Armored Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 27, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, February 21, 1969 Page: 13 of 20
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Thursday February 201969
A year ago the Communists
were launching their largest of
fense of the Vietnam war and
1st Lt Lawrence Wyatt of La
Vernia Tex. was earning his
first Silver Star Medal.
Wyatt now company
commander of Old Ironsides'
Hq. Co. 2nd Bn. 46th Inf. was
then a platoon leader in the
1st Sqdn. 12th Cav. 1st Cav.
Div. (Airmobile).
The Communists had used the
cover of a truce to seize a
line of villages leading into the
city of Quang Tri and were
using them as a supply route
for the movement of men and
equipment into the city.
The cavalrymen made a
helicopter combat assault near
the villages and came under
immediate enemy fire. Air
strikes saturated the Red held
positions and the Americans
began to sweep into the village
complexes.
Enemy mortar barrages and
automatic weapons fire slowed
the allied advance and scattered
the advancing forces.
Wyatt pulled his platoon back
to reorganize for another of
fensive thrust. While regrouping
his men and evacuating his
wounded to the rear Wyatt and
six companions were surrounded
by a platoon of North Viet
namese Regulars (NVA).
Four of the men had been
wounded earlier in the battle
and were unable to fight the
advancing Communist forces.
Wyatt and the two non-wound
ed riflemen delivered a volume
of fire into the enemy ranks
slowing their advance. Empty
magazines began to clutter their
a a
be an to a he re
Americans continued to level
conservative yet accurate fire
at the figures darting from
Most soldiers think of their
Army-issue boots as bulky
heavy objects in constant need
of polish.
Sp4 Richard G. Finney
Nashville Tenn. 1st Armd. Div.
Hq. Co. knows mone about
Army boots than most of the
thousands of men who wear
them every day because he
helped design them as a
civilian.
Finney was helping the Army
stay on its feet long before he
was called into active duty.
He was a shoe designer for
he or
designs and produces military
footgear. He worked in the
military research section which
was responsible for putting a
steel plate into the sole of
the jungle boots used in Viet
nam.
"Each Army boot is the end
result of a great deal of plan
ning and a long progression of
a a
performing their particular
specialty on a few pieces of
raw material" he said.
An Army boot begins as an
idea in the head of a shoe
designer (pattern engineer). The
designer makes sketches of his
idea.
The rough drawings are con
verted into detailed actual-size
diagrams of all views of the
proposed boot including an
ray view called a shell.
Complete detailed in
formation such as type of
leather recommended .stitches
per inch rows of thread and
number of eyelets are shown
on the drawings.
The designer must know what
will probably sell as well as
what will hold up best for the
Lieutenant Awarded Two
Silver Stars For Viet Action
building to building still ad
an in an in
cavalrymen.
But the rest of Wyatt's men
had not forgotten him and M-16s
began to clatter in the dusk
and the crack of AK-47's began
to decrease and fade in the
darkness. Wyatt's men had
reached the small perimeter un
der seige and the seven men
were rescued.
Wyatt and his two comrades
had held off a platoon of NVA
for 45 minutes and had saved
the lives of the four wounded
men. For his heroism in that
fight Wyatt later received the
Silver Star.
In more heavy fighting less
than a month later Wyatt's
small platoon was again hurled
into a savage battle while on
a sweep of a village northeast
of Quang Tri.
The Americans were fighting
house to house routing harden
ed NVA forces when an
American soldier was hit by
enemy rifle fire. The other men
spread out and Wyatt went to
1ST LT. WYATT
Thank Sp4 Finney
For Sole Power
job required of the boot.
Once the drawings are ac
cepted by the company
management and the future
us to he a a
begins.
Die lay-out diagrams of each
piece of the boot are made.
The paper lay-outs are cut out
of the proper leather. The pieces
are put together on heavy sew
ing machines. Each step is
performed by a skilled expert
in that particular job.
The assembled patterns are
soaked in hot solutions called
mulling. Another worker takes
the damp sections and pulls
them over a wooden foot-form
called a last.
The last is heated to 150 cr
more degrees for several hours
The leather shrinks and dries
to the proper shape. The wooden
insert is removed and the sole
and heel are attached.
The boot is trimmed and
polished by another specliaist
Still another specialist wraps
and boxes a pair of finished
boots.
Finney is still drawing but
not boots. He is head draftsman
for the 1st Armd. Div. G-3
training section.
GOLD FIND MARKED
Gen. George A. Custer was in
directly responsible for the first
documented discovery of gold in
South Dakota now the nation's
third most important gold-prod
ucing state. Two miners at
tached to an expedition led by
Custer found gold in gravel bars
in the Black Hills touching off a
series of claims throughout the
area.
Colds?
CORICIDIN*
(of course)
It's that time again. When congested colds strike be ready
with CORICIDIN 'D' cold tablets. Contains a decongestant to
clear stuffy noses and make breathing easier...antihistamine to
stop runny nbses....and aspirin to reduce the aches pains and
fever of a cold.
Keep CORICIDIN MEDILETS® Tablets on band- for a
Child's cold. In anew safety package. At your exchange service.
CORICIDIN and CORtCIDIN MEDILETS
artSehtfhg
Corporation trademarks for its cold relief preparation.
the aid of the fallen soldier.
As he went around the
wreckage of a house an NVA
stepped out and hurled
Chicom grenade that landed at
the Texan's feet.
