James W. Speed

West Point, 1963

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by George Davenport on July 31, 2021:

Wally came to West Point from Chattanooga, Tennessee, after a plebe year at the Citadel. Why anyone would choose to be a plebe twice is hard to imagine, but he always said the second experience was somewhat easier because of the first. As an Infantry file, he went to Fort Benning, where he completed the IOBC, Airborne School, and Ranger School, assigned to the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. While there, he completed a Vietnamese Language course and went "TDY" to Vietnam, working with various Vietnamese Army units. He was the first member of '63 to be assigned to Vietnam in any capacity, because, at that time, only ranks of First Lieutenant and higher were being assigned to Vietnam. He was reassigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, as it deployed to Vietnam. In the 173rd, in the 2/503rd Infantry, he received two Purple Hearts for combat wounds, and the CIB. He was next Aide de Camp to the CG of the HQ Area Command, and he served in that capacity until he was reassigned back to the 173rd Airborne Brigade to the 1/503rd Infantry as the S2 (Intelligence) and S5 (Civil Affairs) Staff Officer. Following a boondoggle experience at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho as the Army Air Reconnaissance Liaison Officer to the 67th Tactical Recon Wing, he was reassigned to another tour of duty in Vietnam. In February, 1968 he joined the 1st Cavalry Division just as the Tet Offensive of 1968 was winding down, and was assigned to the G3 staff as an operations officer in the Division TOC. After six months on Staff, he became commander of D Company, 1/12th Cav, conducting combat operations for the remainder of his tour of duty in Vietnam, completing his third tour of duty in Vietnam. Wally did his share! Leaving the service, Wally became a lawyer, and was in the Atlanta Prosecutor's office, a Judge and then a founding partner of a Law firm in Atlanta, Ga. He was a credit to the class of 1963, and a faithful friend. Be thou at peace, old buddy, George Davenport

admin