William Ray Broad

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class
M CO, 3RD BN, 7TH MARINES, 1ST MARDIV
United States Navy
02 January 1942 - 28 January 1967
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Panel 14E Line 090

1ST MARDIV

7TH MARINES
Silver Star

Fleet Marine Force Corpsman

Purple Heart, Navy Good Conduct, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for William Ray Broad

27 May 2003

To my brothers in arms, and especially my friends HN Joe F. Kelley , HM3 William Broad, and Cpl Bobbie Ratliff . I think of you all even though it has been 38 years. I remember seeing Joe and Bill in body bags on that fateful day on Operation DeSoto, my heart went numb and has been so since that day. Only the death of Mills Miller created a greater void in my life. I was in the Philippines when I read of the death of Bobbie, and again I wondered why I made it out alive. I wish you all were here with me, to laugh and retell the stories of by-gone days. I will join you someday, keep a rubber lady on a cot for me...

Doc Riddle
condoc@hctc.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

Mike Company, 3/7 Marines, lost six men on 28 Jan 1967:
  • SSgt Fred L. Pedersen, Azusa, CA
  • Sgt Russell M. Wagner, Vallejo, CA
  • HM3 William R. Broad, Tulsa, OK (Silver Star)
  • CPL Jackya K. Grant, Chicago, IL
  • CPL Pedro A. Swenson, Willow Grove, PA
  • HN Joe F. Kelley, Applegate, CA
The two Corpsmen, HM3 Broad and HN Kelley, were formally assigned to H&S Company, 3/7, but were in the field with Mike Company. Petty Officer Broad received the Silver Star, America's third highest award for valor in combat, for the actions which led to his death.

Fleet Marine Force Corpsman

"You guys are the Marine's doctors -
There's none better in the business than a Navy Corpsman ..."
-- Lieutenant General "Chesty" Puller --

Visit John Dennison's
Medics on the Wall
memorial which honors the
Army Medics and Navy Corpsmen who died in Vietnam.



The point-of-contact for this memorial is
a fellow Corpsman,
"Doc" Riddle
condoc@hctc.com 
02 Jun 2003



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Channing Prothro, former CAP Marine
Last updated 05/05/2004