Death of Ronnie Deatherage

[TerryC]

Ronnie has moved on to bigger and better things. Recently, while doing a search of names in my unit, I found that Deatherage died in 2009. I remember him as "Delger" but I guess my memory needs a shakedown! I couldn't search for Philly, Chief, Smiley.... everyone used a nickname. While with CAP 113, as a CAP commander, I recieved the Navy achievement medal with "Valor" device for planning and executing 300 ambushes and patrols without an American fatality. Ronnie was fearless and helped me achieve that medal, as all the dedicated Marines in CAP 113 were. Deatherage was the recipient of a Presidential unit citation, a Vietnamese presidential unit citation, the Vietnamese Cross of Galantry, and several other medals. Thanks, Ronnie, we will meet again. Semper Fi, my friend. Terry

 

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[birdman]

RIP brother .

 

[TerryC]

For those that have been in battle, FREEDOM has a taste that the protected can never know. Sgt. T. T. Cieszki, USMC

 

[Mackaydon]

Gone but not forgotten.
Welcome Home now RIP.
Don..

 

[63bkpkr]

Terry, your comments of a lost friend and soldier touched me, clicking like just was not the right hence this note. Thank you Military Personnel of all branches! Herb

 

[TerryC]

Terry, your comments of a lost friend and soldier touched me, clicking like just was not the right hence this note. Thank you Military Personnel of all branches! Herb

Herb, We lived right in the village. 7 to 12 Marines and a Corpsman. We had alot of eye-to-eye contact with charlie and some NVA outfits. It was up close and personal. That kind of combat meant everyone learned how to take care of each other. No shirkers. You literally saved each other's lives. It becomes personal when one of your own dies back then or now. I appreciate the thank you, Herb. Terry

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Sorry to hear. And good to hear about the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. I had never heard of anyone else receiving one - I did in Cambodia - LZ Spearhead with the 4th Infantry. Long ago but never forgotten.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I read a thing from the American Legion a couple years ago. There were somewhere over 2.7 million on the ground Viet vets, and as of 2005 there were only some 800,000 of us left.

Yet, in the 2010 census, there were 14 million Viet vets.... Fancy that! Everybody wants to be somebody...

 

[TerryC]

Sorry to hear. And good to hear about the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. I had never heard of anyone else receiving one - I did in Cambodia - LZ Spearhead with the 4th Infantry. Long ago but never forgotten.

Back in the '60s, the Cross of Gallantry WAS something. When the politicos fled Vietnam, the CoG was given to ALL Viet Vets.... watering it down. TTC