Neil Ellis Bateman, a Cheektowaga native, was the second son born to Wallace and Ruth Bateman on April 9, 1947.
Neil followed dad Wally’s footsteps, enlisting in the Army after graduating from Maryvale High School in 1966. Neil’s older brother Newton (“Newt,” as many called him) enlisted in the Navy as a pharmacist. According to a local Buffalo, N.Y., newspaper article, “both [Newt and Neil] knew the [Department of Defense] policy [of being able to] request a transfer out of the war zone. The older wanted the younger to be transferred and the younger wanted the older to leave. Neil felt Newton should leave because he was married.”
Pfc. Bateman, while serving as a point man for Company B, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 327th Infantry, advanced under intense enemy fire from a larger, entrenched North Vietnamese force. Ignoring his own safety, he pushed forward and exposed his position to draw enemy fire so his platoon could evacuate the wounded. After they withdrew, he stayed in his exposed position and continued suppressing the enemy until he was killed by machine-gun fire, an act that earned him a Silver Star Medal.
In addition to receipt of the Combat Infantryman Badge, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Parachutist Badge, he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal (Merit) and Purple Heart.
Newt met Neil’s body overseas and escorted him home to the Bateman family.
Since 1967, The Neil E. Bateman Memorial Award is an annual tribute at Maryvale High School honoring an outstanding senior who exemplifies a willingness to sacrifice for the good of others, a pride born from within, a sense of duty and a respect for community and for self. Neil’s youngest brother, Glenn, was the first recipient of this prestigious award.
On May 25, 2026, the Bateman Veterans Memorial Gardens will finally be opened at noon to the local community, honoring all Veterans from all wars and conflicts, after more than six years in planning and preparation. The project was initiated by Jerry Kowalski, American Legion Erie County Committee commander and former Francis J. Donovan Post 1626 commander, alongside Glenn, just before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Author: Jason Davis