DAVID MENDEZ

Company B 1/22 Infantry

4th Infantry Division

KIA 11/20/1966

Army - PFC - E3

Age: 21
Race: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Date of Birth Jan 3, 1945
From: NEW YORK, NY
Religion:
Marital Status: Single

PFC - E3 - Army - Selective Service
4th Infantry Division
MOS: 11B10: Infantryman
Length of service 1 years
His tour began on Jul 21, 1966
Casualty was on Nov 20, 1966
In , SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
MISADVENTURE
Body was recovered

Panel 12E - Line 96

David Mendez was killed by accidental friendly fire, while on Operation Paul Revere IV, in the Plei Trap Valley,
from fragmentation wounds, when engaged in ground operations against a hostile force.

David Mendez's decorations

David is also eligible to receive the Conspicuous Service Cross
from the State of New York

I was with David Mendez when he was killed. We, B Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division,
were working up to provide a blocking position to help a unit of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division who were being hit
by a large NVA attack. As we started establishing our defensive perimeter, we heard mortar rounds falling close to us - friendly fire.
As our artillery forward observer screamed into the radio for them to cease fire, a round fell into the middle of our
2nd platoon's position and exploded up in the trees. The cry for 'medic' came out from the location and I grabbed our platoon medic
and ran over to see what we could do to help. Walt Ferguson, the platoon leader, had been wounded in the knee. He asked me
to get Mendez, his radio operator, on the radio and call in their status. When Mendez didn't respond, I went over to him
and saw him lying there with a tiny shrapnel hole through the heart - he never knew what hit him.

We lost David Mendez killed and ten others wounded with that one 'friendly' round. Fortunately, the NVA retreated in a different direction
and we did not come into contact with them as we blew down trees to make an LZ to get our wounded out.

I am Bob Babcock, former 3rd Platoon leader, B/1-22 who served with David Mendez. David was an exemplary soldier,
one we could always count on.

**********************

Burial:
Long Island National Cemetery
East Farmingdale
Suffolk County
New York
Plot: T, 3181

Grave marker for David Mendez

Photo by GLENN from the Find A Grave website

For a tribute to David Mendez, click on the following link:

Together We Served

Top photo of David Mendez from his Department of Defense Identification Card
courtesy of Kathy Root. Dennis Otte who served with David Mendez in Company B
obtained the photo from the National Personnel Records Center.

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