The Midvale Buddies
During a 16-day stretch of the Vietnam War, three young men from Midvale, Utah, who were friends were all killed. Few relatives remain but some are still in the greater Salt Lake City area.![Amadeo](https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scale800w/public/legion/photo-album/031518_Buddies%20of%20Midvale_011.jpg?itok=WsfXPsF6)
Amadeo "Eloy" Romero explains some of the medals, pins and patches he earned in the Marines at his home in Taylorsville, Utah.
![Amadeo](https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scale800w/public/legion/photo-album/031518_Buddies%20of%20Midvale_012.jpg?itok=aquH_jWq)
Amadeo "Eloy" Romero sits on his floor and opens a photo book to a picture of him.
![Marine LCPL John James](https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scale800w/public/legion/photo-album/031518_Buddies%20of%20Midvale_020.jpg?itok=rVfh6wad)
Marine LCPL John James "Jimmy" Martinez's dress blues are displayed at the Midvale Museum.
![Photographs of Marine LCPL John James](https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scale800w/public/legion/photo-album/031518_Buddies%20of%20Midvale_031.jpg?itok=olTAUh_x)
Photographs of Marine LCPL John James "Jimmy" Martinez are laid out on Bea Martinez's table.
![Marine LCPL John James](https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scale800w/public/legion/photo-album/031518_Buddies%20of%20Midvale_032.jpg?itok=rWiC1Bw4)
Marine LCPL John James "Jimmy" Martinez's only sister, Bea Martinez points to Jimmy in a family photograph.
![Marine LCPL John James](https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scale800w/public/legion/photo-album/031518_Buddies%20of%20Midvale_033.jpg?itok=yy5qs47R)
Marine LCPL John James "Jimmy" Martinez's only sister, Bea Martinez has images of their family spread out over her dining room table.
![Bea Martinez, front to back, her brother, Antonio Martinez, and her husband, Joseph Schmidtke, search for Jimmy's name located near the hand of a soldier in the print](https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scale800w/public/legion/photo-album/031518_Buddies%20of%20Midvale_035.jpg?itok=jwzIOG8S)
Bea Martinez, front to back, her brother, Antonio Martinez, and her husband, Joseph Schmidtke, search for Jimmy's name located near the hand of a soldier in the print "Reflections" by Lee Teter.
![Marine LCPL John James](https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scale800w/public/legion/photo-album/031518_Buddies%20of%20Midvale_040.jpg?itok=0KZ2Lyx4)
Marine LCPL John James "Jimmy" Martinez's only sister, Bea Martinez holds her favorite photograph of Jimmy.