Peter Meloro

Peter Meloro was born in Brooklyn on April 2, 1948, to Peter and Louise Meloro. His father Peter was born in Italy and came to the United States at age nine. All four of his grandparents were born in Italy, and like many families of that generation, education beyond grammar school was rare. None of his grandparents were formally schooled, and his parents attended through the eighth grade.

Pete attended public school through the fourth grade, then transferred to a Catholic grammar school, completing his elementary education there. He went on to attend and graduate from Saint Francis Prep High School in 1965 — an all-boys school whose alumni include two names you may have heard of: football legend Vince Lombardi and baseball Hall of Famer Joe Torre.

During his high school years, Pete worked at a neighborhood butcher shop after school Monday through Friday, and all day Saturday. He continued at the butcher shop right up until he entered the military.

After one year at Queens College in New York City — which he describes as achieving “one of the lowest GPAs in the history of the school” — he left college and began working at the Irving Trust Company. With the draft still active and his number likely coming up, he made a decision: he would enlist in the Army for three years.

Pete at Camp Evans, Vietnam, 1969–1970

Pete completed Basic Training at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia, then completed two phases of Advanced Individual Training — first at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, then at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana. His AIT was in the administrative field: what the Army called a Clerk, and what the men in Vietnam called something considerably less printable.

After AIT, he was assigned to Ulm, Germany, where he joined an Artillery Battalion equipped with 8-inch Self-Propelled Howitzers. His role was Motor Pool Clerk — maintaining vehicle log books, ordering parts, keeping inventory. During his fourteen months there, his battery was the only one in the unit to pass the annual Command Maintenance Machinery Inspection (CMMI), a distinction he credits largely to disciplined log book maintenance. He was recommended for promotion to E-5, scored number one before the promotion board — then learned his job assignment didn’t carry an E-5 slot. The promotion would have to wait.

Shortly after, his orders arrived: Vietnam.

Pete arrived in Cam Ranh Bay on July 13, 1969. His first C-130 flight to Bien Hoa had to turn back to Cam Ranh after losing all but one engine due to mechanical failure. The second attempt was successful. He then learned he had orders for the 101st Admin Company — and it was only when he saw the Screaming Eagle patch that he understood what that meant.

He was immediately assigned as Company Clerk of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, stationed at Camp Evans. Captain Glynn W. Hale was his first Company Commander. In a rear element as small as Charlie Company’s, Pete’s responsibilities went well beyond standard clerk duties. He served as the mail clerk, prepared Morning Reports, maintained and updated the Company roster — accounting for newly assigned soldiers, those killed or wounded in action, and those completing their year of service and rotating home. He worked closely with the supply sergeant to equip newcomers and arrange their transportation out to their assigned platoons in the field. He cut orders for medals, R&R, and departure. And one of his most difficult responsibilities: typing letters to the families of men killed in action.

When Captain Hale was reassigned, he was replaced by Captain Isabellino Vasquez Rodriguez. Pete was promoted to E-5 during this period. Under Captain Vasquez, Pete’s responsibilities grew — he became the Captain’s primary contact in the rear, handling whatever needed to be done.

Pete departed Vietnam on or about July 9, 1970, while the battle for Fire Support Base Ripcord was still ongoing. His departure was a difficult one. Just days earlier, on the early morning of July 2nd, Charlie Company had been attacked on Hill 902. Eight of his fellow Screaming Eagles were killed — including Captain Hewitt, who had replaced Captain Vasquez in June. Pete was at the helipad when the killed and wounded were brought back to Evans. Those images stayed with him.

He flew home from Cam Ranh Bay to Fort Lewis, where he was held an extra day for a physical, financial reconciliation, and out-processing. Then he returned to Brooklyn, where his parents had arranged for family members to greet him. What he needed was time to decompress. Somehow, he made it through the day.