Howard "Doug" Wolfe

Doug Wolfe

Company

He will be greatly missed by his family & friends. We give thanks for Doug's life. He came this way but once, yet he touched our lives in many ways while he was here. 

Doug Wolfe
Bravo Company 68-69

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Doug Wolfe

1st Reconnaissance Battalion Association Members: 


It is with deep sadness that I report the news of the death of Doug Wolfe. He died peacefully on March 31st, 2022  with his family at his side. He will be greatly missed by his family & friends. We give thanks for Doug's life. He came this way but once, yet he touched our lives in many ways while he was here. We shall remain eternally grateful for his friendship and for the influence he bestowed upon us. 

 A proud and dedicated Marine, Doug served with Bravo Company in Vietnam. March 1968 through April 1969.  Doug gave generously of his time and talent.  He touched many of us and he will be greatly missed by his Recon teammates.   Our condolences to Doug's family. Rest in peace Marine.

Semper Fidelis! 

Bravo Company, 1st reconnaissance Battalion

Howard "Doug" Wolfe
February 23, 1949 ~ April 1, 2022 (age 73)

Check out Doug's Tribute page / Obituary at:   https://www.heritagebattlefield.com/trib.../HowardDoug-Wolfe

Doug

Doug

Doug

Doug

Doug

NEVER ABOVE YOU... NEVER BELOW YOU... ALWAYS BESIDE YOU...
SEMPER FI BROTHER 

Too close to whisper...
...one click for "yes", two for "no"...
"Brothers of the Bush"

----------------------------
Recon...their name is
their honor...and nothing more
need be said...Recon
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 James "Kimo" Andrews

RIP Brother
Condolences to the family.
Semper Fi

Go in peace and remember you are not forgotten while I am still on patrol.

Check out this web page from time to time. I will update as comments come in. Use your F5 key to refresh this web page each time. I will timestamp this web page at the top of this page so you can see if there's new contacts or not.

Last Update: 4/5/2022 - 4:30 PM

Doug Wolfe

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Made in America - Toby Keith

Doug Wolfe's Web Page!

This man taught me how to shoot both a proper jump shot and a rifle, excellent manners and respect. I inherited my smart mouth and stubbornness from him but also my quick wit, and love of critters and the great outdoors. He always had a wild story and a joke (not always an appropriate one) and I never left him without a kiss and hearing he loved me. He made sure I knew how proud he was of me and all my siblings. We were the light of his life and he made sure we knew it. The world is a darker place now that he’s gone. I love you, Daddy and you took a piece of my heart with you.

Windie Atchison
Beautiful pictures, we loved your daddy. We were shocked to the core when we heard the news this morning. May GOD give y’all peace in your hearts at this sad and difficult time. Prayers for you and your family

This is Becca, Doug's youngest daughter. I'm sure you all know by now, but my daddy left us sometime Thursday. We will be celebrating the old man Tuesday April 5th, 2022 at the Heritage Funeral Home in Fort Oglethorpe, GA. Visitation will be from 1:30-3:30 and the service is at 3:30.

Debbie Torvend
Becca, he will surely be missed. He was a great guy and loads of fun. I enjoyed visiting with him at the Marine Corps reunions. I’m very sorry. Sending love and condolences.

Garry Blackwell
God bless all of you, Doug was a long time friend, thank you for the information

JD Kite
RIP Doug , you were a hell of a Marine. Semper Fi

Ronald Overton
RIP Doug. SF

Melvin Lackey Sr.
May God be with all of you and comfort your hearts

Mike Shokatz
R.I.P. Doug Wolfe, you will be greatly missed my brother. Semper Fi

Duane Torvend
RIP 🇺🇸brother 🇺🇸 Semper Fi

Cori Robinson-Prunella
I’m so very sorry for your loss. I only knew him briefly but he made a huge impact. Such an incredible man. He could make you laugh when you least expected. RIP Sir. You will be truly missed

Richard Garza-Ray
Doug was my best friend and Brother. BDH old friend.

Tracy Wolfe Smith
Richard Garza-Ray he always spoke very highly and fondly of you.

Jim Carrabis
RIP Brother Semper Fi ParaFrog🇺🇸

Javier Flores
Doug Wolfe was a very special person, a person you look foreword to seeing and conversing with! 🙏🏻🙏🏻 he had a heart of gold! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Dennis Atchison
Becca we all loved your pop and will miss him. Please don’t be A stranger you and all of your family belong to the Bravo family and your always with us . God bless . Semper fi

Julia McRee
We will certainly miss him and his posts here on Facebook. He was in my graduating class at Kirkman. You and your mom and family (including the dogs) have my prayers. I know that this is a tough time for you. May God bless you all.

