Workers picture / Raymond L. Smith
Timothy L. Fonderlin of Howland, 75, talks about his army service in Vietnam as a part of a reconnaissance unit of the Marine Corps. He has a Purple Coronary heart and Bronze Star, amongst different accolades, and was skilled in map and aerial {photograph} studying.
HOWLAND — Service has been a trademark of Timothy Fonderlin’s life.
Whether or not it was in 1964 when the 17-year-old Warren G. Harding Excessive Faculty senior signed a volunteer contract to affix the U.S. Marine Corps, or a later-in-life resolution by Fonderlin and his spouse, Diane, to be among the many earliest volunteers within the then newly fashioned Trumbull County chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
A Warren native, Fonderlin, now 75, considered one of three kids, determined to affix the army in the midst of his senior yr as a result of he believed he can be drafted as quickly as he graduated. Fonderlin needed to have a selection in how he would serve.
His father, Harold, had served within the U.S. Navy throughout World Warfare II. He additionally had two uncles who served within the U.S. Army.
“I made a decision to affix the Marines as a result of I heard its boot camp was probably the most difficult,” Fonderlin mentioned. “I used to be an athlete, so I believed I may deal with it.”
He did.
Fonderlin was skilled as an infantryman. He was assigned to the third Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. The unit went on a MedCruise, which allowed them to do a collection of landings, departures and different fight coaching over a six-month interval.
After returning to the U.S., Fonderlin’s unit was informed about what was occurring in Vietnam, so, naturally, Fonderlin volunteered to be despatched there — once more, doing what he may to take management of his future, as an alternative of ready for an task.
Touchdown in Da Nang, Vietnam, in June 1966, the U.S. Marine discovered the warmth oppressive, with waves of warmth that could possibly be seen rising from the Marine base tarmac into the air.
Fonderlin was assigned to Delta Firm, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion on the Chu Lai Base, in Vietnam.
“I used to be stunned as a result of we felt the First Recon was the very best of the very best,” he mentioned. “I didn’t know I used to be as much as it.”
Shortly afterwards, Fonderlin, who arrived in nation as a lance corporal, was promoted to corporal. The unit was skilled to interchange one of many first reconnaissance items within the space.
Fonderlin acquired a Bronze Star for an motion that occurred Dec. 14, 1966, whereas his unit was supporting Operation Sierra, close to Nai Nhan, Vietnam. His platoon determined to arrange camp for the night time. The command submit was arrange within the heart close to the highest of a hill with two items, together with Fonderlin’s unit arrange in a semi-circle on both facet of the command submit.
He arrange a listening submit in a shallow dug fox gap roughly 15 to twenty yards from his unit. There was solely brush and some small bushes hiding his location.
Throughout Fonderlin’s flip to hear for any suspicious actions, he heard a slight sound in entrance of him. However, as a result of darkness making it tough to see, Fonderlin was unsure what it was.
A couple of seconds later, Fonderlin noticed shadowy figures to each his left and proper sides.
Claymore mines had been arrange by the unit, however Fonderlin was involved the enemy might have turned them round to face his unit, so Fonderlin determined to not set them off.
Fonderlin fired his M-14 rifle to each side, enabling him to retreat a couple of yards after which throw two grenades to the realm the place he noticed the motion. Nearly instantly after he threw his grenades, two chicom grenades landed in entrance of the outlet he had been in and exploded.
“Fortunately they appear to blow extra up than out,” Fonderlin wrote in a report describing the incident. “I used to be nonetheless hit by some scrap metallic from the explosive gadgets.”
Fonderlin moved again to his squad’s place ordering them to throw grenades and hearth their rifles. He moved to a number of positions, directing their hearth. The fireplace battle lasted 20 to 25 minutes.
“Three of my squad members, together with myself, have been wounded,” he mentioned. “I rotated these Marines again to to our command submit to be patched up by our medics.”
Fonderlin described one other hearth battle that occurred in 1967 by which his small reconnaissance unit had been on patrol to look at the place the enemy was situated. The unit got here below hearth.
Throughout a momentary lull within the combating, a helicopter was despatched in to choose up the the Marines. As a lot of the members of his unit loaded onto the helicopter, Fonderlin and one other soldier have been carrying rifles that had been dropped on the bottom when the helicopter started to raise off the bottom.
The 2 troopers have been flipped backward off the loading platform onto the bottom.
“We knew what would occur as soon as the helicopter was within the air,” Fonderlin mentioned. “They’d name within the location and the realm can be strafed by our artillery to clear it.”
They yelled as much as the chopper to come back again for them.
Later, Fonderlin discovered his greatest buddy, Joseph Barnes, rushed to the cockpit of the helicopter demanding the pilot return to the positioning to choose up the 2 Marines that had fallen off throughout takeoff.
The pilot was hesitant to return to the realm as a consequence of them being below heavy hearth, however Barnes pulled out his pistol, pointed it on the pilot’s head and demanded he return to choose up the Marines or he would shoot him. The helicopter returned to choose them up.
Barnes later was killed in an explosion whereas they have been nonetheless in Vietnam.
Fonderlin described extending his time in service by six months, so he may take a scuba diving course. As a skilled scuba diver, Fonderlin went on greater than 40 missions throughout these six months to find out if bombs had been positioned on bridges set to blow up with People and their allies on them.
After returning to the states, Fonderlin bought a job at Packard Electrical, the place he met his future spouse. He retired from Packard Electrical in 1999, after 30 years with the corporate.
He’s lively in varied veteran organizations. Attributable to their work with Habitat, he and his spouse have traveled the world offering service to others.
Timothy Lee
Fonderlin
AGE: 75
RESIDENCE Howland
SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. Marine Corps
MILITARY HONORS: Nationwide Protection Service Medal, Vietnam Marketing campaign Medal w/system, Vietnam Service Medal w/3 stars, Purple Coronary heart Medal w/1 star, Good Conduct Medal, Bronze Star w/V and a marksman certification within the rifle qualification badge. He was skilled in Marine Rifle Squad, Marine Non-Commissioned Officer Course, map and aerial {photograph} studying and scuba diving.
OCCUPATION: Retired from Packard Electrical
FAMILY: Spouse, Diane Fonderlin; and two kids, Dieanne Frost and Louanne Dubos
