- Joined
- Mar 20, 2004
- Messages
- 270
- Points
- 53
This is our nation's highest award for valor. I know of only one being awarded to anyone in my units for actions during my tours. I didn't find out for many years later after I started learning my way around on the computer.
18MAY67
Our eighth day in the mountains west of Duc Pho. We make contact with Charlie at one of their base camps and a fierce gunfight takes place for about an hour or more, and it's getting near dark. They're dug in pretty good and we hit them with what LAWs we have. Finally, a couple of gunships shows up and brings some serious pee on them. During the fight we have a couple WIA and one KIA. The KIA is a buddy, Sp/4 Stan Jamrozy. "Rosie" was from Louisville, KY. He was 20yrs. old.
His death was pretty hard to take by alot of us old guys. He got to the company a couple of weeks after I did. He was to DEROS in July. He was the shortest [number of days left in-country] guy that I can remember being killed. He was also the last KIA in the company that I can recall before I DEROSED the end of June.
Rest In Peace, Rosie.
The rest of the story:
During the firefight, the VC tried to flank us to the right. They ran into B company and got in a gunfight with them. B company took some casualties, also. By the time we were able to evacuate our casualties, it was dark. Here's what was going on over with B company:
Dale Eugene Wayrynen
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 2d Battalion, 502d Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Place and Date: Quang Ngai, Province, Republic of Vietnam, 18 May 1967. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: 18 January 1947, Moose Lake, Minn.
Citation:
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Wayrynen distinguished himself with Company B, during combat operations near Duc Pho. His platoon was assisting in the night evacuation of the wounded from an earlier enemy contact when the lead man of the unit met face to face with a Viet Cong soldier. The American's shouted warning also alerted the enemy who immediately swept the area with automatic weapons fire from a strongly built bunker close to the trail and threw hand grenades from another nearby fortified position. Almost immediately, the lead man was wounded and knocked from his feet. Sp4c. Wayrynen, the second man in the formation, leaped beyond his fallen comrade to kill another enemy soldier who appeared on the trail, and he dragged his injured companion back to where the point squad had taken cover. Suddenly, a live enemy grenade landed in the center of the tightly grouped men. Sp4c. Wayrynen, quickly assessing the danger to the entire squad as well as to his platoon leader who was nearby, shouted a warning, pushed one soldier out of the way, and threw himself on the grenade at the moment it exploded. He was mortally wounded. His deep and abiding concern for his fellow soldiers was significantly reflected in his supreme and courageous act that preserved the lives of his comrades. Sp4c. Wayrynen's heroic actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the service, and they reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army."
That was a scary night. The VC had bunkers and fighting holes all over the place. After dark, we thought they were going to counter attack us at anytime. As I recall C company didn't make any contact after dark, but I remember hearing the gunfire and explosions on our right flank after B company jumped these guys. I remember hearing about what Dale did. F..-ckin' amazing! You always heard about guys doing this, and saw it in alot of those war movies we grew up with in the '50s and '60s. Never thought I'd know anybody in a thousand years that would actually do it. I'm pretty sure that I could never do that. Somebody would have to throw me on the damned thing. From all the accounts I heard later, though, this wasn't the case with Dale. He was a real Hero.
Dale Eugene Wayrynen was awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor [Posthumously]
STRIKE FORCE, DALE. REST IN PEACE
So does anyone else know a MOH recipient? How about a Victoria Cross?
18MAY67
Our eighth day in the mountains west of Duc Pho. We make contact with Charlie at one of their base camps and a fierce gunfight takes place for about an hour or more, and it's getting near dark. They're dug in pretty good and we hit them with what LAWs we have. Finally, a couple of gunships shows up and brings some serious pee on them. During the fight we have a couple WIA and one KIA. The KIA is a buddy, Sp/4 Stan Jamrozy. "Rosie" was from Louisville, KY. He was 20yrs. old.
His death was pretty hard to take by alot of us old guys. He got to the company a couple of weeks after I did. He was to DEROS in July. He was the shortest [number of days left in-country] guy that I can remember being killed. He was also the last KIA in the company that I can recall before I DEROSED the end of June.
Rest In Peace, Rosie.
The rest of the story:
During the firefight, the VC tried to flank us to the right. They ran into B company and got in a gunfight with them. B company took some casualties, also. By the time we were able to evacuate our casualties, it was dark. Here's what was going on over with B company:
Dale Eugene Wayrynen
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 2d Battalion, 502d Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Place and Date: Quang Ngai, Province, Republic of Vietnam, 18 May 1967. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: 18 January 1947, Moose Lake, Minn.
Citation:
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Wayrynen distinguished himself with Company B, during combat operations near Duc Pho. His platoon was assisting in the night evacuation of the wounded from an earlier enemy contact when the lead man of the unit met face to face with a Viet Cong soldier. The American's shouted warning also alerted the enemy who immediately swept the area with automatic weapons fire from a strongly built bunker close to the trail and threw hand grenades from another nearby fortified position. Almost immediately, the lead man was wounded and knocked from his feet. Sp4c. Wayrynen, the second man in the formation, leaped beyond his fallen comrade to kill another enemy soldier who appeared on the trail, and he dragged his injured companion back to where the point squad had taken cover. Suddenly, a live enemy grenade landed in the center of the tightly grouped men. Sp4c. Wayrynen, quickly assessing the danger to the entire squad as well as to his platoon leader who was nearby, shouted a warning, pushed one soldier out of the way, and threw himself on the grenade at the moment it exploded. He was mortally wounded. His deep and abiding concern for his fellow soldiers was significantly reflected in his supreme and courageous act that preserved the lives of his comrades. Sp4c. Wayrynen's heroic actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the service, and they reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army."
That was a scary night. The VC had bunkers and fighting holes all over the place. After dark, we thought they were going to counter attack us at anytime. As I recall C company didn't make any contact after dark, but I remember hearing the gunfire and explosions on our right flank after B company jumped these guys. I remember hearing about what Dale did. F..-ckin' amazing! You always heard about guys doing this, and saw it in alot of those war movies we grew up with in the '50s and '60s. Never thought I'd know anybody in a thousand years that would actually do it. I'm pretty sure that I could never do that. Somebody would have to throw me on the damned thing. From all the accounts I heard later, though, this wasn't the case with Dale. He was a real Hero.
Dale Eugene Wayrynen was awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor [Posthumously]
STRIKE FORCE, DALE. REST IN PEACE
So does anyone else know a MOH recipient? How about a Victoria Cross?
