Major General Luis Raul Esteves (April 30, 1893 – March 12, 1958) was the first Puerto Rican and the first American citizen of Hispanic heritage to graduate from the United States Military Academy (West Point), and the founder of the Puerto Rico National Guard.

Of his West Point class, that included Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Joseph McNarney, James Van Fleet and George E. Stratemeyer, Esteves was the first to achieve the rank of general.

His father, Francisco Esteves Soriano had served in the Spanish Army and his mother, Enedina Völckers Van der Dijs, of German and Dutch descent, was a housewife.

[4] At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, the Esteves Völckers family welcomed the Americans as an alternative to Spanish rule of the island.

[4] Esteves saw a news advertisement announcing examinations for the entry into the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and applied without his parents' knowledge.

[6] One of the problems that Esteves faced upon his graduation was that in order to become an officer in the U.S. Army he had to be a citizen of the United States and Puerto Ricans at the time were not.

[8] Esteves served as a 2nd lieutenant in the 8th Infantry Brigade of the U.S. Army under the command of General Pershing, when he was sent to El Paso, Texas during the "Pancho Villa Incident".

After the war, Esteves was sent to Washington, D.C., however his assignment there was cut short and he resigned his commission in the Regular Army because of a medical admonition that residence in a cold climate could have been fatal to his wife.

Esteves was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and ordered to active duty and given the command of the 92nd Infantry Brigade.

He commanded the 92nd until he was summoned by José Miguel Gallardo the Interim Governor of Puerto Rico to organize a State Guard, with the Army's approval, that in a short time consisted of nine well trained and equipped regiments.

[10] During this time, he reorganized the Puerto Rico National Guard and held the position of Adjutant General until his retirement in June 1957.

The Puerto Rico National Guard was mobilized under the command of Esteves by orders of Governor Luis Muñoz Marín and U.S. Brigadier Gen. Edwin L. Sibert, and sent to confront the Nationalists in various towns such as Jayuya, Utuado and San Juan.