This Military Service Page was created/owned by
PFC David Gettman (Tacoma Dave)
to remember
Gettman, Henry (Hank), SGM USA(Ret).
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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!
Other Memories Prior Washington Army National Guard, 1930-1938, mostly with Co F, 161st Infantry Regiment, Walla Walla, Washington. Dad also attended ROTC training at Walla Walla H.S. and graduated all three courses at the Citizens Military Training Camp prior to graduation from H.S. in 1931, a year after he joined the National Guard. Already a highly decorated marksman with the highschool rifle team, he became a member of the Co F, 161st Infantry team and won almost 200 individual and team awards with both pistol and rifle.
This prior service was to prove enormously beneficial in the years to follow, leading to a 37 year career in the military encompassing three major wars.
Drafted at 31 years old on 3 Sept 1942 in Spokane, WA, dad couldn't pass the physical. At 5'0" tall, he was a full four inches below the minimum height requirement. Because of his prior NG service, and being a highly decorated national champion marksman, they let dad in.
I have a newspaper article stating he was going to Utah, wanted to be an Army Air Corps Armorer like an older brother, and couldn't wait to get at the Japs. He ended up at the Cavalry Replacement Training Center, Ft Riley, Kansas, training young Cavalry recruits.
Promotions came quick. 4 Nov 1942 he's promoted to Corporal; 10 May 1943 Sergeant; and when he makes Staff Sergeant the day after Christmas, 1944, he is in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge, firmly anchored at the northern shoulder where the green 99th Division "Battle Babies" took the full brunt of Hitler's initial assault, and refusing to yield, directed it south away from critical road junctions that would later help bring an end to the Bulge.
Less than three months later, 5 March 1945, just prior to crossing the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, Germany, he received a battlefield commission to 2nd Lieutenant. In less than two and a half years dad went from Private to Lieutenant.