Follow Me! The Life and Legacy of a Medal of Honor Recipient
In one of the most iconic images of the Korean War, a Marine lieutenant climbs out of a landing craft, his right foot on a rocky seawall, his right hand gripping a rifle. Smoke fills the sky. Ladders, with ominous-looking hooks, jut upwards. His body, lunging forward, gives the impression of a man with confidence and determination. His Marines, standing in the boat, watch their lieutenant move up and over the 10-foot embankment.
"Follow me!" he'd said moments earlier.
For many of the young men in the picture, taken on September 15, 1950, in Inchon, South Korea, the ensuing terrifying minutes would be a defining moment of their lives, their baptism of fire. For 1st Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez it would be much more.
Prepared for Any Eventuality
The day before the amphibious assault, code-named Operation Chromite, Lopez had written his parents, telling them they should be “prepared for any eventuality” and reminding them he was exactly where he wanted to be, with his Marines, and to “remember that no one forced me to accept my commission in the Marine Corps." For the first time in his life he was about to lead men into combat.
Baldomero, or “Baldy,” as his family and friends called him, had always dreamed of being a Marine. Born in 1925 to Spanish parents and raised in Ybor City, a Tampa, Florida neighborhood filled with Cuban, Spanish, and Italian immigrants, he was a small, scrappy kid. Determined to someday enlist in the military, he started lifting weights and following the Charles Atlas fitness program. Anything to get bigger and stronger. His plan worked.
Graduating in 1943 from Hillsborough High School (where he became the regimental commander of the JROTC unit), he joined the US Navy and was soon selected for an appointment to the US Naval Academy. By his senior year at Annapolis, his classmates had deemed him “one of the biggest hearted, best natured fellows in the brigade,” and were predicting he’d be “a successful [Marine] officer.” They were right on both accounts.
After graduating from the Academy in 1947 and receiving his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, he completed his officer training at The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, and deployed to China as part of America’s post-World War II occupying force in Asia. Upon his return to the States, he was assigned to Camp Pendleton, California where, just days before the outbreak of the Korean War, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Three months later, he was off the coast of Korea, preparing for MacArthur’s daring behind-enemy-lines amphibious assault on Inchon. Like countless other young officers, he'd volunteered to join a combat unit.
The Defining Moment
Lopez had spent years preparing for war. From overseas deployments, marksmanship instruction, and leadership classes, to war maneuvers, land navigation courses, and physical fitness training, he had endured the tests of a newly-commissioned officer. But like all lieutenants without combat experience, he still wondered how he’d perform when the bullets started flying. His Marines would be looking to him to provide leadership and inspiration - and to keep them alive.
On September 15, 1950, Lt. Lopez, along with hundreds of other men from 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, began assaulting Red Beach. MacArthur’s bold plan to take Inchon and deliver a knock-out blow to the Communists had begun.
Marines preparing to hit the seawall at Inchon, September 15, 1950. Lt. Lee was in the first wave to come ashore at Blue Beach. (Photo credit: US Marine Corps Archives)
But minutes after Lopez came ashore all hell broke loose. North Korean machine gunners opened fire, trapping his men in an exposed section of the seawall. With his platoon taking casualties, Lopez, grenade in hand, rushed toward the enemy gun emplacement. Cocking his arm to throw the explosive, he was hit by enemy fire.
Bullets pierced his shoulder and chest causing him to drop the grenade. Lying on the ground and bleeding, he made a split-second decision that would save the lives of the Marines around him. He reached for the grenade, pulled it tightly to his chest, and smothered the blast with his outstretched body. He died instantly.
The Medal of Honor
For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty," Baldomero Lopez was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, America’s highest decoration for heroism.
I can’t fathom the horror he must have experienced as he watched the grenade fall to the ground, knowing full well that Marines in his platoon were about to die. Nor can I imagine what was going through his mind, what scenes were flashing before his eyes when he scooped up the grenade and rolled on top of it.
As a Marine infantry officer who went through similar training as Lt. Lopez, I feel certain, however, that regardless of what he was thinking in the final moments of his life, he knew what he was doing: protecting his men. I'm also certain that when he yelled, “Follow me!” he meant it. He was doing what every Marine officer is expected to do: lead by example. Like all Marine lieutenants - past, present, and future - he had been taught that the men in his platoon were his responsibility. Keeping them trained, ready for war, and alive was his job.
A Lasting Legacy
From a Florida elementary school and nursing home named in his honor, to numerous memorials in the US and Korea, the legacy of Baldomero Lopez lives on. And in a fitting tribute to Lt. Lopez's selfless actions and inspiring leadership, all 2nd Lieutenants at The Basic School are taught his story and have the opportunity to earn the Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez Honor Graduate Award, given to the top Marine in each TBS company.
