1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Buddy Wright Escape and Evasion

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

Escape and Evasion

The story of SGT Buddy Wright

Company D 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

Above: Sergeant Buddy Wright after being reunited with American forces following his escape
from capture by the North Vietnamese.

Photo from the Ivy Leaf Volume 2 Number 52 - November 3, 1968

Buddy Wright was born in 1947 in Ohio. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 16, 1964, and completed basic training
at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in April 1964. Pvt Wright next attended infantry training at Fort Riley, Kansas, from April to July 1964,
followed by service as a machine gunner with Company A, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division at
Fort Riley from July 1964 to March 1965. His next assignment was as a machine gunner, team leader, and auto rifleman with
Company B and then C, 1st Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division at Baumholder, West Germany,
from March 1965 to February 1968, and then as an auto rifleman and team leader with Company D, 1st Battalion,
22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division in South Vietnam from April 1968 until he was captured and taken
as a Prisoner of War by the Viet Cong on September 22, 1968. ¹

After 6 days in captivity, SSG Wright managed to escape from his captors on September 28, 1968, and made it to American forces
on October 6, 1968. He returned to his unit for most of October 1968, and then was sent back to the United States where he was briefly
hospitalized at Fort Knox and then took leave from October 1968 to February 1969. His next assignment was as a Basic Combat
Training tester at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, from February 1969 to March 1970, followed by service as an Operations and
Training NCO with the U.S. Army Garrison at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, from April to September 1970. His final assignment was
as a Basic Combat Training tester back at Fort Leonard Wood from September 1970 until his honorable discharge
from the Army on April 2, 1971. ¹

SGT Buddy Wright was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor for his actions as a member of 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry
during the Battle of Chu Moor Mountain in April 1968. The citation for that award reads:

GENERAL ORDERS:
Headquarters, 4th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 4249 (August 1, 1968)

CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962, takes pleasure
in presenting the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" to Sergeant Buddy Wright (ASN: RA-15******), United States Army,
for heroism in connection with military operations against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Sergeant Wright
distinguished himself while serving as a Team Leader with Company D, 1st Battalion, 22IR, 4th Infantry Division. On 25 April 1968.
Sergeant Wright's company was in a defensive perimeter on Chu Moor Hill, west of Kontum City surrounded by an estimated
battalion of North Vietnamese Regulars. Sergeant Wright, a member of a sweep platoon moved forward of the perimeter to clear
an area in order to enlarge their perimeter. As the unit advanced it came under heavy sniper fire. Sergeant Wright, who was the
point man, saw that his squad leader was in trouble so he quickly made his way to his leader. He continuously exposed himself to
enemy fire, with complete disregard for his own safety, so that he could throw grenades at the attacking insurgents. His brave actions
in the face of danger were inspiring to the rest of the company and undoubtedly saved numerous lives. Sergeant Wright's personal bravery,
professional skill, and exemplary devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit
upon himself, his unit and the United States Army. ²

SGT Buddy Wright was awarded an oak leaf cluster to the Bronze Star Medal for Valor for his escape and evasion
from his captors. The citation for that award reads:

GENERAL ORDERS:
Headquarters, 4th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 5902 (November 14, 1968)

CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962, takes pleasure
in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V"
to Staff Sergeant Buddy Wright (ASN: RA-15******), United States Army, for heroism in connection with military
operations against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Staff Sergeant Wright distinguished himself
while serving as a Squad Leader with Company D, 1st Battalion, 22d Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division.
On 22 September 1968, Sergeant Wright was on a patrol near Duc Lap providing rear security for his unit
when he was captured by a small North Vietnamese unit. On the fifth night of his confinement, Sergeant Wright
was able to free himself from his bonds. As he slipped out of the North Vietnamese Camp, he stepped on a branch
which aroused the enemy guards. Hearing the enemy rifle bolts go forward, Sergeant Wright ran from the camp
and hid in the dense jungle. As the enemy searched the jungle, Sergeant Wright used his knowledge of the jungle
to avoid recapture. During the subsequent ten days, he wandered through the jungle without food or water.
Surviving through his ingenuity and ability to find food and water in the jungle, Sergeant Wright finally reached
a friendly unit. Staff Sergeant Wright's professional skill, determination and exemplary devotion to duty are in keeping
with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army. ³

The following is the section pertaining to SGT Buddy Wright's capture and escape in the Operational Report
of the 4th Infantry Division for the period ending 31 October 1968, RCS CSFOR-65 (R1):

The newspaper of the 4th Infantry Division the Ivy Leaf in the issue dated
November 3, 1968 ran a three page story on Buddy Wright's escape and evasion
with a photo of Buddy and several illustrations created especially for the article.
The photo of Buddy is at the top of this page. The following is the article:

The following is a news article from the Toledo Blade, dated October 10, 1968:

SSG Buddy Wright's decorations

¹ Veteran Tributes website

² The Hall of Valor Project website

³ Ibid.

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