[mdittmar]

WALKABOUT, BILLY B. Sergeant, U.S. Army Company F, 58th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division Date of Action: November 20, 1968 Citation:

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Billy B. Walkabout, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company F, 58th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile).

Sergeant Walkabout (then Specialist Four) distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 20 November 1968 during a long range reconnaissance patrol southwest of Hue. After successfully ambushing an enemy squad on a jungle trail, the friendly patrol radioed for immediate helicopter extraction.

When the extraction helicopters arrived and the lead man began moving toward the pick-up zone, he was seriously wounded by hostile automatic weapons fire.

Sergeant Walkabout quickly rose to his feet and delivered steady suppressive fire on the attackers while other team members pulled the wounded man back to their ranks. Sergeant Walkabout then administered first aid to the solider in preparation for medical evacuation.

As the man was being loaded onto the evacuation helicopter, enemy elements again attacked the team. Maneuvering under heavy fire, Sergeant Walkabout positioned himself where the enemy were concentrating their assault and placed continuous rifle fire on the adversary.

A command-detonated mine ripped through the friendly team, instantly killing three men and wounding all the others.

Although stunned and wounded by the blast, Sergeant Walkabout rushed from man to man administering first aid, bandaging one soldier's severe chest wound and reviving another soldier by heart massage. He then coordinated gunship and tactical air strikes on the enemy's positions.

When evacuation helicopters arrived again, he worked single-handedly under fire to board his disabled comrades.

Only when the casualties had been evacuated and friendly reinforcements had arrived, did he allow himself to be extracted.

Sergeant Walkabout's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 3945 (1969)

[amom]

SALUTE on behalf of myself and Mr. Tonkin.

[Eagles6]

Rest in Peace, Sgt. Walkabout.

[AprilfromTexas]

RIP. I'm so grateful for men such as this. God bless his family.

[Bahbah]

God bless you, Sgt. Walkabout, and thank you.

[Ole Okie]

A brave man.

Rest in peace, Sgt. Walkabout.

[FLOutdoorsman]

"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."

All the Way!

[blam]

RIP Billy.

I'm reminded of WW2 hero Ira Hayes

Johnny Cash wrote this ballard about him:

Gather round me, people, there's a story I would tell,
About a brave young Indian you should remember well;
From the land of the Pima Indians, a proud and noble band,
Who farmed the Phoenix Valley in Arizona land.

Down their ditches for a thousand years the waters grew Ira's people's crops,
Till the white man stole their water rights and their sparklin' water stopped.
Now Ira's folks grew hungry, and their farms grew crops of weeds.
When war came, Ira volunteered and forgot the white man's greed.

CHORUS: Call him drunken Ira Hayes --
He won't answer anymore,
Not the whiskey-drinkin' Indian,
Not the Marine who went to war.

Well, they battled up Iwo Jima hill -- two hundred and fifty men,
But only twenty-seven lived -- to walk back down again;
When the fight was over -- and Old Glory raised
Among the men who held it high was the Indian -- Ira Hayes.
Ira Hayes returned a hero -- celebrated through the land,
He was wined and speeched and honored -- everybody shook his hand;
But he was just a Pima Indian -- no water, no home, no chance;
At home nobody cared what Ira done -- and when do the Indians dance?

Then Ira started drinkin' hard -- jail was often his home;
They let him raise the flag and lower it -- as you would throw a dog a bone;
He died drunk early one morning -- alone in the land he'd fought to save;
Two inches of water in a lonely ditch -- was the grave for Ira Hayes.

CODA: Yea, call him drunken Ira Hayes,
But his land is just as dry,
And the ghost is lying thirsty
In the ditch where Ira died.

[Fiddlstix]

R.I.P
Bump

[ansel12]

He was Airborne Ranger LRRP, if you don't know about them, you should do some reading on them, it will open up a world of some of the most daring souls in American military history.

Here is a quote that is supposed to have been made by him.

"To quote a fellow named Billy Walkabout, when he was traveling after
he got out of the Army, and some people from Germany and England asked
him about how he felt about losing that war (Viet Nam). "Lose the war?
I didn't lose SHIT ! Every firefight I was in, we won. We lost at a
table in Paris. Personally, I'm glad I made Ho Chi Minh write
beaucoup letters to mamasan informing her that her son or husband was
not coming home."


In the field, Mach, we beat the crap out of the other side,
repeatedly. "No win?" My ass. We kicked the hell out of em
repeatedly, on numerous occasions. But then the politicians would
order us to do stupid shit like back off, stand down, etc. And give
the enemy months to recoup, resupply, re-arm, etc.


The war wasn't lost by our troops. The war was lost in Washington.
But stupid friggin politicians."

[Tax-chick]

God bless him. 57 is too young.

(Another Cherokee ping, stainless?)

[cubreporter]

Thank you for your serice. Rest in Peace.

[Nam Vet]

Rest in peace bro.

Nam Vet

[fieldmarshaldj]

Rest in peace, Sargeant.

[Star Traveler]

A lot of good Okies around...

[Jack Hammer]

God takes the best ones first.

[fish hawk]

Hoka hey...washte kola!!!

[Gritty]

Rest In Peace, American hero.

You are a REAL one...

[OldCorps]

Memory Eternal! for this brave soldier. Our nation has lost another great soldier. Scum like Kerry are not worthy to shine this brave man's shoes.

[sidegunner]

Sgt.Walkabout EARNED 5 silver, 5 bronze AND the DSC, in the era where O-Types(officers) routinely wrote up their buddies for a silver for an end of tour award.(defending those bar stools in the O club is nasty duty...but someone had to do it!!) Too many times medals were downgraded just because ..."he's just a Sergeant or corporal or private". With the DSC,5 silver and 5 bronze...Sgt. Walkabout should have been wearing "THE MEDAL"!! But some desk jockey in higher and higher, deemed it not suitable. Sargent Walkabout, you and your teammates know what happened..thats all that counts. Rest In Peace..your duty is done.

[Chode]

this is a sad day... Prayers Up.

i actually read this in todays Ithaca-Urnal and was shocked that they would even acknowledge his passing.

RIP.