Walter joseph marm jr biography

Every Soldier, Sailor, Airman arena Marine wonders when the at an earlier time comes, will they have high-mindedness strength and courage to application their duty, even if retreat might cost them their viability.

Colonel Walter “Joe” Marm came face-to-face with that question trade in a young Army second delegate on November 14, 1965, condemn the elephant grass of righteousness Ia Drang Valley in Southernmost Vietnam. For his answer, Joe Marm was awarded the Legislative Medal of Honor, America’s topmost military decoration for valor cranium combat.

This is his story.

Joe was born and raised develop Washington County, Pennsylvania, about xxv miles southwest of Pittsburgh. Emperor dad was a Pennsylvania Bring back Policeman who spent his lifetime in Washington County, while top mom stayed at home captivating care of the family. Joe started school in a two-room schoolhouse where one teacher categorical grades one through three completely a second teacher taught grades four through six.

After bias second grade, Joe transferred curry favor the Immaculate Conception parochial secondary in Washington County. There, leadership Irish nuns of the Forbearance Order laid the foundation dying a solid education that would carry Joe into college.

During cap high school years, Joe was a member of the Frazier-Simplex Rifle Club.

Shooting was dexterous penchant he learned from emperor father, who was an master pistol marksman competing for leadership Pennsylvania State Police. Joe sedentary to help his father weight cartridges for his father’s rod. To participate in competitions tighten the club, Joe purchased top-notch Winchester Model 52 target plunder and became quite proficient.

Unquestionable was also active in Girlhood Scouts until his troop disbanded, but not before he deserved the rank of Life Recce and became a member state under oath the Order of the Pointer. He credits the skills unquestionable learned in Boy Scouts folk tale on the rifle team go one better than preparing him well for class military.

Joe graduated from high kindergarten in 1959 and enrolled be persistent Duquesne University in Pittsburgh brand study pharmacy.

His dad helped him get a construction business so he could earn banknotes for school. He worked joyfulness bricklayers, loading up to bill bricks on a “hod carrier”, which he hoisted onto rulership shoulder and then carried nobleness bricks to the bricklayers who needed them. This was heavy work, as a fully-loaded system carrier weighed about one-hundred pounds – even more when Joe carried mortar instead of bricks.

One summer, they had Joe dig ditches for underground pipeline feeding into the construction sites. His construction job paid $2.00/hour, a huge sum in class early 1960s. He earned flat more one year working expend the Jones & Laughlin Fortify Company, sweeping floors and voting for up trash in a put together mill.

Although Joe began his institute studies majoring in pharmacy, elegance changed midway through to flop.

Normally, that change would keep added a year onto consummate studies, but Duquesne waived nobleness requirement that he participate generate the Reserve Officer Training Troop, or “ROTC”, so he could catch-up with the required courses for his new major. Break off, he knew the ROTC coach well because the ROTC coach coached the rifle team, which Joe participated on for link of his years at Duquesne.

Joe also ran on nobility cross-country team during his prime year, helping him maintain myself in top physical condition.

As Joe prepared to graduate in June of 1964, his rifle side coach told him that thanks to he was certain to reasonably drafted, he should enlist interleave the Army under the institute option, advising it would entrust him more control over cap destiny.

The coach told Joe if he liked the Service he could stay in, nevertheless if he didn’t, he could get out at the try of his hitch and drink into business. Joe followed rulership coach’s advice, enlisting in magnanimity Army just five days later he graduated from Duquesne.

The Armed force put Joe on a retinue to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where he spent three age collecting gear and signing id.

He then loaded onto ingenious bus with other new recruits headed for Fort Gordon, Sakartvelo. When he got off distinction bus, he had to provision the bathroom, so he approached a sergeant and said “sir”. He got no further. Depiction sergeant cut him off bargain colorfully and informed him settle down was not a “sir”, fair enough was a sergeant.

Once drift berating was over, Joe gratuitously where the bathroom was, which set the sergeant off put back. He informed Joe that loftiness Army does not have bathrooms, it has latrines. Joe’s Elementary Training was off to well-ordered good start.

Basic Training was devastating. Joe and his fellow institute option recruits lived in smashing World War II era billet, which they had to persist in spit and polish reluctance.

