SGT Ward Gunard Walter

Ward Gunard Walter was born October 13, 1917 in Minot, North Dakota. He joined The Army in 1950. By November of 1967, he had risen to the rank of Sergeant in C Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade. Those around him knew him as "Pop". 

On the 29th of November, 1967, Walter was working as part of an ambush team. The following account of what happened was taken from Together We Served:

The Military Assistance Command Vietnam/Army Of The Republic Of Vietnam (MACV/ARVN) outpost at Phuoc Cang on Highway QL-15 was coming under heavy enemy fire and the combined (A, B, and C company) ambush team was tasked with attempting to take the pressure off by flanking the Viet Cong (VC) positions. They were working their way south from the Finger of Land along Highway QL-15 several hundred yards or so away from the outpost. For some time they had been able to see headlights lights approaching north from the direction of Bear Cat.

      
The ambush team hunkered down alongside the roadway berm preparing to move to their left and engage the VC who had no idea they were there. They waited for the vehicle to pass so its headlights would not expose their position. The vehicle turned out to be a gun jeep from the 9th Infantry Division. The men in the jeep must have spotted movement because they opened fire as they passed by the ambush teams location, then continued down the highway towards Long Binh Post.

      
Three rounds from the jeep machine gun passed through the M-16 magazines that were hung in bandoleers across SGT Walter's chest.

      
SGT Walter age 50, was transported to the 24th Evacuation Hospital but died from the wounds before he arrived. SGT Walter had thirty days in country when he died.

SGT Walter was 50 years old at the time of his death. He had never married. Still, he family that was touched by his loss in a way that many will never know. We will never forget his many years of service and sacrifice. Looking at his ribbon bar, it quickly becomes obvious that he was a special man who served with distinction. Silver Star and Bronze Star with Valor device among the many that set him apart.

We'll never forget you Pop! Thank you for the way you lived your life!

In Honor of the 4 MP's

I try not to get political here, as that is not what this site is about. In regards to this event, it took every bit of restraint I could muster. I will only say this, whenever the UN is involved and a spirit of timidity and political correctness are added, disaster like this increases in probability exponentially.

In 1991, civil war in Somalia produces horrific conditions aided by some really bad people. Famine followed and conditions for the population there were deplorable. Ceasefire followed early the next year, and as part of that agreement, UN humanitarian monitoring was allowed into the country. The security counsel allowed for 50 unarmed monitors in April of 1992. With torturous speed, releif efforts began in August of that year. Relief convoys were looted, hijacked and workers were assaulted. Almost no food made it to the starving population.

The UN asked for help from the US. With only weeks left in office, President Bush  responded with Operation Restore Hope. 25,000 troops started to arrive in December. The plan was for the troops to restore stability and let the UN take over before Clinton took office in January. Further UN resolutions and plans were hatched, yet by June, there were still 1200 US combat troops with 3000 further US support troops still there. Through June and July, 24 Pakistani soldiers are massacred in an ambush and 4 journalists are beaten to death by a mob of Somalis. Escalations ensued and the peacekeepers were basically at war. Special Forces were requested in June, but did not arrive until August 26th.

Almost 3 weeks earlier, during a routine patrol, two vehicles carrying 8 US soldiers came under attack. The first vehicle was hit with a remotely detonated device. The soldiers in the second vehicle came under fire, as did Egyptian and Pakistani soldiers who shortly thereafter arrived. More US troops soon followed and were also met with fire. The organized ambush killed all four US Military Police in the lead vehicle, 3 instantly and the fourth a short time later.

Those 4 soldiers were:

Sgt. Christopher Hilgert, 27, of Bloomington, Indiana
Spc. Mark Gutting, 25, of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Spc. Keith Pearson, 25, of Tavaras, Florida

They were members of the 997th Military Police Company

Sgt. Ronald Richerson, 24, of Portage, Indiana

He was with the 300th Military Police Company

These four guys died doing the most honorable thing they could be doing, trying to help people who desperately needed it. They were thousands of miles from their homes and families, in a land where most people looked at them with disdain. Even so, they were doing what they were called to do.

8 others had died in Somalia since December, but I am unable to find any information on them. This event would lead to the Battle of Mogadishu in early October. That would see 16 killed, scores wounded and Micheal Durant captured. This event would come to be known as Blackhawk Down.

All of these men need and deserved to be remembered and honored. We will see to it that they are never forgotten for all that they gave.

Hilgert, Gutting, Pearson and Richerson all had families who loved them dearly. All of them had friends who still think of them often. All of them were respected and loved by those who served with them. Many, many lives have forever been altered by their loss. For everyone involved, we can't let their memories fade. They mean too much. What they gave is immeasurable. Thank you gentlemen for all you did in the name of love and liberty.