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Gerald Richard Hauswirth |
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Engagements: • Vietnam War (1960 - 1973) |
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| Biography: | ||||
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1ST LT. GERALD RICHARD HAUSWIRTH Gerald was born on November 2, 1944, in Greendale Wisconsin, and grew up there. His brother-in-law recalls that when he started dating his older sister, Diane. He was in middle school and very small in stature. When he started his freshman year, he had a growth spurt and at the end of the year was 6’2”. He started playing basketball at Greendale High School and then attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. After graduating and facing the draft, he enlisted in the Army’s Officer Candidate School following his older brother’s footsteps. When he was commissioned, he returned to Wisconsin on leave, and married his College sweetheart, Sharon Komp. They then spent a year at Fort Richards in Anchorage, Alaska. His basketball abilities were recognized by the Army and he was offered a position playing with the military team. But he preferred to become a Paratrooper. His next orders were to Georgia for training. He then deployed to Vietnam where he joined Company "A", 1st Battalion (Airborne), 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. At that time, Sharon joined her parents, who had relocated to Fort Myers, Florida. He was to meet Sharon in Hawaii for R & R Easter week of 1970, but was killed on March 14, 1970, and was buried the Thursday before Easter. He received Combat Infantryman Badge, Basic Parachutist Badge, Rifle Expert Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal w/2 Bronze Stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation.SERVICE SUMMARY Rank: First Lieutenant Commissioned: Second Lieutenant (Infantry), USAR, 22 July 1968 ASN: O-5352862 Unit: Company "A", 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 506th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) Tour Start: 1 November 1969 Decorations: Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star Medal (merit), Purple Heart |
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| Honoree ID: 252268 | Created by: MHOH | |||
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