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thedrifter
08-14-06, 06:57 PM
From a distant shore
Vietnam veteran traveled world
By Shaw Israel Izikson, North Adams Transcript
North Adams Transcript
Monday, August 14

This is one in a series of features on war veterans living in Northern Berkshire County. The title, "Old Soldiers," is taken from the famous quote from Gen. Douglas MacArthur, "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."

CHESHIRE — Vietnam War veteran Ralph Schwarzer said he would recommend joining the military to anyone.

"I had a good military life, and I got to see other parts of the world," Schwarzer said. "Except I don't advocate signing up during a time of war. I think you need to be a little more selective today."

The 67-year-old Schwarzer was born and raised on West Street in Adams, and joined the Navy when he was 16. "There was a dormant area of my education at the time, and I lived next door to an engineman who was in the Navy," Schwarzer said. "I signed up for a six-year program with my parents' permission."

Schwarzer spent two years on active reserve, and 12 years on active duty.

"My fleet went to the Atlantic/ Mediterranean area, from the North Sea to Bombay, India, and hitting all of the countries in between," Schwarzer said. "We visited France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, we had ports of call in Hong Kong and Taiwan before we went into the Vietnam area."

Schwarzer was assigned to the Navy destroyer USS Walke as a machinist's mate. He said his fleet was assigned to artillery fire missions outside of Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin from 1965 to 1967.

"We never got on shore on Vietnam; the extent of my duties was being below deck, doing a normal course of maintenance in the engine room," he said. "It was still dangerous to a degree. We were lucky that Vietnam didn't have air force or a navy, other than river boats, and the Marines took care of that."

He said the ship was assigned fire missions to help support soldiers and Marines on land. "We had five-inch guns on board, and the port observer would give us the target coordinates," Schwarzer said. "Our fire patrol was very good. They would zero right in on our targets."

The USS Walke would often ferry Marines into the area, an experience that Schwarzer said he would never forget.

"As they left the ship, you could see that their faces were all full of fear, and that was so disheartening," he said. "Some had chips on their shoulders, and that was the pride they learned in the Marine Corps. I didn't really see any seasoned Marines, they were all young replacements all going into battle. I said a silent prayer for each one of them, and that's all we could really do."

Schwarzer said the most dangerous experience he had was in 1963, when he was stationed on the USS Forrest Sherman, and a fire broke out in the boiler room.

"The ship was trying to increase speed, and one of the technicians was changing a nozzle, but he didn't quite have it right," Schwarzer said. "The hot oil that got out of the nozzle, and it was like a can of lighter fluid, which started a fire. It didn't take long for it to become very smoky in there."

He said he was part of the damage control party that threw ammunition overboard to keep it from igniting, and he helped to put the fire out.

"We didn't lose anybody, and only a few of us got burns, but it could have gotten hairy," Schwarzer said. "There were around 320 people onboard the destroyer, and you had to prepare for any eventuality that might pop up. The ship is like a little township, and it functions like a little city."

After Schwarzer left the Navy, he signed up for the National Guard unit in Adams and spent 15 years in the 104th Infantry Regiment. He retired as a staff sergeant.

"I met a lot of nice individuals that I cherish and respect over the years serving in the National Guard unit," Schwarzer said.

Since 2003, he has served as commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1995 in Adams. For the past two years, he also has been commander of Adams American Legion Post 160.

"The Legion is doing a great job and is instrumental in veterans' affairs and organizing them," Schwarzer said. "We have a membership of 64, but about a half a dozen of us meet every month."

His oldest son, Ernest, served in the National Guard, and his grandson, James Houle, served in the Army and was in Iraq for 2 1/2 years.

"I think my children did a wonderful job at the time that they did it," Schwarzer said. "They all served honorably."

Ellie