Larry E Whitington

Private First Class
C CO, 1ST BN, 2ND INFANTRY, 1 INF DIV
Army of the United States
15 November 1942 - 20 August 1966
Fairmount, Illinois
Panel 10E Line 023

1 INF DIV

2ND INF RGT
Combat Infantry

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Larry E Whitington

22 April 1999

REMEMBERED

by
Nancy Whitington Robinson
nancyr@abcs.com
22 Nov 2005

This is my memorial for Larry Whitington. He was one of our RTOs, radio transmission operator, for the 3rd Pplt Cc/1/2. He carried the radio for our platoon leader, LT John C. Harrison. He had a fiance and missed home. He was a good RTO, always there. We were in base camp when we got mortared. He put on his web gear and went to his bunker. Instead of going through a mudhole and going in the bunker through the back, he went around in front of the bunker to come in from the front opening. We had a new guy on guard and he mistook him for a VC. All Larry had on was some red boxers and his radio, no helmet or uniform. It was dark. The new guy shot him. Larry died that night. A terrible night.

I got his radio. I could smell his sweat on the canvas for a day or two. Eerie feeling. He died bravely. He never shirked his duties. He was always trying to improve morale, always cheerful. Some of our dead's survivors wrote our platoon to find out how their loved ones died. I know of no-one who answered any of the mail. It was too painful. We never talked of the dead and let very few people in our hearts. It hurt to lose them. We had our own little groups of special friends and learned not to make friends. We always lost them. I apologise to the families of the dead for not writing to you all. It just hurt too much at the time. I've felt guilty for it all my life. This is making me feel a little better. I hope Larry's kin reads this.

I have more memorials to do when I can. I have to be in the mood. I feel a duty to memorialize our friends on here. It's good to find our old buddies.

Thanks,
Johnny Johnston
C/1/2 1966-67

From a friend of Larry's in vietnam,
John H Johnston
11215 Garrison Rd, Little Rock, Ar. 72223
apurpleheart@aol.com





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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 08/10/2009