Go Back   Professional Soldiers ® > And Some Gave All.... > TAPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-20-2017, 18:30   #1
JJ_BPK
Quiet Professional
 
JJ_BPK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: 18 yrs upstate NY, 30 yrs South Florida, 20 yrs Conch Republic, now chasing G-Kids in NOVA & UK
Posts: 11,901
Lt Col(R) Vernon Gillespie, RIP

RIP Brother, Vaya con Dios.

My deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fellow warriors..

Lt Col Gillespie served with Special Forces in Viet Nam. He was the central focus of a National Geographic article January 1965 and a Life Magazine article November 1964.

Quote:
Vernon Gillespie, 79 of Star City, passed away on Tuesday, April 30, 2013, with his family by his side. He was born to Louie Earl and Agnes Tiner Gillespie on October 1, 1933 in Star City.

He attended school in Star City and received his GED while in the Army. He retired from the Army after 20 years of service, after serving in the Korean War and Vietnam War. He received the OCC Medal (Germany), National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and Expert (Rifle M-14) Medal and several other medals. He was a member of Southside Missionary Baptist Church. He was a Disabled Veteran, worked for the Cotton Belt Railroad, a member of the Jacob Brump Lodge No. 160 Mason and member of the American Legion of Star City and the National Rifle Association. He enjoyed being with his family, fishing, hunting and going to Matthews and Circle N in Star City to have coffee with his brother Murphy and friends, he enjoyed working in the flower bed for his wife and he loved The Roman Road!

He was preceded in death by his parents; Louie Earl and Agnes Tiner Gillespie.

Survivors include his loving wife of 55 years; Virginia A. Owen Gillespie, 2 daughters; Vickie L. Caldwell (James) of Dunnegan, MO and Vida Rowland of White Hall, 2 sons; Vernon Gillespie, Jr. of Baltimore, MD and Vance Scott Gillespie (Jackie) of Star City, 3 grandchildren; J. “Jerome” Caldwell of Chicago, IL, Kyle Rowland (Carol Anne) of Jonesboro and Rebecca L. Gillespie of Baltimore, MD, 1 step-grandson; Rodney Agnew of Star City, 1 brother; Murphy Gillespie of Star City and many nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home Thursday from 6:00-8:00PM. Funeral services are 10:00AM Friday, May 3, 2013 at Griffin Funeral Service Chapel in Star City with Bro. Alan Hagood and Bro. Thomas Lamb officiating. Burial will be at Shady Grove Cemetery in Glendale. Pallbearers will be Steve Steinman, Tony Drake, Stanley Owen, Vernon Gillespie, Jr., Vance Gillespie and Tommy McClinton. Honarary pallbearers will be Alan McFalls, Rodney Agnew, Paul Drake and Kane Roberts. The family asks in lieu of flowers that donations be sent to the Paralyzed Vets of America at 801 Eighteenth St., NW, Washington, DC 20006-3517. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to JRMC and Hospice for their support in his final days.

Arrangements by Griffin Funeral Service in Star City. Online guestbook at www.griffinfuneralservice.net.

http://www.griffinfuneralservice.net...user_id=982027
Attached Images
File Type: jpg post-3953-0-98337900-1465221186.jpg (158.1 KB, 44 views)
File Type: jpg ap8dba.jpg (55.2 KB, 38 views)
File Type: jpg post-3953-0-55901700-1465221471.jpg (88.3 KB, 45 views)
File Type: jpg 10410982_10201292242348396_2203445879498546286_n.jpg (31.7 KB, 42 views)
File Type: jpg 10509729_10201292241748381_7314798839193484717_n.jpg (27.3 KB, 43 views)
__________________
Go raibh tú leathuair ar Neamh sula mbeadh a fhios ag an diabhal go bhfuil tú marbh

"May you be a half hour in heaven before the devil knows you’re dead"
JJ_BPK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2017, 18:48   #2
Sohei
Area Commander
 
Sohei's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,690
Rest In Peace, Warrior and thank you for your service and sacrifice.
Sohei is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2017, 19:01   #3
Ret10Echo
Quiet Professional
 
Ret10Echo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Occupied America....
Posts: 4,740
Rest well warrior.

DOL


Quote:
CPT Gillespie was on the cover of both the November 27,1964 LIFE Magazine and the January 1965 National Geographic. The following is from the National Geographic article:
“In order to calm the situation, U.S. Army Special Forces Captain*Vernon W. Gillespie*agreed to participate in a pagan ritual designed to summon the spirits and bring peace back to the base. Montagnard battalion leader, Y Jhon Nie explained, "We will make a sacrifice, and the sorcerer will invoke the spirits to help us."
Captain Gillespie*(the U.S. commander of Buon Brieng), Y Jhon Nie, and Captain Truong of the South Vietnamese Special Forces donned the traditional ceremonial garb-a black and red long sleeved top and a similarly colored loin-cloth.
...
Food offerings lay beside the jars: one pig and a chicken as an offering for Gillespie; a chicken each for Y Jhon, Captain Truong, and the sorcerer. Chanting, the sorcerer communicated with the spirits. After each communication the participants sipped rice beer.
The climax of the ceremony came when the sorcerer, after one particularly long drought of brew, crouched alongside*Captain Gillespie*and fastened a brass ring to*his*right wrist. This-joining a twin ring from [a] previous ritual that had united*Gillespie and Y Jhon*- would give notice to the spirits that a suitable offering had been made. Captain Truong, too, received a like bracelet, as did Y Jhon. Now all three were bound in alliance. The spirits having been appeased, the ceremony ended. The rice liquor that remained in the seven jars was distributed to the soldiers in the strike force, as were the sacrificial chickens. The tension in the camp eased considerably (for details, see National Geographic, January 1965, pp.38-42)”.
__________________
"There are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations"

James Madison
Ret10Echo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2017, 20:37   #4
SF_BHT
Quiet Professional
 
SF_BHT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Sneaking back and forth across the Border
Posts: 6,627
Rest in Peace.
SF_BHT is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2017, 20:57   #5
Joker
Quiet Professional
 
Joker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Tampa
Posts: 2,576
Rest in Peace Brother. DOL
Joker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2017, 21:01   #6
The Reaper
Quiet Professional
 
The Reaper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,779
RIP, Sir.

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

You will not be forgotten.

TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
The Reaper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2017, 21:53   #7
PSM
Area Commander
 
PSM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Cochise Co., AZ
Posts: 6,175
Rest in Peace LTC Gillespie.

I remember that Nat Geo cover and may still have the map that was inside. I had it on my wall so I knew where they were talking about on the news. I was 14 in January 1965.

Pat
__________________
"Hector Lives!"

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." -- Frederick Douglass

"The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen." -- Dennis Prager

"The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it." --H.L. Mencken
PSM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2017, 22:58   #8
PRB
Quiet Professional
 
PRB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,221
RIP Sir....that article (NatGeo) was my first real exposure to SF that hooked my attention. I'll never forget that cover and story.
PRB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2017, 04:39   #9
Swoop
Quiet Professional
 
Swoop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Vonore, TN
Posts: 577
RIP Sir.

DOL
Swoop is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 19:46.



Copyright 2004-2022 by Professional Soldiers ®
Site Designed, Maintained, & Hosted by Hilliker Technologies