Vietnam Experience Gary Wetzel Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Wetzel served in the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company as a door gunner. Seriously wounded during an insertion, Wetzel was cited for his gallantry in that action and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Where did you enlist? [enlisted in the service here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I took basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Then after you got done with basic training you go through what they call AIT, which stands for Advanced Individual Training. I had my orders to report to Fort Leonardwood, Missouri, in construction and heavy ‘equipment. Prior to the service I worked alittle bit of construction, so I had some knowledge; I went down there and right away I was an instructor in heavy equipment. I taught a lot of different classes. I had a lot of guys who were coming back from Vietnam, and they were telling me stories... “Sooner or later you're going to go over, so...” The army has what they call “10- 49s” to request your next duty station, so I put a request to go to Vietnam. | figured, I’m in the service for three years- go and get it over with so I can come on back, They turned down my first two 10-49s because where I was at, it was critical to be an instructor. Then we had a lot of overflow of people coming back at that time, so in September I got my orders, and I believe 36 days later I was in country. When you got off the plane, did it all kind of ‘hit you"? How differ- ent it was t0 actually be IN country? Yeah, it was different, I remember I spent, back in those days we flew ina turbo prop going over— which was 26 hours of airtime sitting on a plane, facing backwards with a bunch of other guys and a couple bags. It wasn’t the world’s most pleasant flight, but we were on our \way—anticipating the excitement to go over. Not necessarily to get in ‘war-type situation, but, “I’m in the service. This is where I will serve, ‘to my duty, and then come back.” We landed in Saigon early in the ‘morning (this is in October), I remember- of course the aireraft was air conditioned, but when we opened the back of the plane up we felt that hot, humid air. | How old were you at the time? | ljust had turned 19 in September. iting wight in a Nee, Gay {2002 DC Eves As Sens Pains Page 275Viemam Experience Did you have two tours or just the one? 1 did two tours in Vietnam. On your first tour, what types of things did you participate in? My first orders, I was attached to an ordinance outfit, which was okay, but I’ve always loved flying. After you're in the service for a year and one day, re-enlisted, and then I went flying, I was on the 173rd hel icopter company, the Robin Hoods. I was pretty good with the M-60 machine gun; I modified them ang knew the weapons; when I got to the outfit I knew what I was doing, I didn’t really know what I was going to get involved in, but I loved flying, I had aspirations back in those days, to eventually become a helicopter pilot. At the time, in the early sixties, they needed a lot of pilots, so a lot of gunners and crew chiefs were getting what they called “stick time,” a chance to sit in the seat and fly a helicopter: I had all of my paperwork then that went all the way up to battalion. After I got shot down the third time, 1 extend. ed my tour, came home. I was home for X amount of days, went back to Vietnam, and then had my paperwork. Company, Battalion, Brigade- however they do it. I had aspirations of becoming a pilot. Everything was approved ‘up until that point, and about ten days before I was coming home from my second tour was when I got shot down for the fifth time, I was severely wounded, plus the loss ofa let atm kind of curtailed that aspect of my life, being a pilot, In a helicopter you do need four limbs to fly the helicopter: task. Could you continue with your memories of that last time you were shot down? What we were doing that particular day was what we called “eagle flights.” You get two sets of five hel- icopters with an average of seven to eight Gis inside. (These are What you called slicks (showing photo). [sat herc- pilots here.) So what eagle flights were... you just flew around like an eagle, and if you'd see something that’s suspicious, you fly on in, drop your troops off, check out the area. If there’s nothing hap- pening, you come back and pick them up and then go find another area. On this particular day they were hware of some unfriendlies in a certain area, We were brief on the LZ, (landing zone). We had to prep it ‘with 105s, with jets and then- normally, when you come in on what they call a *hot LZ” you had two sets of gun ships. The first set of guns comes in and hat you do is try to blow up the LZ and keep the bad guys out- at least their head down. The second set of guns are about one hundred yards in front of you, so when you're coming in with your troops you try to eliminate the least ‘amount of casualties as possible. On this partic ular day, of course, we were briefed before the operation, I knew where we were going, and I looked, and the air strike was on the other side of the river—so right away you figure that | there’s been a mistake. I had been on numerous, numerous operations, I knew there had been a mistake. When I looked back, the gun ships | ‘were