I am Ronnie Paniccia’s sister.

Ronnie joined the Army in May 1967 on the Buddy System with a few guys who were life long friends. He came home on leave July 19,1968 before shipping off to Vietnam. He was engaged to Patty Arieno who was killed the day after he arrived home on leave in a horrible car accident. After the funeral Ronnie was leaning on the jukebox in a bar where our Mom worked. He played the song, “The Letter by The Box Tops”. As it played he said with tears in his eyes, “Don’t worry Patty I will be with you soon”. He died five months later…

Ronnie and his platoon were on a Search and Destroy Mission near Rach Kien. He was the point man at the time for his unit. He served with A Co, 5th BATT, 60th INF, 9th Infantry DIV. He threw a hand grenade at a bunker and it bounced back out. He rushed up and grabbed it to throw it back and it blew up. He saved the lives of two of his Nam Brothers standing on either side of him. The grenade fragments killed him. His platoon Sgt. Barney Tharp held him in his arms until the Medivac came. He said that my brother was awake and alert. My brother is shown in the picture with the village children. Barney Tharp provided this photo.

Just this year (2015) I received a copy of a letter from another sister who lost her brother in Vietnam, his name was David Tiffany. They called him Doc Tiffany. He was KIA May 1969. He wrote the letter to his Pastor telling him how in the helicopter he tried giving Ronnie CPR for almost forty minutes, but just couldn’t save him. The fragments were lodged in his heart. Doc told his pastor how he had seen and tried to save many of our guys in his tour in Vietnam. Of course each one was very hard, but he said for some reason Ronnie’s passing really hit him to the core. He was a Hero. Here is the link to his memorial on the Virtual Wall, www.virtualwall.org/dt/TiffanyDL01a.htm

I came across some pictures that I thought I lost a long time ago of Ronnie and some of the guys he served with. I found out through the other guys he served with who I am friends with on FB. I knew everyone of the guys except for one. His name is Garrett Pretzler. I contacted him through e-mail and he sent me more pictures of Ronnie and him that I had never seen before. He also told me he was with Ronnie and Doc in the helicopter where Ronnie died. Barney Tharp, a Vietnam Veteran had this picture taken of him at the Wall with his hand on my brother’s name.

I miss my brother so much every day. However, these Band of Brothers he had in Vietnam have not only comforted and warmed my heart by sharing the details of Ronnie’s death, they have helped me keep Ronnie’s and so many others that died in Vietnam memories alive. This was a horrible war. Our guys and gals that served over there were treated like garbage when they came home and after. They were never given a proper ‘Welcome Home’ for all their service and sacrifice and all they had lost. They went to war as boys and the ones that made it home came back men. I am so proud of my brother and everyone that served in Vietnam. As long as there is life in me, my brother’s death will never be in vain. Nor will his or all the other fallen ever be forgotten.

Welcome Home, Ron…
~ Helen Fuller

Comes A Soldier’s Whisper, our Veteran tribute page is grateful to Helen Fuller sharing her story and honoring her brother’s service.

We welcome you to honor your family service and share your
stories with us.

STORY LINK: medium.com/…/they-went-to-war-as-boys-and-the-ones-…

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