WILLIAM EDWARD WEST

HHC 1/22 Infantry

4th Infantry Division

KIA 02/05/1968

Age: 23
Race: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Date of Birth Sep 23, 1944
From: EAST GRANBY, CT
Religion: ROMAN CATHOLIC
Marital Status: Single

1LT - O2 - Army - Reserve
MOS: 1542: Infantry Unit Commander
Length of service 2 years
His tour began on Mar 4, 1967
Casualty was on Feb 5, 1968
In TUYEN DUC, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE
Body was recovered

Panel 37E - Line 46

William E. West had begun his tour of duty in Vietnam on March 4, 1967. He had served as a Platoon Leader
in Company C 1/22 Infantry in Vietnam and at the time of his death was assigned to Headquarters Company
of 1/22 Infantry and detached on temporary duty to Military Assistance Command Vietnam. He had been promoted
to 1st Lieutenant on July 1, 1966.

William "Bill" West was killed in action during the fighting in the city of Ðà Lat, Tet Offensive 1968,
while on TDY from 1/22 Infantry to the MACV Advisory Team ( MAT 34 ) at Ðà Lat, in Lâm Ðong Province.
He had loaded a jeep with badly needed ammunition for a South Vietnamese Civilian Irregular Defense Force
Company which had been engaged in a four-hour fight with the Viet Cong, and was driving that jeep
to the CIDG Company's position, when he was struck by sniper fire.

A South Vietnamese soldier was with LT West at the time of his death. Captain Rong Van Nguyen of the South Vietnamese
Special Forces, was in the jeep driven by Bill West, and, when Bill was hit, Captain Nguyen braved enemy fire to evacuate him
to medical care, and remained with Bill until he died. Captain Nguyen continued to fight for his country's freedom, and rose in rank to
Lieutenant Colonel. After the fall of the Republic of Vietnam LTC Nguyen was imprisoned by the communists for six years.
He eventually escaped communist Vietnam, and made his way to the United States, where he became John Ronald van Nguyen,
United States citizen. LTC Nguyen wrote the following tribute to his friend and fellow warrior 1st LT Bill West:

The Brave and Young AmericansAs told by Lt. Colonel Rong Van Nguyen
ARVN, LLDB Army of the Republic of Viet NamSpecial Forces

The morning of February 5, 1968, I was sitting in my home eating breakfast when there come a loud pounding at my front door.
There stood my friend and partner Bill. His voice was loud and determined in his words echoing to Heaven, "Hurry! We have to go now!
They are being attacked and they need more ammunition to defend themselves! They are defenseless! They are being murdered
by the Viet Cong! They are being killed off one by one! They need help Now!" I rushed out the door to get in Bill's jeep
and saw the back of the jeep was filled with ammunition for those in need for their own self-defense. We heard gunfire in the
far distance so we decided to go by way of a back road which we felt would be safer. Here I was side by side this honorable
young American taking ammunition to help others defend themselves from the communist aggressive, murderous attacks
on homes and country. It was not Bill's home or his country, but here he was taking ammunition to those in need
when we could have turned his back and walked away from people just trying to defend themselves.

Bill was scheduled to return to his own home and country in a matter of weeks. And yet, he cared about others
he did not even know but who were defenseless and being murdered by the communists. We drove at a rapid speed
with the countryside whizzing by. And then, but suddenly, from no where but the very bowels of Hell itself came one loud shot
to a defenseless young man. The coward shooter was a sniper too afraid to fight a fair fight in the open but instead hid in the
darkness of his deeds and targeted a white American simply because he was a white American. My friend took a direct shot
to his chest, his heart of gold, and with that fatal blow he slammed on the brakes as if to signal the pain of his life being sacrificed.
I grabbed hold of the steering wheel and raced Bill back to the American infirmary in Dalat. The gunfire began to increase
in intensity and closeness but it was like it just didn't matter because my young friend lay bleeding to death beside me.

