Elgin Marine to Be Honored 50 Years After He Was Killed in Vietnam
Community members from across the Fox Valley are invited to a special ceremony to honor an Elgin soldier to died in battle 50 years ago.
VFW Post 1307 will host the 50th Commemorative Ceremony for PFC Florentino John Santana and His Gold Star Family at 1 p.m. Sept. 18, 2016, at at the VFW Post 1307 Pavilion, 1601 Weld Road, Elgin.
“PFC ‘Tino Santana was a hometown hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, and this ceremony will honor him and his family,” said Bob Getz, event coordinator and VFW Post 1307 member. “We often talk about remembering veterans and their families — this is an opportunity to walk the walk. Bring the whole family to this special event which will also honor those others from Elgin who gave their lives for our country and their Gold Star Families.
Santana, an alum of Elgin High School, joined the United States Marine Corps in 1965. After graduating from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, “Tino” was assigned to D Company, 1st Batallion, 26th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, and deployed to Vietnam. On Sept.18, 1966, Santana was killed in action during Operation Deckhouse IV in the Quang Tri Province.
The outdoor event will include a ceremony with a 21-gun field artillery salute provided by A Battery, 1-122 Battalion, 33d Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Illinois Army National Guard from Sycamore, a color guard from the United States Marine Corps, a joint honor guard provided by VFW Post 1307 and American Legion Post 57, musical performances, and presentations by community leaders.
Children will also participate, including local members of Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Brownies, and Explorers groups. Prior to the ceremony, attendees will be invited to write the names of any servicemen and servicewomen killed in action since World War II, and the names those Elgin servicemen Killed in Action during the Vietnam War will be read.
The ceremony will be followed by one hour of music in celebration of all who have served performed by The Bad Penny Trio. Since the event is outdoors, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and their dancing shoes. Cash bar and food will be available. A fire truck with ladder and American Flag will be parked at the event.
In the event of inclement weather, the celebration will be moved inside Post 1307. No RSVP is required, but attendees are encouraged to join and share the Facebook event.
The event flyer can be found by clicking this link.
Questions? Contact Bob Getz at rgetz173@yahoo.com or 630-777-8574
About Deckhouse IV
SOURCE: A Note from The Virtual Wall
During the summer of 1966 the North Vietnamese Army’s 324B Division had infiltrated south of the Demilitarized Zone with the clear intention of setting up a major presence in northern Quang Tri Province. The NVA 341st Division was positioned within and north of the DMZ and prepared to support the 324B Division and/or exploit opportunities arising from the 324B’s operations.
CG 3rd MAF, the senior U.S. commander in northern South Vietnam, initiated Operation Hastings aimed at discouraging the 324B Division and forcing it back into the DMZ. At the time, U.S. forces could not enter into the DMZ because it was an NVA sanctuary.
Heavy fighting continued through July 1966, particularly around the “Rockpile” between Khe Sanh and Camp Carroll. Hastings ended, and a series of recon-in-force operations — termed Operation Prairie — began on Aug. 3, 1966.
Operation Deckhouse IV was conducted by the 7th Fleet’s Special Landing Force Bravo (Battalion Landing Team 1/26) as an adjunct to Operation Prairie BLT 1/26’s area was about eight miles northeast of Dong Ha, and the operation began with an amphibious landing and a heliborne landing some six miles inland west of Highway 1. At about 1:30 p.m. Sept. 15, 1966, a recon team made contact with an NVA company. That contact was the first in what became 10 days of heavy fighting for BLT 1/26’s Marines and sailors.
Although Deckhouse IV officially ended on Sept. 18, BLT 1/26 stayed in support of PRAIRIE until Sept. 25. The operation claimed at least 200 NVA killed at a cost of 37 Marines and sailors killed in action and another 167 wounded.
