West Bend, WI – Washingtoncountyinsider.com is honoring US Army Veteran David Bilgo today. Bilgo penned his story below:
“I was drafted and conscripted into the Army in the summer of 1968, serving in Vietnam from January 1969 to March 1970.
“I was attached to the 504th Military Police (MP) Headquarters Company just south of Hue, the provincial capital. The company’s mission was that of combat military police, whose duties ranged from convoy escort, perimeter guard, and the transmission of classified and encrypted messaging throughout the country and within the Military Police network.
“When I achieved the rank of Sergeant, I became the squad leader for the communications unit for the Headquarters. Other duties included remote radio relay stations near firebases and isolated mountain ranges where convoys needed assistance going through mountain passes. I lost half a lung to Agent Orange (Dioxin) Poisonings, and PTSD from the horror, trauma, and stress.
“My wonderful friends and my most understanding friend (my beautiful wife, Anne) have, thankfully, supported me, and I continue to live with the ghosts, balancing karma by serving others, living in peace, and finding joy; celebrating life by being survivors, on behalf of nearly 69,000, who never had the chance.
“I received the Outstanding Achievement Award, from the Vietnam Veterans of Wisconsin for my decades-long professional work on behalf of disadvantaged and “at-risk” youth in Wisconsin.”
WashingtonCountyInsider.com is paying tribute to veterans in the community. Feel free to submit your photo and a brief write-up for publication prior to November 11, 2021, to washcoinsider@gmail.com.
