Reinterment to take place at Calverton National Cemetery on July 3
Mangano Family Funeral Homes is honored to donate funeral services for Medal of Honor recipient Private First Class Garfield Langhorn, a Vietnam War hero whose extraordinary sacrifice saved the lives of his fellow soldiers and exemplified the highest ideals of military service.
A graveside service with full military honors will be held on Friday, July 3, at 10:30 a.m. at Calverton National Cemetery, where family, veterans, elected officials, and community members will gather to pay tribute to one of America’s bravest servicemen.
Pfc. Langhorn served as a radio operator with Troop C during combat operations near Plei Djereng in Vietnam’s Pleiku Province. On April 15, 1969, his platoon was inserted into a heavily wooded landing zone to recover two American pilots whose Cobra helicopter had been shot down by enemy fire.
As the platoon moved the fallen aviators toward an extraction point, they came under intense attack from North Vietnamese forces concealed in camouflaged bunkers. Surrounded and outnumbered, Langhorn maintained critical radio communication with supporting aircraft overhead while helping defend the platoon’s perimeter and providing covering fire for wounded soldiers.
As darkness fell and enemy forces pressed their attack, a hand grenade landed near several wounded American troops. Without hesitation, Langhorn threw himself onto the grenade, absorbing the full force of the explosion. His selfless act saved the lives of his comrades at the cost of his own.
For his conspicuous gallantry, intrepidity, and sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty, Langhorn was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration.
“It is an extraordinary honor for our family and our funeral home to provide these services for Pfc. Garfield Langhorn,” said Sal Mangano of Mangano Family Funeral Homes. “His courage, selflessness, and willingness to lay down his life for his fellow soldiers represent the very best of America. As a Medal of Honor recipient and a hero of the Vietnam War, his legacy deserves to be remembered and celebrated. We are humbled to play a small role in ensuring he receives the dignified tribute he has so rightfully earned.”
Mangano Family Funeral Homes remains committed to honoring veterans, military families, and those whose service and sacrifice have helped preserve the freedoms enjoyed by all Americans.
Members of the public are invited to attend the July 3 service and join in remembering a soldier whose bravery continues to inspire generations.
About Mangano Family Funeral Homes
With more than 115 years in operation as a family-owned business, Mangano Family Funeral Homes provide families and their loved ones with caring and compassionate service in their time of need. To learn more please visit www.manganofh.com.
Nearly six decades after sacrificing his life to save his fellow soldiers, Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn returned home to his final resting place. Along the street named in his memory at Calverton National Cemetery, more than 200 people gathered Friday morning to honor the Riverhead native’s legacy. The Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient’s
The final words of Pfc. Garfield Langhorn, killed in Vietnam nearly 50 years ago, echoed through the sweltering heat at Calverton National Cemetery on Friday as the Riverhead war hero was re-buried alongside his fellow soldiers. Pfc. Langhorn was 20 years old when he threw himself onto a grenade during a recovery mission on Jan.
Pfc. Garfield Langhorn sacrificed his own life to save others during a rescue operation in Vietnam. A Medal of Honor recipient who saved the lives of several fellow soldiers with his heroism in Vietnam was reinterred Friday at Calverton National Cemetery with full military honors. The graveside ceremony was held for Army Pfc. Garfield Langhorn.
NBC Long Island Correspondent Greg Cergol reports from Calverton National Cemetery as we celebrate an American Hero, Long Island Medal of Honor recipient Private First Class Garfield Langhorn, as he is reinterred 57 years after making the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The funeral services were donated by Mangano Family Funeral Homes. Watch NBC 4