Angel Mendez
Angel Mendez | |
---|---|
1st Marine Division | |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Navy Cross Purple Heart |
Angel Mendez (August 8, 1946 – March 16, 1967) was a
Early years
Mendez' parents were Antonio Méndez Pomales, a native of Fajardo and Martina Rivera García from Naguabo. They moved from Puerto Rico to New York City seeking a better life. His father owned and attended a grocery store in the South Bronx while his mother cared for their eight children at home. When Mendez' mother became ill and the family's economic situation worsened, his father could not raise him and his siblings, therefore 2 were sent to foster homes and 6 were placed in the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, an orphanage on Mount Loretto, Staten Island.[1][2] There he received his primary and secondary education. Mendez was a member of the cadet corps along with his brothers and many of the "Mount" kids. At a young age, he became fascinated with military life and with his friends would often imagine that he was on a "patrol" while camping at Stokes State Forest and Worthington State Forest.[3]
In 1964, he volunteered to join the Marine Corps right after graduating from high school. Mendez received his
Vietnam War
Operation Desoto
Upon his deployment to
On March 16, 1967, Mendez was conducting a
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the NAVY CROSS posthumously to:
SERGEANT ANGEL MENDEZUNITED STATES MARINE CORPSfor service as set forth in the following citation:
- For extraordinary heroism while serving as a Platoon Right Guide of the Third Platoon, Company F, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, in the Republic of Vietnam on 16 March 1967. During Operation DE SOTO in Quang Ngai Province, Company F was conducting a
automatic weapons fire from an estimated hard-core Viet Cong battalion. One half of the Second Platoon was pinned down in an open rice paddy and all attempts to relieve the pressure on the beleaguered Marines had proven futile. Sergeant (then Corporal) Mendez, unhesitatingly volunteered to lead a squad into the face of the devastating and extremely accurate machine gun fire to assist the pinned-down Marines in returning to friendly lines with their two dead and two seriously wounded. The Viet Cong fire increased to a fever pitch as Sergeant Mendez calmly and courageously moved out onto a paddy dike, completely exposed to the intense fire, and commenced firing his M-79 at the enemy positions with deadly accuracy. He fired round after round as he stood, bravely defying the enemy, to give covering fire to his comrades. Sixty meters across the rice paddy from Sergeant Mendez, his Platoon Commander was seriously wounded and he fell, unable to move. Immediately Sergeant Mendez raced through the hail of bullets to his Platoon Commander's side. Shielding him with his body as he applied a dressing to the wound, he picked up the Lieutenant and started to carry him to friendly lines, which were more than seventy-five meters away. Exhibiting exceptional courage he moved toward the lines as the Viet Cong attempted to hit this double target. Twenty meters short of his goal, he was hit in the shoulder and two of his comrades ran out to assist him. Even though painfully wounded, Sergeant Mendez chose to be the rear man, refusing to relinquish his hold on his Lieutenant's legs as they carried him toward the hedgerow. He was shielding his Lieutenant with his own body when he was mortally wounded. By his dauntless courage, initiative and selfless efforts on behalf of another, Sergeant Mendez saved his Platoon Commander's life and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.[6]
Legacy
In March 1967, Mendez's body was sent to
Senator
The request lacked some vital information and in 2003, a meeting was held in Mt. Loretto, by Mr. Al Richichi, President and the Board of managers of the Mt. Loretto Alumni Association, Bruce W. Barraclough, Sr., John C. Gallo and Ismael Mendez and his wife Aida Mendez next of kin to Angel Mendez. This meeting was held to bring those involved up to date on the intentions of Barraclough and Gallo quest to honor Angel Mendez, and to get the family's permission to submit a new request for the Medal of Honor. In October, 2003 Barraclough and Gallo had finished writing up the new request which had presented only the facts, and added a petition signed by many organizations, Society's, along with many signatures from Staten Island, New Yorkers.[3]
On January 14, 2008, the Honorable Ronald D. Castille was sworn in as Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. In his speech he is quoted as saying the following:[10]
"I remember my Platoon Sgt. Angel Mendez, a Marine who was raised in an orphanage in Staten Island and who called the Marine Corps his family. It was Sgt. Mendez who braved heavy enemy machine gun fire to pull me to safety as I lay wounded in that rice paddy in Vietnam at Duc Pho while leading my own Marines in an effort to bring in other wounded and fallen Marines to safety in Operation DeSoto. Angel saved my life that day, but he was mortally wounded and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest medal awarded by the Marine Corps for personal bravery. NY Senator Charles Schumer is now leading an effort to upgrade Angel's Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor."
