Bravo Company, 4th/47th Battalion, 2nd Brigade
MY NEPHEW, RICK BUCKLEW WAS ATTACHED TO Co B 4th/4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Division and was wounded 15 Feb 68 somewhere near Saigon (I suspect near Dong Tam). His life was saved initially in the field and then he was Med-evaced to the 25th Med-evac Hospital in Long Bien Province just south of Ton Son Nhut AB. Rick’s wounds were so grave that he was not expected to live but after several surgeries there at the 25th, he pulled though enough to be Med-evaced to Camp Zama, Japan and then once again in Japan but I’m not sure of the location. Rick was eventually Med-evaced to Fitzsimmons Army General Hospital in Aurora, Colorado and he was discharged from the Army in June 1969 as 100 per cent disabled.
Rick passed away in Falling Waters, West Virginia, on 18 Apr 2003. He had been a patient in the nearby Veteran’s Center in Martinsburg for many years mainly for alcohol related issues. Rick was 17 years old and was serving in the Republic of Korea and when he turned 18 years old, (9 Sep 67), he was reassigned to the Republic of Viet Nam and arrived there October 1967 where he was severely wounded in February 1968.
I firmly believe that Rick, and many others who served their country during the Viet Nam War and were wounded on the field of battle and years later succumbed to those wounds are the forgotten ones from that era.
I’m making a Military Memorial for Rick and I have the following awards that Rick earned while in the Army. They are as follows:
PURPLE HEART; ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL (KOREA); NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL; VIETNAM SERVICE; MEDAL WITH TWO BRONZE STARS; VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL W/60 DEVICE; ONE OVERSEAS BAR EXPERT BADGE W/RIFLE BAR
Do you know of any other Medals/Awards that Rick may be entitled to that are not reflected from the above on Rick’s DD-214? I know of one Medal, the “Vietnam War Wound” that appears Rick is eligible for but thought that perhaps you could provide me so information regarding this matter.
Does anyone in the above Co B, 4th/47th Battalion, 9th Infantry Division remember Rick?
Sincerely Yours,
RMC Carl L. Bucklew USN RET
carlbucklew@atlanticbb.net
Ph: 1-301-777-2004
December 7, 2011
Cumberland, Maryland – 1966
Rick joined the U.S. Army at age 17
before completing HS & earned
his GED while in the Army.
