05-15-10 Waco, TX The Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Heart-of-Texas Chapter 1012, and the Central Texas PGR, will bestow honors and remembrance for three Vietnam War from McLennan County, scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM on Saturday morning, May 15, 2010.
The names have been added alongside 64 other names of fallen warriors from McLennan County enshrined at the memorial. “To Remember is to Honor” is a rededication ceremony of the Waco Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The PGR along with a few hundred motorcyclists will conduct “Rolling to Remember” a pass and review— for all fallen warriors.
About
NAVY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER GERALD RAY ROBERTS
Gerald Ray Roberts was born in Smiley, Texas. At a young age his family moved Oglesby, Texas. The tall and lanky Roberts attended Elementary, Jr. High and High School in Oglesby. He graduated from Oglesby High School in May of 1951 where his mother, Mrs. Boone S. Roberts was not only the stern Principal and his math teacher as well.
Gerald Ray Roberts upon graduation decided to move to San Marcos, Texas to enroll at South West State Teachers College and also attend UT Austin.
Strange as it may seem amidst his dream to earn a college degree Roberts decided in 1954 to enlist in the U.S. Navy with hope that some day he would achieve Fighter Pilot status and complete his college degree.
Gerald known as a loyal and dedicated Navy man received his Pilot’s Wings in 1956 at the Corpus Christi (Texas) Naval Air Station. Part 1 of his dream pinned on his chest now he would finally move to complete his Bachelor’s degree in 1961 at San Diego State College. A delight no-less for Mrs. Boone S. Roberts.
Unbeknown to Roberts, a future assignment would ultimately take him to Attack Squardon196, CVW-19, USS Bon Homme Richard – 7th Fleet off the coast of South Vietnam. The USS Bon Homme Richard was an Aircraft carrier with sights set on North Vietnam.
On 2 December 1965, Navy Lt. Cmdr Gerald Ray Roberts, flying an A-1H Skyraider launched from USS Bon Homme Richard to conduct armed reconnaissance over North Vietnam. His flight’s mission was to search out and destroy troops, military convoys, road bridges, supply barges, or similar targets of military value.
During Roberts’ flight he spotted a small road bridge inclusive of other targets along Highway 1, which runs parallel to the coast approximately 6 miles NNW of the village of Ky Anh, North Vietnam.
On his third pass against the bridge, flying through intense ground fire Lt. Cmdr Roberts radioed his other pilots that he was going to make one last swing into the area that he was photographing. Sadly his aircraft was severely hit and swirling into a deep nose-down dive – crashed.
Reports from his fellow team pilots indicated no evidence that he escaped the aircraft before impact or survived the crash. No parachute was sighted, nor were any radio signals received.
Lt. Cmdr Roberts was presumed dead.
Navy Lt. Cmdr Gerald Ray Roberts, 31 year old devoted husband and father, while serving his second tour in Vietnam and five days from rotating back to the States became Vietnam War casualty number 1,963 and would be classified “Killed in Action / Body Not Recovered / Missing-in-Action (MIA).”
His military awards included the Air Medal for Meritorious Achievement 1965 and was
awarded the Purple Heart (PH) for Combat wounds 1965.
Roberts’ MIA classification would endure from 1965 to 1994 until Joint US-SRV investigations in 1993 and 1994 obtained information from local witnesses and recovered aircrew equipment and human remains from the wreckage. On 04 October 1994, the Vietnamese government turned over two sets of remains. On 10 October 1996, almost 31 years after he was shot down, a set of remains were identified as those of Lieutenant Commander Gerald Ray Roberts.
At the time of his loss, Attack Squadron 196 was based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. In February 1997 his family requested Navy assistance to fulfill Lieutenant Commander Roberts burial at sea. In a matter of a few days the U.S. Navy respectfully provided the carrier USS Carl Vinson in the Strait of Juan de Fuca for burial duty.
“Final closure” for his family would be on Wednesday February 12, 1997.
His widow, Claudette West, daughter Helene Kephart and niece Leslie Rathman, flew to the carrier by Navy helicopter from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station for the tribute, organized by the ship and Medium Attack Squadron 196, the unit with which he was serving on Dec. 2, 1965, when he was killed in action.
As USS Carl Vinson sailors, former squadron mates and many dignitaries observed
Roberts daughter, Helene Kephart and senior chaplain Cmdr. Robert Stone walked slowly to the edge of one of the ship’s giant aircraft elevators and scattered her father’s ashes into the jade-green water. Then, with tears streaming down her face, Kephart lofted a flowered wreath into the sea. Kephart was 4 years old when her father died.
As the last notes of “Taps” sounded over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, four A-6E Intruders flashed by overhead, with one of the jets suddenly and spectacularly breaking skyward in the “missing man” formation to honor a lost comrade.
Lieutenant Commander Gerald Ray Roberts was longer on the hillside of Ky Anh, North Vietnam. He now was at Peace and finally home.
About
MARINE 2ND LT FRANK BROWN WESTERFIELD
Frank Brown Westerfield was born in Falls County near Marlin. His family moved to the McGregor area shortly after he was born. The family name would resonate with leadership in the McGregor farming community. Frank would inherit the family trait and lead him into his military career serving in time of War both in Korea and Vietnam.
