Nicholas J. Cutinha - LaBelle, Florida, USA
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BoomersOTR
N 26° 45.725 W 081° 26.278
17R E 456455 N 2960159
A memorial to Nicholas J. Cutinha, SP4 US Army, located in a veterans park in LaBelle, Florida.
Waymark Code: WM14M7A
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 07/25/2021
Views: 3
Located in the LaBelle Veterans Memorial Park at the intersection of State Roads 80 and 29 is a specific veteran memorial honoring Nicholas J. Cutinha. Cutinha was killed in action during his tour of service in Vietnam and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions.
The life-sized painted metal statue is of Vietnam era machine gunner standing on top of a granite base. The inscription on the base is as follows:
NICHOLAS J CUTINHA
SP4 US ARMY
CO C 4 BN 9 INF REG 25 INF DIV
VIETNAM
MEDAL OF HONOR BRONZE STAR MEDAL PURPLE HEART
JAN 23 1945 MAR 2 1968
ON MARCH 2 1968, NICHOLAS J CUTINHA WAS ENGAGED BY OVERWHELMING VIET CONG FORCES NEAR GIA DINH, VIETNAM. DESPITE HIS OWN SERIOUS WOUNDS, CUTINHA HELD THE ENEMY AT BAY WITH HIS MACHINE GUN AND PROVIDED SUPPRESSIVE FIRE THAT ALLOWED OTHERS TO BE SAVED. BECAUSE OF HIS ACTIONS AND SACRIFICE, HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR AND PURPLE HEART.
A news article written by Danika J. Hopper is in the Calossa Belle, Vol. 96 No.22 published on May 30, 2019. This article gives a detailed description of the events of Mar. 2, 1968. (
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In the nearby Fort Denaud cemetery is the waymarked grave of Cutinha. Located at N 26° 45.192 W 81° 30.720 WMXJBP (
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