Most people wouldn’t be eager to volunteer for a dangerous, harrowing job that isn’t their responsibility to tackle.
Charles Ziegler isn’t most people.
That’s why when he was serving in the Army during the Vietnam War, assigned to help make a mess hall more efficient, he jumped into action when he heard the deafening whir of helicopter propellers.
Ziegler was stationed at Landing Zone Baldy, located northwest of Chu Lai in central Vietnam, a spot where Chinook helicopters would come to pick up supplies to be shuttled to the front lines.
At the landing zone, the ground crew worked with the flight crew to coordinate the delicate and dangerous process of attaching heavy cargo like ammunition, water buffaloes and artillery pieces to the hovering aircraft. They would wait on the ground for the Chinook to hover overhead, then quickly attach the cargo to the aircraft’s external hooks while being blasted by the powerful rotor wash.
The ground crews who prepared and hooked up these loads were critical to the overall mission, ensuring that troops on the front lines received the supplies needed to continue fighting.
But at Landing Zone Baldy, they were also severely undermanned.
So Ziegler, seeing an unmet need, volunteered to help.
“I was there doing my job,” Ziegler, who was in Vietnam from March 1968 to March 1969, said matter-of-factly. “I was raised on a farm in Berks County and taught that when you see something that needs to get done you get it done.”
Battling the noise and wind and swirling debris, all while under threat of enemy fire, he took on the physically and mentally taxing task — even though he didn’t have to do so.
And on Wednesday, he was honored for his selfless service.
During a special ceremony at the Etchberger Veterans Service Center of Berks County in Wyomissing, Ziegler finally received the Bronze Star Medal he earned in combat but never received — an oversight that persisted for 56 years.
Berks County resident Charles Ziegler speaks at a ceremony Wednesday at the Etchberger Veterans Service Center of Berks County in Wyomissing where he received the Bronze Star Medal for his service in the Vietnam War. (KAREN SHUEY – READING EAGLE)
Ziegler was discharged and sent home from Vietnam before the medal could be awarded, a common occurrence for soldiers of that era when the priority was returning troops home rather than decorating them.
It wasn’t until recently that the Centre Township man realized the oversight.
A few years ago he was going through some paperwork with his wife when he came across his old military documents. They included a notation that read “BSM.”
Seeing the notation spurred a memory for Ziegler, who recalled it being mentioned to him by his superiors that he was to receive a Bronze Star. But, he said, he never did.
The 78-year-old thought that having the medal would be meaningful, not only to himself but to his family. It would be a cherished artifact that he could pass down once he passed away.
So about two years ago, Ziegler reached out to Berks County Veterans Affairs Director Jay Ostrich for help in correcting the oversight. Working with Denise Weaver, the veterans liaison in U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser’s office, they filed an appeal with the Department of the Army.
After persistence through two presidential administrations, their efforts were finally successful, and Ziegler’s Bronze Star was approved.
Ostrich shared that when he called Ziegler to let him know that he would be receiving his medal, he responded with a simple question about when would be a good time to swing by the center and pick it up. But Ostrich had other plans.
“This is not just a story about a medal,” Ostrich told those gathered at the special ceremony Wednesday.
He said the event is a reminder that most of the more than 2.7 million Americans who fought in the Vietnam War were deprived of accolades in their return home from combat because of deep political divisions.
“This is about making something right — for a generation of veterans who were treated poorly during and after their service,” he said. “It is our mission here today to embrace one very simple principle that it is never the wrong time to do the right thing.”
Berks County resident Charles Ziegler, center, was presented with a Bronze Star Medal by Army Maj. Gen. Michael Wegscheider, left, that he earned while serving in the Vietnam War. Berks County Veterans Affairs Director Jay Ostrich, right, was instrumental in making sure Ziegler received the medal (KAREN SHUEY – READING EAGLE)
Following the presentation of the medal surrounded by local officials and dignitaries, Ziegler said he was happy to be recognized for his service after all these decades.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for this honor, especially for my family for being here with me,” he said. “There were a lot of people who contributed to me getting this Bronze Star and I wouldn’t be here today without them. I want to just say that this is the best country in the world and it was a pleasure to serve my country.”