Manuel V Mendoza

Background

Mendoza, who was of Mexican American descent, joined the Army from Phoenix, Arizona in November 1942 and served in World War II, during which his actions in Italy earned him the Medal of Honor. He later served in the Korean War, and left the Army in 1953.

Medal of Honor action

According to Mendoza's U.S. Army biography, Mendoza received the Medal of Honor to recognize his actions on Oct. 4, 1944, in Mt. Battaglia, Italy, where he is credited with single-handedly breaking up a German counterattack.

Mendoza was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a March 18, 2014 ceremony in the White House. The award came through the Defense Authorization Act which called for a review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to ensure that no prejudice was shown to those deserving the Medal of Honor.

Honors and awards

Mendoza received the Medal of Honor, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with five Bronze Service Stars, Presidential Unit Citation with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Infantryman Badge (Second Award), Honorable Service Lapel Button-World War II, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Korea Korean War Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Italian Cross for Merit of War Unit Citation.

Death

He went on to serve in the Korean War as a master sergeant and was wounded in battle. He was honorably discharged in 1954. Mendoza, who worked as a foreman at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station until he retired because of ill health. He died December 12, 2001 and is buried in Section B, Lot 50 in the Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery in Mesa, Arizona.