James Michael Esposito

James Michael Esposito’s home of record was Pennsauken, NJ. He began his tour of duty in Vietnam on March 12, 1968, serving with the US Marine Corps, B Company, 3rd Amtrac Battalion, 1st Marine Division.

James’ platoon leader, Russ Finsness, remembers him talking about his family a lot. Two other men who he served with, Dennis Reynolds and Gene McCandless, both remember him as being a man who was fun and full of life. Gene McCandless recalls:

I quickly slithered up the bank and into a more safe location behind Corporal Esposito. I could see him firing rapidly in wide arcs to the hidden enemy on the other shore. In fact, I judged his fire to be too high at some points but he was making the best effort to lay suppressing fire and I dared not challenge him on it. He quickly would reload lengths of machine gun belts into his butterfly-triggered M-60 and continue to fire. He was a steady and effective Marine under fire. Major Molineaux was able to call in artillery fire, which blanketed the opposite shore, about 100 yards away, and their fire faded away. We rescued the sunken Amtrac and had a very exciting night road trip back to a secure compound. I felt so secure with warriors like Major Molineaux, the maintenance warrant officer, and Corporal Esposito.

Dennis Reynolds, who fought with James, remembers him as a “very happy, outgoing person, always with a smile and a laugh, and perhaps a bit of mischief in his eye.”

James Esposito was killed on October 25, 1968. He was killed along with two other men, Sgt. John Mary Avery and Billy Edward Scott, when the Amtrac they were in hit a landmine in Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. James was conscious after the mine blew up, but he received severe burns to his body. He was flown to the naval hospital where he died later that day.

James Michael Esposito was awarded the Purple Heart. He is honored on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 40W, Line 32.

He is buried at Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, NJ — Section W, Site 2092.

Forty years today

Cpl: Today is forty years since you sacrificed all for our country and corps. We all know someday we will join you and other brothers in heaven. We served our tours in hell. We will know we arrived when we see the streets are guarded by United States Marines! Semper Fi!!

— j d — October 24, 2008

A very proud cold war USAF veteran remembers you on this day. My God bless you and your family always. I salute you. Thank you.

— Bill Gallenstein, Zephyrhills, FL — October 25, 2007

I knew Esposito as a lively, funny character with a ready smile and laugh. I believe he had a wife and three daughters at home in New Jersey, and would love to make contact with them some day. Others knew him better than I, but I still feel the loss.

— Dennis Reynolds (served together in Vietnam in 1968, Oregon City, OR) — April 25, 2000

We were close, JIMMY

JIMMY and I were in the same platoon at 3rd Amtrac Bn., 1st Marine Div. When we were getting hit by mortar and rocket fire, we would always find each other in the bunker. We were also together on the operation in the boonies on the day of the land mine explosion. JIMMY, I will never forget you. You live on in my memory. SEMPER FI, from your hillbilly friend from Mississippi, WILL.

— William Woolfolk (same Amtrac platoon as JIMMY, Jacksonville, FL) — July 24, 1999