Veteran’s Day
Dad gave these to me. They’re in a display in the den:
The best thing in the house.
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
Uncle Pays the Bills
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November 11th, 2014 at 7:45 pm
Grammar error. Sorry.
November 11th, 2014 at 8:38 pm
Viet Nam?
November 11th, 2014 at 8:52 pm
Yes
November 11th, 2014 at 9:01 pm
Your dad is a badass.
November 11th, 2014 at 11:20 pm
All good, but the CIB (silver rifle on a blue field with the wreath) is the most meaningful item to me..:) Tell your dad “Thanks” for me.
November 11th, 2014 at 11:33 pm
I need to do the same for my Dad’s medals which have campaign medals ranging from the American Defense Service Medal (service pre-Pearl Harbor) to the Vietnam Service Medal.
Did your Dad have something to do with helicopters or planes given he was awarded the Air Medal?
November 12th, 2014 at 12:15 am
My Dad’s ribbons, parachute wings, glider wings, and medals are on display at my folk’s house. My Dad, a WWII vet, passed away last March but my Mom still has those displayed.
He was a Combat Engineer in the 11th Airborne Division and served in the Leyte and Luzon Campaigns in the Philippines.
November 12th, 2014 at 1:07 am
Thanks Son, I appreciate that. As for the Air Medal got that for over 100 hours of Eagle Flights. That was when a small Low flying chopper would fly at low altitudes to draw fire while we would circle around and wait until they receive fire and when that happen they would drop us in to take them out.
I got some more but the house fire in 97 took care of those, I will get replacements and give those to you later. Glad you found a place for them. Out of the 37 in my Recon Plt.only 11 of us got the opportunity to pass them to our children. Those guys are the real Heroes. 1965-1966 25th. Inf. Divison and again 1969-1970 MACV SOG.
November 12th, 2014 at 1:27 am
Birth: Dec. 9, 1946
Ernul
Craven County
North Carolina, USA
Death: Sep. 2, 1966, Vietnam
PFC Stanley Gray Toler, Vietnam Veteran, Native of Ernul, NC.
Private First Class Stanley Gray Toler was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Army, PFC Toler served our country until September 2nd, 1966 in South Vietnam. He was 19 years old and was not married. It was reported that Stanley was killed by friendly fire. His body was recovered. Stanley was born on December 9th, 1946 in Ernul, North Carolina. PFC Toler is on panel 10E, line 062 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for one year.
I was attached to the RECON Plt. as a Forward Observer. We had just made contact with VC and we shot and killed 2 of them. We had walked up on an outpost and the 2 we killed must have been going to replace the 2 on the outpost. It was over very fast. We waited because we thought the unit that they we protecting would come and engage us. After about 30-45 minutes nothing happen, I had called in some mortar fire but nothing. The Plt Sgt had called back to our HQ and they said for us to stay in place and they would drop another unit behind where we thought they were located as a blocking force and then we could move in. But we would have to spend the night there because it would be the next morning before they could get the unit in place. We had captured a rice bearer about an hour before we made contact and he said that there was a very large unit operating in that area. We were only about 35 so we waited. Stan and I went forward of our line to drag off the two bodies so that if their friends came they would not know our position. We had just dragged the second body off the trail when we came under fire, Stan was hit in the side I had to hold him because he was trying to fall back to our line but that is where the fire was coming from. I found out later one of our guys had fallen asleep and when he woke up he heard us out front and opened up. Stan was alive when we put him on the med-vac but the pilot radioed me and told me he did not make it. So he was killed by our own unit, but we had been in a fire fight that led up to his death. I have never forgotten Stan even though I had just met him and I have always felt that this was my fault because you see it was my idea to remove the bodies.
He was the son of Mr and Mrs Aubrey A Toler, Route #1, Box 166, Ernul, NC.
He served with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment. “Cacti Forever”, 25th Infantry Division, “Tropic Lightning”, USARV.
He was awarded The Combat Infantryman Badge(CIB, The Purple Heart Medal, The National Defense Service Medal, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Vietnam Campaign Medal and The Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation.
Of all the things that happen to me over there, this was the worst. I found this site that listed him as homicide and I wrote what happen. His sister contacted me about 2 years ago. She said she was glad I posted the story because his family did not know what happen. His parents were still alive at that time and she told them.Even though it was friendly fire we were in contact with the enemy so he got his Purple Heart.I don’t think of him only on Veterns Day but everyday.
November 12th, 2014 at 2:13 am
I only wish I could make contact with someone who served with my grandfather. Probably too late now. I only have very sketchy details of what happened in his month in Europe at the end of the Battle of the Bulge. I asked him about his wound once as a kid, and he told me a bit of the story. He just did not talk about his war service. Even when coaxed by me as a young boy, he was reluctant to speak of it.
Most of the WWII records burned up in a fire in the early 1970s, in St. Louis. I think he probably took a lot of his WWII experience to his grave. Maybe he would have wanted it that way, but for kin who want to know, a story like that is pure gold.
November 12th, 2014 at 10:20 am
@Dad: Thank you for the explanation and, more importantly, for your service in Vietnam.
@Sebastian: If you know your grandfather’s unit, you may want to look for some of the unit forums and pages. Age obviously is a problem. My Dad would be 95 if he were still alive.
November 12th, 2014 at 10:38 am
You can also request his records thru EVetRecs, http://www.lafbraomilitaryretireenews.org/militaryrecords.html
You have to be family but that’s understandable.
SteveA