Passing of a Combat Veteran

[Paul B]

The last few weeks in March 1971 I was stationed on a small Fire Base in Viet Nam callec FSB Illingsworth. A fire base is a clearing in the jungle where we pushed the trees back 50 yards or so and we had artillery guns, mortars, machine guns etc. set up to support the infantry. These firebases were also sometimes called LZs or Landing Zones because there were no roads and everything including water came by helicopter.
Anyway I was a young Sargeant when I jumper out of the chopper into a clearing I was met by My Captain, Capt Leidig who was 25 years old at the time. We were a few yards from the Cambodian border well on the Ho Chi Mein trail.
After two uneventful weeks we were attacked by 400 Communist North Viet Nam regular army troops 100 of which were in the trees set up around the firebase with machine guns.
There were less than 100 of us there.
We fought for aprox 7 hours.
This is the battle that caused us to go into Cambodia. We were put there as bait because we wanted a reason to enter Cambodia. I will not tell the entire story because this is not about the battle.

After the battle Capt Leidig who did a great job was releived of command temporarilly due to battle fatigue which anyone could understand when you lose a good portion of your men and you are 25.

I have been looking for Captain Leidig since the battle and last week I found his E mail in a Veterans site.
I E mailed him to say hello and see how he was doing.

Yesterday his wife called me in tears to say he had passed away a few weeks ago from Leukemia that they feel is Agent Orange related. I never did get to meet him again but his wafe was interested in the Battle of Illingsworth that he commanded us in.
I searched out some information that I will send her.
Captain Arnold Leidig later was promoted to Colonel.

Here is some information about the battle.
It is not graphic.
http://fwb2.homestead.com/

One of our guys there was awarded the Medal Of Honor, this is his story.
http://www.homeofheroes.com/profile...iles_lemon.html

 

[danny]

Combat Veteran

I just what to say thank you for serving for our country. So others can have their freedom.

2 weeks ago at JFK I said thank you to 2 soldiers & they said what for & I said for being there. That's when they responded thank you. It made me feel good.

No matter your feelings about a war do not take it out on the men & women who serve.

Danny

 

[REEF MANIA]

Paul thanks for sharing this story with all of us. God bless all the soldiers serving now and past and for those who have given it all.

 

[wxl14]

Paul,
I can relate with you. One of my buddies who served with me in the marines past away during operations in Iraq. A makeshift bomb took his life. He was 27 years old. He had already finished his first tour and re-enlisted. He then happily went to Iraq to fight for his country and died. Tsue we miss you brother Semper Fi

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2005/nov/01/daniel-a-tsue/

also link to leukemia website
http://www.leukemia.org/hm_lls

 

[fritz]

Thank you for sharing that and thank you for your service.

 

[masterswimmer]

Paul, thank you and god bless you, your buddy and all the rest of the men and women who serve to protect all we hold dear.

Russ

 

[NYPDFrogman]

Thank You And God Bless!!

 

[Paul B]

My Captain (who is now a retired General) replaced Capt. Laidig in Nam sent me this obituary about Col. Leidig. I diden't realize he spent so much time in the service after Nam.

Arnold W. Laidig Jr. Army Public Affairs Officer
Arnold W. Laidig Jr., 63, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who was a public affairs officer during his 28-year military career, died of cancer Jan. 1 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was an Alexandria resident.
Col. Laidig was born in Estherville, Iowa, and was drafted into the Army in 1966 while a student at the University of Iowa and served two tours in Vietnam. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1972 and received a master's degree from Texas A&M University in 1976.
He was a field artilleryman early in his military career before becoming a public affairs officer. He served at Fort Sill, Okla.; Fort Lewis, Wash.; and Fort Bliss, Tex.; as well as in Pirmasens, Germany; San Antonio; Frankfurt, Germany; and at the Pentagon.
His most recent assignments were as chief of the professional development branch for Army Public Affairs and as director of media operations for the U.S. Central Command in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, during Operation Desert Storm. He also served as a public affairs officer for the Army Criminal Investigation Command in Arlington and the Army Military District of Washington at Fort McNair.
After retiring from the Army in 1995, he joined the staff of MPRI, a defense and security contracting company based in Alexandria, where he served for 10 years as the deputy to the senior vice president of human resources. He was an MPRI recruiter for former military employees.
Col. Laidig was a runner who competed in a number of marathons in the United States and Germany. He also loved gardening and backyard barbecuing.
Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Judy Laidig of Alexandria, and a brother.