about a quarter of a mile behind us- they're supposed to be in front of us, at about treetop level. That’s when all hell broke loose. We went in with 14 helicopters, 10 Americans and four Inna eving bce on oper, ‘Weel, Gry ‘©2102 D.C eet Ae Shas Pinos Page 276Vietnam Experience er with an RPG- what they call Rocket plied Grenade. It blew the front of the apart, and it came skidding to a halt. | had two guys that didn’t even leave the i The cross-fire was so bad that they led right there. It was like July 4", “was on the ground. My immediate nis to try and get my buddy out. I athe door off, and my crew chief came dio pedestal, we were trying to lift yy up to push him out on the other side. the waist up he was okay, but from the s nothing but chopped [tried to pick him up and get him at half way through the radio pedestal, {that was when a homemade grenade went ‘behind me. When I say homemade grenade- anything you can put in an explosive device: nails, glass, { whatever—that’s what I got hit with. It landed about four feet behind me and caught me pretty good ‘Ap Dang An Repo Vista kn 8, 1968 the human body can take or will stand, Of course we have choices, but I figured at that time | was going iodie, and I figured I'd take a few more of the bad guys with me. Knock on wood though—I'm still here! Well, you had the initial pain and you yell. There were a lot of things happen- “ing, and I still had some spunk left in “mie, so I tried to do the best I could, later on, we had one medic who was "shot in the back—he couldn’t move, so “what I tried to do was grab the wound- ‘d and slide them across the rice paddy. Itwas a lot of mud and slop. They used “4 ot of human waste. It didn’t smell tice. Twas trying to drag the wounded {) him so that he could try and patch the guys up. I passed out various loss of blood. Pating Hep | Jou were shot down? don’t know. We fought for 10 or 12 hours before we got any help. Later on, I found out through other Sources, that we had been surrounded by an estimated 800 to 1,000 V.C., and we only went in with about 4 ships and probably in the first couple minutes I think 52 to 56 of these guys got killed, so there were _ $$$ Nec Gary {22002 DL. Everest Are Schone Pinions Page 277— re Vietnam Experience ET just a handful of us that were capable of doing anything. ‘There was such disarray, We were just trying to do the best that we could. I figured, “This is it!” What they eventually did was drop some troops about half a click away, and they eventually worked their way towards us on the one side, and that’s how we later got the wounded out. 4 That was obviously your last mission, How long was it between being on the field and back in the states? T spent seven or nine days on what they called the Super Critical list. When I first got pieced back togeth. er, they used stainless steel stitches to cut down on infection, I want to say nine days in country at an evae hospital until they stabilized me somewhat better so that they could transport me to a better facility, From there I went to Tokyo and they made a revision. They cut another inch and a half off' my arm because of all the infection. 1 was there for I think about a week or ten days. From there I went to Travis and then from Travis to Ft, Simmons, outside Denver, Colorado. I believe I spent about five months in the hospi. tal. [had various skin grafts, and I had to learn how to walk again and get adjusted to using this thing [prosthetic arm] and civilian life. What other injuries had you sustained that you had difficulties walking? When the frag landed behind me, Ihad some spinal damage. I got hit with a machine gun, with 388, and later on I got stabbed in the right thigh with a bayonet. Timagine that your rehabilitation was really difficult. You were in for the long haul. accepted the loss of my arm because I knew it wasn't going to grow back. What I could do is make a better tomorrow, try to get on with life, get adjusted and do things. It probably took about three years to st used to the prosthesis where I did things naturally rather than thinking you had to do things with two) hands. A lot of times I'd grab for things with two hands, but “Ok, Gare—let’s figure how we're gonna do it different!” so environmentally- about three years of work. Now I tie my own shoes, tie my own tie~ I don’t wear snap- ons. can flip bacon, and I don’t bum my fingers. I ride my Harley and my bike isn’t any different than anybody else’s. I just taught myself how to do it ‘Are there any other setbacks or things that ave difficult for you? T'm not afiaid to ask people for help. If'you get frustrat- cd and stuff is like, “Gary, you can’t do it!” There are | things you cannot do, so why get an attitude? I just ask someone for help or do it a different way. When you came back to the states, you didn’t know you were going to be a medal recipient at first. How did you find out? 1 finally got a job at Laddish Co. 1 was working in the office. Thad a Colonel, Major, and a First Sergeant that eet came to the office where I was working at, and they asked me to come down to the office. “Hi, how ya doing”—they didn’t look like military— which, at that young age you don’t know much about military Jaw but [had done my time, I gave you my arm. “what the hell else do you want?!” They were like, “You're going 0” eee Weel Cary {S2002 D.C Frere Act