On May 26, 2008, during the Memorial Day celebrations held in San Juan, Puerto Rico,[11] the inscription of the name of Angel Mendez in "El Monumento de la Recordación" (Monument of Remembrance) was unveiled. The monument is dedicated to Puerto Rico's fallen military members and situated in front of the Capitol Building. The unveiling was done by then Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock and PR National Guard Adjutant General Col. David Carrión.[12]
A bill (H.R. 2422), that would permit the naming of the
Remembered as a "son of Staten Island", in 2017 a military-style ceremony was held by the Catholic Church at Mount Loretto to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of his death.[17]
In July 2019, the South Richmond High School in Pleasant Plains that he attended as a child in Staten Island was renamed the "Sgt. Angel Mendez Learning Center" in his honor.[18]
Awards and decorations
Among Angel Mendez's awards and decorations are the following:
- Navy Cross
- Purple Heart
- Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with "V" Device for Valor
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Navy Presidential Unit Citation
- Navy Unit Commendation
- Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Vietnam Service Medal with two (2) Campaign Stars
Military decorations of the Republic of Vietnam
- Vietnam Military Merit Medal
- Vietnam Wound Medal
- Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal 2nd Class
- Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
- Vietnam Civil Actions MedalUnit Citation
- Vietnam Campaign Medal
Others
- New York State Conspicuous Service Cross Medal with Silver Cross Device
- New York State Conspicuous Service Star Medal
See also
- Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps
- List of Navy Cross recipients for the Vietnam War
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- List of Puerto Ricans
- Puerto Rican recipients of the Navy Cross
References
- ^ The Mission of the Immaculate Virgin was founded in 1871 by Father John Christopher Drumgoole, and is the largest childcare institution in the United States. See The History of the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin at Mount Loretto Archived 2008-05-02 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Colimore, Edward (May 31, 2010). "Fight to upgrade hero's medal". The Philadelphia Inquirer. pp. A1, A7.
- ^ a b c d "Angel Mendez". VirtualWall.org. Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ Husty, Mary Ann (May 15, 2008). "Veterans Notes". The News-Press. p. B5.
- ^ Operation DeSoto
- ^ Mendez' Navy Cross citation Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Vietnam Veterans Memorial Archived May 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Honorable Ronald D. Castille Archived September 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Slepian, Stephanie (May 29, 2011). "Fighting for Staten Island hero's place in history". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ Castilles Swearing in speech
- ^ Husty, Mary Ann (2008-05-15). "Veterans Notes". News-Press (Fort Myers, Florida) via Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ Noticias
- ^ Rep. Grimm's Bill to Name S.I. Post Office after Vietnam War Hero Sergeant Angel Mendez passes the House Archived May 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ St. George Post Office will be renamed in honor of Staten Island war hero Sgt. Angel Mendez
- ^ Annese, John M. (April 13, 2012). "Staten Island post office renamed for fallen Vietnam veteran Sgt. Angel Mendez". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ "J1380". NY State Senate. 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
- ^ Machado, Armando (2017-09-27). "Alumni Return to Give Thanks For Staten Island's Mount Loretto". Catholic New York. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
The military style ceremony at Resurrection cemetery was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Marine Sgt. Angel Mendez, who is buried there and who grew up at Mount Loretto.
- ^ Benanti, Carol Ann (2019-07-26). "Pleasant Plains school renamed in memory of Staten Island son, Sgt. Angel Mendez". silive. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
Further reading
- Puertorriquenos Who Served With Guts, Glory, and Honor. Fighting to Defend a Nation Not Completely Their Own; by : Greg Boudonck; ISBN 978-1497421837