More detail on this person: Wallace Raymond "Wally" Dietderich Keith & Keith Fuenral Home Wallace Raymond "Wally" Dietderich, 83 of Yakima died March 1, 2009 at the Good Samaritan Health Care Center. He was born in Portland, Oregon and moved to Underwood, Washington with his parents when he was five years old. His parents purchased the Highland Apple Company Ranch on Underwood Hill where he grew up. He learned to hunt and fish growing up in the countryside as a youth and enjoyed these hobbies throughout his life. He attended Underwood Grammar School and graduated from White Salmon High School in 1944. He later attended Washington State University in Pullman, Washington and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Nebraska. In 1954 he met Dorothy Jean "Dottie" Dietderich, of Portland, Oregon, and they were married a year later. They were married for 49 years before Dorothy passed away in 2004. Wallace Dietderich was drafted into the U.S. Army as a recruit in 1950 and graduated from Officer Candidate School in 1952. He was an Army aviator and flew fixed wing aircraft in combat during the Korean War and flew Huey helicopters during two tours of duty in the Vietnam War. He was assigned to various military posts throughout the United States and Germany during his military career. He was awarded numerous military decorations, medals, citations, and campaign ribbons during his 30 years of active duty with the U.S. Army for combat operations and humanitarian service. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice within a three month period for heroism in aerial combat in Vietnam. He was the commander of the 214th Combat Aviation Battalion when the awards were earned. On January 3, 1969, while piloting a command and control helicopter near Vin Long, he landed beside a downed helicopter and rescued the crew although the area was heavily infested with insurgents. He earned the second Distinguished Flying Cross on March 7, 1969, when he landed at night in the Plain of Reeds to evacuate two platoons of infantrymen despite heavy ground fire which struck his helicopter several times. He was later the commander of the 593rd Support Group at Fort Lewis, Washington in 1975. He was involved in several major projects while serving in the 593rd as its commander and executive officer. He was commander when the 593rd was ordered to assist with the relocation of Vietnamese refugees to Fort Chaffe, Arkansas. As Commander, he also planned the operation of the Fort Lewis' Vietnamese Orphan Center; the 593rd support to the Washington State Special Olympics; and the 593rd support to the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree at Farragut State Park, Idaho. In 1975 he commanded the military installation at the Yakima Firing Center before he retired from the U.S. Army in 1980. After retirement he began raising Herford cattle at his home in Yakima. He was also an ardent fisherman and loved to fish in Washington State and Alaska. He was happy to share the halibut and salmon he caught with friends and family. He also traveled extensively with his wife Dorothy, and enjoyed visiting with friends and family. Surviving family include his daughter Joan and her husband Walter Anderson of Olympia, WA; two sons, Eric Dietderich of Jensen Beach, FL, Neil and his wife Patricia Dietderich of Vienna, Austria; seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Viewing and visitation will be held from 12 noon until 8:00 p.m. Monday, April 13, 2009 at the Keith & Keith Ninth Avenue Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at the Keith & Keith Ninth Avenue Chapel. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent with full military honors conducted by the Washington National Guard. To share a memory of Wally, visit www.mem.com.
Burial information: Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, WA
This information was last updated 10/12/2017
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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