2010 December 21

Amanuensis Monday – Sgt. Robert Wimp

December 21st, 2010 | Author: Sherry Stocking Kline

by Sherry Stocking Kline
December 21, 2010

In May of this year, I shared some information on my blog about the death of Sgt. Robert Wimp in Vietnam. You can see my original post here.

As a result of that original post, Carol Yates Wilkerson, http://ipentimento.com, added more information about the date, etc. of Sgt. Wimp’s death that she located at http://thewall-usa.com/info.asp?recid=56872, and below is the info that was included there.

ROBERT G. WIMP

SFC – E7 – Army – Regular
MACV ADVISORS
Length of service 14 years
His tour began on Sep 15, 1968
Casualty was on Feb 19, 1969
In, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE
Body was recovered
Panel 32W – Line 63

Two Heroes…

And this week, Claudia visited my website. Claudia said that she wasn’t part of Wimp’s family, but added “My husband was in Vietnam and has recently reconnected with some old comrades.”

Claudia said that someone sent her the text below recounting the death of 3 soldiers and that the one named Ackerman served with her husband. Claudia said, “in the text there was mention of 2 other soldiers (Robert Wimp and Early) who died with him. Two heroes.”

“On Sunday afternoon, 19 Feb 1969, I had the misfortune of hearing Early, SFC Robert Wimp, and Captain Edwin Ackerman voluntarily charge into the rice paddies with a small SVN popular force team to repel a VC patrol. I listened to them courageously engage in a fierce fire fight, and request helicopter gun ship support. Then all at once I heard them caught up in an ambush with no way to escape.”

Claudia said that she believes the information sent to her was part of a battle report, and so she googled Robert Wimp and found my website.

“At this time I have no first name for the soldier named Early,” Claudia said.

As Claudia said, that short bit of text says so little, and yet so much, conveying a picture, and a feeling of helplessness as well.

I have more information about the Wimp family, and would very much like to share it with family members, so if you are a Wimp family member, please leave a comment!