of different causes and pursuits to the benefit of their neighbors, fellow citizens and the fabric and prosperity of South Carolina. Business, political or personal accomplishment may be important factors, but noble works for others mark the true purpose."
