More detail on this person: In 65 my best
friend and I enlisted in the Army under the "buddy
system" the Army was offering at that time. I
guess all that amounted to was, they guarenteed
that the 2 of you would be in the same company
during basic training. Didn't matter much, we
were both to go to flight school, so we sort of
figured we would at least be at the same place
anyway. We both made it thru flight school ok and
I went straight to RVN. Bill received orders to
join a conpany which was forming up here in the
States for future deployment to RVN. He showed
up there several months after I got in country.
The unit he came over with was the 187th AHC.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site:
03/10/2024
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As was the normal practice with new units, a
number of people are infused into older units in a
swap to provide experienced crews to put these
units in service. Bill was sent to the 118th AHC
in Bien Hoa where he spent the remainder of his
tour.
We eventually wound up back here in our home
town of Irwin PA after we left the service in 69.
And, we eventually were back together flying for
the same part 135 operator out of AGC. I left
there in 74 and Bill stayed on for a few more
months before taking a job flying for USSteel here
in Pittsburgh. When USSteel sold their S-76, He
went to work for a local construction company that
owned a 206 and continued to work there till the
present time. They have long since gotten rid of
their 206, but Bill stayed with them as their
safety man and project manager. I was talking to
him on the computer last night, and just about an
hour ago, his ex wife called me to say that there
was a fire early today in the place that he was
renting. Bill did not make it out alive.
Damn, when I wrote that TINS this morning, I was
going to mention that Feb. 4th was an eventful day
in my life, and not all the events were good.
Little did I know then that the events were not
over yet. I'll miss my friend. We have never
really been far apart since grade school.
CW2 William B Wieland 1946-2007, WORWAC
Class 66-19, 187th AHC / 118th AHC 67 - 68.
May he rest in peace, along with the rest of our
brothers who have gone before.
From: Doc Daugherty