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?
I 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 Leodardwood, Missouri in
construction and heavy equipment. Prior to the service I worked a little bit of
construction so I had some knowledge; I went down there and right away I was a
constructor 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 in a request to go to Vietnam. I 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 10-49’s 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 different it was to actually be IN country?
Yeah, it was different. I remember I spent, back
in those days we flew in a triple pup 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 a
war-type situation but, “I’m in the service, this is where I will serve, do
my duty and then come back.” We landed in Saigon early in the morning (this is
in October) I remember- of course the aircraft 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?
I just had turned 19 in September.
Did you have two tours or just the
one?
I 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 you re-enlist and then I went flying. I was on
the 173rd helicopter company, the Robin Hoods. I was pretty good with the M-16
machine gun; I modified them and 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 I extended 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 lost of a left arm kind of curtailed that aspect of my life, being a
pilot. In a helicopter you do need four limbs to fly the helicopter.
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 helicopters with an average
of seven to eight GIs inside. (These are what you called slicks-showing photo- I
sat here- 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 happening you come
back and pick them up and then go find another area. On this particular day they
were aware of some unfriendlies in a certain area. We were brief on the LZ
(landing zone). We had to prep it with 105’s, 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 what 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 particular
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 Australians. Mine was only one that
got shot down on the LZ. We got hit in the left front of the helicopter with an
RPG- what they call Rocket Propelled Grenade. It blew the front of the ship
apart and it came skidding to a halt. We had two guys that didn’t even leave
the cabin, they got cross-fired so bad that they were killed right there. It was
like July 4th, but it was on the ground. My immediate concern is to try and get
my buddy out. I ripped the door off and my crew chief came from the other side,
he was on the inside of the radio pedestal, we were trying to lift Kenny up to
push him out on the other side. From the waste up he was okay, but from the
waste down he was nothing but chopped meat. I tried to pick him up and get him
at least half way through the radio pedestal and that was when a homemade
grenade went off behind me. When I say homemade grenade- anything you can put in
an explosive device: nails, glass, and whatever—that’s what I got hit with.
It landed about four feet behind me and caught me pretty good from my shoulders
on down. It blew my whole upper arm out but from the elbow down there wasn’t a
scratch… it was just hanging on by some skin and bone and later on I took what
was left [of my arm] and tucked it inside my pants and just kept on fighting.
When you get in situations, you’d be surprised what the human body can take or
will stand. Of course we have choices but I figured at that time I was going to
die and I figured I’d take a few more of the bad guys with me… Knock on wood
though— I’m still here!
What was going through your head
when you first took the shot to your arm? Did you think you were finished right
there?
Well, you had the initial pain and you yell…
There were a lot of things happening and I still had some spunk left in me 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 wounded and slide
them across the rice paddy. It was a lot of mud and slop, they used a lot of
human waste… it didn’t smell nice. I was trying to drag the wounded to him
so that he could try and patch the guys up. I passed out various times from loss
of blood…
How much time had lapsed now,
since you were shot down?
I 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
14 ships and probably in the first couple minutes I think 52 to 56 of these guys
got killed so there were 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.
That was obviously your last
mission, how long was it between being on the field and back in the states?
I spent seven or nine days on what they called the
Super Critical list… When I first got pieced back together they used a couple
stand still stitches to cut down on infection. I want to say nine days in
country at an Evac 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. I 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 hospital. I had various skin graphs 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 I had some spinal
damage. I got hit with a machine gun, with 38’s and later on I got stabbed in
the right thigh with a bayonet…I imagine that your
rehabilitation was really difficult… You were in for the long haul…I
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 get 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.
I can flip bacon and I don’t burn 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 are difficult for you?
I’m not afraid to ask people for help. If you
get frustrated and stuff it’s 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?
I finally got a job at Laddish, I was working in
the office. I had a Colonel, Major, and a First Sergeant that 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 law but I had done my time, I gave you my
arm, ‘what the hell else do you want?!’ They were like, “You’re going on
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 Distinguished Service Cross in country which is the second 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 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 wife, 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. I don’t know if I should thank them or whatever 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
recipient, how did you feel?
Yes, 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 burn 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 you and I to
be here today. We have SUCH a freedom; we need to reflect on what it’s all
about…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 a 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 sea
rations and give all a little P-38. Of course, nowadays you got to give each kid
a plastic spoon with all the crap floating around…But the rations got all the
good stuff—ham and lima beans… all the good stuff! I go, “ here… taste
some” because 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 or a
male testosterone thing because war is horrifying. It’s not manly and it’s
sad when we get in situations where we have to use human beings and there’s a
life lost or people getting wounded… you ask- why? I can look back and say,
‘I lost an arm for my country’- but why did I lose it? What did we get
accomplished?
I have 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 first, being a young guy, I was so proud for
being a young service man that here I am taking part for my country and helping
another nation get a little kick in the butt to get started… Boy I was prouder
than a peacock! Eventually, when I 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 I am, 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 30 choppers on a flight line and there are sandbags between each
chopper—It had to be two or three in the morning and the V.C. started coming
across the airship so we couldn’t get the ships up. We pulled out the 60’s
and just leveled what was coming. We eliminated a lot of the elements… when
the sun comes up and everyone and all the dust starts settling down you go out
and look for a body count… This guy 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 thing you’re doing things for a country and
you trust theses 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 I’ll watch
your butt and you watch my butt. If you look at Korea or World War Two, the vets
came home- Alright! Handshake!- When the Vietnam guys came home we were
brothers! Black, brown, purple, pink, whatever, we’re brothers! No one can
take that away from us.
Going back a little bit, what was
it like the night 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 type figure, I mean
‘THERE is the President!’ It was kind of neat in this society because when
our forefathers 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 room in the White House with some of the
President’s staff informing how they answer things, “Yes, Mr. President. No,
Mr. President” – there’s protocol. Then he came in the room and we were
all shaking. He sat right down 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! I liked him for who he was. The next day we went to Arlington and I
met the Kennedy’s… I think it was the five-year anniversary of the
assassination of President Kennedy and I met Jackie, Teddy and Bobbie all down
there. There were a bunch of Secret Service guys and I got the Medal of Honor.
Emotionally and mentally, what got
you through all of your rehabilitation? 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 something 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… I think I was the only one in that ward from Wisconsin
and they say, “Is anyone in here from Wisconsin?!” and I said “Yeah,
what’s the big deal?” “Well we’ve got some football players and Bart
Starr…” (That was the last year that they played in the Superbowl) 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
whatever… 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 headed 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 transitionally with you
into civilian life, plus you’re getting paid good! There are innumerable
educational benefits and you’re 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 a good education. Give something back instead of ‘take,
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 a little bit, you grow up, you get educated… There
are different types of the service, however- if you want the bang bang, shoot
‘em up or 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, quality 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, I took part. I was a little pea
in the pod, but I did take part!”
Oral
History Project 
