AP: Billy Walkabout, decorated American Indian veteran, dies at 57

[Eugene]

Billy Walkabout, decorated American Indian veteran, dies at 57

Received 5 Silver Stars

By Stephanie Reitz
ASSOCIATED PRESS

9:13 a.m. March 11, 2007

HARTFORD, Conn. – Billy Walkabout, a native Cherokee whose actions in Vietnam
made him among most decorated soldiers of the war, died March 7, his stepdaughter
said Sunday. He was 57.

Walkabout received the Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, five Silver Stars
and five Bronze Stars. He was believed to be the most decorated Native American
soldier of the Vietnam War, according to U.S. Department of Defense reports.

Walkabout, who lived in Montville, died of pneumonia and renal failure at a Norwich
hospital, said his stepdaughter, Randi Johnson of Norwich.

He had experienced complications related to his exposure to the Agent Orange
defoliant used during the Vietnam conflict, she said, and he had been on a kidney
transplant waiting list and undergoing dialysis three times a week.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20070311-0913-obit-walkabout.html

[Monkeyman]

1. RIP

[annabanana]

2. k&r. . . . for a brave man. . . . n/t

[niyad]

3. Great Spirit, take this brave warrior home. RIP, honoured one. k&r

[Dinger]

4. Same Here.

niyad, that was a beautiful response. Made me get teary-eyed.

[Bobbieo]

5. Yes, niyad - a touching Native tribute!

[Submariner]

6. I am a baby boomer from the Vietnam era

and when I see these posts of all these teens and young ones in there 20s dying needlessly in Bush Iraq folly, it just tears my guts out. I can't imagine sacrificing the next 40 to 60 years of my life for an asshole like Bush and his christofascist crusade for oil and power.

I unfortunately can't say how I really feel about W, because I would be arrested soon thereafter.

Rest in peace Billy Walkabout.

[Joe Chi Minh]

7. Agent Orange? Way to go, Monsanto! Another triumph.

[Cha]

8. OMG! Fucking Agent Orange Strikes

again! And how many Veterans of the Iraqi WARs are going to go before their time because of Depleted Uranium? For that matter how many Iraqis who aren't killed with bush's bombs are going to die from Depleted Uranium?

[newyawker99]

9. RIP Mr Walkabout.