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Paul Edward West was born on June 10, 1947. He died at the age of 20 on March 2, 1968. He was a Private First Class Medical Corpsman in the United States Army C Company, 9th Regiment, 4th Batallion. He began his tour in the Republic of South Vietnam on December 10, 1967.
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David Lee
Submitted by David Lee as taken from the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
Paul West's name is on Panel 42E, Line 44 ~ Died March 2, 1968 In GIA DINH, South Vietnam
This tribute was written by Wayne Holloway of Marianna Florida.
A Gentle Hero, Paul West was a quiet and dutiful man. I was amazed the first time I went on a sweep with the company to see that there were people like him. He was a C.O. (conscientious objector). He had no weapon, only his medical aide bag. I remember thinking about how strong a person would have to be to go into the jungle, where we knew people were trying to kill us, with no weapon. I was near Paul the day he was killed. He died while trying unsuccessfully to save the life of Larry Walden.
Mary Neil (Goldman)
David,
Thank you for posting this. What extraordinary courage Paul had.
Thank you, again.
Mary Neil
Larry Hurt
The
Combat Medic Prayer
Oh lord, I ask for the divine strenght
to meet the demands of my profession.
Help me be the finest Medic,
both technically and tactically.
if I am called to the battelfield,
give me the courage to conserve our
fighting forces by providing medical
care to all who are in need.
If I am called for a misson of peace,
give me the strength to lead by caring for
those who need my assistance.
Finally, Lord help me take care
of my own spirtual, physical and emotional needs.
Teach me to trust in your
presence and never - failing love.
AMEN
Ginger Barr
Thank you for posting. We had many brave people go to war. Paul was one of them!
Larry Hurt
While I don't remember ever meeting Paul West I have the upmost respect for his service to his country when called to serve. Like other's in the Classs '65, Paul made the Ultimate Sacrifice and held to his beliefs, which speak of a strong willed individual. Paul a Combat Medic, they were often called Doc by members of their combat group, gave his life treating a mortally wounded brother while under enemy fire. May we never forget Paul, Gary, Dan, Bill & other classmate's who served during these difficult times. May we never forget the 58,000+ men and women who also made the ultimate sacrifice while in Vietnam. Let us never forget the service men and women who came home but have suffered numerous medical and mental issues, their war never ended.
Phil Patterson
Paul was one of the gentlest men I ever met. We first became acquainted sharing an art table during our 7th grade year at Broadmoor. Tragedy had already struck his family by then. He had a younger brother who had died a number of years before. He did not dwell on his loss, and I wondered, "How could he not?" He was one of the good ones. As the song says, "Only the good die young".