The Wall › Panel 14W › New Mexico › Mel Ernest Salazar JR
MEL ERNEST SALAZAR JR
Second Lieutenant · U.S. Army
February 16, 1949 – January 19, 1970
Service recordMel Ernest Salazar JR, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, served as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He died on January 19, 1970, in Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 14W, Line 47 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 14W · Line 47
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
Remember
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant (2LT)
- Service
- Reserve / National Guard
- Occupation
- Infantry Unit Commander (1542)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 4 INF DIV
- Born
- February 16, 1949
- Home of record
- Albuquerque, New Mexico (Bernalillo County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- January 19, 1970
- Age
- 20
- Province
- Binh Dinh
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
14 names on the Wall carry the date January 19, 1970; six of them were lost in Bình Định Province. In January 1970, 529 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 4th Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 28 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 14W, Line 47
- JOHN MURL MCDAIDSergeant · January 19, 1970
- WARD NORTON IIISpecialist Five · January 19, 1970
- OSCAR FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZSpecialist Four · January 19, 1970
- FRANKLIN DANIEL SCHRADERLance Corporal · January 19, 1970
Same unit, same day
- RAYMOND JOHN AQUINOPrivate · Panel 14W, Line 45
- DALE RICHARD FORSYTHEPrivate First Class · Panel 14W, Line 46
- JUAN ALBERTO FRET-CAMACHOPrivate First Class · Panel 14W, Line 46
- AUBREY ALAN WIGGINSSpecialist Four · Panel 14W, Line 46
From Albuquerque
- RICHARD ELMER HAMILTONSergeant · October 6, 1962
- RICHARD EUGENE HEISTERFirst Lieutenant · June 2, 1965
- DONALD CHARLES PATCHCaptain · October 2, 1965
- LON M FLETCHERPrivate · October 5, 1965
- PEDRO PADILLASergeant · March 28, 1966
- WILLIAM LEROY WALTONPrivate First Class · April 25, 1966
- GEORGE DAYTON ADAMSSergeant · April 26, 1966
- JACOB HENRY FOWNERPrivate First Class · May 2, 1966
- JUAN DIEGO SANCHEZPrivate First Class · July 22, 1966
- BENNY SENAPrivate First Class · July 25, 1966
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. This page presents the official record and its historical context; no biography has been written for him yet. See something wrong? Report a correction.