A story of a boy who became a marine, who became a husband, who became a father, who went to war to defend a hill...this is his story.
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KASPER Joined: Feb-08-2011 |
S/Sgt. Theodore J. (Ted) Gonzalez was born in the 1st day of April 1933. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in November of 1951. After boot camp training, at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, he joined the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, FMF for advanced combat training.
In Oct. 1952 he departed for Korea as a member of the 26th Replacement draft. On April 1953 he was a member of a raiding party on an enemy outpost called Kate. Gonzalez was in combat action against the Chinese Communist Forces from Inchon to Seoul and Northward up the Korean Peninsula to the Western Korean Front, to Chang-don Valley. Pfc. Gonzalez was one of the walking wounded after a battle in no-man's land. On July 27, 1953 Pfc. Gonzalez was wounded a second time during the Battle of Bolder City or Hill 119, the deadliest battle of the Korean War. In 1958 as a member of the 2nd Battalion (reinforced), 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Div. was the first American Force to land in Beirut, Lebanon. On Sept. 15, 1965 S/Sgt. Gonzalez joined the Launch and Recovery Section of Marine Air Base Squadron 12 at Chu Lai, Vietnam. The and his crew worked on emergency repairs on both the M-21 and M-24 arresting gears that was vital to the success of the Recovery Unit of Marine Base Squadron 12.
On May 24, 1971, S/Sgt. Theodore J. (Ted) Gonzalez retired from active duty. He and his wife Connie (now deceased) were married for 38 years. He and his wife had five children; Maria, Theodore, Isidore, Nancy and Pilar.
Ted is a member of the Alamo Detachment
