and
William T. Wallace
Panel 09W - Row 011
JERRY GILLETT - Scout Observer
Courtesy of fellow Spur Scout, David "Jake" Jacobs
Dian - 1970
Roger,
I opened mail this AM and saw the etchings you made of Wallace and Gillett, on your trip to Washington. I have etchings from a number of the crew who lost their lives from 69-70. I got them from the Moving Wall when it was on display at a memorial dedication of the High Ground War Memorial here in Wisconsin in 93. The High Ground is a large tract of land that was donated by a private individual for this purpose. I believe it encompasses close to 100 acres if I'm not mistaken.
The original plan was to use it strictly as a Viet-Nam memorial but it has since expanded to include WWI and WWII also so far. The main site view is set on literally higher ground from the surrounding area. When you walk out to the flag and sculpture at the edge of the viewing point you are greeted to a panoramic view of half a million acres of forest and hills for as far as the eye can see. Directly below and half way down the slope is the Gold Star Mother's Memorial. It's in the shape of a helicopter landing pad and planted with golden flowers and bushes in the shape of a large gold star.
Tom Runkle Photo
While standing on the site from the end of the view point I easily heard again the whop of chopper blades in my mind and saw clearly a flight of slicks crossing the sky in the distance. The site itself is so like a scene from Nam that the walk out to the edge of the ridge and the view beyond brought apprehension and tears to my eyes with each step closer. When I got to the end I was a little embarrassed by the tears streaking down my cheeks but looking around I found I was not the only one. It was not very difficult to pick out those among the small clusters of families and friends who had the same thoughts going through their minds and living the same haunting memories again.
I wondered how many sad stories there were on that hillside at just that moment. Just as in Washington at the memorial Wall it was very silent on the site. The flag flapping in the breeze even seemed muffled. At the bronze sculpture of four interlocking and mutually supporting figures in combat garb the windsong tinkle of chimes drifts in and out of the ears of those quietly and emotionally standing nearby. The life-size sculpture itself is set in a replica of a Wisconsin Native American burial mound signifying the thought that we should never bury away the sacrifice of those that died and gave the ultimate of themselves. On the mound and elevated to the rear of the sculpture is a shattered and fragmented M-16 rifle hung upside down signifying the call for a med-e-vac and assistance.
Tom Runkle Photo
A piece of orange stained glass is inset in the forearm of the rifle's stock reflecting the sun rays through it as a reminder of the Agent Orange issue. The song of the chimes emanates from the back of the sculpture itself where small bamboo shaped bronze rods are hung, each engraved with a name of one of the dead from Wisconsin who gave their lives in Viet Nam. Jerry's name is there on his own chime along with the many others.
While his voice has long since left me I felt that as the wind blew over the Highground I was hearing from him again. This time he spoke in his own peaceful and resting way within every breeze that swayed around his chime. I felt he knew I had come. He knew he'd not be forgotten by this old trooper and he thanked me. Thanks for showing his name from the Wall.
Jerry's final resting place -- Island Lake, Wisconsin
Tom Runkle Photo
Thanks Tom. Jerry often drove us Scouts back and forth to Saber Field in his truck, Spur 3 Tango, while we were at DiAn with the U.S. flag proudly flying. His death as a new Scout Observer on June 4th, 1970 along with the loss of William "Tom" Wallace, greatly impacted the Silver Spurs, and those of us in the Scout platoon. I will always fondly remember them....
My personal thanks to Tom Runkle for his wonderful tribute to Jerry and for sharing his pictures with us, and to my friend David "Jake" Jacobs for the picture of Jerry.
I can't tell you how much I was moved when I got your recent e-mail about Jerry Gillett and Bill Wallace. Jerry (Moose) as everybody called him was one of my best friends. I rode back and forth to the flight line many many times in his duece and a half. He never left us behind and the ones that weren't done yet always got picked up later. I remember very well when he decided to go to the scout platoon. He didn't feel that he was doing enough and felt this would be a way he could do more.
As I write this tears are clouding my eyes as I remember one of the bravest most selfless men I had the good fortune to serve with. I remember going to the funeral and seeing the Cav Hats and jump boots for the both of them standing in front of us all in silence and pledging not to forget. Men like Moose Gillett walked tall and lived large in the hearts of all that knew them. God bless you all for keeping his fire burning brightly in the hearts of us all.
June 2018:
The following narrative was sent to me by Spur 37, Morgan Miller, who literally had a front-row seat in the Cobra that was providing cover for Wallace & Gillett that day.