Wyatt attempted to dive for
cover but his canteen had
become caught in some rubble
and bushes. Unable to free
himself and unable to reach the
grenade he waited for the ex
plosion that would kill him. But
the explosion did not come
the grenade was a dud.
He freed himself and con
tinued toward the wounded man
Suddenly enemy fire came from
his right flank. He turned and
charged the enemey bunker he
had received fire from and sent
a grenade bouncing into its
entrance.
The grenade exploded and the
platoon leader began to dig in
from the top of the bunker to
insure the enemy had been
eliminated. As soon as he had
broken a hole in the top of
the mud bunker a small hand
in a re a
reached up through the opening
Wyatt leaped away from the
bunker as the grenade exploded
in the Communist's hand.
The Texan rolled more
grenades into the bunker then
emptied an M-16 magazine into
the top of the bunko:. The
enemy was eliminated and the
wounded soldier rescued and
given aid.
For this action Wyatt receiv
ed his second Silver Star but
his adventures with grenades
were not over.
Wyatt's men were sweeping
a battered village complex on
the South China Sea coast clear
ing bunkers with grenades
when Wyatt pitched a grenade
in to a
to have it tossed back out at
him. His quick reflexes saved
his life as he dived for cover
from the blast.
As he regained his footing
an NVA stuck his head out of
the bunker a well aimed shot
sent the Communist toppling
back into the bunker.
Wyatt went to search the
body. He pointed his rifle into
the bunker entrance and reach
ed for the limp body to discover
the muzzle of an AK-47 leveled
at his forehead. The American's
trigger finger was quicker than
the Red's suid the point blank
fire sent a second NVA falling
back into the bunker.
The Texan then threw a trip
flare into the bunker followed
by a re ad
phosphorous fire and smoke
confused and blinded the oc
cupants and did not allow them
to locate the grenades all ex
ploded without being returned
to the Texan.
The remaining Communists
crawled from the bunker and
surrender. Several Communist
nurses cooks and a company
commander were captured.
Among the dead was a bat
talion the dead was an S-3 of
ficer and a headquarters com
pany commander. An entire
NVA command post had been
captured.
Following his military
discharge Wyatt will don anew
uniform the uniform of the
Dallas Police Department. His
future may offer excitement but
hopefully no more grenades.
RENT
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Tiller For Soft Gardens
$4 for 2 Hours
Trans
mission
Polisher
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DARRON
Open 7 Days A Week
517 W. Raneier—ME4-4742
'TILL THE
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is
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5-PC. MAPLE
7-PC. MAPLE
THE ARMORED SENTINEL FORT HOOD TEXAS
DINING ROOM
SUITES
5-PC. MAPLE
Reg. $125*00 TODAY 04
(Has Extension Leaf)
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42"x65" $1^400
Reg. $188.06 TODAY I OH
7-PC. MAPLE 46"x70"
Reg. $289.00 .TODAY IOO
7-PC. SPANISH
5-PC. SPANISH
Reg $120.05 TODAY WW
APPLIANCES
36" GAS RANGE NEW
Only 2 Left $AA00
TODAY.. each
APT. GAS RANGE NEW
Only 1 Left SE400
TODAY QH each
I4-FT. WHIRLPOOL FROST-FREE
REFRIGERATOR $ 1QO00
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EYE LEVEL TAPPAN
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SALE CONTINUES
I
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COLOR TV MAPLE CONSOLE -»*500
COLOR TV MAPLE CONSOLE ....«« *455
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TABLE MODEL 19" COLOR 189
PRICES NEVER
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To 75r
Some
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Up
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TO
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(Table Has Pedistal)
Only 2 of These Left $OTQ00
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MONDAY thru FRIDAY
SATURDAY 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.
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DELUXE MATTRESS AND BOX SPRINGS
5
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MORNING GLORY
QUEEN SIZE MATTRESS and BOX SPRINGS
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3-PC. WALNUT FINISH
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TODAY 73
4-PC. WHITE FRENCH PROY
Includes Mirror Bed Night Stand $1 P00
TODAY I OO
4-Pc. White French Provincial
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Night Stand TODAY I A
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Includes Dresser Mirror Bed $ 1 CAM
TODAY IOU
SPANISH KING SIZE DRESSER
With DovMt Mirror (141N
TODAY I AO
Matching King Size Headboard
Matching King Size Headboard S^QOO
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MAPLE TRIPLE DRESSER
Mirror and Beed $ 1IC00
TODAY Vw
LIVING ROOM
SUITES
CUT VELVET TUXEDO SOFA
Reg. $343.41—TODAY
VELVET SPANISH SOFA
Reg. $265.12—TODAY
VELVET SPANISH LOVE SEAT
Reg. $194.40—TODAY
Early American FLORAL SOFA
Reg. $245.63—TODAY
CONTEMPORARY SOFA
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of KILLEEN. TEXAS
DNIQIE IN MERCHANDISING"
In Former Skating Rinlc Bldg.
MARKER HEIGHTS
EASY HIGHWAY 190
(Killeen-Horker Heights Now and Temple Soon)
-f. ^17
Page Thirteen
NO LAY AWAYS
NO REFUNDS
ALL SALES FINAL
70
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209'5
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Armored Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 27, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, February 21, 1969, newspaper, February 21, 1969; Temple, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth255013/m1/13/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Casey Memorial Library.