1stLt Baldomero Lopez

Baldomero Lopez was a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. He was posthumously awarded the the Medal of Honor for smothering a hand grenade with his own body during the Inchon Landing, on September 15, 1950. First Lieutenant is a military rank. ... The Korean War, from June 25, 1950 to cease-fire on July 27, 1953 (the war has not ended officially), was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ... Posthumous means after death. ... The Medal of Honor (Sometimes refered to as the Congressional Medal of Honor) [1] is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ... A WWII-era MkIIA1 pineapple fragmentation hand grenade A hand grenade is a small hand-held bomb designed to be thrown by hand. ... Combatants UN forces: United States; United Kingdom; South Korea; Canada; Australia; Netherlands; France North Korea Commanders Douglas MacArthur Arthur Dewey Struble Jeong Il-Gwon Kim Il-sung Strength 70,000 Unknown Casualties 222 killed or wounded 1,350 killed or wounded {{{notes}}} The Battle of Inchon (code name: Operation Chromite... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Baldomero Lopez was born 23 August 1925, in Tampa Bay, Florida. He was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy, and upon graduating June 6, 1947, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. August 23 is the 235th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (236th in leap years), with 130 days remaining. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary on the western coast of Florida. ... Teamwork: Fourth Class Midshipmen lock arms and use ropes made from uniform items as they brace themselves climbing the Herndon Monument The United States Naval Academy, or USNA, is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ...

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 a Marine officer. ... Quantico, Virginia is in Prince William County, 23 miles north-northeast of Fredericksburg, Virginia, near Dumfries and Stafford along Highway 619. ...

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. On his return from China he was assigned to Camp Pendleton, California. 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... US soldier firing an M224 60-mm mortar. ... Tsigntao can refer to Tsingtao (beer) Qingdao, Shandong, China This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Shanghai (Chinese: 上海 pinyin: (help· info); Shanghainese: Zanhe ) , situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta, is Chinas largest city. ... Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is near Oceanside, California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ...

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. June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Lopez leading his men over the seawall at Inchon

Lopez was forever immortalized in a picture of him leading his men over the seawall at Inchon shortly before his death. Incheon Metropolitan City is a metropolitan city and 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 Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with one bronze star, China Service Medal, and Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars. The Medal of Honor (Sometimes refered to as the Congressional Medal of Honor) [1] is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ... The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy. ... The China Service Medal was a military medal awarded to U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. ... The Korean Service Medal is a decoration of the United States military and was created in November 1950 by order of President Harry Truman. ...

Naval Ships

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. In addition, a room in Bancroft Hall, the Naval Academy's dormitory, is dedicated to him, with a display including his photo and a bronze plaque of his Medal of Honor citation. (Room 4353) The Military Sealift Command (MSC) is a United States Navy (USN) organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. ... This article refers to the atoll. ...

References

• Who's who in Marine Corps History
• Navsource

External links

• www.HomeofHeroes.com