- 4 ▁and ▁as ▁Executive ▁Officer ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 5 th . ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁Cord ero ▁died ▁during ▁an ▁accident ▁involving ▁a ▁plane . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁ ▁Cord ero ▁D áv ila , ▁born ▁in ▁bar rio ▁Tru j illo ▁B ajo ▁of ▁Carolina , ▁Puerto ▁Rico , ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Juan ▁Metropolitan ▁Area . ▁He ▁started ▁his ▁education ▁in ▁his ▁native ▁bar rio , ▁under ▁Isa ías ▁González . ▁Cord ero ▁completed ▁his ▁elementary ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁schools ▁of ▁Carolina . ▁Mid way ▁through ▁high ▁school , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁U PR ' s ▁high ▁school , ▁from ▁which ▁he ▁graduated . ▁After wards ▁he ▁was ▁accepted ▁at ▁the ▁" Co leg io ▁de ▁Agricult ura ▁y ▁Ar tes ▁M ec an icas " ▁( CA AM ) ▁( now ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁at ▁May ag ü ez , ▁where ▁he ▁act ively ▁participated ▁in ▁that ▁institution ' s ▁Army ▁R OT C ▁program . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁he ▁earned ▁his ▁degree ▁as ▁a ▁civil ▁engineer . ▁He ▁also ▁gained ▁his ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁Reserve ▁commission ▁as ▁a ▁Second ▁Lieutenant ▁ ▁Cord ero ▁continued ▁his ▁asc ension ▁in ▁ranks ▁until ▁reaching ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Commander . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁employed ▁by ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Inter ior ▁and ▁later ▁joined ▁the ▁Ir rig ation ▁Service ▁in ▁Isabel a . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 2 3 ▁years ▁old , ▁Cord ero ▁was ▁named