Gregory Dean Unzicker
Staff Sergeant
D CO, 1ST BN, 12TH CAVALRY, 1ST CAV DIV, USARV
Army of the United States
St Joseph, Missouri
September 08, 1949 to July 17, 1970
GREGORY D UNZICKER is on the Wall at Panel W8, Line 24

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Gregory D Unzicker
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01 Oct 2007

On 16 July 70, D 1/12 did a combat assault into an AO. That night, while setting trips and flares, Terry Van Ochten and I spotted VC, but nobody believed us. Terry told me that he had joined the Army so he could get his service over with and then get married. During the night, VC set off two alpha-alphas that 3-6 had set on a trail. On the morning of 17 July 70, I breakfasted with Greg. He told me about his wife and that she was expecting, and he was looking forward to being with her in Hawaii on leave. We policed up the trips and flares, and upon the CO's order began humping down a trail. At 0940, we got ambushed. Greg was carrying one of the 60s and he got hit right away. In three seconds, Terry Van Ochten (Don's assistant gunner), and another kid were dead along with Robert Crichton. When I left Vietnam 27 April 71, I vowed to make good on the second chance at life that God had given me and not to these good men. I got lucky. I could never in good faith claim that I suffer from PTSD. I am glad I survived.

From an Army buddy,
Frank de la Puente
1542 Wallace Road N W #121, Salem, Or 97304
fdelapuente.esq@gmail.com


 

A Note from The Virtual Wall

The engagement described by Mr. de la Puente above is mentioned in the MACV Summary for July 1970:
"17 July 1970 - An element of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), engaged an undetermined size enemy force 11 miles N-NW of Phuoc Binh. Enemy losses are unknown while U.S. casualties were four killed and seven wounded."
The four soldiers from Delta 1/12 Cav were
  • SSG Gregory D. Unzicker, St Joseph, MO;
  • SGT Robert G. Crichton, Burlington, WY;
  • CPL Clifford P. Scholl, Macungie, PA; and
  • CPL Terry J. Van Ochten, Bay City, MI.

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