Wyoming War Hero Salute: Leroy Robert Cardenas
Until Memorial Day, Wyoming War Hero Salutes are gladly continued. Here's another we never knew, but in Casper in the 1950s/‘60s, you could have known Leroy Robert Cardenas.
Army Private First Class Cardenas was born in Casper May 11, 1946. His 71st birthday would have been just a couple of weeks ago, had it not been for a tour in Vietnam. He arrived there in 1969 at the age of 22.
Just two months later, Leroy was with his brothers of the 25th Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 27th Inf, Company B, when he was hit by hostile fire in the South Vietnam province of Binh Duong. He died on June 4, 1969.
Awards Cardenas received:
★ National Defense Service Medal
★ Combat Infantryman Badge
★ Purple Heart
★ Vietnam Campaign Medal
★ Vietnam Service Medal
When the Vietnam Memorial Wall was built over 30 years later, the name Leroy Robert Cardenas appeared on Panel 23W, line 62.
On that day we lost Private First Class Leroy Robert Cardenas, according to honorstates.org, there were 41 other U.S. service members who died. We may ask, “My God, was that during the infamous Tet Offensive?” The answer is no. That was a year and a half earlier, when more than 100 times just 41 Americans were lost.