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Looking for Input….Want to share!

Looking for Input….Want to share!

Sgt Grit

I would like to share this from the book I?m writing ?An Untold Story of a Three War Marine?.

It?s about my father MGySgt Wilfred P. Zeimet, who fought in Guam, and Okinawa, during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam

In November 1963 Willie made Master Gunnery Sergeant and by now had 23 years of service in the Corps. In 1964, LtCol Albert W. Snell was assigned duties as the Commanding Officer 1st Tank Battalion 1st Marine Division. Having an opportunity in speaking with the Colonel in Dec 2007, he shared the following; ?Bill?, he said, ?When I took over the Tank Battalion, prior to going to war in Viet Nam I was concerned but when I found out that both CWO4 Waugh was in the Maintenance Company and we got your dad in there as the Battalion Maintenance Chief, and the Senior NCO, I quit worrying I knew that 1st Tanks was in the best hands they could be. These guys were the pillars of the tankers society with 25 years under their belts, there reputations preceded them. Mine and your father?s paths had crossed more than a few times since China in 1946 and every where I went men and officers alike spoke highly of him.

If I could use one word to describe him it would be Loyal, loyal to his men, loyal to his officers, and loyal to his country. It is just a fact of life that NCOs like your dad made life simple for the officers placed over them. When we got to Viet Nam to Chu Lai we were up on a hill, and there was nothing there. It was a miserable place, no facilities, no place to perform tank maintenance trying to do maintenance out in the sun was crazy as hot as the tanks would get, and the next thing I know your dad came up with a bunch of wood and before you knew it there was overhead shelter the guys were pulling together and there was a place for the maintenance crew to do there work. I remember sometime after that a Major from division was asking about aluminum siding and other materials that came up missing that was set aside for a Civic action program. He asked me, ?Do you know anything about this missing material?, ?Absolutely not was my reply.? Willie was a go to guy, that got the job done, and was well respected by his men.

Albert W. Snell
Col USMC Ret.

Thank you
William N Zeimet
RMC USN Ret.

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