Life‑Size Statue of 1stLt Baldomero López '48 Unveiled in Tampa 

A 7‑foot‑tall bronze statue of Korean War hero Lieutenant Baldomero López , USMC, has been unveiled at Waterworks Park in Tampa, FL, marking a long‑awaited tribute to the Ybor City native who sacrificed his life on 15 September 1950. 

 The Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), in partnership with the City of Tampa, unveiled the monument on 27 October 2026, just outside Waterworks Park along the Tampa Riverwalk. Fully funded by the CRA, the project was a decades‑long passion of Councilman Luis Viera, who said the statue will “allow everyone on our Riverwalk to contemplate the heroism of this selfless protector, patriot and Marine.” 

In the large, black and white banner photo, López leads the 3rd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines over the seawall on the northern side of Red Beach. Wooden scaling ladders are in use to facilitate disembarkation from the LCVP that brought these men to the shore. He was killed in action within a few minutes, while assaulting a North Korean bunker.

López graduated from the Academy with the class of 1948-A, the last of the wartime-accelerated classes, in June 1947. (The bottom half of the class by academic standing, designated 1948-B, completed an extra year and graduated in June 1948.)