All the Presidents’ Man, Eddie Serrano
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From left: Eddie Serrano , Dr, Zenaida Jimenez-Francisco and the author, Dr. Floriño A. Francisco. White House, 1986.
Kuya Eddie as I called him, enlisted in the US Navy in 1946, right after the war. Filipinos were allowed to join the US Navy at the time. His naval career took him to San Diego, Hawaii, Japan, Norfolk and the Subic base in the Philippines. Because of his exemplary service, he was selected Master Chief of the White House Mess in 1965, which brought the Serrano family--his wife Andrelina and their children, Edmond, Ronnie, and Janice--to Washington, D.C. The family would later settle down in Oxon Hill, Maryland, where life was a bit slower and conducive to raising their three young children. While serving my fellowship at Harvard Medical School in the late sixties, I would hie off by plane or Greyhound bus on long holidays to their place where I was always welcome to stay. I would never forget the surprise farewell party Kuya Eddie cooked up before I departed for the Philippines in 1969. He and his wife, Ate Andrelina, baked a cake for me, brought home flowers from the White House (they change flowers on a daily basis) and invited a few close friends of mine to their place.
Kuya Eddie took great pride in his White House service. He supported all presidential events, traveling with President Richard Nixon to China and going to Key Biscayne and San Clemente with the first family for holidays and vacations. He often jogged with President Carter and was at Camp David in Maryland when the peace agreement was signed between Israel and Egypt. In state banquets in foreign lands, Eddie would be inconspicuous among the dignitaries in the hall. The president would wait for him to give the secret signal if the food served was safe to eat. On foreign trips, he would be in-charge of a back-up plane packed with all the food and necessities for the president, and manned by Eddie’s kitchen staff.
“In state banquets in foreign lands, Eddie would be inconspicuous among the dignitaries in the hall. The president would wait for him to give the secret signal if the food served was safe to eat.”
Of the first families he served he was closest to the Reagans. He did the honors of presenting President Ronald Reagan a cake on his 70th birthday right inside the Oval Office. Nancy Reagan personally asked him to be with the recovering President Reagan after the latter was shot by a would-be assassin in 1981. Eddie was mentioned fondly in Reagan’s official biography, and even after he had retired Eddie would get calls from first lady Nancy just inquiring how he was doing.
Eddie Serrano
After serving six presidents, Eddie finally retired in 1993, giving him time to pursue his favorite activities of fishing, crabbing, watching westerns, gardening, and cooking in their retirement home in Hudson, Florida. He cherished spending time with his family. His cooking and storytelling made every gathering special. He brought joy to every life he touched and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He passed quietly on June 18, 2020 at the age of 92. An American patriot, his body was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Dr. Floriño A. Francisco
Dr. Floriño A. Francisco is a retired pediatrician, a TOPICS (The Outstanding Physician in Community Service) awardee in 2000 and a freelance feature writer based in Cabanatuan City.