Quang Tri is a province on the North Central Coast of Vietnam, north of the former royal capital of Huế. The U.S. Marines set the stage in Quang Tri province for what would become an area of massive and most often savage brutal fighting against the NVA. The prize sought after by battle-harden NVA would be a large area concentrated along the DMZ – the gateway to South Vietnam.
The 2nd Battalion 9th Marines along with several other 3rd Marine Division units had their assigned mission – deny the high ground – any ground at all costs.
The 2nd Battalion 9th Marines landed in Quang Tri in December 1966 and history documents the intense fighting for two long years. Among the Marines was 2nd Lt. Frank Brown Westerfield who was no stranger to rugged terrain fighting – his Korean War experience provided the leadership necessary to accept the challenge – this time it would be in Vietnam.
Then Sgt Frank Westerfield earned five Purple Heats and a Silver Star during the Korean War. What price would be paid in Quang Tri was yet to be determined.
Frank Brown Westerfield would ultimately become a maverick of sorts. He decided to become a career Marine thereby considered a “Marine Mustang.” This is a distinguished title given to an enlisted Marine, with respect, who works towards achieving Marine officer status.
Frank a loyal and dedicated Marine, a devoted husband and father of four was commissioned Second Lieutenant in June 1965 with a future assignment to F Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.
During “Operation Hickory” the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines and 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines advanced north from Con Thien on the morning of 18 May 1967. Ten days of intensive fighting against several NVA battalions, the 2/9 Marines met heavy automatic weapons and mortar fire and countless artillery barrages to which were answered with all they could muster up to silence the NVA positions. Massive air strikes – artillery barrages seemingly nonstop – all aids to the grunt work which Marines are known for. Operation Hickory concluded on 28 May, the Marines had suffered 142 KIA and 896 wounded for 362 NVA killed and countless enemy wounded.
Among the walking wounded would be 2nd Lt. Westerfield.
No rest for the weary – Operation Cimmron/Buffalo would carry June into July with more fighting to deny the NVA passage to the South. Another in a series of continuing 3rd Marine Div operations in the DMZ with blistering artillery barrages, raid after raid supportive of ground troops in close range fighting. It claimed 1,281 enemy casualties.
Only a couple of weeks from rotating back to the States, Marine 2nd Lt Frank Brown Westerfield, 37 years old, refused safe passage to Okinawa instead determined to stay with his men when he became Vietnam War casualty number 14,281 due to a massive mortar attack on his defensive position in Quang Tri on 5 July 1965.
Unlike the America which was ungrateful and dismissive of its’ men and women in uniform during the Vietnam War – McGregor,Texas welcomed home their hero, Marine 2nd Lt. Frank Brown Westerfield. On the day of his funeral the McGregor community closed their stores and businesses, lined Main Avenue with American flags and banners.
Proudly and respectfully they accompanied him to his final resting place in McGregor Cemetery. It was a tribute of lasting quality – a tribute of love.
About
ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS DENNIS WAYNE FISHER
Dennis Wayne Fisher was born July 1, 1949 in Cameron, Texas among the Fisher clan. Waco became his home and at some point in his young life he was living with his grandmother on Sunnydale Street in South Waco. He volunteered to join the Army. He chose to volunteer at a time all he had to do was wait to be drafted or even volunteer for the draft.
At the ripe old age of 19, Dennis received orders to become a member of the 9th Infantry Division better known as the Old Reliables located at Bear Cat in swamps and rice paddies of the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam. He was assigned to the 3rd Brigade’s Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment. The Regiment was dubed the “Go Devils” for their fierce ability to hit & run turning the Viet Cong into high casualty figures.
He arrived 12 Oct 1968 just in time to be thrown into the heat of battle as the 5/60th would be locked in ferocious combat in Binh Phuoc for weeks with the Viet Cong in water-ways of the Delta.
The 5/60th Infantry had just finished a round of vicious fighting 12 miles west of My Phuoc Tay which registered 138 Viet Cong killed. They had expected some R&R time to kick back a bit & regroup. Instead they would be deployed to Binh Phuoc.
Within a few short weeks of combat PFC. Dennis Wayne Fisher would quickly become a war-seasoned veteran thus awarded a Bronze Star Medal and as well a Purple Heart for wounds incurred during combat.
The 5/60th Infantry was withdrawn from Binh Phuoc in early December 1968 and moved to Rach Kien to join the start Operation Giant Slingshot. The 3d Brigade returned to operate in Long An Province. Casualties mounted as this deployment moved the riverine-organized 3d Brigade away from the area that the Mobile Afloat Force concept had designated for follow-up riverine operations – the area south of the My Tho River.
Pfc. Dennis Wayne Fisher had served approximately all of 77 days in Vietnam most of which he endured in combat when he became Vietnam War casualty number 36,099 on Sunday December 29, 1968 in Long An Province.
Pfc Dennis Wayne Fisher is buried in Section “M” of Rosemound Cemetery located in Waco, Texas.
Fisher will be recognized in Remembrance & Tribute at 5th Battalion 60th Infantry Association
Wichita, Kansas Reunion June 2010.
Source: Robert Gamboa – Waco Vietnam Veterans Memorial Historian
Dallas, TX (June 3, 2010) on a sunny and warm day thousands gathered to pay tribute to veterans who have died in combat and in combat support operations at the DFW National Cemetery.
To Remember is to Honor – Rolling to Remember