Schoo Pbleons Page 278 a BeVietnam Experience trip” And I was like, “No, I’m not.” It took them about ‘two weeks to convince me that I was going down to get the Medal of Honor because I had gotten the 4 Distinguished Service Cross in country which is the sec- ond highest medal. Who figures you're going to get the Medal of Honor. To go back a little bit about the Medal of Honor—when I was in Tokyo and they took out over 400 stitches, tubes that I had had everywhere were all taken out- some of the guys that I had pulled out were recovering from their wounds and found out that I was there... They would walk up to the bunk and here I am, a Sung by eee skinny little piece of meat, and they'd say, “Are you Gary Wetzel?” and I'd say, “Yeah,” and then they would pull out their wallet and show me pictures of their wile, kids, or girlfriends. “Hey man, because of you- THIS is what I got to go back to!” and THAT's what the Medal means, Those were the guys that put me in for it don’t know if I should thank them or what- ever, but there is a lot of responsibility that goes on with that blue ribbon and people think you're Superman, but you're not. You're just a guy doing his job. Did you have the chance to keep in touch with the guys and their families when you got back then? ‘When you first get out of the service you get a lot of the Christmas cards and stuff, and then, throughout the years it tapers off. They have their lives and I have my own, I’m sure when our paths cross, we'll know it. When you returned to the states, there were a lot of anti-war demonstrations going on. Being a Medal of Honor recip- ient, how did you feel? ‘Yeah, we would have demonstrations going on down here in Milwaukee, and I'd come down incognito. And I believe in freedom of speech, say what you've got to say- fine, But don’t burn my flag, I've seen too many guys die for it; too ‘many guys get hurt for it, I remember guys who were just a year younger than me that were waving this Vietcong flag and I’m like, “Don’t do it or I’m gonna have to take you down!” — which I did a couple of times! I didn’t care if I ‘was outnumbered 200 to one. You're not going to fly that flag, and you're not going to bum the American flag. I guess we and this civilized society take certain things for granted. You’re outside and it’s hotter than heck, and then you come in here and we've got air conditioning, lights, hot and cold running water- we tend to forget that we should look back in the past once in awhile and just kind of reflect on the sacrifices men and women had given for the right for “he Congreso Med ree you and I to be here today. We have SUCH a freedom; we need to reflect on what it’s all about. ae as Wess any ‘6202 DC. Everest Are Shans aioe Page 279,Vietnam Experience EEE “And that’s exactly what we're trying to do. Us being able to do this project here means SO much more than reading in a textbook. It’s like when I go around talking to young high school people. In the book it’s maybe @ page to a page and a half — Kennedy and Johnson got us involved, Nixon got us out, there’s some stats, and that’s it! It doesn’t say what happened. Normally, when I speak to young people I have two to four other vets and my story is different than his and his different than his. I try to bring along C-rations and give all a litle P-38, Of course, nowadays you got fo give each kid a plastic spoon with all the crap floating around. But the rations got all the good stuff — ham and tima beans all the good stuff! I go, “ Here, taste some,” pecause it sounds good, but then they spit it out and I go- “Well, that’s the stuff we had to eat. You know — its protein!” Think of the sacrifices. People shouldn't look at war as a John Wayne type of thing ora male testosterone thing because war is horrifying, It’s not manly, and it’s sad when we get in situations here we have to use human beings and there’s a life lost or people getting wounded. You ask- why? 1 can look back and say, ‘I lost an arm for my country.’ But why did I lose it? What did we get accom- plished? Thave read that some soldiers made statements that they did not feel like they were fighting for their country, they were fighting for each other. Did you feel the same way? ‘At frst, being a young guy, I was so proud for being a young service man that here Tam taking part for my country and helping another nation get a little kick in ss the butt to get started. Boy I was prouder than a peacock! Eventually, when [ got to the Robin Hoods, my big thing was I had a 45 Western Style, kind of like ad-lib like Jesses James, and I was big bad-ass, which ya think you are, but you're not! Here Tam, a 19-year-old punk kid and a PapaSan would come down from the village. We would sit down, and he'd get this razor and lather you up and it’s like any other cowboy, “Wow, shavin’ with a straight edge — that’s big time!” Of course, you got peach fuzz. and ‘Then we got hit one night. We had about 20 choppers on fa flight line, and there are sandbags between each chop- per. It had to be two or three in the morning and the V.C. started coming across the air strip so we couldn’t get the ships up. We pulled out the 60s and just leveled what was coming, We eliminated a lot of the elements. When the sun Preset of the a comes up and everyone and all the dust starts settling down you go out and look for a body count. This