lest we forget

MARTINEZ, GILIVALDO A. JR.

Rank / Branch:

  • SSG (POSTHUMOUS), U.S. ARMY

Date Of Birth:

  • 1944-10-13

Country Of Loss:

  • SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

  • HOSTILE-DIED WHILE MISSING

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:​

  • UH-1D HELICOPER (HUEY)

Other:

  • NOT MARRIED

Unit:

  • FIRST LOG COMMAND

Date Of Loss:

  • 1965-11-11

Loss Coordinates:

  • II CORP NEAR DMZ

Catagory:

  • BODY RETURNED

Awards & Decorations:

  • SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

  • GILIVADO A. MARTINEZ, STAFF SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, LAMESA, DAWSON COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

  • ARMY AVIATION CREW WINGS, COMBAT MEDIC BADGE, PURPLE HEART, AIR MEDAL WITH V DEVICE, ARMY COMMENDATION'S MEDAL, NATIONAL DEFENSE MEDAL, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL, VIETNAM MILITARY MERIT MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALMietnam Military Merit Medal

BIOGRAPHY

  • Gilivaldo Martinez went by his nickname of Gil. His family knew him by his middle name of Armando. He was born in Riverside, California, the son of Pauline Samora and GilIvaldo A. Martinez Sr. His father was in the military and was stationed in California at the time. He was raised in Clovis, New Mexico and Lamesa, Texas. He attended schools in both communities. He graduated from Lamesa High School and enlisted in the Army on October 16, 1962. He completed basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana and then trained as a medic at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He served as a medic at Fort Hood, Texas and then was reassigned to Fort Sam Houston, Texas where he received air ambulance training. He was an original member of the 498th Medical Company when the unit mobilized to Vietnam August 17, 1965.
  • The 498th arrived in country in mid-September 1965 and were made a part of the First Log Command under the command structure. The unit provided medical evacuation services to units operating in the northern part of Vietnam. The 498th was divided into different areas of operation. Gil was attached to an element operating out of Quin Nhon. On November 11, 1965, he was a part of a medical evacuation of a wounded Korean. The helicopter tail number 64-13631 received ground fire and crashed killing Specialist Martinez and two other crewmen.
  • Specialist Five Martinez received a posthumous promotion to Staff Sergeant and was awarded the Purple Heart, Army Commendation's Medal, the Air Medal with "V" device and also received the Vietnam Military Merit Medal. He was buried with full military honors. He was survived by his parents, his sister, Cynthia and brothers Fred and Leroy. His father, Gilivaldo A. Martinez, Sr. passed away October 15, 2006, and was buried with full military honors in the Mission of Memories Cemetery in Clovis, New Mexico.ie
  • MISSION OF MEMORIE'S CEMETERY, CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO