Bucks Marine Killed In Viet Nam
The horrible realism of war hit home once again in the Bux-Mont area yesterday when the U.S. Defense Department informed Mr. and Mrs. George A. Wellings of Warrington that their only son, Edward, had been killed in action in Viet Nam.
A 22-year-old member of the Marine Corps, Edward was wounded only last August in Viet Nam combat.
He returned to action in late September and as a member of the Marine's Fourth Division [sic] joined in the heavy assault two weeks ago on the Viet Cong stronghold of Quan Tri.
It was there last Wednesday that he met his death.
Known as Eddie to his companions, but "Skipper" around the Wellings' household, he was scheduled to go on leave yesterday.
Only last week, he wrote his sister - Mrs. Betty Kirkpatrick of Furlong - telling her how he was looking forward to the leave, which of course, never came.
"Late in August he wrote and told me he had been wounded," his sister recalled. "He said it wasn't too serious and not to worry.
"He was never one to complain," she said. "And from his letter I sort of sensed that he was looking forward to going back into the fight."
Mr. and Mrs. Wellings, who reside at 706-B Elbow Lane, Warrington, said their son enlisted in the Marines in May of 1965 and underwent his basic training at Camp Pendleton in California.
Captain James P. Crowley of the U.S. Marine Corps, Armed Forces Center, Philadelphia, accompanied by a chaplain, the Rev. Gustave Weltsek of the Episcopal Church of the Redemption, Southhampton, arrived at the Wellings' apartment, informing them of their son's death on Sept. 21.
The Marine attended school at Keith Junior High School in Horsham, and left school to work with his father at Kellett Aircraft, Easton Road, Horsham.
While visiting in San Diego, Calif., the young man enlisted in the Marines in May of 1965. After receiving his basic training he was sent to Okinawa last October, where he was stationed for six months before being transferred to Viet Nam.
On the return of the young Marine's body to this country an interment will be made in the National Cemetery, Limekiln Pike and Haines St., Philadelphia.
Other service men of the Bux-Mont area killed in Viet Nam include Lt James P. Kelly, 23, an Army Lieut. from Horsham who was killed in action in Viet Nam in Sept. of 1965. He was believed to be the area's first casualty of the war.
William H. Walls, 19, a Marine Pvt. of Hatboro was killed in January of this year by mortar shrapnel at DaNang.
Marine Lance Cpl Gregory Jeremicz, 20, of Hilltown was killed in action in the vicinity of Queson, Dec. 20, of 1965. He was the second Hilltown man to die in Viet Nam. Fred Tice, 33, died several weeks prior to the death of Jeremicz, in an airplane crash in Viet Nam.
Source unknown.
Reproduced under 17 USC �107
