Welsh, Joey, 1SG

TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, WHAT INFLUENCED HIS/HER DECISION TO JOIN THE ARMY?
I was 18 years old and I had to quit high school in my Junior year. I knew I would be drafted, so I enlisted in the Army for 3 years on Feb 25, 1966 with the guarantee to go Airborne. I had been very impressed when I first saw the Green Berets at JFK's funeral, so I volunteered to go Airborne and it was up to me to stick it out.

TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH HE/SHE TOOK IN HIS/HER MILITARY SERVICE. WHERE DID THEY GO FOR BASIC TRAINING AND WHAT UNITS, BASES OR SQUADRONS WERE THEY ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS HIS/HER REASON FOR LEAVING?
I was fascinated by recon units because I was lucky I got to begin my introduction into reconnaissance when I was with the 509th Airborne in Mainz Germany in 1966. Then I volunteered to go to Vietnam. I left Germany on Dec 22, 1966 and got home on Dec 24, 1966. When I was with the 1st Bde, 101st Abn Div from Feb 67 - Feb 68 I got caught up in an ad hoc unit which was suppose to be mounted / dismounted Scouts, well we got to do all that stuff however, our job was to help secure the Medevacs and anyone in the vicinity. At some bases we really didn't need to do much inside but we did some patrolling along the perimeter. Then I went to E Company (Long Range Patrol), 20th Infantry (Airborne), First Field Force Vietnam (IFFV) in March 1968. It was there that I learned the skills by going out with SGT Smith (Smitty) and his team from the 3rd Plt on 2 missions and I was then accepted into the unit. That was a requirement for every man who was going to be on a team. If they felt you were not the right type of person or if the guy did not like it. He was reassigned; no BS or comments. It was better to leave than stay and maybe wind up a hazard for the team. After I was accepted, Smitty told me that he was recommending that I go to MACV Recondo School as well. I was put on another team and after a few missions it was a really tight team.

FROM THEIR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY PERSONAL MEMORIES, YOU MAY BE AWARE OF, WHICH IMPACTED HIM/HER THE MOST.
1. Being a LRP in Vietnam.
2. Spending 2 years as an Infantry Drill SGT.
3. Working as a Recondo Instructor.
4. Getting to work 2 years with the 1st Bn, 1st SFG (A) in Okinawa.
5. Serving in Operation Desert Storm and Provide Comfort.
6. Attending DLI for the Thai language.
7. Being selected to be the 1SG of the only AIT course conducted in the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (A)..
11. Spending my last 15 months in the Army as the Operations NCO for the Special Forces Warrant Officer's Course.

The picture below is CW2 RICHARD LOUIS ROCCO (MOH) who passed away in Oct, 2002. Please visit his page since I knew him very well and I will be discussing what happened when he tried to help me in the next two pages. He was not only a hero, he was one of the most dedicated men I have ever met who lived for working for the veterans and for helping the children and the needy in the community. It was an honor to have known him and work with him. I learned a lot about humility and dedication from him. I miss him as does the entire community in the San Antonio, TX area. RIP SIR!

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS DO YOU BELIEVE HE/SHE WAS MOST PROUD OF FROM HIS/HER MILITARY SERVICE?
I did not do well with medals due to the Army losing my entire records jacket in the NAM in late 67 or early 68 and our unit was so spread out that it was hard to communicate, so many members did not get what they had earned. When I was discharged in 1969 the SGT said to me: "I'm sure you earned your CIB and other awards, however, I can find no records on them so I will note that you were separated on temporary records and I will show that you are authorized the NDSM, VSM, VCM, and the Parachute Badge". In 1972 I received a letter from the Dept of the Army (when my 6 year obligation was up) that my losing unit had authorized awards for you. Then about 2 weeks later, I got the box from the NPRC and when I saw the CIB I really did not care what else was in there, which was an ARCOM from the LRP's and a set of orders showing I graduated MACV Recondo, I had sent my certificate home as soon as I graduated. Then I came back in the Army from 1976-1996 and had to compete against a lot of Vietnam Vets that had all kinds of awards. So I just made myself work and study harder and I spent a couple years doing all the correspondence courses I could get. I completed the BNCOC, ANCOC and Pre Commission courses before I made E-6 so I was running hard to get all I could so I would be eligible to compete with those soldiers in my MOS. It took me 13 years to go from E-2 to E-8 and I pinned it on when I was in the 1SG course at the SGM's Academy on Nov 1, 1993.