My personal thanks to Morgan for sharing this valuable information with all of us. - Roger "Bear" Young
...The following day Captain Moss, came over and welcomed me into the gun platoon, telling me, I would be flying with Bob Dibbern into Cambodia tomorrow. I remembered meeting Bob as one of the senior Cobra pilots in the troop, when I arrived, but I had never talked to him at the O-club or mess hall. I had been in country about seven weeks and was going to be his co-pilot as a new official member of the gun platoon. At breakfast I learned Bob had been in country eleven months and was looking forward to going home. After the pre-flight, we followed three other Cobras hovering out to the runway at Quan Loi. Then our unit took off for Tay Ninh for the day's operation. After the thirty-minute flight, refueling and parking we waited for the platoon leaders to return from the briefing.
When they returned Captain, JC motioned to Bob myself and scout pilot Bill Wallace and his observer to come over. He showed us on the map where we would be doing the recon of a Cambodian village for possible enemy activity. He said, Intelligence has this hamlet as a suspected enemy sanctuary and stopping point for NVA regulars, because of the location, fresh water and large rice fields grown by the inhabitants. Walking to our respective helicopters after that meeting not a word was said.
I had flow into Cambodia several times as a member of the lift platoon, but for some reason this felt different. Bob and I buckled in our Cobra and took off following Bill who was following the Major to the map coordinates in Cambodia. It was a thirty-minute flight and as we got close to this vast rice farm land the Major told our scout pilot to descend and start his VR around the jungle perimeter that encased the area.
After we had descended and started our left-hand orbit around our scout helicopter the cabin air coming into to our cockpit was clean and refreshing. Within minutes after our scout got down to tree top level Bill announced over the radio that he has spotted a communication line on a freshly traveled trail. Next, he says he is turning left away from the trail and slowing down. Bob said to me over the inter comb, "does the map show he is below the ridge line of the hill to the West?" "Yes, it does." Bob said, "I have a bad feeling about this."
With that comment my grip on the mini-gun sight handles got tighter. Then minutes later we heard the scout pilot scream, "receiving fire," I saw the scout helicopter instantly go inverted, crash and explode, which had to kill both crew members instantly. Shocked, but before I got the exclamation point on "Damn!" Bob immediately made a quick left turn and rolled in firing his rockets to the west of the crash site. I followed by firing the mini-gun where our rockets were impacting the ground. Bob was able to get off six pair before he broke off at the tree tops and began his climb back to a higher altitude.
While we were climbing out I could see many tracers zinging by the cockpit. "Jesus!" Then Bob surprises the shit out of me by quickly stopping his climb with a smooth steep descending left turn and headed back down to the target firing rockets and yelling, "Fire that mini gun, Miller!" Once we were down at tree top level the exiting rockets out of the tubes went straight out for approximately twenty feet and then went straight down and exploded under the cobra (because of the aeronautical term, "relative wind"). This quick change in exit tactic allowed us to escape the area unscathed, except for a few bullet holes in the tail, which we found when we went back to refuel.
Once at altitude, while Bob was talking to the Major, I began to regain my composure and thought to myself. Damn! I think that quick maneuver by Bob saved our lives. Then the Air Force FAC (forward air controller) who was high overhead monitoring our company radio frequency said, "Spur 6" (Major's call sign). "This is Toy 16." "Would you like a set of fighters?" The Major responds, Roger!" "Have them contact Spur 31, over."
While waiting for the fighters to arrive, we continue making rocket runs west of the crash to keep the enemy pinned down. Then we heard the Major call the TOC (tactical operation center) requesting another hunter-killer team to come out. Next a radio call came from the inbound jets. "Spur 31 this is Hawk One One. We are at 5,000 feet and have a Tally Ho (visual confirmation), on the smoke coming up from the jungle. What's the situation?" "Hawk One One, our scout helicopter was shot down by heavy automatic weapons fire". "The target is 100 meters west of the burning crash site." "Do you have us and the target in sight?"
"Roger Spur 31 and sorry about your loss. We will make our runs South to North with a right break." My thoughts changed to anticipation as I was about to witness my first tactical air strike. Then I saw what looked like an Air Force Bomber moving in to our area. "Bob what kind of Bomber is that?" "It is actually two F-100's in tight formation." "You will see them separate when the lead jet starts his bomb run."
"Spur 31 we are starting our bomb run."
