This is the official US Army record:
SGT - E5 - Army - Regular
199th Light Infantry Brigade
Length of service 1 years
His tour began on Nov 2, 1968
Casualty was on Aug 18, 1969
In LONG KHANH, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE
BODY WAS RECOVERED
We were born exactly six days apart. We lived a few blocks from each other and hung around with the same people. It would seem the story stopped August 19, 1969.
On Sunday I took a ride to get out of the house, and I found myself at a beautiful Park, a Veterans Memorial Park my friend Pete organized and somehow got built. It was Veterans day so it seemed right to go there.
This place always was a crappy pond and weeds, I would stop there to take a leak over the years since nobody went there.
Now it is a vibrant place with families picnicking, kids playing on the swings and slides. It has tributes of all branches on the Service.
It also has a Statue placed in tribute to the Gold Star Mothers who lost their Sons in service to their Country.
There is a Tank on the site. One side is painted Army and the other Marines. On the Army side is the name Sgt. Howard Bruckner is painted on the turret, on the Marine side is Lance Corporal Walter Joyce another High School friend.
A fellow was driving by and saw what appeared to an Cobra Gunship appearing to hover silently over a field. So he drove in.
While looking at the Tank, he noticed the name Howard Bruckner. They were on patrol in a "safe" area. Howie was on point and the first burst from a camouflaged Bunker took Howie down. They got Howie's body and this fellow helped carry it for three days until they could be extracted from this "safe area" since there was no one to help for days.
This fellow knew a Sculptor named Chernack who was actually Howie's replacement. They approached Pete about collecting enough money to have the Statue of the Gold Star Mother cast. Pete got donations somewhere and the Statute was made and dedicated.
Howie wrote that he wanted to apply to West Point Academy which is for enlisted Men with no College to go to West Point. of you did well at the this Junior West Point, you would be admitted to the Point.
Chernack was commissioned to design a permanent Vietnam exhibit at the West Point Museum. A mannequin was dressed in full battle gear. The helmet had the usual personal decorations guys wrote on the covers. On the side it says "Windy" which was Howie's nickname. Howie did get his wish, he was at West Point.
I often wonder what kind of Man Howie would have turned out to be had he lived. I think he would have been extraordinary. He made things happen past 1969.