It will take me this page and the next but I will do it as fast as possible since most of it was a nightmare. In Aug 1998 I left my job and made plans to move. The Vet Counselor and shrink that I had been seeing for over 2 years told me their final report stated that I was suffering from PTSD, Chronic. Long Term and that I did not qualify for any Voc Rehab. So I moved to San Antonio, TX since that's where my wife was from and I enjoyed the area. The first week I was there I went to the Vet Center downtown and registered for counseling and I went to see my new shrink. In Nov 1998, when MSG Benavidez (MOH) passed away, I was a member of the VIET NAM VETS MC (VNV MC since 96 and I retired in 2013) and when we went to pay our respects I met up with one of the counselors from the Vet Center named CW2 Richard Louis Rocco (MOH). I knew him well and called him "Rocco" (which was what everybody called him). We would all take our breaks together. Since I was the POC for the VNV MC we had worked together on a couple of community programs he was in charge of. My records had arrived from NC about a month prior to that time and a couple of the counselors had remarked that it was a very detailed report. So Rocco pulled me aside and said "Joey I read your records and it's an outstanding report." I told him, that's the way the my counselor said the medical regs advise they be done. So he said "You seen a lot of combat. Did you get any awards?" So I told him all of the above about the CIB, etc.

He asked if I was ever put in for an award and I told him 2 guys in my platoon had said they had submitted 2 recommendations for awards but I had no records, etc. He said "Well could you stop by my office on Monday, I'd like to go over your records with you." It wound up that he wanted to recommend me for an award through the local congressman (CM) he picked the 2 missions that were probably the ones I may have been put in for an award. I needed a waiver for the time and a sworn affidavit from an eye witness so I got out my old address book and wrote 7 or 8 letters to some of the guys who were on the missions. Most of the letters were returned for ADDRESS UNKNOWN. Then one day I got a call from a LRP who lived in CA. I had taken him out on his first mission and it was the June 13, 1968 mission where the Team Leader (Smitty the first TL I ever had) was killed shortly after we came under fire and I was the ATL.So we spent a few times on the phone and e mailing going over the entire mission which was only 2 days but it had been 30 years ago. So he remembered things I forgot and I did the same since he had forgotten some things. He said he would go to the judge and then send me the affidavit. If it wasn't for him it would have been impossible to go any further with the award. I ALSO should have had contacted one of the retired SGM's I knew in the unit who had done 2 tours with our unit. The first one was when I was there and then later he came back for another tour; So he could write a Notarized Statement explaining what LRP WAS AND WHAT OUR UNITS MISSION WAS, (NOT having this played a big part in the outcome since no one on the awards board would be a Vietnam Vet and not many people really knew what the LRP's missions were.)

It took us a couple months to build the packet and I was told by Rocco he was putting me in for the DSC. This was in 1999 and I said I did not think it's worthy of that, he said we'll let the Sec of the Army decide that since all awards go through his office. A few months after it was submitted, the CM office sent me a copy of what they had received from the Sec of the Army stating that my packet was approved to go to the board. Now, by then, I felt that Rocco put me in for the DSC since he felt they would down grade it so I would get a Silver Star. I'm sure the Sec of the Army's office felt the same way since it was a very good packet (except for not having the LRP statement). I WANT to note here that the CM who was handling it had no military experience AT ALL. And there were times when I would have to explain to HIS aides about different things in the military system and how it worked.

NOTE: The attachment is the narrative which must be submitted by the person who recommends the award. When you click on it and it opens on another page, if it don't open refresh the page and it will.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES HE/SHE RECEIVED, WHICH WERE THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO HIM/HER AND WHY?
The one I am the proudest of and I was lucky to finally get it in 1972 is the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB). I have no doubt in my mind that I earned that and as did all my brothers who served in that unit. It's the most coveted badge in the Army and sometimes there are a lot of people bitching about it. I really think the CAB has helped do away with most of the problems. Hell we're all in this together and we should all realize it takes about 7 men to keep a grunt supplied in order for him to operate. AWARD: Continued from the last page: NOTE: The attachment is the proposed citation which must be submitted by the person who recommends the award. Again REFRESH IF IT DOES NOT COME UP.

