Baldomero Lopez
August 23, 1925(1925-08-23) – September 15, 1950 (aged 25)
Place of birth	Tampa Bay, Florida
Place of death	Inchon, South Korea, KIA
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1947-1950
Rank	First Lieutenant
Unit	5th Marine Regiment
Battles/wars	Korean War -Battle of Inchon
Awards	Medal of Honor Purple Heart

Lopez leading his men over the seawall at Inchon on the day of his death. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay Incheon is a metropolitan city and a major seaport on the west coast of South Korea, near Seoul. Killed in action ( KIA or K I A) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces by other The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. First Lieutenant is a Military rank. The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations (see Comparative military ranks The 5th Marine Regiment is an infantry Regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The Battle of Incheon (인천 상륙 작전 Incheon Sangryuk Jakjeon; Code name: Operation Chromite) was an amphibious invasion and battle of The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving

Baldomero Lopez (August 23, 1925 – September 15, 1950) was a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. First Lieutenant is a Military rank. The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations (see Comparative military ranks The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for smothering a hand grenade with his own body during the Inchon Landing, on September 15, 1950. A posthumous recognition is a ceremonial award given after the recipient has died usually in honor of an action associated with their death The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. The Battle of Incheon (인천 상륙 작전 Incheon Sangryuk Jakjeon; Code name: Operation Chromite) was an amphibious invasion and battle of Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Biography

Baldomero Lopez was born in Tampa Bay, Florida. Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay He was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy, and upon graduating June 6, 1947, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States that educates and commissions officers of the United States Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces.

He attended The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia, after which he became a platoon commander in the Platoon Leaders Class Training Regiment. The Basic School ( TBS) is where all newly commissioned United States Marine Corps officers are sent to learn the art and science of being an Officer of Marines Quantico Virginia lies in Prince William County, north-northeast of Fredericksburg Virginia, United States, near Dumfries and Stafford

In 1948, 2dLt Lopez went to China, where he served as a mortar section commander and later as a rifle platoon commander at Tsingtao and Shanghai. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million On his return from China he was assigned to Camp Pendleton, California. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

He was serving there when, shortly after the outbreak of the Korean war, he volunteered for duty as an infantry officer in Korea. He was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant on June 16, 1950. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Lopez was forever immortalized in a picture of him leading his men over the seawall at Inchon shortly before his death. Incheon is a metropolitan city and a major seaport on the west coast of South Korea, near Seoul.

News of his heroic death spread quickly among fellow Marines on the battlefronts. A Scripps-Howard war correspondent, Jerry Thorp, said in a news story on 1stLt Lopez's deed that he "died with the courage that makes men great. "

In addition to the Medal of Honor, 1stLt Lopez's decorations include the Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation with one bronze star, China Service Medal, and Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving Please see " Presidential Unit Citation " for other nations' versions of this award The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to units The China Service Medal was a military medal awarded to US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel The Korean Service Medal (KSM is a decoration of the United States military and was created in November 1950 by executive order of President

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U. S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein. ). Place and date: During Inchon invasion in Korea, 15 September 1950. Entered service at: Tampa, Fla. Born: 23 August 1925, Tampa, Fla.

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a marine platoon commander of Company A, in action against enemy aggressor forces. With his platoon 1st Lt. Lopez was engaged in the reduction of immediate enemy beach defenses after landing with the assault waves. Exposing himself to hostile fire, he moved forward alongside a bunker and prepared to throw a hand grenade into the next pillbox whose fire was pinning down that sector of the beach. Taken under fire by an enemy automatic weapon and hit in the right shoulder and chest as he lifted his arm to throw, he fell backward and dropped the deadly missile. After a moment, he turned and dragged his body forward in an effort to retrieve the grenade and throw it. In critical condition from pain and loss of blood, and unable to grasp the hand grenade firmly enough to hurl it, he chose to sacrifice himself rather than endanger the lives of his men and, with a sweeping motion of his wounded right arm, cradled the grenade under him and absorbed the full impact of the explosion. His exceptional courage, fortitude, and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon 1st Lt. Lopez and the U. S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Honors/Legacy

• 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez (T-AK-3010) is one of the Military Sealift Command's seventeen Container & Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 36 ships in the Prepositioning Program it is assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Program Squadron Two under the operational control of MSC Far East and operates out of Diego Garcia. Mission The United States Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing Sealift and ocean transportation for all US military services as well as for other Diego Garcia is the largest Atoll, in terms of land area in Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
• A room in Bancroft Hall, the Naval Academy dormitory, is dedicated to him, with a display including his photo and a bronze plaque of his Medal of Honor citation. Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is the largest single Dormitory in the world A Naval Academy is a national institution that provides undergraduate level education for prospective Naval officers Many nations support naval academies some of which are (Room 4353)
• The Korean War memorial under construction in Tampa, Florida was opened on November 11, 2007 and dedicated to 1st Lt Lopez. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[1]

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Korean War
• List of Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients

References

External links

• www.HomeofHeroes.com
• Who's who in Marine Corps History
• Navsource