Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
7:38 | As fate would have it, Ron Richtsmeier was flying behind a green commander, whose inexperience got him shot down. And, also, as fate would have it, there was a dedicated nurse at the surgical hospital who grew concerned over a nasty scar on his face. She didn't know that she would be looking at that scar for a long time.
Keywords : Ron Richtsmeier Judie Richtsmeier Vietnam helicopter pilot nurse Bob Heisterman crash triple canopy concussion Kon Tum surgery hospital Paul Hammond
They met in Vietnam, but Ron and Judie each took some interesting turns in their journeys to that war torn country. Ron was a paratrooper who decided that the pilot of the plane had a better job, so he went to flight school. Judie was on a two year enlistment as a nurse when she decided to stay on because because of her empathy for the war casualties she was treating.
Newly minted helicopter pilot Ron Richtsmeier was flying to his assigned unit in Pleiku when he struck up a conversation with another pilot. He let on that he would much rather fly a gunship than a "slick," an unarmed transport aircraft. Luckily, the other pilot had some strings to pull.
Judie Richtsmeier received orders that required her to get a plague shot, but didn't specify where she was going. She knew it was Vietnam, though. Where else could it be? As her plane approached the runway near Saigon, she saw what appeared to be fireworks.
He arrived in the central highlands in the aftermath of the Battle of LZ X-Ray. As he began to fly combat missions, helicopter gunship pilot Ron Richtsmeier gained a lot of respect for the men of the 1st Cav.
While Ron Richtsmeier was on call as a helicopter gunship pilot, the lady of his dreams was nearby at an Army hospital, on call on an even more demanding schedule. The sound of helicopters meant you went to work, no matter the time or day.
While recovering from the effects of an air crash, Ron Richtsmeier was lucky to be released to the care of his unit's flight surgeon. This kept him from being reassigned after he was healed. Another reason he was lucky was that he could borrow a jeep and go back to visit that sweet blonde nurse who had cared for him.
He was a helicopter pilot who had crashed. She was a nurse who took care of him. They had grown close during his healing, but it was time for him to go home. When the goodbye was underwhelming for her, Judie made sure to stay in touch with Ron until the deal was sealed and they became the Richtsmeiers.
They met in Vietnam and got married on an adventurous R&R. Ron and Judie Richtsmeier were settling into married life while he was on a cushy assignment in Germany, but the war in Vietnam was not over. Their life together had one more combat deployment to survive.
LTC Ron and COL Judie Richtsmeier (retired) share a concern for the future of America. For the two Vietnam veterans, it is a troubling time in the nation. But, perhaps, it can survive it's trouble as their love has survived after beginning in the middle of a war.
