William Rettenmund was born on April 15, 1944 in Black Earth, Wisconsin. He enrolled at Madison Area Technical School after high school in 1962, and graduated with a degree in Commercial Art two years later. Rettenmund worked for a year in the field prior to being drafted into the Army in 1965. He was one of four Black Earth High School classmates to be drafted and sent to basic training at Fort Knox. However, he was the only one to go to Vietnam. After completing basic training, Rettenmund was sent to Fort Rucker, Alabama to learn helicopter maintenance, and from there attached to the 162nd Assault Helicopter Company in Fort Benning, Georgia.
After receiving maintenance training, Rettenmund was selected to be one of twenty-three crew chiefs in the 162nd where he was educated in crew maintenance and how to shoot an M-60 machine gun on support missions. The 162nd was eventually selected to be sent to Vietnam in early 1966 to provide support for the 1st Infantry Division. Prior to leaving, Rettenmund was allowed two weeks leave for Christmas in 1965, and managed to visit with his family before being sent overseas. His unit traveled to Vietnam on the transport ship U.S.S. Pope, stopping briefly in Hawaii before arriving in Vung Tau, Vietnam and then proceeding to the home base of Phouc Vinh.
While in Vietnam, Rettenmund's crew flew on troop carrying helicopters, escorted by gunships, on missions dropping off infantry soldiers. Most of the time the landing zones were not hot areas and were not shot at, but on occasions they did lose helicopters to enemy fire. He was involved in two helicopter crashes during his tour, both a result of pilot error. In both cases the crew was not seriously injured. Rettenmund was awarded the Air Medal and 22 oak leaf clusters for meritorious achievement, and was awarded the Purple Heart after being hit by shrapnel during a mission. He was awarded two valor awards for his actions while serving in combat. He also noted that his unit had high moral and felt that he did his duty by serving.
Rettenmund retuned from Vietnam in January, 1967, and was discharged from the Army later that year. He returned to Wisconsin, joined the American Legion, and worked in the marketing department of Oscar Meyer for 32 years. He wrote accounts of his time in Vietnam for the Deadly Writers Patrol, and also wrote a poem dedicated to the men who served with the 162nd in Vietnam. Rettenmund also recorded an oral history interview with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in 2006 (OH 861).
Russell Rettenmund was born on July 6, 1942 in Black Earth, Wisconsin. He was drafted in 1964 and served with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment in Vietnam. Russell was the first Wisconsin soldier to return home from service in Vietnam. He was killed in a car crash in 1975.
Richard Rettenmund was born on November 19, 1944 in Black Earth, Wisconsin. He was drafted in 1965 and served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Strategic Communications Command in Vietnam. He died in 1970 after being discharged in 1967.
