2018 Jan-feb

I received an e-mail from the past Executive Director, Dennis Webster who included the 1st Cavalry Division’s recommendation for the Valorous Unit Award for the 15th Medical Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) for its action in providing support to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) under hazardous hostile conditions in the III Corps Area of Operation on the 11th and 12th of August 1969.

This was in response to the Nov/Dec column and 15th MED Veteran William “Bill” Dolinger who said he read that A Co 15th MED received the Valorous Unit Award for August 12, 1969 but he said that he didn’t know why and what specifically had happened to warrant that.

Reading this “recommendation” for the award, and assuming there are orders for it out there if Bill read of confirmation, I now have proof of the action. 15th MED, including and mostly MEDEVAC, or the Air Ambulance Platoon, had to cover all of III Corps with their limited resources i.e. ten of twelve aeromedical evacuation helicopters, under fire, or hot LZs in most cases, but as usual supplied the necessary support.

All the personnel, medics in the companies; A, B, C, D, and HHC; pilots, and crewmembers, provided the needed support to the Skytroopers of the 1st Cav enduring combat, were cited. All were in the face of an enemy offensive; grunts to backup.

I received e-mail from Tom Garnella, who was a 1LT, Company B and HHC 15th MED Bn. He lives at 44625 Adobe Drive, Hemet, CA 92544 and says, “Thank you, Mike, for your fine article on page 17 of the November/December 2017 Saber.”

An addition to the 15th Medical Bn Memorial Wall is as follows: the name of Frank David Garrett, PFC, Age 19, Scurry, TX, KIA October 28, 1965 has been added to the Memorial Wall on the 15th Medical Bn website. His unit was specified on several websites as “HHC, 11th Medical Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division.”

There were questions as to whether he was a member of 15th MED Bn or not, there was no 11th Medical Bn serving in the Vietnam War, and the 1st Cavalry Division did not have any 11th Bn of any sort. To complicate matters, he did not have a medical MOS and the location of his death was not recorded.

A check of the recently obtained personnel rosters revealed that his name is on the one dated 08/65 for HSC, indicating that his unit was, in fact, HSC 15th Medical Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. His information, is posted on the Memorial Wall on the website <www.15thmednnassociation.org>. Always remembering our 1st Cav Troops on duty around the world; over and out.

FIRST TEAM!
Garryowen,
Mike Bodnar C 2\7 '69
MEDEVAC 1-7\70
SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE