James Willard F Schellin
Specialist Five
147TH ASHC, 307TH AVN BN, 164TH AVN GROUP, 1ST AVIATION BDE, USARV
Army of the United States
Sumter, South Carolina
June 14, 1948 to November 15, 1970
JAMES W F SCHELLIN is on the Wall at Panel W6, Line 63

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Veterans' Day 2003

The newspaper said,

"He was stationed at Can Tho, Vietnam, with the U. S. Army 147th Aviation Company (ASH) at the time of his death. Spec. 5 James W. F. Schellin, 22, died (on a Sunday) in the U.S. Army Hospital, Long Binh, Vietnam after a brief illness."

I don't know exactly when Jimmy died. Grandma sent me the clipping from the Sumter Daily Item minus the date of publication. I think I was slogging through my plebe year at the Citadel or shortly thereafter.

Jimmy and I used to race our old cars around the football stadium. He had a '50 Mercury and I had a '57 Ford. He usually won, but it was more his nerve over mine than horsepower. He had a bad habit of finding me napping at a traffic light and "nudging" the back of my car hard enough to loosen my teeth. I did find time to return the favor. In nice weather, he would ride his Pan Head Harley around town wearing a Prussian officer's helmet and a black leather jacket. He was a jovial, irreverent rogue. I considered it a great honor to be his friend, especially when I would hear the church ladies talking about him. He was incredibly bright, but either the best student in class or the worst, never in between. He was one of a very few that I called friend.

Rick Brice
rickbrice@yahoo.com


 
31 Jan 2005

Jim was a friend of mine during training at Fort Eustis and in Vietnam while in the 147th ASHC (the "Hillclimbers"). I had just rotated back to Can Tho as a Civilian Helicopter Mechanic in January 1971 and learned of his passing. I remember his stories of racing his motorcycle around the south.

You are missed, Jim!

From a friend,
Sp5 Melvin A. Miller 69-70
arctic_para@yahoo.com


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