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Wayne Alan Wilcox
Sergeant
HHC, 2ND BN, 47TH INFANTRY, 9TH INF DIV, USARV Army of the United States Evansville, Indiana October 25, 1948 to February 15, 1969 WAYNE A WILCOX is on the Wall at Panel W32, Line 41 |
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Doug and I helped friends put the finishing touches on the new Scouts hootch - it had four firing slots in the outside wall and could sleep sixty men. The outside walls were used ammo boxes filled with sand and the main walls were made out of railroad ties. It was late and we were discussing naming the hootch when we started getting hit. Several mortars hit the base camp and at the same time there was a full assault on the same side as the hootch and the arty. I started to head for the Aid Station and as I was leaving the hootch it got hit with an RPG. The blast knocked me to the ground. There were tracers coming and going, and two more RPG's hit the building. When I got to the Aid Station the wounded were beginning to arrive and we got busy treating them. I could hear fighting inside the camp, the arty side was getting overrun and mortars were hitting all around the aid station. The battle went on about 35 minutes or so. After the all clear and all the wounded were treated (about 45 men) I headed back to the Scouts to find Doug and they were pouring water on their building as it was totally engulfed in fire. About half the buiding was gone and the rest is in flames. Twelve of the Scouts were wounded but everyone was accounted for except Wayne. The RPG's hit right at his bunk knocking a hole in the wall and killing him. I was worried about Doug - I finally found him, he had 1st and 2nd degree burns to his hands from pulling people out of the building and trying to get to where Wayne was. He kept saying over and over "I can't find Wayne, I can't find Wayne". I had to tell him that Wayne was lost in the battle. Doug and I were both devastated by his loss. Wayne was a decent, fun-loving guy. He was one of the first ones to me when I got hit in the field. You could count on him and he was one hell of a fighting soldier. Rest in peace, my friend. The full memorial to Wayne Wilcox is located at |
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A memorial from his friend, Doc Kerry Pardue Chandler, Az kerrypardue@hotmail.com 25 Aug 2001 |
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