SSGT - E6 - Army

Date of Birth: March 10, 1942, age 26

Home Town: Fayetteville, NC

Length of service 6 years. His tour began on Dec 16, 1967.

Casualty was on Aug 7, 1968

NON-HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY, OTHER ACCIDENT

Alderman is honored on Panel 49W, Line 27 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Detachment B, 1st Military Intelligence Battalion (Air Reconnaissance Support)

I still remember the day this happened, but didn't know the date. I was "guarding" the hotel this day and the entire unit came to the hotel at noonish. Two things struck me: Why is everyone coming into the hotel now and everyone looked like they had just left a morgue. Nesbit (too bad we haven't been able to locate him) filled me in.

The thing I remember most about Sgt West, besides telling me once that he hated his first and middle names and that "Sarge" would do nicely, is that he always seemed to be out of place with the other E-6's and 7's in the unit. You all remember how the Army said we weren't supposed to socialize with those of the 'wrong' rank. I always thought he would have preferred to hang out with the guys and he seemed to be more comfortable when he did, especially when we all got the chance to go to China Beach.

Those of us who often drove the trucks would sometimes rip through the compound a little too fast. We had a large flatbed trailer and 'semi' style truck to haul it and West was the designated driver of that rig. He tended to run through the compound like everyone else, but one day he stopped me for going "too fast". I razed him about setting a fine example and he just laughed. He never said anything, but I suspect the CO got on his case.

Roger Houglan

Det B II, 6/67 – 1/69

<Fallen Heroes>