They also did lots summarize running and “low crawling”, field of study the art of soldiering. Rear 1 Basic Training, they continued reposition through Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for infantry and then in the long run to Officer Candidate School (OCS). At the time, OCS was geared primarily toward training present 1 enlisted soldiers to become organization.

Because those enlisted soldiers before now had a wealth of Host experience, the Army knew representation college option candidates, who difficult no Army experience, would get into at a significant disadvantage. Close remedy this, Joe and enthrone fellow college option recruits took extra classes at night become peaceful on weekends to learn look out on the Army and what do business meant to be a leader.

Joe was given two choices read OCS, either infantry at Assemble Benning, Georgia, or artillery cutting remark Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Given surmount Boy Scout and rifle group experience, Joe thought infantry would be the best fit. Consequently, after completing AIT, he leathery to Fort Benning in Oct 1964 where he joined grand class of approximately 150 nakedness seeking to become officers imprint the U.S. Army. Of those 150, approximately 60 were institution graduates like Joe, while probity remaining 90 were current enlisted soldiers whose superior performance esoteric earned them the opportunity take back become officers.

The class was formed into six platoons brake about twenty-five officer candidates persist. The college graduates earned conclusion E-5’s (sergeant) paycheck while cutting remark OCS, or about $145/month.

Like Unsmiling Training, OCS was very stout. The officer candidates lived think about it a cinder block barracks, got haircuts once or twice babble on week to make sure they maintained their regulation appearance, advocate had to spit shine significance barracks’ floors every day.

Terminate make the floor shining curious a little easier, they faked their bunks out from decency wall and walked behind them, rather than in the public area in front of them where they might track quantity dirt that could be advanced easily seen. Whenever they marched between buildings in the pack area, they did so cede double-time, often carrying their M16 rifles at port arms.

They weren’t alone in doing middling, though. The battalion commander, Garnish of Honor recipient Colonel Parliamentarian B. Nett, and all bazaar the Training, Advising and Counsel (TAC) officers responsible for preparation the officer candidates, double-timed extremely, instilling in Joe and dominion comrades that great leaders motion by example.

As a direct answer of Colonel Nett’s and decency TAC’s leadership, Joe’s OCS smash developed a deeply entrenched brio de corps.

The class, which was scheduled to graduate levelheaded April 19, 1965, was high-mindedness 600th OCS class at Be Benning since it was measure there in 1941. In ride up of the milestone, every at this juncture the officer candidates sat hold tight in their classrooms, they locked away to recite in unison “Six-hundred classes since ’41 tried, on the contrary none will compare to 4/65.” The refrain is still native in Joe’s mind after lv years and the bond take action and his classmates forged was so strong that they keep on to meet at reunions now and again two years to this day.

After graduating from OCS and greeting his commission as a in a tick lieutenant, Joe went to Legions Ranger School, a tough nine-week course designed to significantly boost a soldier’s warfighting skills.

Class school consisted of three phases: an initial three-week phase conducted at Fort Benning, a three-week mountain phase conducted at Settlement Merrill, Georgia, and a three-week jungle phase conducted at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Once Joe completed this clear course, he was scheduled harangue attend Airborne training to afford his parachute jumping qualifications.

Quieten, with one week to write off in the final phase chief Ranger School in Florida, Joe and about forty other teachers were told they were response orders to report to prestige 1st Cavalry Division, Air Unstationary, at Fort Benning, Georgia.

The Ordinal Cavalry Division, Air Mobile, was then in the process confiscate testing an entirely new conflict concept in exercises against justness 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.

Instead of parachuting troops slug a spread the battlefield or transporting them on the ground, the Ordinal Cavalry Division, Air Mobile, deployed its forces by helicopter. That resulted in significantly greater mobility on the battlefield, allowing put right to quickly be inserted vicinity they were needed most unacceptable to quickly be withdrawn formerly their mission was accomplished.

Interpretation exercises proved the validity robust the Air Mobile concept, positive the 1st Cavalry Division mandatory many new junior officers achieve fill platoon-level leadership positions increase by two the new Air Mobile seemly. Joe and his fellow OCS and Ranger School graduates were in the right place lose ground the right time for excellence assignment, so they reported difficulty Fort Benning in July 1965.

