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Couple working to have son's bravery honored after serving, dying in Vietnam
Paul and Ann Waymire stand beside a shadowbox full of their son Jackie Waymire's awards and decorations at their home in Huntington. The Waymires and a small group of veterans are working together to get Sgt. Jackie Waymire an upgrade from the Distinguished Service Cross to the Congressional Medal of Honor for combat actions on Jan. 9, 1967.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- Sgt. Jackie L. Waymire of Huntington died 41 years ago while fighting for his country in Vietnam.
His parents, Ann and Paul Waymire, are still fighting to have his memory and bravery properly honored.
Jackie Waymire was killed in Vietnam on Jan. 9, 1967, when his base camp came under automatic weapons fire from a reinforced Viet Cong platoon. He led his platoon on an assault against the insurgent flank and killed three of the attackers before he was fatally wounded, according to military reports.
He served in both the Army's 101st Airborne Division and the Special Forces.
Jackie Waymire was recommended for and subsequently awarded the Bronze Star Medal with V Device for heroism in June 1966 and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest military decoration for a member of the United States Army, posthumously for his actions on Jan. 9, 1967.
His parents are hoping their son's brave actions on Jan. 9 1967 would qualify him to get an upgrade from the Distinguished Service Cross to the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration from the U.S. government.
The Waymires said they don't want the upgrade to give their son more recognition or for fame but because they were originally told their son was going to receive the medal. Following their son's death in 1967, Ann Waymire said she was told by her son's lieutenant that his actions were deserving of the Medal of Honor.
After years of waiting, the Waymires have taken it upon themselves with the aid of a man who served with Jackie Waymire and a local veterans advocate to appeal to Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-W.Va., for the award.
"This is not about me and Paul, it's about Jackie," Ann Waymire said. "Vietnam was an ugly war. When the soldiers came back they were spit on. We feel that was probably the reason (the military) didn't go forward with the Medal of Honor."
Paul Waymire hoped time would not be a factor in the decision for awarding a higher honor. In the "Request of Review of Combat Actions of Sgt. Jackie L. Waymire," handed in to Rahall's office in late-July, it was noted that several Vietnam War veterans received the Medal of Honor in the late-1990s.
Paul Waymire said no matter the decision, he is still proud of his son and his accomplishments.
"If he gets it, he gets it," Paul Waymire said. "If he doesn't, then being awarded the DSC ain't nothing to be ashamed of."
Ron Ferrell, the man responsible for getting a Huntington bridge named after Jackie Waymire, has teamed up with Anthony Bellagoni, who served with Jackie Waymire, to aid the parents in going through the process of upgrading his military decoration. Ferrell and Bellagoni estimated the process could take up to a two years to complete.
Shari Lawrence, deputy public affairs officer for the U.S. Army Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Va., said there are a number stages the review must go through before it would be upgraded. First, Rahall needs to send Jackie Waymire's report to the Army Human Resources Command for initial review. The report is then reviewed by the Senior Awards and Decorations Board made up of "very senior officers," one non-commissioned officer and a Medal of Honor recipient.
Lawrence said the board sends their recommendation to the Secretary of the Army, the first level of possible denial. The Secretary of the Army has the authority to deny the request. If approved, the report gets sent to the Secretary of Defense, who has the second level of denial. Lawrence said the Secretary of Defense can receive advice upon request from the Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to make the decision.
If moved forward, Lawrence said the report is sent back to the Army Human Resources Command then forwarded to the White House. The president has the final word in approval.
If the report is rejected, new evidence must be brought forward before an appeal can begin, Lawrence said.
"During Vietnam, (soldiers) were just trying to stay afloat," Lawrence said. "Trying to fill out paper work and getting witness statements got very difficult."
Though she's not informed on the details of Jackie Waymire's report, Lawrence said the report could have already gone through the process when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1967. Lawrence said Jackie Waymire might have already been recommend for the Medal of Honor by the person who submitted the report in 1967, but could have been downgraded during the process. She said she will know more when she receives his report.
"There is a very fine line on what constitutes a Distinguished Service Cross or a Medal of Honor," Lawrence said.
"We're not going to cry if he doesn't get it," Paul Waymire said. "But this is the last stand we can take for Jackie."
Paul and Ann Waymire, 84 and 81 respectively, said they hope the process doesn't take too long. Though the Waymires are in good health, Ann Waymire said they want to live long enough to see her son's memory honored with the Medal of Honor.
