AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION Daniel Joseph Giordano III Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps 2464649 B Company 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division Entered the Service from: New Jersey Died: May 18, 1969 Buried at: New St. Mary's Cemetery                   Bellmawr, New Jersey Awards: Purple Heart

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS DANIEL J. GIORDANO III was born on August 2, 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father had served in the United States Navy during World War II. The family later moved to Hi-Nella, NJ.  Daniel J. Giordano III was a graduate of Sterling Regional High School.  He joined the Marine Corps in August of 1968, and was sent to Vietnam January 28, 1969 to serve with  Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. Giordano died of injuries received in a helicopter crash on May 18, 1969.

Six Marines died on 10 May 1969 when a CH-46 (BuNo 152560) of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 was shot down while making a combat assault landing: 

Aircrew, CH-46 BuNo 152560: 

Cpl Peter Gibson, Gunner, H&MS-39
Cpl Kenneth W. Wheeler, Crew Chief, HMM-262

From Bravo Co, 1st Bn, 9th Marines: 

LCpl Virgil Lee Larkins
LCpl Paul D. Mannerow
Pfc Gerald Gene Broussard
Pfc Roy James Mrosewske

The HMM-262 Command Chronology for the date of his death contains the following information: 

"HMM-262 launched an 8 A/C (aircraft) assault lifting troops of First Battalion Ninth Marines, into Landing Zone Erskine located at YD-162106 (UTM grid coordinates). Small-arms fire was received by one of the A/C while in the zone during the first wave, yet no hits were taken. On the second wave, 93-8 (aircraft mission number) while approaching the zone had a power loss, fell short of the zone, crashed and burned. The pilot, copilot, and one gunner, Major Whitfield, 1/Lt P. J. Traube, and L/Cpl J. W. Stewart, received minor injuries. However the crew chief and second gunner, Cpl K. W. Wheeler and Cpl P. Gibson (H&MS-39) received fatal injuries … "

In addition to the six dead, six other Marines were injured in the crash - and on 18 May one of them died from his injuries: Private Daniel J. Giordano."

A Note from The Virtual Wall

MESSAGES LEFT ON THEWALL-USA ** Note that some of these messages are from years ago and their contact information may not be good anymore ** DJ Was My Squadmate DJ was on a chopper that crashed on FSB Erskine, the crash was 5/10/69. He was medevaced to a hospital ship and then to Japan. he died of burns on 5/18/69. The operation was APACHE SNOW. DJ was in bravo 1/9 2nd plt., USMC. "THE WALKING DEAD" Woody Postle Dover, Delaware Tuesday, May 25, 1999

DANIEL J. GIORDANO III is honored on Panel 24W Line 41 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.