And what would Lt. Lopez think of all this? At the unveiling of a memorial at Hillsborough High in 2009, Lt. Lopez’s older brother, Manuel, in an interview with a Tampa Bay reporter, said Baldomero was a soft spoken, modest guy who “didn’t brag or carry on,” adding, “I think he would be embarrassed by all these honors. I just wish he was here.”
On National Medal of Honor Day, people across America will pay tribute to men like Baldomero Lopez, a Marine who gave his life for his country, his men, and the freedom-loving people of South Korea. Semper Fidelis!
Top/Feature Picture: Lt. Lopez going over the wall at Inchon. (Photo credit: USMC Archives)
Lt. Lopez and my grandfather Capt. Justin H. Wenger USMC were dear friends. My grandfather did not attend Annapolis, I believe he went through officer candidate selection at the University of Virginia, but he and “Baldy” were commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants on the same day in 1947 and I believe would have met at Quantico. I’m fairly certain they served in the same artillery division in China in 1948 and returned to Camp Pendleton together. On June 17th, 1949 Baldy picked up Shirley Blum from the train station in San Diego and drove her to a Rabbi’s office where she married my grandfather Justin, with Lopez serving as best man. Just one day shy of a year later Lopez and my grandfather were promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Shortly after that they would be deployed to Korea and sadly would not see each other again. My grandfather heard of his death later that day in September, 1950, but he had not been at Inchon. He would go on to become a Captain, commander of Charlie Battery, 1st 155mm gun Battalion and would somehow survive the harrowing retreat at the Chosin reservoir. My grandfather did not talk much about the war or his service when I was growing up, and sadly I only learned of his connection to Lopez after he passed away two years ago. I never got to ask him about his friend and fellow Marine. But Shirley, my grandmother, is thankfully still with us and I will ask her what she remembers about him. A framed portrait of the iconic image of Lopez climbing the sea wall now sits on my shelf. Thank you for this article, it is a wonderful tribute to a truly heroic soldier and a man who I am grateful was a steadfast friend to my grandfather. Semper Fi.
This is an incredible story, Jacob. Your grandfather was a hard-core Marine who survived one of the toughest battles in Marine Corps history. I salute him for his service to country and Corps.
And what a connection to Lt. Lopez! I know you wish you’d had the chance to talk to your grandfather about him. If you learn anything from your grandmother, I’d love to hear more for future stories and possibly write one about your grandfather (I’ll send you a follow-up email).
Thank you for sharing this. Semper Fi!
Thank you, Ned, for your work honoring these heroes. I would love to share the tales that I do know about my grandfather, his career after the Corps took many interesting turns and he was the kind of man you rarely find anymore these days. I will update you once I speak to my grandma, and I look forward to your email. Tango Mike.
Ned, I was able to see my grandmother today and ask her about LT. Lopez. She remembers him as a “lovely young man” and a dear friend who often came to dinner at my grandparents house. Also I learned that my grandfather WAS at Inchon after all, he landed in the wave prior to Lt. Lopez as they were in different battalions. It would be another nine months before he was able to come home so he was not able to attend Baldy’s funeral, but at some point he did visit the memorial in DC to pay his respects. Sadly they did not keep in touch with the Lopez family. I asked her to try and find any photographs that might be around of Lopez and my grandfather. If we find any I will email to you.
Great she remembers all this! Be terrific if you find some pictures.
Thanks for the update and I’ll definitely be in touch (a bit behind right now).
[…] leading a Marine assault from a landing craft into Inchon, South Korea, on Sept. 15, 1950, during Operation Chromite. As they breached the shore of Red Beach, all hell broke loose as enemy machine guns ripped through […]
He was one of my heroes and role models when I entered the Naval Academy in 1958 to become a Marine-like him. When I needed inspiration I would visit his room which had his picture and his Medal of Honor citation posted outside. One of the ships which brought supplies for Desert Storm which supported our Marines when I was ADC of the First Marine Division was named after him. When I retired from the Marine Corps and headed USAA’s Tampa office I was honored to be the Master of Ceremonies at the dedication of the nursing home here named for him. One of the speakers was Ms Kimi Springsteen, a Korean lady who was a child in Seoul during the Korean War. She related how frightened she and her family were until the US Marines arrived and liberated the city. She later immigrated to the US, received her degrees from the University of Texas, and became a successful businesswoman. After relating her history, she turned to the Lopez Family and said, “All of these blessings I received because of your son and those like him who never knew us, but saved us. Thank you for his sacrifice!” Not a dry eye in the crowd… He was truly, Semper Fidelis!
Thank you for your meaningful comments, Gen. Draude. It’s interesting that you have so many connections to Lt. Lopez’s story. Isn’t it amazing that he still inspires all these years later? I also really enjoyed the anecdote about Ms. Springsteen.
Thank you for your service. I’m honored that you took the time to share your thoughts. Semper Fi!
Another one Ned. Your writing stirs the emotions. Thanks
Thank you so much for this compliment, Travis; it means more than you know. I want to do my best to honor these men and women. They deserve it.
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