#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Lueco Allen

Veteran of the Day graphic created by Alexandra Craig for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Lueco Allen Jr. He served during the war in Vietnam with C Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division of the United States Army.

On Dec. 29, 1966 the Ohio native was leading his unit as point man on patrol near Bong Son, Vietnam, where he and his fellow soldiers were ambushed by enemy forces. Lueco was the first to return fire before being hit and killed. Two other soldiers were killed in the engagement before aerial rocket artillery arrived to provide support.

Lueco was laid to rest at Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. During his service, Lueco reached the rank of private first class and was awarded the Purple Heart. In addition, Lueco is honored on Panel 13E, Row 95 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

We honor his service.

Memorial Day Awareness

This month, the VA’s National Cemetery Administration is partnering with Carry the Load, a nonprofit organization that connects Americans to the sacrifices made daily by the U.S. military, Veterans, first responders and their families to commemorate the “Memorial May” awareness campaign. The VA will share the stories of service members and Veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice in “Veteran of the Day” posts leading up to Memorial Day 2019.

Contributors

Editor: Geoffrey Townsley

Fact checker: Jordan Gossett

Graphic design: Alexandra Craig