White House Historical Association

Pablo Balbuena

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"Pablo Balbuena," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/950.
Position
Chauffeur
Years in President's House
circa 1944
Legal Status
Free Person
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
Asian
Presidency
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Biography
Pablo Balbuena was born in San Marcelino, Philippines on January 25, 1911. He moved to the United States in 1930; at the time, the Philippines was a U.S. territory. (1) Balbuena went on to serve in the United States Navy during World War II, and by 1944, he was assigned as a chauffeur in the White House Garage. He drove for Admiral Wilson Brown, naval aide to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. (2) The duration of his time at the White House is unknown. Balbuena later served in the Korean War (1950-1953) and held the rank of Mess Attendant Specialist Chief Petty Officer First Class, but further information about his life and career is limited. Pablo Balbuena died on February 23, 1992, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. (3)
(1) Pablo Balbuena in the Virginia, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1901-1938, The National Archives at Philadelphia; Philadelphia, PA; Declarations of Intention For Citizenship, 1838-1991; NAI Number: 573404; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States; Record Group Number: 21; “Pablo Balbuena,” Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34521789/pablo-balbuena.
(2) "Roster of White House Employees, Revised, April 1, 1944," Folder: Investigative Case Files, 1934-1945, Records of the United States Secret Service, 1933-1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, New York.
(3) “Balbuena, Pablo,” Army Cemeteries Explorer, https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CghCYWxidWVuYRIFUGFibG8-/.
Birthplace
San Marcelino, Philippines