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Lopez Memorialized At Last

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By STEPHEN HAMMILL, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 12, 2007

CITRUS PARK - On the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of November, hundreds gathered to unveil a monument to a Tampa fallen Korean War hero, Lt. Baldomero Lopez.

  
Lt. Baldomero Lopez

"I'm here today to express my deepest appreciation for Lieutenant Lopez's heroism," said Kimi Springsteen, Hillsborough County's Asian-American affairs liaison, and Korean War survivor. "It is an expression of love and respect from all of us, especially the citizens of the Republic of Korea."

At the Korean War Memorial, on the grounds of Ed Radice Sports Complex, a joint group of Republic of Korea soldiers and U.S. Marines began the day with the presentation of colors.

Eddie Ko, the Korean-American liaison for the Florida Korean War Veterans Association, spoke during the ceremony. "I love an old saying in America: 'It is better late than never,'" he said. "This sacrifice happened 57 years ago. This monument was definitely long overdue."

MacDill Air Force Base's Brig. Gen. David Garza, deputy commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, delivered the keynote address, often speaking directly to the veterans in the audience.

"My purpose today is twofold," Garza said. "First is to honor you, and second is to honor the great sacrifice of Lt. Baldomero Lopez. He volunteered to go to Korea - a country he had never seen and a people he had never met. It didn't matter."

Garza, quoting Shakespeare, continued, "The elements were so mixed in him that nature might stand up to all the world and say, 'This was a man.'"

On Sept. 15, 1950, at the Battle of Inchon, 25-year-old Lopez led his men over a sea wall near Seoul, South Korea. He was made famous in a photograph showing him scaling the wall.

Minutes after the photo was taken, Lopez smothered a live grenade with his body. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1951.

The KWVA Baldomero Lopez Chapter 175 received its charter in 1999. Since then, it has sought to build a monument for its namesake.

"Today, we finally did it," said Murdoch Ford, former president of the KWVA 175 and the event's coordinator. He thanked the Korean community. "As you can see, after 57 years we're still working together."

A dozen of Lopez's family members attended, including his brother, Joe. "This is such a wonderful tribute," he said. "He would've been so proud."

The 4-by-8-foot granite plaque was unveiled at the close of ceremonies. It features a biography of Lopez, a copy of the famous photograph and a rock shipped from the Incheon wall.

The $13,000 monument was paid for through fundraising campaigns by the veterans association targeting the Hispanic communities of Ybor City and the Korean-American community at-large.

The drive for donations continues. Extra money raised will help install similar memorials to Lopez next year at Hillsborough High School and at Baldomero Lopez Elementary School in Seffner.

Reporter Stephen Hammill can be reached at (813) 865-1523 or at shammill@tampatrib.com.

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