THE WALL OF FACES

i knew Mike we both lived on Newman Drive in South San Francisco CA. We also attended the same elementary, Jr, High and high School (El Camino High So. San Fran. Ca,) Many years have pasted but memories of the days when we were young and full of mischief have not.
Mike was a member of or 1965 graduating class and I a member of our 1966 class. Mike loved to pay football and was a member of our varsity team when he failed to pay as much attention to his grades as he should have and became ineligible to play. That is when he decided that he would join the military. He joined the US Marine Corps and I will never forget how proud he was after completing Recruit Training to have earned the title US Marine. on March 8 1965 he along with Marines fr om the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade 4th Marine Regiment and supporting units.. Mike was assigned to H&S Co. 2/4. Mike was KIA on 3/5/66. Among his recognitions are 2 Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with a V for Valor. To this day he is missed. Semper Fidelis Cpl Mike Belmessieri USMC B Co. 5th Tank Battalion and D Co, 3rd Tank Battalion 1970

John was looked up to by many of us whose fathers were members of the Teamsters and Longshoremen’s Unions.
I went to high school (1964-68) with John’s brother at El Camino in SSF and enlisted in the USAF after graduation from high school and served as a law enforcement Security Policeman, 1969-74 (active), 1974-75 (reserves). Semper Fi

Thank you for your service to or country so long ago sir. The remembrance from your platoon commander, Major C R Peterson is especially poignant. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us....

LCpl Michael Linn Bianchini (19) was born 10 December 1946 and was from San Francisco, California. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bianchini of San Francisco. In Vietnam, he was a member of H&S Company as a fire team leader in 2nd Battalion, 4th Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. LCpl. Bianchini Michael Lynn "Linn" Bianchini was awarded a Bronze Star with a V for Valor and a Purple Heart on December 25, 1965 for his actions on Operation Starlight.. On March 4, Operation UTAH was launched under the command of Task Force Delta in the Son Thinh District of Quang Ngai Province where the Marines would encounter elements of the 21st NVA Regiment. The 2nd Battalion 4th Marines made a Helicopter assault the morning of 5 March in which several helicopters were shot down by Hostile 50 cal. machine guns. They then proceeded on a search and destroy mission. The company was engaged in operations against insurgent communist forces in the vicinity of An Tuyet, Quang Ngai Province, when Corporal Stoudt’s platoon came under extremely heavy small-arms and automatic weapons fire from Viet Cong forces entrenched on a commanding ridgeline. Numerous casualties were inflicted on the platoon and many fell in areas exposed to annihilating fire. LCpl. Bianchini was killed by hostile small arms fire on 5 March 1966 and was awarded his second Purple Heart. He is interred at Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, San Mateo County, California and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall, Panel 05E, Line 113.

Lance Corporal Michael L Bianchini was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor for his exemplary courage under fire. He served as a Rifleman and was assigned to H&S Co, 2nd Bn, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Div.
See http://www.virtualwall.org/db/BianchiniML01a.htm