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First Name: James
Last Name: Wladyko
Birthplace: New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Gender: Male
Branch: Navy (present)
Rating: Aviation Electronics Technician (Navigation) Petty Officer 2nd Class
Home of Record: Cape Coral, FL |
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Middle Name: C.
Date of Birth: 08 November 1943
Date of Death: 15 April 2017
Rank or Rate: Petty Officer Second Class
Years Served: 1961-1964 |
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JIM PROUDLY SERVED 4 YEARS IN THE NAVY, INCLUDING SERVICE IN VIETNAM. AFTER THE SERVICE, HE WENT ON TO SERVE WITH THE MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP (NJ) POLICE, WHERE HE WAS AMONG THE HIGHEST DECORATED OFFICERS IN THE HISTORY OF THAT POLICE AGENCY (MEDAL OF VALOR, COMBAT CROSS, ETC.). EVEN AS AN AVIATION ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN/NAVIGATION (AT), JIM SAW SOME ACTION IN VIETNAM, BUT IT WAS BEFORE THINGS REALLY HEATED-UP OVER THERE. HE SPOKE FONDLY OF HIS SERVICE, AND RIGHTLY SO. HIS DUTY STATIONS INCLUDED NAVAL AIR STATION LEMOORE (CALIF.), AND THE USS HANCOCK (CV-19).
Jim served with Attack Squadron 212 aboard the USS Hancock. Attack Squadron 212 (VA-212), nicknamed the 'Rampant Raiders', was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Significant actions while Jim was with the ATKRON included: 15 April 1962: VA-212, embarked on USS Hancock, operated off the coast of South Vietnam during the arrival of the first USMC advisory unit in South Vietnam.
16–20 May 1962: Following the continued successes of the Pathet Lao forces against Laotian government forces, particularly along the border with Thailand, the Thai government requested U.S. support. A unit of U.S Marines landed in Bangkok and moved by air to Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base. VA-212, along with other units of CVG-21, embarked on Hancock, operated in the area and were available to provide air support for the Marines if required.
September 1963: VA-212, embarked on Hancock, operated off the coast of Taiwan due to increased tensions between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China.
November 1963: Hancock, with VA-212 embarked, operated off the coast of South Vietnam following the coup that overthrew President Diem.
[During the early years of the Vietnam War (when Jim was there), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal-AFEM was issued for initial operations in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The AFEM was intended to replace the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal and Navy Expeditionary Medal, but this never occurred and both services continue to award their service expeditionary medals and the AFEM, though not concurrently for the same action. In 1965, with the creation of the Vietnam Service Medal, the AFEM was discontinued for Vietnam War service. As the Vietnam Service Medal was retroactively authorized, those personnel who had previously received the AFEM were granted the option to exchange the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for the Vietnam Service Medal.] <-- This author spoke to Jim about this, in the 1990's, and he expressed no intention of exchanging his AFEM. I think it was because he was proud...that the USS Hancock was tearing all over Southeast Asia at the time, earning numerous AFEM's.
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