William Ross BondBrigadier GeneralCOMMANDING GENERAL, 199TH INF BDE, AMERICAL DIV Army of the United States 04 December 1918 - 01 April 1970 Relay, Maryland Panel 12W Line 065 |
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General William Ross Bond came to
Vietnam to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade after I had already left the 199th
LIB and Vietnam. I would have been at Fort Hood, Texas at the time of his death.
From what I understand of General Bond, however, he was no back seat General, he
wanted to be right up there with the front line troops, and wanted all the front
line information to be gathered and sent back to Headquarters himself. He was
one brave and gallant man, according to the people I've talked to who actually
knew him. I'm just picking up this site so he won't be forgotten, now others who
actually knew him can add their memories to his Memorial site.
Gregory Payne
Oregon Veterans Home 700 Veterans Drive The Dalles, Oregon 97058 teetee199libvietnam69@yahoo.com |
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I was PFC Hector J. Vega, 2nd platoon,
Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. My platoon leader,
Lt. Davoky, made me a member of the honor guard welcoming General Bond to the
199th when he assumed command in November of 1969.
On December 17th I was wounded in
action and medevaced to the 24th EvacHospital near Long Bien. The next day,
while I was recovering from surgery, along with other soldiers who had been
wounded in that fire fight, General Bond came in with an entourage, walked up to
my bed and grabbed my hand and asked how I was doing. I pinched my trac tube and
said "I was an Honor Guard when you took command last month." He gave me a big
grin, continued to hold my hand and said enthusiastically, "You're going to be
fine, soldier, you're going to be fine." Meanwhile his photographer had taken a
Polaroid of us. He handed me the picture and moved on to the next bed.
I still have that photo of me lying
there shaking hands with Brigadier General William R. Bond. May he rest in
peace.
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The Fireball Aviators of the 199th LIB
are pleased to announce that after a long and thorough search, the Command and
Control helicopter used by our own General Bond has been located. This is the
very same helicopter in which he died on April 1, 1970 after being wounded in
ground combat with the enemy.
I have a letter from the Department of
State telling me of their intention to donate this aircraft to us. Papers are
being drawn up at this time for a California non-profit corporation and we are
hopeful that within the next few months Army Aviation Museum of the West will be
able to receive this helicopter and begin restoration. Although no permanent
location has been decided upon, our long term goal is to display this helicopter
as a memorial. We may use it as an attention-getting device for a more ambitious
Army aviation museum project. Whatever we do this helicopter will be the
centerpiece of our efforts.
In a telephone conversation several
weeks ago the State Department representative told me that he believes we have a
complete helicopter and that we will also be given all of the available
maintenance log books. Upon receiving the helicopter an evaluation will be made
to determine whether we will be able to restore it to flying condition. The
project Chief of Maintenance will be Jack Bakholdin (Medic E Recon 4/12, 199th
LIB, 1970). Our ultimate goal is to present this historic aircraft as it was
when General Bond used it. Therefore I am asking all of you who have photographs
of this helicopter to send copies to me. We are interested in every detail of
this machine.
As you all can imagine we will need
plenty of help for such a grand and worthy task. Perhaps some of you will feel
inclined to team up in your old Unit's and support particular areas of the
project. I have envisioned the men of D/17th Cav coming up with two 50 cal's
like General Bond used on his helicopter. One or more of you may have expertise
in the area of trucking or trailers. We will need a very low trailer for
transporting the helicopter to schools, Army Recruiting and ROTC functions,
parades and of course a 199th reunion. Call me for details. A Command and
Control radio console (AN/ASC-15A(v) ) must be located and restored, we need two
machine gun mounts (M-23 with 50 cal adaptors), and the day we take delivery we
will need correct ground handling wheels, a tow bar and a tug (you Army parts
guys, don't throw away anything!).
I am building a large workshop and
storage facility in the Fresno area specifically for this project. No donated
funds will be used for this building. The workshop will be large enough to house
and support General Bond's helicopter with trailer and two other former 199th
helicopters, an OH-58 still in Army service (training) and our highest time OH-6
which is still used daily by the Border Patrol but has my name on it when they
turn it in. You may also be interested in knowing that another 199th OH-58 is in
service with the Kansas Highway Patrol and two others have been upgraded to D
Model Kiowa Warriors and are today still fighting the enemy after thirty five
years. Additionally one of our former UH-1s is in museum display.
If you are able to assist in a
particular area of this effort or can send some encouragement please contact me
via email or home phone. I am away from home for work on a regular basis so
please be patient.
If you are able to help financially
please send your donations to
If the tax deduction is of major
importance to you please tell me and I will hold your check until tax exempt
status is received.
Right now I am calling on all
Redcatchers to step forward and be counted. Join with the Fireballs and let us
all commit together to make this the most accurate, complete and noteworthy
memorial presentation possible.
From one of General Bond's pilots,
Dudley (Doc) Young Authorized Representative, Army Aviation Museum of the West 3746 East International Avenue, Clovis, Ca 93619 drdudley3@att.net(559) 322-0462 |
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On April 1, 1970, 37 years ago, I was
in the 44th Medical Battalion and put this man in his body bag at the 24th Evac
Hospital in Long Bien, cut his stars and name off his bloody uniform, wrapped
them up in a brown paper towel and brought them home and kept them for several
years. I intended to someday, when enough time had passed, try to contact his
family and see if they would like to have them. A fellow veteran, Larry Hodge,
from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, came to visit me and asked for them; he advised me
that he was the model/manequin for the General's uniforms so I gave them to him.
It was before the advent of the computer. Any family members who are interested,
I am sure that Mr. Hodge would be happy to give these to you.
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A Note from The Virtual Wall
As noted in the news articles cited above, General
Bond hit the ground in order to visit a unit which had been in contact with, and
taken casualties from, an NVA/VC unit. The American unit was 2nd Platoon, D
Troop, 17th Cavalry, the 199th Infantry Brigade's ground reconnaissance element.
One report indicates the unit was escorting an ammunition resupply for 2/35 Arty
when it was ambushed.
Four men had been killed in the morning action;
General Bond was the Brigade's fifth loss of the day. Two others later died of
wounds received in the action:
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point-of-contact for this memorial is one who remembers, Gregory Payne Oregon Veterans Home, 700 Veterans Drive, The Dalles, Or 97058 teetee199libvietnam69@yahoo.com |
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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 30 Jun 2005
Last updated 09/09/2007
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 30 Jun 2005
Last updated 09/09/2007
I was wounded March 21, 1970. While at 24th Evac I was presented the purple heart by General Bond. While in the 6cc Hospital I was informed of Bonds death. Sp4 Robert John Bump, CoA 5/12, 199th Infantry.
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