I was saddened to hear that CPT (Ret.) George (Sonny) Gratzer (on the right in the photo above) died on Dec. 7, 2016 at age 76, of complications from Vietnam War combat wounds. Sonny Gratzer was my company commander with Bravo Co. 2/2nd Inf. (Mech.), as the replacement for CPT Joseph Rose, who was KIA in Sept. '67. This was his second tour in Vietnam and he was very experienced, as well as highly decorated. Sonny suffered a spinal cord injury during the Tet Offensive in Feb. '68, when his command track was blown up. During his two tours, CPT Sonny Gratzer was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Silver Star Medal (w/ OLC), the Soldier’s Medal, the Bronze Star Medal w/”V” device (w/ OLC), the Purple Heart Medal (w/ two OLC), and two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry (w/Gold Star and Silver Star). He was a hard-charger and an incredibly brave and capable soldier and combat leader.

On 22 Dec. '67, after I had transferred to 2/28th Inf., I went over to see old friends at Bravo Co., 2/2nd Inf. (Mech). The 3rd Brigade Ammo Dump was blown up that day, and that afternoon Bravo Co. was ordered to go into the Ammo Dump and do a recon, mainly looking for wounded. I got roped (voluntarily) into riding along as a spare medic (Ammo Dump on fire, what could go wrong?). We came to a roadblock set up by the MPs, keeping all traffic out of the area of the burning ammo dump. The MP Major told CPT Gratzer, who was leading the charge, that he had orders to keep all traffic out. Sonny, Badass to the Max, told the Major that he had orders to recon the Ammo Dump and that his column would do that, by going through the roadblock or over the roadblock. The Major looked down the line of Armored Personnel Carriers, each of them manned by experienced combat soldiers who were armed, dangerous and impatient, and moved his barricades. That was textbook Sonny Gratzer, and that's how I remember him.

You're on point, Bandit Six. We'll meet again at the next NDP.