August 8, 1946 – March 16, 1967
STATEN ISLAND, NY — On Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 11:00 am, USMC Sergeant Angel Mendez — who gave his life in Vietnam saving his commanding officer — will be honored in perpetuity by the United States Postal Service.
During a dedication ceremony at Staten Island’s St. George Post Office a commemorative plaque will be unveiled which will be placed in view for all who enter that facility. The ceremony will take place in front of the building at 45 Bay Street, Staten Island NY 10301. This, appropriately, is also the site for the Marine Corp Recruitment Office.
Angel Mendez (August 8, 1946 – March 16, 1967) was a United States Marine who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. In 1967, during the Vietnam War, Mendez saved the life of his platoon commander, Lieutenant Ronald D. Castille, who is currently the Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer has recommended that Sgt. Mendez’ award be upgraded to Medal of Honor, the United States highest military decoration.
The road which leads to passage of a law to rename a post office building is an exciting journey. In this instance, it was made possible by the efforts of New York Congressman Michael Grimm who sponsored the legislation. The Bill was co-signed by New York’s Congressional Representatives and approved by the full Congress. On January 03, 2012, President Barack Obama signed into law the designation of this post office in Honor of Sergeant Mendez.
Sergeant Angel Mendez We Salute You
On March 16, 1967, Sgt. Mendez was conducting a search mission with his company in Duc Pho, Quang Ngai Province when they came under attack from a Viet Cong battalion. With half his platoon pinned down in a rice paddy — under heavy enemy fire — Mendez volunteered to lead a squad to extract the pinned-down Marines. While returning to friendly lines with two dead and two seriously wounded men Mendez’ Platoon Commander, Lieutenant Ronald D. Castille, was seriously wounded and fell, unable to move. Using his own body, Mendez shielded Lt. Castille as he applied a dressing to the wound; then picked up the Lieutenant and began carrying him to the American lines, which were more than seventy-five meters away. Mendez was hit in the shoulder at which time two of his comrades rushed to help him with their commander. Mendez, however, refused to let go of the Lieutenant and continued to shield Castille with his own body until unfortunately, he was mortally wounded. Mendez was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
Today, the Postal Service currently employs more than 116,000 veterans. Of these, approximately 21 percent are veterans with approximately one-third of those rated as 30 percent or more disabled. Nearly 15,000 employees in the Northeastern United States are military veterans.
Mendez was one of 8 children of his parents who moved from Puerto Rico to New York. His father owned and attended a grocery store. After his mother became ill and the economic situation worsened, his father could not raise him and his siblings, therefore 2 were sent to foster homes and 6 were placed in the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, an orphanage on Mount Loretto, Staten Island. There he received his primary and secondary education. Mendez was a member of the cadet corps along with his brothers and many of the "Mount" kids. At a young age, he became fascinated with military life and with his friends would often imagine that he was on a "patrol" while camping at Stokes State Forest and Worthington State Forest.
In 1964, he was among the young men during the Vietnam War era who volunteered to join the Marine Corps right after graduating from high school. Staten Island accounted for 84 of the more than 58,000 brave soldiers who lost their lives in Vietnam. Three of the 84 were from Mount Loretto.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington DC honors the fallen of the Vietnam War. The Virtual Wall Vietnam Veterans Memorial can be viewed at http://www.virtualwall.org Angel Mendez is inscribed on the "The Wall" on Panel 16E — Line 94.
United States Senator Charles “Chuck” Schumer (D-NY) has made a Congressional Recommendation that The Navy Cross (the highest honor the US Navy bestows for valor) Sgt. Mendez was awarded be upgraded to the Congressional Medal Of Honor. (Highest United States Military decoration)
The Mt. Loretto Mission of the Immaculate Virgin was founded in 1871 by Father John Christopher Drumgoole, and is the largest childcare institution in the United States. To learn more visit: The History of the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin at Mount Loretto.
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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.
