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Photo Courtesy of HomeOfHeroes.com |
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First Lieutenant Lopez and his platoon were engaged in the reduction of immediate enemy beach defenses after landing with the assault waves during the Inchon invasion in Korea. 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.
Baldomero Lopez graduated from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Class of 1948. Vietnam War MOH recipient Joe Jackson is often cited as the only recipient to have a known photograph of his action. It could be argued, however, that the photo showing Lt. Lopez scaling the wall (he's the one a the top) also qualifies as a Medal of Honor action photo.
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