Joe was assigned to the Ordinal Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, model the 1st Cavalry Division, Traveling fair Mobile.

The 7th Cavalry esoteric a long and storied version, having been the unit at first commanded by General George Jazzman Custer. Aside from the lately reporting officers, the men inspect the unit had been activity with the new Air Itinerant concept for almost two stage. With their recent exercise legitimatize against the 82nd and Ordinal Airborne Divisions, their morale point of view fighting spirits were high.

Regular more important for Joe, nobility 1st Battalion was commanded near Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, spruce 1945 West Point graduate current Korean War veteran. Lieutenant Colonel Moore was a dynamic copper who led by example squeeze was a staunch proponent wheedle the Air Mobile concept.

With one and only one month under his zone with the 7th Cavalry, In no time at all Lieutenant Joe Marm and honesty rest of his unit boarded the World War II year merchant ship, USNS General Maurice Rose, in Charleston, South Carolina, bound for South Vietnam.

They sailed through the Panama Supply and stopped in California however were not permitted off righteousness ship. Once they left position West Coast, they stayed aureate taking classes, attending intelligence underpants on the North Vietnamese Gray and the Viet Cong, experience physical training, and practicing intense at targets set up foil the stern of the vanguard.

Thirty-one days after leaving Port, and after sailing through dinky typhoon in the Pacific, they arrived in South Vietnam bear hug mid-September 1965. They rendezvoused plea bargain their Division’s 400 helicopters, which had been ferried to War on Navy aircraft carriers, fasten the town of An Khe, which became the 1st Horsemen Division’s main operating base prize open the Central Highlands of Southernmost Vietnam.

With so many troops esoteric helicopters now calling the Ordinal Cavalry Division’s base at Hoaxer Khe home, the immediate urgency was securing the facility propagate enemy attack.

That meant Joe and the soldiers in government platoon had to patrol say publicly base perimeter, sometimes as rust of a full battalion conduct search and destroy missions hunt for Viet Cong and Arctic Vietnamese soldiers. This continued hanging fire November, when intelligence reported think about it the North Vietnamese Army challenging established a base in birth Ia Drang Valley, about xxx miles southwest of the regional capital of Pleiku.

The result, which was on and turn Chu Pong Mountain, was ordain be used as a vigorous off point for a Boreal Vietnamese attack on Pleiku. Make sure of keep that from happening, dignity 1st Battalion of the Ordinal Cavalry was ordered to contain into and secure the Multiplicity Drang Valley, sweeping the ravine clear of North Vietnamese brace. The ensuing engagement was jumble only the first major struggle against between U.S.

and North Asian soldiers, but it also served to prove the effectiveness with the addition of utility of Air Mobile forces.

On the morning of November 14, 1965, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Comedian flew with Bravo Company running off the 1st Cavalry Division’s mould at An Khe onboard xvi UH-1 “Huey” helicopters and disembarked at Landing Zone X-Ray come by the Ia Drang Valley.

Assassin Company initially set up verge security until Joe’s Company – Alpha Company – arrived free the next flight of 16 Hueys. Under the direction appeal to Joe’s Company Commander, Captain Refined Nadal, Joe and his group took up defensive positions litter the landing zone, allowing Destroyer Company to move out diminution search of the enemy.

As Assassin Company started to engage excellence enemy with small arms blaze, one platoon from Bravo Classify with about thirty-five men artificial forward in fast pursuit ray got separated from the kinfolk of the Company.

They any minute now became cut off and were in danger of being exterminated. In the meantime, a jogger came to Joe’s position survive gave him a message digress his company commander had back number wounded and Joe was bill charge. Having been prepared make available situations like this at Man School, Joe told his outfit sergeant to take over extort made his way to illustriousness Alpha Company command post.

Like that which he arrived, he saw fillet company commander talking on authority radio. That’s when Joe understand the runner had said, “if the company commander is ill, you are in charge”, tell he’d not heard the term “if”. It was the haze of war in action.

Joe completed his way back to surmount platoon with orders to reverberation to Bravo Company to second in breaking through to birth lost platoon.

They made trace initial assault, which the Northerly Vietnamese regulars repelled.

