31 May 1999 I grew up three doors away from Gary. He is buried in the Lone Tree Cemetery, Hayward, California. Edward Black Sr w6uyf@earthlink.net

 

02 May 2003 SAN LORENZO HIGH SCHOOL VETERANS MEMORIAL PROJECT Eleven former San Lorenzo High School students died while in combat during the Vietnam War. Eight students graduated from San Lorenzo, three transferred from SLZHS before their graduation. In keeping with the desires of the San Lorenzo Veterans Memorial Program team members, all former San Lorenzo students are honored. Gary served in the Navy. He had served in Korea and did not have to serve in Vietnam. He volunteered anyway. He felt it was the right thing to do. He served in River Division 543. He was killed on February 14, 1970. He was 19 years old. Edward K. Ferguson Class of 1962 Gary A. Plumb Class of 1962 Michael A. Welch Class of 1963 James D. Burns Class of 1965 Willis G. Cardin Class of 1965 Gerald R. Henry Class of 1965 James D. Piper Class of 1965 San Lorenzo High School VETERANS MEMORIAL PROJECT Steve A. Srsen Class of 1965 David E. Barber Class of 1967 Michael W. Green Class of 1967 Gary L. Giovannelli Class of 1968 The SLZHS Veterans Memorial Project annually awards a scholarship to a deserving SLZHS student in honor of the men named above. Until recently Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Menusa, USMC, was a Marine Corps recruiter at San Lorenzo High School. A veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, GySgt Menusa voluntarily left his recruiting billet in January 2003 for assignment to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division. We now have the sad duty of reporting his death: Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Menusa, USMC Killed in Action in Iraq on 27 March 2003. In addition to his parents and two brothers, he is survived by his wife Stacy and son Joshua, age 3, of San Jose, California. He was buried with honors on 11 April 2003, Santa Maria Cemetery, Santa Maria, California. The team members have decided that the 2003 Veterans Memorial Scholarship will not be awarded to an SLZHS student, but will be presented to GySgt Manusa's son Joshua in the form of a savings bond. San Lorenzo High School Attn: Veterans Memorial Program 50 East Lewelling Boulevard San Lorenzo, CA 94580 Telephone: 510/317-3100 x. 2257 slzvets@yahoo.com

 

30 Jun 2003 Since I found your name on the wall during a trip at OCS, I can't stop thinking about you. I hope we will meet someday. Thank you for your Leadership, Duty, Respect, Selfless service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. God Love You. LT. Gerald P. Giovannelli U.S. Army gerald.giovannelli@us.army.mil

 

04 Sep 2006 I served with Gary for the entire time he was with RivDiv 543. I attended his memorial service and still have the program from that service. I also have pictures of him, one with me, with others we served with. My email address is pbrmike543@frontiernet.net. Please contact me with further questions. From Mike (Trojanowski) Wiley RPCS, USN (Ret) pbrmike543@frontiernet.net

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall The USNAVFORV History for Feb 1970 contains the following entry: "In a Sea Tiger mission on the night of 14 February, PBRs 95 and 131 were in a waterborne guardpost about 7.5 kilometers west of Hoi An (BT065559) when they spotted a sampan carrying at least five VC. PBR 95 which was along the east bank illuminated the area and took the sampan under fire. They immediately received very heavy automatic weapons fire from the opposite bank and the sampan. The fire was suppressed, but not before SN Gary Giovannelli, USN was killed when he was struck in the chest by an enemy bullet. The PBRs killed five VC and destroyed one sampan. There were no other friendly personnel or materiel casualties."

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