Amanuensis Monday – Sgt. Robert Wimp
by Sherry Stocking Kline
December 21, 2010
December 21, 2010
In May of this year, I shared some information on my blog about the death of Sgt. Robert Wimp in Vietnam. You can see my original post here.
As a result of that original post, Carol Yates Wilkerson, http://ipentimento.com, added more information about the date, etc. of Sgt. Wimp’s death that she located at http://thewall-usa.com/info.asp?recid=56872, and below is the info that was included there.
ROBERT G. WIMP
SFC – E7 – Army – Regular
MACV ADVISORS
Length of service 14 years
His tour began on Sep 15, 1968
Casualty was on Feb 19, 1969
In, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE
Body was recovered
Panel 32W – Line 63
Two Heroes…
And this week, Claudia visited my website. Claudia said that she wasn’t part of Wimp’s family, but added “My husband was in Vietnam and has recently reconnected with some old comrades.”
Claudia said that someone sent her the text below recounting the death of 3 soldiers and that the one named Ackerman served with her husband. Claudia said, “in the text there was mention of 2 other soldiers (Robert Wimp and Early) who died with him. Two heroes.”
“On Sunday afternoon, 19 Feb 1969, I had the misfortune of hearing Early, SFC Robert Wimp, and Captain Edwin Ackerman voluntarily charge into the rice paddies with a small SVN popular force team to repel a VC patrol. I listened to them courageously engage in a fierce fire fight, and request helicopter gun ship support. Then all at once I heard them caught up in an ambush with no way to escape.”
Claudia said that she believes the information sent to her was part of a battle report, and so she googled Robert Wimp and found my website.
“At this time I have no first name for the soldier named Early,” Claudia said.
As Claudia said, that short bit of text says so little, and yet so much, conveying a picture, and a feeling of helplessness as well.
I have more information about the Wimp family, and would very much like to share it with family members, so if you are a Wimp family member, please leave a comment!
Posted in Amanuensis Monday, Garage Sale Photos, Orphaned Family Treasures | 
Tags: Eads Colorado, Robert Wimp, Vietnam
Hi Sherrie!
I hope you continued success in documenting the Wimp family!
I am selecting you for the Ancestor Approved Award: http://robinsavingstories.blogspot.com/2011/01/ten-things-that-surprised-humbled-and.html
Visit Leslie to get your award:
http://ancestorsinthenews.blogspot.com/2010/12/ancestor-approved-award.html
Thank you so much Leslie! This is an honor, and it is much appreciated! I’ve been so slow to respond because of a flu bug that just won’t ‘leave’ and I’m getting further and further behind!
I hope to get caught back up soon! Bless you!
I was recently awarded the “Ancestors Approved” Award from a fellow blogger who like my blog. The “Ancestor Approved” Award was created in March 2010 by Leslie Ann Ballou of Ancestors Live Here as a way to show how much she appreciates and enjoys “blogs full of tips and tricks as well as funny and heartwarming stories…” Recipients are to list ten things which surprised, humbled or enlightened them about their ancestors, before passing it on to ten other bloggers.
That’s where you come in. You are one of 10 bloggers I would like to recognize. Should you choose to accept the award, you can post it on your blog, create your list and pass it on. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog.
Kathy Reed
Jones Family Matters
http://jonesfamilymatters.blogspot.com
Thank you, Kathy! This is very much appreciated! I am sorry to be so slow in answering, but we’ve been ‘fighting’ a flu bug here in my house, and everything is working in slow motion! Take Care! Sherry
Sherry,
I don’t have any Joneses from the areas you discussed,so our families probably don’t overlap — one of the many problems tracing this surname.
Kathy
Aw, shucks! I didn’t figure that your family and mine were the same, but you just never know, and I’ve been lucky to locate family from time to time just by asking.
“that short bit of text says so little, and yet so much, conveying a picture, and a feeling of helplessness as well.”
There is such a contrast between the official U.S. government database of casualties and this battle report. The use of words like “misfortune,” “courageously,” “fierce” and “no way to escape” gives a feel for the emotion behind the cold facts.
You are so right, there is a contrast between the information, and you get such a tragic picture from these words, don’t you? Thanks for stopping by!
If you go search the Vietnam virtual wall on the Net… go look for Edwin Ackerman. I recently added his photo. And also the short text that I had sent Sherry. 🙂
Robert Wimp was my mother’s brother. I remember a cold day in January when we were standing in near the newly dug grave of my grandfather in Eads, Colorado. He has recently died of stomache cancer. I was 10 years old. Uncle Bob was wearing a long green military trench coat. After the funeral he was flown back to Vietnam and was killed one month later. I often think of that time. It was the last time he was able to see his 10 brothers and sisters. It was the first time I had met many of my aunts and uncles. Thank you Uncle Bob for your ultimate sacrifice.
I am so glad that you stopped by. I may have some photos, and I know that I did have the newspaper clipping that mentioned Robert’s death. I would so like to get them back to you. I won’t be able to even look for things for at least a week, however, as I’m finishing up something else for someone else. I will add a blog post about your uncle, too, if you care to share more. Bless you for writing! Sherry
A Google search today led me to check out this website and posting. I maintain a remembrance for SFC Wimp on my Together We Served page. My shadow box with his name and others can be seen here.
http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=92766
I was the last person to talk to them on the radio. I did organize a reaction force to try and help, but by the time we got to their location, all we could do was recover their bodies. A very sad moment in time that I still relive every day.
I hope this site is still active and visited as I really need a photo or two of SFC Wimp. Please, and thank you.
Mike
I need to still try to find a photo of him, but am not certain that I have one. I hope you are able at some point to connect with his family. Sherry