What’s in a name, anyway?
There are names for buildings and locations we never use when referring to them. Like, we might say “the barber shop on 41,” or “the gas station near Collier Parkway,” without even thinking about the official name.
(Courtesy of Armed Forces History Museum)
Sometimes a place has a common name different than its actual name. Ever been to the Lutz Dog Park? It’s actually named Carolyn Meeker Park.
Sometimes we don’t get the name exactly right. But sometimes we should.
There’s a veterans’ nursing home at Ehren Cutoff and Parkway Boulevard. You might know that already, and you might simply call it “the veterans’ nursing home” or something similar. Not out of disrespect to veterans or anything. Maybe you just don’t know the full name and have had no reason to go there.
So let me introduce you to the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home at 6919 Parkway Blvd., named in honor of a local hero whose name is worth remembering.
“Baldomero” sounds like an unusual name, unless you were a Spanish kid growing up in Ybor City in the 1930s. After graduating high school, Lopez joined the U.S. Navy, but was eventually commissioned in the U.S. Marine Corps.
He became a platoon commander, served in China, and came back to the United States. But when the Korean War started, Lopez went there as an officer.
At the Battle of Inchon, an important military victory that led to the recapture of the South Korean capital of Seoul, Lopez was one of about 40,000 men serving under the direction of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. As a first lieutenant, he led the 3rd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines over the seawall on Red Beach.
And in the military, “led” really means “led.” It’s not a situation where you just sit and watch other people do things. In fact, there’s an iconic photo of Lopez literally leading his men over the wall and into battle on Sept. 15, 1950.
If you look at that photo, study it for a moment. It’s the kind of scene that movies try to recreate but never get quite right. Very moving.
So here’s a recap of the rest of his life, which ended on that beach just a few minutes later. Lopez pulled the pin on a grenade to hurl at the enemy, but was hit with machine-gun fire to his right shoulder and chest before he could throw it. The grenade dropped from his hand, and he tried to retrieve it. Realizing he was too hurt to grasp it, he tucked the grenade under his body so he could absorb the full impact and protect his fellow soldiers.
Lopez saved more than 30 lives by sacrificing his own. He was just 25 years old.
The following year his parents accepted his posthumous Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman. He also earned a Purple Heart, a China Service Medal, a World War II Victory Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, a United Nations Service Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation with one bronze star, and a Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars.
His body was laid to rest at Centro Asturiano Memorial Park Cemetery, which is less than 30 miles from Land O’ Lakes.
Today, there are a number of things named in Lopez’ honor: An elementary school, a swimming pool, a navy cargo ship. The Armed Forces History Museum in Largo has a special exhibit dedicated to him (Go see it. It’s not that far, really).
And there’s a certain veterans nursing home in Land O’ Lakes which bears his name, too.
Now, it would be silly if we referred to everything by its complete name. If your child is a junior at Steinbrenner, you wouldn’t tell someone “she’s a junior at George M. Steinbrenner High School,” would you? Of course not. You’d say she goes to Steinbrenner, and people will know what you meant.
Just for convenience, we give locations a nickname, shorten a name or refer to them generically.
But sometimes it’s worth the extra effort to add a little more to it. That veterans nursing home is named in honor of Baldomero Lopez, and he’s a proud part of Tampa Bay’s history and a guy worth remembering. Even though he died 7,500 miles away more than six decades ago, it’s fitting that his name lives on in a facility that cares for veterans today.
By the way, I toured the nursing home and it’s a very nice facility. They can always use volunteers, too. If you have a little spare time, give them a call at (813) 558-5000.
Published June 18, 2014
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