HONORED ON PANEL 4W, LINE 17 OF THE WALL
DELAND DWIGHT ZUBKE
WALL NAME
DELAND D ZUBKE
PANEL / LINE
4W/17
DATE OF BIRTH
CASUALTY PROVINCE
DATE OF CASUALTY
HOME OF RECORD
COUNTY OF RECORD
STATE
BRANCH OF SERVICE
RANK
STATUS
ASSOCIATED ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL
REMEMBRANCES
LEFT FOR DELAND DWIGHT ZUBKE
POSTED ON 11.18.2002
POSTED BY: COL Ralph Liebhaber
He Took My Place
I met Specialist Five Deland Zubke in January 1971 right after I returned from R&R in Australia. Deland had just arrived in Vietnam and was assigned to LZ Oasis where we worked together in the battery's fire direction center. LZ Oasis was a desolate, vegetation-free firebase in the Central Highlands of Vietnam in the IDrang River valley near the Cambodian border. With his easy going manner and
friendly personality, we quickly became close friends despite the relatively short period of time we had together. In February 1971, a fire support mission came down to our battery to provide a forward observer and radio telephone operator for a South Vietnamese infantry battalion. Since I was the senior fire direction specialist in B Btry, I was initially selected to serve as the RTO. But with almost 11 months in-country
I had short timer jitters and was somewhat reluctant to accept the hazardous mission. Without hesitation, Deland willingly volunteered to take my place on what would become his final mission. The ARVN battalion come under attack by a superior North Vietnamese force--a regiment of heavily armed regular infantry. Things got so desperate that the Americans called artillery fire on their own position in what was to become a futile attemplt to prevent the 66th NVA regiment from over running the ARVN battalion. Deland was last seen aiming his 45 caliber pistol at the ARVN infantryman who was carrying the radio for him to prevent the ARVN from acting like his comrades and fleeing the battlefield. This action occurred 30 years ago to the day I first wrote this remembrance. Deland's remains have never been recovered and to this day he is listed on the Vietnam Wall as missing in action. The forward observer, 1LT Walden, eventually made it back to friendly lines and was awarded the Silver Star for his courage under the most difficult combat conditions imaginable. And I'm sure then Specialist Five Zubke would have also been accorded that honor for his steadfast determination to hold the line at all costs against a greatly superior enemy force. Moreover,Deland willingly placed himself in the dangerous mission by taking my place. I'm still in the military as an Air Force colonel, but I will never forget Deland and the favor he did which spared my life. SP5 Zubke has long been a hero in my family and for 18 or so years now, I go to the Vietnam Wall and look for his name. And my son wore his POW/MIA braclet while attending West Point where he is now a senior. I just wish I had Deland's courage. I hope to someday visit his family and express my feelings of Deland and deep appreciation in person.
friendly personality, we quickly became close friends despite the relatively short period of time we had together. In February 1971, a fire support mission came down to our battery to provide a forward observer and radio telephone operator for a South Vietnamese infantry battalion. Since I was the senior fire direction specialist in B Btry, I was initially selected to serve as the RTO. But with almost 11 months in-country
I had short timer jitters and was somewhat reluctant to accept the hazardous mission. Without hesitation, Deland willingly volunteered to take my place on what would become his final mission. The ARVN battalion come under attack by a superior North Vietnamese force--a regiment of heavily armed regular infantry. Things got so desperate that the Americans called artillery fire on their own position in what was to become a futile attemplt to prevent the 66th NVA regiment from over running the ARVN battalion. Deland was last seen aiming his 45 caliber pistol at the ARVN infantryman who was carrying the radio for him to prevent the ARVN from acting like his comrades and fleeing the battlefield. This action occurred 30 years ago to the day I first wrote this remembrance. Deland's remains have never been recovered and to this day he is listed on the Vietnam Wall as missing in action. The forward observer, 1LT Walden, eventually made it back to friendly lines and was awarded the Silver Star for his courage under the most difficult combat conditions imaginable. And I'm sure then Specialist Five Zubke would have also been accorded that honor for his steadfast determination to hold the line at all costs against a greatly superior enemy force. Moreover,Deland willingly placed himself in the dangerous mission by taking my place. I'm still in the military as an Air Force colonel, but I will never forget Deland and the favor he did which spared my life. SP5 Zubke has long been a hero in my family and for 18 or so years now, I go to the Vietnam Wall and look for his name. And my son wore his POW/MIA braclet while attending West Point where he is now a senior. I just wish I had Deland's courage. I hope to someday visit his family and express my feelings of Deland and deep appreciation in person.
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