2nd Platoon, C Company, 4th/47th Battalion, 2nd Brigade
Introduction Greetings, Walt Radowenchuk! Young Walt first had the misfortune of being drafted into the 9th Infantry Division, but lucked out serving Basic Training in Artillery . Again, his luck soured with reassignment to Advanced Infantry Training when he hooked up with the 2nd Platoon during the Summer of 1966. Walt’s fate continued as he shipped out to Viet Nam aboard the same troop ship with his new found buddies. Soon, there he was with the Mobile Riverine Force conducting search and destroy missions in the Mekong Delta’s murky waters, steamy jungles and muddy rice paddies. It was there, on another tedious patrol on June 19, 1967, that Walt experienced a dramatic and horrific event. Suddenly, our tranquility exploded as a large Viet Cong force unleashed a barrage of bullets and rockets upon our unit.
Walt abruptly found himself totally exposed in an open rice paddy and he was immediately wounded in his right wrist. Then, a bullet slammed into his left upper arm, and if that wasn’t enough, both legs were struck with Viet Cong bullets. Talk about bad luck, eh? Well, after what seemed like an eternity, Walt was finally loaded on a med-evac chopper for flight to Tan Son Nhut Hospital. But no! The chopper pilot was suddenly hit by enemy fire causing his chopper to sit back down hard throwing Walt back into the muddy rice paddy. Walt’s luck finally improved and he was ultimately flown out of that hell. He spent one more week in Viet Nam recovering and then he was flown to Japan for a month and then to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania for another month of recovery. Finally, Walt fully healed and was given a 30 day leave with his family before finishing his two year Army commitment at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he drove trucks and armored personnel carriers. Walt, your fellow Charlie Company soldiers salute you for being one tough trooper and for your outstanding service to our great Country. Bill Reynolds – October 28, 2002
