Walter Francis Wrobleski
21 year old Single, Caucasian
From FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY
Aviator
281st Assault Helicopter Company
10th CAB, 17th CAG, 1st AVN BDE
Tour of duty began in December 1966
Casualty was on May 21, 1967 in QUANG NAM, South Vietnam
Helicopter was shot down
On Feb 15, 1978 Walter's status was changed
from missing to presumed to have died while missing
DOB Aug 28, 1945
PROTESTANT
Rotary wing training class: 66-17
(VN Wall Panel 20E - Line 80)
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Walter Francis Wrobleski was born on August 28, 1945 in Neptune New Jersey. His parents, Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Wrobleski, moved to 6 John Street, Freehold, New Jersey, which became Walter's home of record. In December of 1965 Walter entered the army as a PVT E-1 (RA12749437)and was sent to Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd. Training Brigade at Fort Polk Louisiana for basic training. Following basic Walter was assigned to Rotary Wing Training Class 66-17 and went on to earn the silver wings of an Army Aviator and to be commissioned as a Warrant Officer (W3154733). In December 1966, at the
age of 21, he was assigned to the 281st Assault
The crew members flying with Walter on the day of his loss were Donald Corkran, Aircraft Commander; Craig Szwed, Crew Chief, and Gary Hall, Gunner; all of whom were rescued after their aircraft crashed rolled and burned. Corkran and Hall were knocked back into the jungle as the hoist from their rescue helicopter carried them through the jungle canopy on their initial rescue attempt. The rescue of these three surviving crewmen took place over four days. For the complete story written by Corkran and Szwed please go to the Intruder Web Site at: http://www.281stahc.org/perstory.html Donald (Corky) Corkran describes the event associated with Walter's loss like this: "Crew member on aircraft shot down due to enemy action. Aircraft exploded and burned on impact. No known survivors. " To explain the above, my story begins on a Sunday morning as I was flying as the Aircraft Commander on a UH-1 Gunship providing fire support for an extraction from a hot LZ. Jerry Montoya, another of my 66-13 classmates went in to attempt an extraction of an SF team that was being chased by “Charlie”. That's when Jerry got his eye shot out. Jerry told me in 1999 that as he was on the way back to the hospital, he heard that Wolfpack 33 was down! All I can remember is that as we turned inbound on the daisy chain, all hell broke loose in the aircraft! We were hit as we were making a left turn and then we started to roll right. Neither Walter nor I could do anything with the aircraft. We became passengers as the aircraft started in the direction that it wanted to go! The rotor started to unwind and we were only able to get the collective part of the way down. (Craig Szwed or Gary Hall told someone later that he looked out toward the back of the aircraft and all he could see was fire, smoke and bullet holes). Just as we reached the jungle canopy, I remember being able to pull back on the cyclic and the nose of the aircraft pitched up in response, so I tried pulling up on the collective and it came up but it didn't do much (not enough turns I guess). As we thrashed down thru the canopy things flew everywhere until the aircraft came to rest on what looked like a big rock. The transmission came down between Walter and myself and that was the last time that I remember seeing him. The aircraft rolled over three times, landing upside down. At that point I realized that we were on fire and without thinking I released my seat belt, and fell on my head! I couldn't get my door open and there was fire around the transmission on my left. There was movement behind me and I saw Gary Hall going out the back door. To this day I do not know how I got over the back of my seat and out of the aircraft. The aircraft was already a roaring inferno and ammo was cooking off as we ran away from the aircraft. Gary and I realized after we got away from the aircraft that we were by ourselves. We discussed going back to the aircraft but by now the fire was so intense and the ammo was really cooking off (an S.F. team member told me later that they found a rocket stuck through a tree in front of the aircraft). We figured everyone else was dead and that fire would attract unwelcome attention, so we moved about 50 meters from the wreckage and hid in the elephant grass.
Walter's home town of Freehold, NJ erected a memorial cross near their downtown area for Walter and each of it's other sons and daughters killed or missing in action in the service of our country. The New jersey Vietnam Veterans Association has a detailed write up on Walter at:
Walter is survived by his mother and brother, Harry. Contact with Harry several years ago revealed that Walter excelled in baseball and had the talent to become a pro-player. Walter's religious preference was Protestant and his name is listed on Panel 20E, Line 080 at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. On Memorial Day, 1994, an article written by his former Rat Pack Platoon Commander regarding Walter's loss was printed in the Miami Herald. That article is also carried on the 281st AHC web site under the Personal Stories of Jack Serig who has assisted in preparing CW3 Walter Francis Wrobleski's Book Of Remembrance for the 281st AHC Association web site. For Jack's personal stories go to:http://www.281stahc.org/Serig.html
You may also contact Jack at: Another 281st AHC Door Gunner, Private First Class Michael Patrick Gallagher, was also killed on the same day, 21 May, 1967, engaging the enemy during the time his ship was heavily involved in the rescue effort. Please Click on his name below to go to his Book of Remembrance. (MiCHAEL GALLAGHER)A MAN IS NOT DEAD UNTIL HE IS FORGOTTEN |
Helicopter Company, at Nha
Trang, Republic of South Vietnam.
