Last week Retired Sgt. Willard Bolton received a surprise in the mail. It was a pin and certificate of appreciation signed by the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Army "for outstanding service."

He said it must be for his service in Vietnam, but why he received it almost four decades after he served there is a mystery.

The Army is not just now recognizing him. Bolton has 16 medals from his military career, including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Air Medal (for air assaults). They were all given in connection with his participation in the air assault on Ap Bia Mountain, also known as Hill 937 or Hamburger Hill.

Bolton also has a Presidential Commendation, signed by President Richard M. Nixon. He received it shortly before he left the service in 1973.

Bolton has never stopped thinking about Vietnam, but talking about it is another matter. It has only been in recent years that he's broken his silence.

"I have a secret clearance, and because I couldn't talk about everything, I didn't talk about anything," he said.

But several things changed his mind - a series of medical problems, a military special on TV, and a death in the family.

Medals earned Pictured are five of the 16 medals earned by Sgt. Willard Bolton. They are, l-r, Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Korean Service Medal, all received for service during the Vietnam War. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald Bolton was wounded from shrapnel three times in Vietnam. He talked the military doctors out of amputating his legs, and he

walks today, but with no knee caps. He's had stomach problems, back problems, and five stints put in his heart. But what jolted him the most was finding out he was suffering from postwar shell shock - more than 30 years after combat.

After keeping everything bottled up for years, he began to let it out. He learned that some of his secret military missions had been declassified. He found this out when he was watching a TV show a few years ago, and high ranking officers were freely talking about the missions.

Bolton's older twin brothers, Thomas and Conlas, also served

in Vietnam. One was a dog handler with the Army Military Police, and the other was in the Marines.

Served his country Willard "Will" Bolton served in Vietnam in 1968-69. He and his wife, Elsie, have been married since 1982. They live northwest of Flora. Photo provided "At our family gatherings, the three of us never talked about the war," Bolton said. "We didn't decide not to - we just didn't do it." He went for years, not knowing that one of his brothers had been wounded in Vietnam, and his brothers didn't know about his knees. When Conlas died three years ago, Bolton said he regretted they hadn't talked about the war.

"Now, the other twin and I do talk about it," he said.

Bolton also has opened up to his wife, Elsie, and other family members.

He has one main story to tell. Bolton served with the 101st Airborne, 17th Cavalry (Air CAV). He had trained as a rifleman, but learned air rappelling on-the-job.

The Battle of Hamburger Hill took place in May of 1969. The mission was to take over the hill from the enemy, the North Vietnamese. Bolton said there had already been bombing and artillery fire before their helicopters would go in. They didn't know how many enemy troops to expect.

"Sgt. Rockco, the platoon sergeant for this mission, said there would be a change on the flight roster," Bolton said.

The sergeant said Spec. 4 John Kahler would go with him on the first helicopter, instead of Bolton. Bolton would go on the second chopper with the lieutenant, the platoon leader.

"There was a little jealousy on my part," Bolton said. "I had always ridden with the sergeant on the first chopper."

Bolton said he and the sergeant had been together when they were both in A Company before they were both transferred to D Company. Kahler had more recently joined the unit, during a special mission at an outpost along the Mekong River.

Bolton said he and Kahler quickly became friends because they had a lot in common, but he still thought the flight roster should not have been changed.

"I followed the sergeant to talk to him outside the tent," Bolton said. "Is there a problem between us?" he asked. "Explain why you made the change."

"Sgt. Rockco said there wasn't any reason; he had made the change and he would stick to it. He turned his back and walked away," Bolton said.

The choppers loaded up - 6 to 8 men each. The first chopper took off.

"Then we heard on the radio that it had been shot down," Bolton said. "I should have been on that chopper."

"Staff Sgt. Jackson was assigned to choose five other men to pick up the remains that had got shot down. I was one of those chosen," Bolton said.

"We had to work our way down a ravine, a few hundred yards, to get to the chopper." A grappling hook let down

from a helicopter, and a sling, were used to remove the bodies, Bolton said.

"We saw North Vietnamese regular soldiers 200 yards above us, watching us remove the bodies. They made no attempt to stop us in any way, shape, or form."

"I assumed they were waiting for us to clear out the dead before killing us," Bolton said.

His crew carried one body with them as they left.

"We didn't have any problem through that night," Bolton said. "But the next morning before daylight, the rounds came from every direction. We had to keep moving. On the fourth day, I was wounded and taken back to base camp."

It was there he was told that the bloody battle was being called Hamburger Hill. It lasted from May 10-20. It was an American victory, but 46 Americans were killed and 400 wounded. North Vietnam dead numbered 630.

Bolton spent two years in the hospital or in therapy. During part of that time, he was assigned to Ft. Sill, Okla. He served there

as a training sergeant, in charge of schedules, meals, transportation, etc., and mostly sat at a desk.

"I was bored," he said.

He went to the battalion clerk and told him to put his name on the roster for overseas assignment. He got his orders, and left for Korea. But Bolton said his legs failed him on a jump, and he re-injured his knees.

Bolton said he had re-enlisted for six years, intending to make a career out of the military, but because of his medical problems, he made it to five years and nine months, and then he received a military retirement, with 40 percent disability. He said that was the equivalent of a career retirement.

When Bolton signed up as a volunteer to go to Vietnam, he was 20 years old. He left a wife and three-month old baby.

"It wasn't a political decision; I just saw it as my duty," he said.

"When you're 20, you don't think anything will happen to you. I didn't realize how frightening it would be. When I got over there, I thought about my wife and child, and I didn't want my son growing up without a father."

He left just a couple weeks before Christmas, and spent Christmas on a mission, in 100 degree weather.

"I survived by determination and faith. Except for the mercy of God, I wouldn't be here talking about it. I didn't do anything different than anyone else."