Yet he is still breathing! Maybe there will be hope for such a good soul to be granted more time to fulfill his life of dreams ahead.
I arrived at the infirmary and medics ran out with a stretcher. I followed close behind to stay with my friend. The doctor said,
"We will try to save him!" They moved Bill into a room and I remained with him watching everything they did to and for my friend.
I was as close as they allowed me to be. I know in my soul that Bill knew I was with him and would remain. Yet he now belonged
to them, to his own, to the Americans. He was one of their own. I was the intruder. I was the outsider. I was part of the people
who murdered this young life full of so much goodness. The doctor walked over to me. "He is gone." I felt so ashamed of my country.
I felt an emptiness within me and I wept inside for the total waste of this good person for the world. An American sergeant
drove me home. No words were spoken. Why did the rich American businessmen sacrifice their own young? We wanted,
we needed to fight our own war! I sat in my house for the next two days and heard gunfire close and all around and did nothing!
Good bye my honorable friend who taught me how to laugh. Good bye my kind friend who showed me how to care for
other people for no other reason than caring to help. I just sat at home and wished that Bill could have returned to his own home
to live out his rightful days. This world is far less without him and the other young Americans of his type who were slaughtered in my country.

These brave young Americans were spit upon in their life and in their death by many of their own countrymen who cheered on
for their deaths with carrying communist flags of support and cheers for the communist killers. They claimed freedom
for themselves while casting us into the tyranny of communism. I see no honor in their souls. How the brave young Americans
endured all this and why they did, I do not know. But one thing I do know is that what happened to them can never be allowed
to happen again upon this earth. They were so all alone with their own internal strength not to be found again among the living.
This world will not look upon the likes of their greatness again as none will be found again because they were left to endure
so much, in so many different ways, and by so many different people. They were left so all alone and yet remained so very,
very young and so very, very brave.......HE IS GONE!! Shame on the United States of America for what they did to their own young,
and what they allowed to happen to them. Shame! Shame! Shame!

The above testimonial by LTC Nguyen was graciously shared with the 1st Battalion website
through the auspices of Linda Moellinger and Lieutenant Colonel John Ronald van Nguyen.
The 1st Battalion website is grateful to them for their honoring of this American hero.

On February 5, 2015 Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen added the following update to his tribute to
1st Lieuenant William West:

IN REMEMBRANCE OF A PEACEMAKER SOLDIER

Posted on 2/14/15 - by Lt. Colonel Rong van Nguyen, ARVN, LLDB, SPECIAL FORCES

February 5, 2015

With the passing of the American season of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's and the beginning of my birth land country's
season of Tet which means New Year, I remember a time of war in my birth land country of The Republic of Viet Nam,
and I remember a peacemaker soldier from the United States of America known as Bill. I remember at Thanksgiving there was
an American Sergeant who stood guard over the prepared turkey dinner. The cooked turkey was placed on display in the American
dining room and he stood guard very diligently. It was a tradition to invite the officers of The Republic of Viet Nam military
to share the dinner with the American advisers from each unit . I remember seeing some of my soldiers peering in, looking at the turkey
and saying, " The Americans have very big chickens! " I and twenty-five other officers were invited to join the Americans for
Thanksgiving dinner. The American Sergeant made sure the turkey would be there and not be stolen. In reciprocation we invited
the American officers for a meal during Tet, our New Year celebration. The menu on our part was pork stew with fish sauce,
pickled cabbage, sweet potatoes, okra, onions, hot peppers, boiled white rice, fresh fruit, bean cakes, and tea. The American officers
were respectful and accepted the meal with politeness. I remember at Christmas seeing American, green, plastic Christmas trees
with decorations. Most of all I remember the American observation airplane which flew overhead at a low level and at a low speed
and played through a loud speaker the song " Silent Night " for all to hear.

I remember our Tet of 1968 when the Communist Vietnamese broke their promise to allow for a moment of peace on earth
and instead set about on a murderous rampage with lies and deceit. And I remember meeting Bill who would meet his final destiny
at that time of year from their evil ways of no honor, no respect, no integrity and the ill-will violence of the Viet tribe. The first time
I met Bill was when the American officers and The Army of The Republic of Viet Nam officers were in a room and as our name
was called we each stepped forward to meet our counterpart. My name was called and then the name Lieutenant William West
was called. We both greeted each other with the customary salute and then on his own part , Bill extended his hand in friendship
to me. I remember when I first saw him I thought how very, very young he looked. Yet I was impressed with this young man's
sincerity and respect for my country. He asked me about my country and I provided him with a quick history known only by one
who lives the history others presume to write about. I explained to him that my country had always been a different country
from the Viet tribe country to the north. We were never , ever joined to the land of the Viet tribe of people to the north of us
which was actually southern China and was now commonly called North Vietnam.

What a mistake it had been to call us South Vietnam because we have always been a different country and a different ethnic group
from the southern Chinese viet tribe of people. My ancestors migrated by way of the China Sea from an area along the coastal side
of China and came by sail to settle the Marshland area , my birth land country . I think back now and I wonder why we ever bowed
to the threats from the Communists to have us called South Vietnam which implied we were a part of the north Viet tribe which
was actually southern China from their beginning. Between the Chinese viet tribe and my Marshland Country had been a country
called The Kingdom of Champa which was a country of people with ancestry from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and India.

