Samuel Almendariz

Master Sergeant
FOB 1, CCN, MACV-SOG, 5TH SF GRP, 5TH SF GRP
Army of the United States
10 May 1934 - 12 July 1967
Mc Allen, Texas
Panel 23E Line 055

5TH SF GRP

MACV-SOG
Combat Infantry

Purple Heart, Good Conduct, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

Airborne!

The database page for Samuel Almendariz

12 July 2001

With Sam's passing we lost a great soldier and a true hero. It is with deep gratitude that we are remembering Master Sergeant Sam Almendariz and all the others who served and died in times of war so that we may enjoy the Freedom and Liberties that make the United States of America great.

A memorial from his comrade's friend,
Clark T. Ballard, Jr., M.D., Colonel, U S Army (Ret)
66 Leschi Drive, Steilacoom, WA 98388-1514
n6qg1@yahoo.com

Notes from The Virtual Wall

On 10 July 1967 a surveillance team composed of three American Special Forces soldiers and eight South Vietnamese Nungs was inserted just inside Laos in the extreme southeast portion of Savannakhet Province. The team was tasked with surveillance of a branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail which followed Route 922 into the A Shau Valley. Although the team avoided contact through the 11th, at mid-morning on the 12th they were attacked by a platoon-size enemy force. Two of the Nungs were killed in the first exchange of fire, and two of the three Americans wounded shortly thereafter in the second exchange. After a five-hour running fight, six of the eleven men, all wounded, were extracted - one American and five Nungs. During his debrief the surviving American (Harry D. Brown) stated that he was present when the other two Americans - SFC Robert J Sullivan and SFC Samuel Almendariz - were killed by enemy fire.

Search forces went back into the area of contact over the next few days but failed to locate the bodies of the missing men. Almendariz and Sullivan were listed as killed in action, body not recovered.



The point-of-contact for this memorial is
a comrade's friend,
Clark T. Ballard, Jr, M D, Col U S Army Ret
66 Leschi Drive, Steilacoom, WA 98388-1514
n6qg1@yahoo.com
12 Jul 2001



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 08/01/2005