Service-member serial: B31-17-73

Selective Service Number: 31-80-47-86

Registered for Draft: 08 AUG 1966, Stoneville (Rockingham County), NC

Enlistment Date: 08 AUG 1966 (Drafted/ Selective Service) 

Enlistment Location: Stoneville (Rockingham County), NC

Branch of Service: United States Navy

Military Occupation: Boatswain's Mate

Enlistment Physical Description: 

          Prior Occupation: 

          Race/Ethnicity: White

          Marital Status: Single

          Number of Dependents: Zero

          Height: 71'' 

          Build: 

          Weight: 186 lbs

          Eye Color: Blue

          Hair Color: Brown

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Service Remarks: Wayne was immediately drafted into the United States Army upon graduation from Stoneville High School in 1966. His father (an Army veteran of the Second World War) however, convinced him to volunteer his services to the United States Navy in hopes of avoiding the hostilities in Vietnam.

 

Upon graduation from Recruit Training Command at Naval Station Great Lakes, Wayne was rated a Boatswain's Mate and not long after this, he was given orders to deploy to Vietnam. Initially restricted to ship-side service off the coast of South Vietnam (which he found mundane and miserable), Wayne volunteered to transfer to the mainland.

 

He was assigned to an LCM-8 "Mike boat" crew (hull number: YFU-7) as part of the Naval Support Activity (Da Nang) on the Perfume and Qua Viet /Song Thach Han Rivers. Wayne and his crew operated the length of both rivers from the mouth to the ports at Hue City, Dong Ha and Quang Tri.

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As "River Rats" their primary role was the transportation of men and supplies. Doing so on the river proved an extremely dangerous task. LCM-8's are large, slow-moving craft. Being so close to the DMZ, they were often engaged by enemy artillery, mortars, rockets and small-arms which on numerous occasions resulted in his crew-members being killed or injured. His patrol base at the mouth of the Qua Viet never maintained a single hard-structure because of the routine bombardment of enemy artillery. Of his three year and two month drafted service, Wayne was deployed to Vietnam for a period of two years and eleven months over three separate tours, two of which were voluntary.  

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Recipient of: 

- Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal

- Navy & Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon

- National Defense Medal

- Vietnam Service Medal with Combat Action Device

- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

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- Navy Unit Commendation 

- Republic of Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation

- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation

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Rank at Separation: Boatswain's Mate Third Class (BSM3)     23 AUG 1969

Separation Date: 26 SEP 1969

Separation Location: Naval Station Long Beach, CA

Condition of Separation: Honorable Discharge

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Birth: 13 FEB 1947, Leaksville (Rockingham County), NC

Death: 14 JUN 2019, Hyco Lake, NC

Burial: Roselawn Memorial Gardens, Reidsville (Rockingham County), NC