AG El’s Living Oil well

01/31/2026

He went to war to document it. He never came home.

SP4 Marcello James Lofaro, a U.S. Army combat still photographer with the 54th Signal Battalion, I Field Force Vietnam, was serving in Khanh Hoa Province when he was reported missing during hostile contact. On January 30, 1968, he was officially listed as killed in action after being lost to enemy small arms fire.

Born in New York City on February 25, 1947, Marcello was just 20 years old. Drafted into the Army, he carried a camera instead of a weapon — tasked with preserving the reality of war for history. He walked the same dangerous ground as infantrymen, exposed to the same gunfire, and facing the same risks.

His final mission was never recovered. But his sacrifice remains.

Not every fallen warrior carried a rifle. Some carried the truth.

01/31/2026

During the chaos of the Tet Offensive, one American soldier never made it home.

SP4 Marcello James Lofaro, a combat still photographer with the 54th Signal Battalion, I Field Force Vietnam, was documenting the war from the front lines when he was caught in the violence sweeping South Vietnam. On January 30, 1968, as coordinated enemy attacks erupted across the country, Lofaro was reported missing in Khanh Hoa Province. He was later declared killed in action, lost to hostile small arms fire.

Born in New York City on February 25, 1947, Marcello was only 20 years old. Drafted into the Army, he carried a camera instead of a rifle — but faced the same danger as every soldier around him. His mission was to capture history. Instead, he became part of it.

The Tet Offensive changed the course of the war. For Marcello Lofaro, it marked the final chapter of a life cut short in service to his country.

He is remembered. He is honored. He is not forgotten.

11/17/2025