Honoring SPC Hugo V. Mendoza at Fort Bliss
April 16th, 2012
Parachute Cutie sends us a link to her post at From Cow Pastures to Kosovo entitled “Army Names Fort Bliss Soldier Family Care Center In Memory of SPC Hugo V. “Doc” Mendoza“. She went there last week to watch the Fort Bliss/Biggs Airfield, TX rename the Soldier Family Care Center to the “SPC Hugo V. Mendoza Soldier Family Care Center” which was named to memorialize young paratrooper Hugo “Doc” Mendoza who gave his life in service to his brothers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry, being a medic and a partrooper to the end.
You should go read the rest.
April 16th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Awesome….a fitting tribute to a lifesaver.
April 16th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Thank you for sharing this on your blog, Jonn. Hugo was such an incredible man in ever aspect of his life. His family is, too. To say it was an honor and privilege to be there is such an understatement.
April 16th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Nice. Thanks to all for sharing this with us.
And thanks to the Mendoza family for sharing Hugo with us all.
April 16th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
AMEDD is sometimes a top heavy and Bureaucratically minded organization that can drive the best to drink. However there are no shortage of heroes among its ranks. Indeed if we named a clinic after all the Medics Nurses, and Doctors who have done heroic service we’d fast run out out of clinics.
April 16th, 2012 at 7:38 pm
@4 – Well said Doc….
April 16th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
You coulda issued something like a hankie alert, Parachute Cutie….Just saying.
April 16th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
< Cross-posted it to my FB, Cutie…
April 16th, 2012 at 11:07 pm
God Bless him, and all our Medics and Corpsmen, who remind us of the better angels of our nature.
April 17th, 2012 at 12:29 am
Hermano, que Dios te bendiga. Descanses en paz.
April 17th, 2012 at 1:21 am
streetsweeper – thank you for sharing this on your FB. Sorry I didn’t issue a hankie alert. I will say that this was personally one of the most emotional times I’ve had at an event for one of “my” paratroopers (aside, of course from funerals). In the opinion of many, including Sal, Hugo’s death that day has been overshadowed for way too long. We are all so proud that he has finally been recognized in such a special way. It really was an honor and privilege to be there for Hugo and his amazing family.
April 17th, 2012 at 1:28 am
God speed, Spc. Mendoza. Your heroism and servicelive on as an example to us all.
April 17th, 2012 at 2:29 am
I am glad I finally took the time to read this, right now I am going through a bit feeling like my brothers and sisters are not being apreciated. This story makes it feel like at least someone is trying.
April 17th, 2012 at 11:13 am
This is why I, as a reservist, a critical care flight nurse and an AMEDD officer, I teach my young medics every dirty, off the books, completely not allowed medical trick that I’ve learned during my career both military and civilian, so that when the time comes, they are prepared to do what they have to.
And Jason, You are appreciated. I can’t tell you how hard it is watching the medics I’ve spent years training and preparing deploy and me not going with them. You guys out there on the lines are more appreciated than you ever know, and are always on our minds and in our hearts. Stay strong, brother.
April 17th, 2012 at 7:44 pm
PC thx for summing it all up!! We very much enjoyed meeting you and being part of it all. It was such a great honor. Words can not express how we feel. Our emotions still get the best of us. Thx for sharing the story with all. Hugo may not be here physically, but he’s still in our Hearts. His name will be there forever. Plz k.i.t.. Proud brother of Hugo…. Carlos Jr
June 26th, 2012 at 5:07 pm
I just got out from the clinic that was named after hugo mendoza dead. Than got to my car and search his name on the internet, as I was reading into it noticed on the paragraph, stating that Hugo v mendoza died october 25th 2012 . Somebody didn’t pay attention when they wrote it down. Thank you.