It took almost nine months for the CM to get the results from the awards board. CM all have a GEN Officer who is their liaison for all military related business. And the CM who are veterans or have some experience dealing with them will know well enough to tell them they don't agree or understand something that they may be involved in and the liaison will usually advise them on what steps can be taken to approach the situation at their level. This helps eliminate the person he may be representing of having to do things since HE SHOULD be fighting for the person he's representing. I got a call from the CM office saying that my award was there. I said "What is it?" and he replied "The Bronze Star Medal with a "V"! I said "WHAT DO YOU MEAN ? COULD YOU PLEASE E MAIL ME A COPY OF THE CITATION." When I saw the Citation, I really was pissed off. It was a mess and it was incorrect and I got screwed as far as I felt at that moment. You couldn't read my name and the one sentence that really stood out was "THE TEAM LEADER WAS KILLED ON HIS FIRST MISSION!" If you read the citation below it states that a 1LT was there as an observer on his first mission and if you recall the guy who wrote the sworn statement was also on his first mission.

OK, what should have been done was, the CM should have had his aides send me a copy of the citation and asked if we wanted to submit an appeal. This way the main packet is still in DC. Rocco and I would have taken care of filling out the appeal paperwork, CORRECTING the citation and adding in a notarized statement from a unit member who I mentioned before. This is the way the system works and within a week, we could have had the required paperwork in DC so the CM usually winds up putting a cover letter on it requesting the appeal. The appeals branch is located in another building and they do not go to the awards branch at all. You must fill out a 149 which is the hardest form I ever had to do, however, when done correctly the appeals branch can make a decision using that form and any other substantial evidence you submit. They would have keyed in on the statement about what a LRP was and what the unit's mission was so both Rocco and I felt they would have approved the award for the Silver Star. Instead, I told them I did not want the BSM since the citation was a mess and we were going to appeal it. Well, the CM went ahead and arranged a presentation for the award. So I knew accepting it was not the right way but I was tired of dealing with him, when we showed up for the presentation Rocco wasn't there. When I called Rocco and he found out that the CM had presented it when Rocco had been out of town and he had never been told about it, WOW, it' was a very disrespectful way that the CM handled all of it. Rocco asked me if I wanted to appeal it and I said "I do not think the CM will push it correctly and I feel he disrespected you and really would not listen to me." So Rocco called him and basically told him he was worthless and did not handle the entire procedure the way it should have been done. He said "YOU should have contacted MR Welsh and asked if he wanted to appeal but you have no knowledge or you just don't care about our military or our veterans."

At the next election the CM lost and I went to the new CM who was a veteran he helped me get another award and told me to prepare a full packet and he would request a waiver and submit the full packet for an appeal of the BSM. Then he did not get 51% of the preliminary vote and he wound up losing to the same CM who he beat who was the same CM who had originally messed my award up. So that was it! I have the medal and a copy of the orders but no citation and I can only say: " After 31 years since that day in June of 1968 which I never even thought about an award I then felt it was better than no award at all." The Narrative and citation tell you what happened in an overview but it was a lot more detailed and it was a nightmare I'll never forget. But I feel there is no reason to go into any more detail since the process of getting the award was also a nightmare.

IF KNOWN, PLEASE LIST ANY INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM HIS/HER TIME IN THE MILITARY WHO STOOD OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEM AND WHY?
My first CSM in the 509th was one hell of a soldier with 3 CIB's and 5 combat jumps and he was a hard man but fair. I never met anyone like that so he did impress me, but there were a couple NCO's when I was a Drill SGT and later as a Recondo School Instructor at the XVIII Airborne Recondo School from Dec 83 - May 85. I also felt they were super soldiers and I respected them as a team you could not ask for a more dedicated, motivated, and professional group of men than the Instructors, Chief, and 1SG. It was an honor to work with them all. Once I got into Special Operations, there were some giants there when it came to being warriors. I was lucky to get to know and to work with. And the real heroes were very humble and down to earth. I learned a lot from many of them and I feel fortunate to have had that honor. "SUA SPONTE" NOTE: Picture of COL JAMES "NICK" ROWE former POW in a VC camp in the delta region 1963-68 when he escaped. A couple years after that he was selected by the Army to establish a survival course and was the man who created the SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance & Escape) course outside of Fort Bragg, NC about 40 miles in Camp Mackall. It's the best SERE course in the US Military. I first met the COL when I went to the SERE Instructor Course while he was still in charge in 1985.I later got to work with him in 1988 when he was at the JUSMAG in the Philippines.

