A Man Apart

Gerry finished his required year tour of duty July 24, 1967 but volunteered to extend during a period of the heaviest fighting which would be seen by the 1st Infantry Division during the entire war. From Oct. 1967 through Dec. 2, 1967, the date Gerry was killed, Gerry’s 1/18th Inf. Battalion turned the tables on one regimental sized enemy ambush at Da Yeu and repulsed an all-out night time regimental size assault on 1/18th night defensive position at the Battle of Loc Ninh on Nov. 30th, not to mention a number of other un-documented fire fights like the one where Gerry was killed on the 2nd of December. I was in B Co. and Gerry was in D Co. I can barely remember the names of a couple Sergeants in my own company but everybody in the entire Battalion knew Gerry Chesnut. I personally saw him in action. Simply put, he was the most fearless man that I have ever known and I have known a lot of brave men, but he was different. I can honestly say that the only way to describe him would be to say he was a man apart not only because he was fearless but also because of his kindness and consideration of the rest of us.

E-7 Gerry Chesnut 1/18th Inf. D Co. First Infantry Div.

Served in some of the heaviest combat in Vietnam War from July 24, 1966 to Dec. 2, 1967

Wayne Wade
wade@iam777.org

https://www.iam777.org/Vietnam.html