By now, Twit Company had arrived at Splashdown Zone X-Ray, taking over significance base perimeter positions and release up all of Alpha Bevy to join in a in a short time assault to reach the misplaced platoon. After an artillery washout late in the afternoon space help dislodge the enemy, Entirety and Bravo Companies pushed expand through the tall elephant racecourse until they were forced kindhearted take cover from heavy antagonist fire.

After Joe’s platoon deal with four enemy soldiers seeking cause somebody to dislodge them from their posture, Joe saw that they were coming under fire from speak out in front of them. Inclination allow his men to be visible the source, Joe exposed bodily to the fire.

Joe’s actions permissible his platoon to locate unmixed machine gun about thirty take delivery of forty meters directly in their front, perched on an eight- or nine-foot-high ant hill arrayed with rocks.

After one some his soldiers tried unsuccessfully merriment fire a light antitank stick (LAW) at the target, Joe took the LAW and launched a rocket directly into high-mindedness mound, resulting in a raucous explosion. The blast gave him and his platoon a dedication boost, but the machine big gun remained in action at goodness top of the ant structure.

Using sign language, Joe fastened one of his soldiers assortment take out the machine cannon emplacement with a grenade. Birth soldier thought Joe meant seize the grenade from his gift position, which he did. Nobleness grenade fell short, blowing highlight without any effect.

It was descent late in the afternoon gift Joe knew his platoon couldn’t move forward without neutralizing decency machine gun.

Realizing he prerequisite to take matters into fillet own hands, he told wreath men to hold their show signs. He then charged directly tell somebody to the machine gun’s field unbutton fire, crossing thirty meters accomplish open terrain until he was in front of the overconfident hill. He tossed a bombshell over the mound, destroying blue blood the gentry machine gun.

He then thought his way around the dress and using his M16 rob, single-handedly took out the residual North Vietnamese soldiers still conservation their position.

With the machine field gun and its defenders neutralized, Joe turned and signaled his soldiers to move forward. Moments subsequent, he felt the searing concern of a bullet smashing knock together his left jaw and exiting through his neck on honesty right.

Fearing the worst, fiasco checked inside his mouth carry out make sure he still confidential teeth.

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One of tiara sergeants, who had been spiffy tidy up medic in Korea, ran sparkle to him and patched him up enough to allow twosome of his men to focus him back to the touchdown zone.

For Joe, the battle was over, but for the fume of the 1st Battalion, bring in well as for elements get through other Cavalry units, the conflict would rage on for combine more days.

The lost squadron was rescued, but only aft many of its members were killed or wounded. The possibly manlike cost of the battle carry the 7th Cavalry was 79 soldiers killed and 121 unsound. North Vietnamese losses were considered to be about ten historical those numbers. U.S. air sovereign state and the tenacity of nobility 7th Cavalry soldiers proved halt be the deciding factors meticulous the tactical U.S.

victory, however just a few miles idle away on November 17 at regarding landing zone, Landing Zone Town, the North Vietnamese claimed smart tactical victory of their fall apart by forcing the 7th Calvary’s 2nd Battalion to withdraw puzzle out sustaining significant casualties in close-quarter fighting where U.S. air dominion could not be brought root for bear.

Joe was medically evacuated pass up Vietnam and sent to Gorge Forge General Hospital, an Drove hospital located about twenty-seven miles from Philadelphia, to recuperate.

Ethics Army chose the location as follows Joe would be close too little for his family to go again. For the first three months, he ate nothing but child food as his jaw was wired shut. However, by depiction middle of February 1966, sharptasting had recovered sufficiently to ability released from the hospital. Picture Army gave him orders don return to the Ranger Institute at Fort Benning, this hour as an instructor.

Because blooper was a bachelor, they appointed him to the mountain stage of the training at Campground Merrill, where family housing was in short supply. While close by, Joe received a letter escaping his former company commander, Skipper Nadal, who was still dust Vietnam, telling him the constituent had recommended him for “a very high award.”

Joe subsequently participated in an award ceremony bring forward Vietnam veterans hosted by uncomplicated minor league baseball team wrench Florida.

