Years of service 1948-1973 Unit 16th Division Service/branch United States Army | Battles/wars Korean War
Vietnam War Rank Colonel Battles and wars Korean War, Vietnam War | |
Born May 26, 1930
Laredo, United States ( 1930-05-26 ) Died 26 August 2010, San Antonio, Texas, United States Awards Silver Star, Gallantry Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart | ||
Luis Jorge Landin (May 26, 1930 – August 26, 2010), was a Mexican-American Korean War and Vietnam War veteran who has received numerous decorations for his years of dedication and bravery in both wars. Luis completed three tours of combat duty while in Vietnam and is known as Laredo's most decorated war hero.
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Military enlistment
Luis enlisted in the U.S Army in 1948, where he was a combat infantrymen. Within a couple of years into his enlistment he began his first tour of duty in Korea in late 1951.
Service in Vietnam
Luis would become one of the first U.S advisers to the Vietnamese Army Ranger Units in alliance with American Special Forces in 1960. While helping the Vietnamese Army Ranger Units he would be wounded numerous times in which he would receive three Gallantry cross for his heroism. Within a year of becoming an adviser in the Vietnamese Army Rangers Unit, Luis starts his first of three volunteer tours in Vietnam in 1961. His first tour is primarily to teach the Vietnamese Army about weapons and different guerrilla war tactics which we commonly used during the war. While in his first tour he became extremely familiar with the topography in the Danang area as well as the Mekong Delta.
Vietnam tours
In 1964, Luis would begin his second tour of duty in Vietnam that would last all the way through 1966. Mostly in charge of the light weapons infantry as an adviser to the Vietnamese Army. Luis would be awarded a Silver Star for his bravery by General William Westmoreland during a Viet Cong ambush force. After the assault failed, Landin managed to gather and reorganize his troops and led the men into a counterattack. During the counterattack, Landin was able to save soldiers by carrying them across the battlefield which was under heavy sniper fire to a safe location where they could wait for a medical evacuation aircraft.
In 1968–69 he completed his third tour in Vietnam where he was ranked as a Sergeant Major for the 16th Infantry division. After his third and final tour in Vietnam Sergeant Major Landin retired in 1973.