There was a very strong India influence and presence there. They were a buffer country for us from the Chinese viet tribe.
The people of Champa were cruelly slaughtered by the viet tribe and wiped from the face of the earth. Champa fought valiantly
to preserve their country and people but in the end , the viet tribe proved to be too vicious and violent for a more civilized people
to withstand. Throughout history, Champa and my Marshland Country each had our own Emperors who paid money to China
in hopes of appeasement for survival. I told Bill my country should have had a different flag, our own name of country, and
international respect as an independent nation. We were now fighting the southern Chinese viet people to remain free in spirit,
identity, and remain free in country. I then asked Bill, " Why did you come here "? Without hesitancy he replied , " Because
my country asked me ". And then added , " My country asked us to help your country remain free ". We again shook hands
in friendship and decided to go drink a beer together. I liked this young American . I respected this American and I called him my friend.

Now , so very many years later I realize that the country of China did in fact claim Champa and my Marshland Country
for their own and is now actually all southern China in truth. I also remember back many years ago when the young American
Lieutenant William Edward West was giving instructions to my soldiers, about fifty soldiers from The Army of The Republic
of Viet Nam on how to use the American gun for self-defense of our country. We were outside and Bill and I stood in front
of the group. I was a Captain at that time and Bill was a First Lieutenant . A translator was also in front of the group because
even though I spoke English , I did not do the translating since I was the Commanding Officer. I remember during the break time
of this training session , Bill saw a young boy with a cow and Bill decided to make friends with this boy and asked to ride the cow.
I took his picture. The boy was smiling and I looked at my men as they watched this American officer make friends with a poor,
young boy. I remember seeing the smiles of peace and goodwill on the faces of these fifty soldiers and it was as if we were all
of one accord. So this young American commanded the attention of my fifty soldiers with good laughter and goodwill and
won their friendship and respect for who he was as a person and he who respected us in return. I salute him and say to his Memory,
"Sir , well done. SIR well done, SIR ".

William West in Vietnam

Photo by Linda Moellinger from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund website

A peacemaker soldier who won a war with peace and goodwill on earth, and yet who
would fight with vigor and strength the unjust when needed. Indeed, he was a very special person. I remember that fateful day
of the Tet , February 5, 1968, when Bill spoke his last words on this earth during his Mercy Mission to supply arms for
self-defense to my people who were being murdered by the Viet tribe. I remember his bravery and gallantry when he spoke
so eloquently his last words, "I have been shot ", in an elegance of tribute to bravery in death while placing his hand on his chest
and with the pain of dying slamming on the brakes of the Jeep he was driving. He was a very special being as if he came from
a higher realm from all of us. He loved life on this earth and found goodness, happiness, and laughter in the midst of war
and shared it with us all. And he also showed us his strength of will and the courage to fight for righteousness . He now reigns
in Heaven with the good of heart and soul and looks down upon us of war. I remember Bill and wait for the day that people
will learn the lessons this peacemaker soldier left behind to teach us all. I wait for the day when people will love this earth,
live this life with joy and goodness to bring Heaven to Earth to meet as one as this Peacemaker soldier taught us.

Yes, I remember a peacemaker soldier from the United States of America who transcended above war and left behind
a legacy we fail to achieve. And I remember a Christian Bible passage which describes Bill. " Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS
for they are known as the children of God ".

- See more at: http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/55381/WILLIAM-E-WEST#sthash.g4f4z80A.dpuf

1st Lieutenant William E. West's decorations

William is also eligible to receive
the Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medal
from the State of Connecticut

The return address of a letter written from Vietnam by Bill West.
This is his address when he was with Company C 1/22 Infantry.

The return address of a letter written from Vietnam by Bill West.
This is his address when he was with MACV Advisory Team 34 in Ðà Lat.

Below are several surrender leaflets which were included in letters Bill West sent from Vietnam.

Below is a newspaper article announcing the death of 1st Lieutenant William West:

Birth: Sep. 23, 1944
East Granby
Hartford County
Connecticut, USA

Burial:
Saint Bernard Cemetery
Simsbury
Hartford County
Connecticut, USA

Grave marker for William Edward West

Photo by James Moore from the Find A Grave website

For tributes to William E. West click on the following links:

Together We Served

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

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