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This Person is Your...

This Person is Your...

This Military Service Page was created/owned by SP 6 Gary McJimsey to remember Schrenk, Donald George, SP 4.

If you knew or served with this Soldier and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.

Home Town Buena Vista	Last Address Buena Vista, Colorado

Casualty Date Oct 04, 1967
Cause KIA-Killed in Action	Reason Gun, Small Arms Fire
Location Binh Duong (Vietnam)	Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Baldwin Cemetery - Baldwin, North Dakota	Wall/Plot Coordinates 27E 051

One daughter by birth born May 31, 1967 while Donald was in Vietnam - Tami

One granddaughter by birth to his daughter – Maria Danielle

One adopted granddaughter to his daughter – Missy

Selective Service - Drafted

Vietnam Tour of Duty Started March 29, 1967

Hostile Action, Ground Casualty

Killed by Small Arms Fire or other Gunshot Wound

Died in Military Region 3 – III Corps (Saigon Area), during Operation Shenandoah II that started on 29 September 1967, as part of the Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase III Campaign in the Binh Duong Province, East of Chon Thanh.

Some web sites show Donald assigned to C Company. The National Archives records, NARA - AAD indicate Donald was assigned to HHC (Headquarters Company of 1st Battalion) which would indicate he was then attached to the C Company as a field medic. Additionally, his Silver Star General Orders issued 17 Oct 1967 cites that Donald was with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion 2d Infantry.

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AWARD OF SILVER STAR

GENERAL ORDERS NUMBER 7398
17 October 1967

TC 320. The following Award is announced posthumously.

SCHRENK, DONALD G SPECIALIST FOUR E4 United States Army Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Battalion 2nd Infantry [HEADQUARTERS 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION]

Awarded: Silver Star
Date of Action: 4 October 1967
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
Reason: For gallantry in action against a hostile force: On this date, Specialist Schrenk's unit was at a night defensive position in a dense jungle area of War Zone C. At approximately 0700 hours, the reconnaissance platoon was deployed to sweep the surrounding area. Suddenly, after moving 300 meters, they were taken under intensive enemy automatic weapons and small arms fire from several well concealed positions. The platoon began to sustain casualties and an immediate request for reinforcements was made. As on of the companies deployed to assist the embattled element, Specialist Schrenk joined them. When he arrived on line he saw several casualties lying in an open area. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he braved the withering fire and crawled to one of his wounded comrades. he quickly dressed the soldier's wounds and pulled him back through a vicious crossfire to a position of relative safety. Then, as Specialist Schrenk attempted to move to one of the other casualties, he was severely wounded by Viet Cong small arms fire. He refused medical attention and continued to maneuver toward the stricken soldier. Before he reached his wounded comrade, he was mortally wounded by the insurgent fire. His great courage in the face of fire saved one soldier's life and inspired his comrades to fight with increased determination until the enemy was routed from the area. Specialist Four Schrenk's unquestionable valor in close combat against numerically superior hostile forces is in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, and the United
States Army.

Authority: By direction of the President, as established by an Act of Congress, 9 July 1918, and USARV Message 16695, dated 1 July 1966.

FOR THE COMMANDER:

FREDERICK C. KRAUSE
Colonel, GS
Chief of Staff

OFFICIAL:

S. F. TOMASEK
Captain, AGC
Assistant Adjutant General

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Five Soldiers Died On This Dreadful Day of October 4, 1967
Black Scarves
1st Battalion 2nd Infantry Regiment 1st Infantry Division

Ramrods

Noli Me Tangere

Do Not Touch Me

CPT Howard M. Gerstel, Hewlett, NY

SGT Craig A. Verlinden, El Sobrante, CA

SP4 Charlie Freeman Sauler, Novia Scotia, Canada

SP4 Terrance H. Schneider, Montrose, MI

SP4 Donald G. Schrenk, Buena Vista, CO

Posted Internet Tributes From Donald's Family:

Dear Dad,

I wish that I would have had the chance to know you. I only know you through a few pictures and some stories that Grandma and your siblings (my Aunts and Uncles) have told me, but I wish that I could have known you as my Dad and been able to spend a lifetime together, both in the growing up years and in enjoying your son-in-law and granddaughters. The little facts that I do know and the few pictures that I have of you are extremely precious to me, as they are a link to who I am now and where my family came from. I do feel in part that I do know you, because of the fact that I have your eyes (both shape and bad vision!) and your nose, which I see every time that I look in the mirror.

You have a wonderful son-in-law. His name is Bryan Dale and we have been married for almost 16 years. We have one daughter by birth - her name is Maria Danielle, she is almost 10 and one daughter by adoption and her name is Missy, who is 23. They are all very special and I know that you would have loved them.

Dad, I am so proud of you and all you have done to save others and I am even more proud of the fact that you loved the Lord and served Him and our great country to the very best of your ability! I know that you lived up to the meaning of one of my favorite songs, "In the Garden" (otherwise known as "The Song of Andy").

I can hardly wait to meet you on our way to Heaven to live forever together with Jesus, where there will be no more death, sorrow, or crying. Until then I remain your loving daughter, Tami.

Tami - Daughter

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HOW BRAVE

Who are some of the bravest?
My Grandma knew one of them.
Dying with honors in such a faraway land,
Never knowing his child, or grandchild.
In the field of battle, soldiers’ lives he did save.
From the field he returned, wounded and distressed.
To the field he returned, to save the brave and the best.
But this time he did not return, he lay still but not alone.
To see my loving Grandpa in Heaven is my prayer.
I love you Grandpa, in my dreams you're always there.

By Maria Danielle
Granddaughter

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I know someone I never knew. And nobody can tell me otherwise. He was valiant, a very brave man. In my words, he had guts to do what he did, and I don't know if I could have done the same. We're all in debt to him. The year was October 4, 1967. He was in the battle field at this time. He was a medic in Vietnam, he saw another young, brave, soldier like himself wounded, and he went to get him. On the way back, BOOM, he was shot. He laid the young man down as he saw another one in trouble. He went to get him, on the way back, BOOM, he was shot another time, but this time it proved fatal. The young man that he was carrying survived that day but my granddad didn't. Come to find out, my mother had been born back in the states on May 31 of that year. Eighteen years later, she married a very nice young man at age 19, the young man being 18. Six years later, on July 22, 1992, a beautiful young girl was brought into the world. That girl was me. I am now 13 years old, in the seventh grade, and have a great life.

Maria Danielle
Granddaughter

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Posted Internet Tributes From Donald's Vietnam Buddies:

SP4 Donald Schrenk, Medical Specialist

Cliff Roberson on the left with Don Schrenk on the right. Both were medics with 1st/2nd.

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