This Military Service Page was created/owned by
PFC David Gettman (Tacoma Dave)
to remember
Gettman, Henry (Hank), SGM USA(Ret).
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.
Contact Info
Last Address Walla Walla
Date of Passing May 24, 1983
Location of Interment Mountain View Memorial Park - Lakewood, Washington
Wall/Plot Coordinates 11-261-P PRE [Garden of Prayer Precast]
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Sitting at the dining room table, drinking a beer and working a crossword puzzle, when he had a massive heart attack. Dad, I'm so sorry I never got to know you better.
Henry Gettman was born in Walla Walla, Washington. He was the son of Conrad Gettman and Anna Maria Ditter. Henry married Dorothy Jean Wissen.
Henry was a retired U. S. Army Sergeant Major; he was a veteran of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War.
Other Comments:
Dad was awarded several of these during the 1930's among his scores of other shooting medals, but not knowing any better, several were destroyed or lost by my friends and I, wearing them while playing Army in the woods around my house when we were kids. For a time I had the most decorated unit in the Army!
Korean War/CCF Intervention (1950-51)/X-Corps Withdrawal
From Month/Year
November / 1950
To Month/Year
December / 1950
Description
Late in November, across the snow that heralded a harsh North Korean winter, the Chinese struck. Attacking largely at night, the Chinese--though they suffered tremendous casualties--rapidly dislodged the Eighth Army and X Corps.
In the east, X Corps units were withdrawn by sea from the ports of Hungnam and Wonsan. Surrounded far inland, the lst Marine Division reached Hungnam in one of the great fighting retreats of history. In the west, by land and sea, the Eighth Army also fell back. By the end of December the United Nations forces had been pushed back to a line just south of the 38th parallel. In the face of a renewed Chinese offensive, they withdrew from Seoul and the Han River line early in January 1951.