uy that used to shave me (a PapaSan] was laying about 40 meters to my right with a satchel charge! So he was coming there that night to kill me! So here you think you're doing things for a country, and you trust these people and this guy's is trying to blow me away. Then it was like, “brother for brother": you know, we'll do our job, but Pll wateh your butt and you watch my but. If you look at Korea or World War Two, the vets came home- All right! Handshake! When the Vietnam guys came home we were broth~ ers! Black, brown, purple, pink, whatever, we're brothers! No one can take that away from us. Going back a litle bit, what was it like the day you were in the White House, receiving your medal from the President? What were some of your emotions? We were all young and growing up. We look in this constitution and look at the President as a God-like Wet GaryVietnam Experience _ type figure. I mean, “THERE is the President!” It was kind of neat in this society because when our fore- fathers sat down and put together this thing called the Constitution, and that’s that, the majority of us — ‘under this umbrella that we support that Constitution and what it stands for. You've got a leader that’s ‘guiding you or showing you the way. You've got your House and Senate and a bunch of other people, but meeting the President... It’s hard to describe. It’s a great honor, It’s a great respect. Fear. I mean, here he is. Before the ceremonies we were just in this ~ 90m in the White House with some of the President’s staff informing how they answer things. “Yes, Mr. President. No, Mr. President” — there’s proto- next to myself and put his hand on my leg and said, “How ya doin’, Son?” and I’m all, “Fine, Mr. President.” It was a trip! [liked him for who he was. |fGanSeAt para The next day we went to Arlington, and I met the Kennedys, I think it was | Willan nS I "the five-year anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, and I met. i Jackie, Teddy and Bobby all down there. There were a bunch of Secret ae Service guys, and I got the Medal of Honor. _ Any person or thing in particular that kept you going? It was mostly me trying to make the better of who I was or being who I was. But looking back to some- thing that was inspirational.... When I was in Tokyo, recovering from my operation, there were a bunch of football players that were on the U.S.O. Tour. Of course I’m a Packer Backer from way back.... think Iwas the only one in that ward from Wisconsin, and they say, “Is anyone in here from Wisconsin?!” and Isai, “Yeah, what's the big deal?” “Well we've got some football players and Bart Starx.” (That was the last year that they played in the Superbow!) I think I had a nine-foot arm on at the time! So they came over and covered me up with a nice clean sheet so I wasn’t bloody and didn’t look like crap and what- ever. Then Bart came over and we chatted for a while, I had been really down, and he really picked me up! Now when he came back from his tour, there was an article I’ve got some place that was in an ‘American Legion Magazine that they had asked him [Bart Starr] what was his memorable thoughts about his tour, and he says, “I met a little ‘ole red-headed guy that lost his left arm from Wisconsin,” So, he made an impact on me, and I must have made an impact on him! It was kind of neat! Do you have any last thoughts or advice for young people today- maybe heaited towards the service? Well, we look at the service nowadays compared to the service in my time, and they're all special because you're putting time in for what the flag stands for. But we'll say nowadays, in the computer era there are so many programs in the military that will transition with you into civilian life, plus you're getting paid good! There are innumerable educational benefits and you're A] in that 18-20 year stage where you're full of all types of stuff and go out and party, get drunk and stupid, whatever, But what’s wrong with going out and serving your country for a couple of years because you'd have ee a good education. Give something back instead of “ake, Went any ‘2002 DC Evert Ara Schools Puss Page 281Vietnam Experience —_—<———————— take, take!” In this time, in society, we take everything but give something back! So you can say, “Yea, I cared.” With the service's whole touring process you get to travel alittle bit, you grow up, you get educated. There ave different types of the service, however, If ‘you want the bang bang, shoot ‘em up of be in infantry, you can, but it’s not meant for everybody. In this day and age, now that we have the all-volunteer service, the people that are going in are good, qual- ity people, and they're going in because they want to go in They want to serve their country and be part of it. Years down the road they can look back and tell their grandkids, “Yeah, T took part. I was a little pea in the pod, but I did take part!” ‘ther meals bes eset Wetzel has gone on to meet five different Presidents, multiple celebrities, and other dis- tinguished persons. Wetzel feels it is his duty as a Medal of Honor recipient to inform stu- dents on the war history of Vietnam. He is actively working for the return of our coun- try’s POWs and MIAs. Interviewed and transcribed by Meghan Casta ‘We, Gay ‘e221: Ere re ShoosPubisntions Page 282 eeVietnam Experience 002 DC. Evers Area School Patios Page 283,