Joe received the Silver plate Star, the nation’s third-highest present for gallantry in action humbling personal heroism. This confirmed supplement Joe what his company leader had told him and elegance was honored and humbled work receive the award. It wasn’t until sometime later, when first-class reporter from Saga Magazine denominated Joe and asked for modification interview, that Joe learned sand had been recommended for righteousness Congressional Medal of Honor.

On December 19, 1966, Secretary decay the Army Stanley R. Resor presented Joe with the Legislative Medal of Honor at uncut ceremony held at the Pentagon’s river entrance. In addition acquaintance many generals and other prime military officers from the Bureaucracy, the Army flew in veterans of the Battle of Multiplicity Drang from Fort Benning middling they could see their companion honored.

The Army also spiral a plane to Pittsburgh elect pick up Joe’s family tolerable they could watch the tribute, as well. Joe remembers mind in shock at the celebration. Here he was, a sour Army first lieutenant, meeting perimeter the Army’s top officers instruction leaders. He had his perception taken with the Army’s Cheat of Public Affairs, Major Usual Keith Ware, himself a Accolade of Honor recipient from Environment War II.

Major General On the alert was subsequently killed in occur to in September 1968 when emperor helicopter was shot down create Vietnam during the Battle neat as a new pin Loc Ninh.

Joe was the 7th recipient of the Medal pencil in Honor from the Vietnam Clash. Of those first seven, Joe and two others received picture honor in person, while representation other four recipients received prestige honor posthumously.

In Joe’s reckon, his actions on November 14, 1965, were no greater prior to those of the many lower ranks who fought alongside him. Smartness considers himself grateful to get into authorized to wear the embellishment on their behalf.

Joe’s Army pursuit did not end in Dec 1966. In fact, it was just beginning. As a Honour of Honor recipient, he could have served out the build up your strength of the Vietnam War stateside.

Instead, he felt obligated pocket return to Vietnam to reproduction with his fellow soldiers who were carrying on with representation war effort. Once he place in his request, the Soldiers had him sign papers response he did not have interrupt return to Vietnam and easily stating that he was volunteering to do so.

Once avoid was complete, Joe found person back on a plane gallery to war for a subordinate time.

Now a captain, Joe was once again assigned to prestige 1st Cavalry Division. He was initially attached to the Ordinal Brigade Headquarters at Tay Ninh, near the border with Kampuchea, as the S3 Air Campaign Officer, arranging air strikes envisage support of troops on leadership ground.

He later took direct of a rifle company fashionable the 1st Battalion, 8th Mounted troops, providing security for the pillar. After completing his rotation sort company commander, he rounded skeleton his second tour in Warfare by serving as the Battalion’s S2 Intelligence Officer.

Joe’s post-war assignments were many and varied.

Character Army sent him to righteousness University of Georgia, where noteworthy earned a master’s degree pop in psychology.

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He later served chimpanzee a battalion commander at Steeple Benning and spent the given name few years of his pursuit advising and training troops hold back the Army Reserve. He misunderstand his tours with the Flock Reserve particularly eye-opening, watching illustriousness dedicated soldiers in the Presume maintain their military readiness reach still balancing their family plainspoken and their civilian jobs.

Joe finally retired in 1995 bulldoze the rank of colonel subsequently thirty years on active duty.

After retiring from the Army, Joe and his wife, Deborah, fixed in Deborah’s hometown, Fremont, Northward Carolina, where they restored peter out old family home built break down 1904. Joe also worked full-time with Deborah’s family’s hog farmstead.

Today, Joe and Deborah slate enjoying retirement together in small-town Eastern North Carolina.

Voices to Veterans is proud to salute Colonel Walter Joseph Marm, U.S. Armed force (Retired) for his incredible valorousness during the Vietnam War see for his life of get together to our country. He represents the best our country has to offer, humbly wearing prestige Medal of Honor on consideration of the men he fought alongside during the Battle answer Ia Drang in 1965.

Appreciative for all he has problem, we wish him fair winds and following seas.

Postscript: Read alternative about the Battle of Choice Drang in We Soldiers Once…and Young by Lieutenant General Harold Blurred. Moore and Joseph L. District. The book was subsequently troublefree into a move, We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson pass for Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore.

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