On April 21, 1989 he was assassinated on his way to work by 3 communist rebels using M-16's and 45 CAL US weapons. I had last seen him at the end of Mar 1989 before it happened. My Team Leader and I left Okinawa to go do an exercise with a B Team, a few ODA's, and the BN CDR at the Cherry Point Naval Station in NC. The BN CDR got the message about the COL and by that time they were going to take him to Fort Bragg, NC for services before they took him to Arlington. The BN CDR had stopped most of the training for a few days and the guys who were going to the services rented vehicles. So we went to the services and it was packed and it was a very emotional time since the COL was not only a "Hero and a Legend", he was also a good friend and a real down to earth man who dedicated his life to helping and training thousands of soldiers. " He will never be forgotten." RIP SIR, De Oppresso Liber.

IF HE/SHE SURVIVED MILITARY SERVICE, WHAT PROFESSION(S) DID HE/SHE FOLLOW AFTER DISCHARGE?
I worked for the Fayetteville Community College, NC and I was an instructor on their campus on Fort Bragg where they taught the EMT and the Army's Emergency Lifesaver Course. I went through that course in 1995 and they gave me my last 6 months before I retired to go to school so I went and got re-certified as an EMT and was hired to teach the Emergency Lifesaver course. I was there for 2 years and then I moved to San Antonio, TX.

IF HE/SHE SURVIVED MILITARY SERVICE, IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU BELIEVE HIS/HER SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY THEY APPROACHED THEIR PERSONAL LIFE, FAMILY LIFE AND CAREER?
I have always tried to maintain the values I lived by in my 23 years of service in the military. I also try and take into consideration that when I have had to interact with any civilian agencies (that although they may be a dedicated group of people) I do not judge them in anyway even though they may not appear to meet the standards I may have been accustomed to while I was serving in the military. If they are good people who mean well and have a positive outlook on life, are true to their cause and believe in our country and it's traditions; you cannot expect much more than that from anyone. WE HAVE A SAYING IN TEXAS: "TREAT US GOOD AND WE WILL TREAT YOU BETTER. TREAT US BAD AND YOU WILL BE TREATED WORSE".

IF THEY WERE HERE TODAY, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU THINK HE OR SHE WOULD GIVE TO THOSE WHO FOLLOWED IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS AND RECENTLY ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE?
It's an all volunteer Army, so now that they are in the Army they should strive to learn as much as possible about the standards and traditions that were maintained by those who have served before them and those who made the supreme sacrifice so that others may live and enjoy the freedom and comforts that are sometimes taken for granted. In order to be successful in the Army one must be motivated, disciplined and aggressive and still maintain their belief in their god and our country and also show compassion when it is needed. Duty, Honor and Country is a way of life, not just three words.

HOW EFFECTIVE HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM BEEN IN HELPING YOU RECORD YOUR REMEMBERED PERSONS MILITARY SERVICE? DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE?
TWS has given me a chance to finally establish a true and accurate account for all of my fallen brothers and to link up with several old friends and comrades that I may have never had a chance to do if I was not in TWS. Most of all, I must commend all the staff that I have had the honor and pleasure of working with in my quest to establish my fallen brothers pages. The friendly, patient and professional attitude they display in spite of my sometimes over active approach to get something accomplished proved that they are nothing less than a terrific group of men and women who are dedicated to making TWS the greatest online military organization it is today. I am going to try and help out in the near future as soon as I have all my FB's and 2 Unit's pages done. That's what we need to do to keep this site in front of all the rest, so, if I can help new members build their profile pages it will make it easier on them and hopefully they will appreciate it as much as I did. Who knows maybe once they get on board they may want to get involved and help someone also. Thank you and a salute to all of you. 1

SG Joey B Welsh USA-Ret,
E/20/LRP & C/75/RGR IFFV,
Unit Historical Adviser # 003.

DS 6/7/16