GETTYSBURG, S.D. (AP) — “I hit a home run today, and it has been one of the most fun days of my life,” said William Larry Little after he shot his limit of pheasants on the first day of the Decorated Veterans Hunt held Nov. 9-13 in Gettysburg.
Four veterans from around the country were selected by a lottery draw to receive pheasant hunt experience in South Dakota, the Black Hills Pioneer reported . Chosen were: Gary Renick, of San Antonio, Texas; William Larry Little, of Gainsville, Ga.; Paul Treusch, from Deltona, Fla.; and Ron Garside, of Gardnerville, Nev.
This was the second annual Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Decorated Veterans Hunt around the Gettysburg area. Hunting sites this year included Browns Hunting Ranch, Thomas Ranch, Wilbert Fenger Farms, Larson Farms, and the Potts Farm.
Joining the four decorated veterans was Vincent “B.J.” Lawrence, senior vice commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
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Lawrence commented, “being able to witness firsthand the camaraderie and enjoyment displayed by these true American heroes is something I will never forget.”
Lawrence served in the Army from 1983-86, earning his VFW eligibility by serving in Korea, where he earned the Korean Defense Service Medal.
Renick enlisted in the Army in 1965 and served in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Division from 1966-1967 and was then assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Tolz, Germany. He then volunteered to return to Vietnam in the 101st Airborne in December 1967. Renick was then assigned to the Navy’s 521st River Section in May of 1968 as a forward observer patrolling the Huong Song (Perfume River) from the ocean to Hue. Renick received two purple hearts, one for charging a machine gun nest that had their team pinned down, and after surviving two grenades, he saw the third grenade, which went off and wounded him. His nine-man team had one killed and seven wounded by the time they were able to get out of the village.
The second Purple Heart came while they were sleeping in a cemetery, and he was wounded in an ambush. Renick was awarded two Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars, Army Commendation, Air Medal, and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.
Renick’s advice to other veterans is, “Get with other vets on hunting and fishing trips and talk about your experiences. I did not talk to anyone of my experience for more than 45 years. We had no one to talk to back then, including family and friends.”
Little graduated from helicopter flight school at Fort Rucker, AIa., in August 1968 and was then deployed to Vietnam. In Vietnam, he was assigned to Bravo Company, 9th Aviation Battalion, 9th Infantry Division at Dong Tam in the IV Corp for the first half of his tour of duty. Little’s primary job was to fly a UH1-C Huey “Charlie Model” helicopter gunship. Flying as a two-ship fire team and flew missions, both day and night, in support of the infantry. For the second half of his tour, he transferred over to D-Troop 3/5th Air Cav, which was also stationed at Dong Tam in support of the 9th Infantry Division. The mission was to provide aerial reconnaissance in locating and engaging the enemy. He flew as a scout pilot low, 200 feet, over different designated operational sectors each day in an attempt to find signs of enemy movement, ambush locations and encampment areas.
Little was wounded after his helicopter received heavy fire from an unseen bunker. After landing his bird in a nearby paddy, he got back to base and got on another aircraft. The crew then returned to the contact area to see if they could identify and knockout the heavy weapons bunker that had the infantry pinned down. It was on his second pass engaging the bunker that we again drew fire and he was shot through the left (collective control) hand, which controls the chopper altitude. Little began to settle into the treetops, just as he was steering for the bunker to crash.
“God showed up and miraculously saves the day by insisting I regain altitude by using my left forearm to pull up on the collective,” Little said.
Little set the helicopter down in the nearby rice paddy alongside his earlier crippled bird.
Little is 73-years-young and a retired construction manager, with a wonderful wife of 49 years and blessed with two grown daughters.
Treusch enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1956 in Pittsburg, Pa., and retired in 1976 as a master sergeant. Treusch spent the first three years as a basic infantryman.
The following 16 years he served in various billets from communications to recruitment, from a lifeguard to platoon sergeant in Vietnam to the non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) of base communications. Treusch was honored with a purple heart for the shrapnel wounds received during the Tet offensive in 1968 in the Dong Ha Province of Vietnam.
“I believe the military veterans are a unique brotherhood. I am proud to have served regardless of the branch or the reasons, and served where I was needed,” said Treusch.
“I and many more did so, and we can stand tall and proud, knowing we made a difference,” he added.
Treusch was drawn to the hunt for the comradeship of hunting and socializing with other vets who share interest in the outdoors.
Garside served a little more than five years in the Army and completed two tours in Vietnam with the 1st Division Recon Rangers and the 101st Airborne Division with the infantry.
Garside has been honored with five Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry after being wounded on five occasions.
He has had 27 surgeries over the past 40 years and shared his concerns with the veterans’ administration over his medical challenges. Garside encouraged all of the young veterans to not give up and keep fighting for your benefits.
Hunting pheasants is a great memory for Garside as he started hunting pheasants on their dairy farm back in California when he was a kid. Garside said he retired in 1997 but still enjoys hunting in Nevada and Colorado.
Treusch said the week of pheasant hunting was great.
“I have mixed emotions: Humble and honored. I just think the people of Gettysburg made the hunt, and it is the smallest town in South Dakota with the biggest heart. It has been an experience I will never forget,” he said.
Renick recapped the week as fabulous, the pheasant hunting was outstanding, and the people have been great to us. He continued, “I don’t think we could ask for anything better; we had a fun time.”
Little commented, “The week was a most wonderful time I have had in a long time, and it has been a blessing to come meet these fine people and to have the comraderies with them. Everyone has been so supportive and so nice, it has humbled us to have been allowed to come to the hunt. We found a new purpose to share the love back home and paying it forward with other veterans. I find it very humbling to find a small community so patriotic and some giving with nothing expected in return.”
Garside said, “I have been hunting for a long time, and as a 100 percent disabled vet, this is one of the most wonderful hunts I have ever been on. I hunted pheasants as a teen and have never seen so many birds and enjoyed myself so much; everything has been wonderful since I got here.”
Garside also thanked Gettysburg VFW Post 8530 for putting on such a great hunt.
“I will tell you, this veterans hunt has been a personal cause for me for years. I grew up hunting with my dad, and when I came back from Iraq, I wanted to help somehow,” said Lynn Rolf, VFW director of operations, from Leavenworth, Kan. “I will walk, clean birds; I just want to be part of it.”
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Information from: Black Hills Pioneer, http://www.bhpioneer.com