Leo Menendez, Jr

Private First Class
E CO, 2ND BN, 3RD MARINES, 3RD MARDIV
United States Marine Corps
21 June 1949 - 29 December 1967
Spelter, West Virginia
Panel 32E Line 095

3RD MARDIV

3RD MARINES
Leo Menendez

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Leo Menendez, Jr

29 Nov 2001

Leo Menendez, Jr, turned 18 in June 67, joined the Marine Corps in July 67, staged in RVN on December 18, 1967, and was killed in Operation Auburn on December 29, 1967. He was a good man, a good Marine, and a good friend.

From a friend who served with him,
Arthur Romeo
arjr@earthlink.net

A Note from The Virtual Wall

Operation Auburn, conducted 28 Dec 67 through 03 Jan 68 on Go Noi Island, Quang Nam Province, was primarily a 5th Marines operation, but E Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, was attached to 3/5 Marines to provide an extra rifle company. Go Noi Island was infested with North Vietnamese regulars and Viet Cong main and local forces, and very heavy fighting resulted when the Marines engaged fortified NVA and VC elements.

Echo 2/3 lost twelve men killed in action on 28 December 1967,

  • SSgt Salome Hernandez, Anthony, NM
  • Cpl Robert L. Boyer, Long Beach, CA (Silver Star)
  • Cpl Richard L. Carlson, Montclair, NJ
  • Cpl James B. Cox, Washington, WV
  • LCpl Patrick E. Anglim, Long Beach, CA
  • LCpl Carl E. Chamberlain, Nashville, TN
  • Pfc Byron A. Gaines, Jacksonville, FL (Silver Star)
  • Pfc Thomas B. Holdbrooks, Mc Kinney, TX
  • Pfc Arturo M. Lara, Los Angeles, CA
  • Pfc Ronald J. Streckert, Chilton, WI
  • Pfc Ernesto Tarango, Los Angeles, CA
  • Pfc Herbert O. Zinnel, Dakota City, IA
and seven more on 29 December:
  • Sgt Henry L. Morgan, Benson, NC (Silver Star)
  • Pfc David A. Blough, Spencer, MA (Silver Star)
  • Pfc John A. Delozier, Tucson, AZ
  • Pfc Leo Menendez, Spelter, WV
  • Pfc Steven D. Munden, Minneapolis, MN
  • Pfc Dennis C. Smith, Deer River, MN
  • Pfc Gerald W. Ziy, St Ann, MO




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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Channing Prothro, former CAP Marine
Last updated 08/10/2009