"Roger, Hawk One One. I have you in sight. We will stay clear." The first jet rolled in and dropped two MK-82 500-pound bombs right on the target, his wing man followed with two napalm canisters (a gel like substance that burns at 2000 degrees). Then Hawk One One made another radio call: "Spur 31, we also received automatic weapons fire and would like to make two more passes. One more with bombs and the last one with our 20-millimeter Gatling guns."
"Roger that, we will stand by."
After the jets' third pass, we heard. "Sorry Spur 31, that's it, we are out of ammo." "Hawk One One, Nice job, Thanks."
Next, we heard the Major briefing our replacement Hunter/Killer Team Spur 39 and his scout about what happened. The Major stressed to be careful and that you need to make that crash area safe so we can get our aero-rifle platoon in there and recover our downed crew. If need be there is a FAC overhead call sign Toy-16, who can get another set of fighters. I will refuel and be back as quick as I can. Spur 39 says "Roger Spur 6." We found out later Spur 39's scout received more automatic weapons fire out of an area close by and it took another air strike to completely quell the area. Then Spur 39's team headed back to Tay Ninh and turned the recovery mission back over to the Spur 6 and the next team Spur 38 and his scout. En-route back to the contact area the Major called for two more Cobra's to escort the three Huey's, with our aero-rifle platoon on board. The recovery went off, without a shot from the enemy and the pilot and observer were returned to the Morgue at Tay Ninh. Even though the scout helicopter was shot down early in the morning, it was midday when the rescue mission ended. Even though we lost two crew members that day, our unit continued to VR around that village the rest of the day, without any more enemy contact.
The next morning Captain Estep, the scout platoon leader, Lt Kelly the Infantry platoon leader and his platoon sergeant along with myself flew down to DiAn for the memorial services for WO William T. Wallace and his observer Sp4 Jerry C. Gillett at the Squadron Chapel. This was my first ever funeral and I had mixed emotions while walking to the chapel. When I walked in I saw Captain Kilcrease seated next to the Squadron Chaplain next to the stage. After sitting down next to LT. Kelly and other rear area members from our unit I noticed no flag draped coffins, but instead there was a table next to the pulpit, with two pair of black leather boots supporting two black Stetson Cavalry hats. They had the crew members' rank above our unit's cross sabers. After everyone arrived the Chaplain stood up, walked up to the pulpit, turned and faced everyone and thanked us all for coming.
Gentlemen, may we all remember that these two fine young men made the supreme sacrifice here in Vietnam fighting for their Country. May we also remember these fine young men, who had their whole lives in front of them, are gone now. Unfortunately, we and their loved ones will never know what they could have achieved, but I feel they were the embodiment of everything we all can hope to be. God bless Mr. Wallace and Specialist Gillett and may God welcome them home. "Let us pray." Then he quoted the twenty-third Psalms. Walking out of the Chapel I remember it being a very short ceremony. I was hoping for some solace, but instead I left with an empty feeling. I had met Bill Wallace for the first time that morning at breakfast and didn't know anything about the man except he was married. Jerry Gillett I only saw briefly at Tay Ninh as he was getting in the scout helicopter.
Morgan Miller, Spur 37
"Spur-3 Tango"
Roger Young Photo
JERRY CECIL GILLETT
Rank: SP4 - E4
Start of Tour: Sunday, August 17, 1969
Date of Casualty: Thursday, June 4, 1970
Aircraft: 68-16945
Province: Tay Ninh -- OH-58
Date of Birth: Wednesday, December 1, 1948
Age at time of loss: 21
Home of Record (official): CORNELL
State (official): WI
The Wall: Panel 09W - Row 007
Rank: WO1
Start of Tour: Wednesday, January 21, 1970
Date of Casualty: Thursday, June 4, 1970
Aircraft: 68-16945
Province: Tay Ninh -- OH-58
Date of Birth: Sunday, July 18, 1948
Age at time of loss: 21
Home of Record (official): FOREST PARK
State (official): GA
The Wall: Panel 09W - Row 011
William Thomas Wallace, Jr.
Courtesy of his loving wife, Shiela
Bronze Star & DFC Awards
Courtesy of his loving wife, Shiela
DFC Citation
Courtesy of his loving wife, Shiela
Shiela and Tom's Wedding Picture
Courtesy of his loving wife, Shiela
21 August 2015: Wallace-Gillett Memorial Service Program courtesy of Spur 39 Ed Marzola [Redacted SSN's]