Linda Garner Lewis
So sorry . Doug and I went to Elementary , jr High and High school together. He was something else🤪🧡

Marijane Nance
I really enjoyed your dads southern charm and funny stories! He will be missed by a lot of folks up here in Michigan. Prayers for you and your family.

Posted by Charles Willard,

Rest in piece Ucle Doug Wolfe. You taught me how to be a man when I had very few men to look up to. You taught me how to shoot and some on how to hunt. I wish we had more time to go hunting with uncle Ray and his son... I love you Uncle Doug and im gonna miss you so much. I'll remember you whenever I look at those big old ears I see in the mirror ever day.

Posted by Tracy Wolfe Smith,

He taught me to swim, ride a bike, shoot a gun, and drive a car. Most of all he taught me to be a good human. I always thought we were as different as night and day. But that was just the superficial stuff. We both loved animals to a fault and never hesitated to help someone in need. We never parted ways without him telling me, “I love you, baby” and him giving me a big nicotine stenched kiss on my forehead. He was my daddy and I was his baby girl. The pain I feel is almost crippling but I know he’s at peace and no longer in pain. I know so many people were there to welcome him home. And I have no doubt he’s up there telling his crazy stories as only he could do.
He always told me, “Baby, don’t cry for me when I’m gone because I’ve lived the life of five men.” Yes you did, old man. I’m still going to cry though.

1st Reconnaissance Battalion

Bravo Company Photo Gallery

Doug Wolfe Bravo Company 3/1968 - 4/1969 from Flintstone, Georgia

Chattanooga Valley, looking toward Flintstone

Flintstone is also known as Chattanooga Valley, and the northern terminus of the community is the Tennessee-Georgia state boundary. Many residents commute to Chattanooga due to the city's physical proximity.

Geological features include the eastern slope of Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, as well as Chattanooga Creek and Rock Creek.

Doug Wolfe, Bravo 68

Thoughts of that Day

Today is a particularly dreary, rainy day. Lookout Mountain is socked in good. It is not unusual for it to be socked in. Hell they fought the Battle Above the Clouds there during the Civil War.

However, today it put me in mind of another dreary, socked in ridge I was on for around 2 hours on 3 June, 1968. Known only to me as Hill 200, it was a desolate, indefensible place that somebody in the 1st Mardiv G3 shop picked off the map to insert my platoon on as an observation post & radio relay.

200 was a high hump on a triple canopy ridgeline running northeast to southwest. One could observe a small section of a river to the south if one looked closely and the hill wasn’t socked in as it was when I was there. Other than that, all you could observe was a lot of triple canopied high ground that surrounded the hill for aprox 320 of the 360 degrees of view. For those less trained in the fine art of surveill
\ance than myself………….You couldn’t see shit and the place was a defender’s nightmare.

On 29 May, 1968 team Cayenne 3rd Plt. Bravo co. 1st Reconnassiance Bn. (Rein) led by S/Sgt. Phil Hampton inserted on hill 200 to conduct a 6 day static OP mission & act as a radio relay for teams operating in the far reaches of the battalion comm. net. Hampton’s team was composed of his normal people operating with Cayenne, HM3 Earl Lerch, and the remainder of the platoon minus an 8 man patrol being conducted on Charlie Ridge by Team Blue Spruce, the other team in the Platoon. His patrol numbered 15. 14 Marines & 1 Navy Corpsman. (HM3 Lerch)

They were inserted by CH46 helicopters after fixed wing had prepped the zone and basically blown the jungle off the ridgeline for about a 100 meters along the spine of the ridge and about 75 meters of the sides of the finger. They immediately set to work digging 2 man positions, setting fields of fire, putting out their claymores, & laying a pitiful single strand of concentina wire on their perimeter. Only God and Phil Hampton knows why a request for extraction from this position was not submitted. Maybe one was, but the 1st Recon Unit Diary shows no such request.

From the insertion thru the day of the 2nd of June, the patrol was uneventful, other than 1 sighting called in on a sampan traveling upriver. The SALUTE report cited 2 male occupants dressed in black Pjs. No packs or weapons were observed and no request for fire was submitted.

The afternoon of 2 June marked a turn for the worse in the weather.
The rain came and the accompanying fog started to sock the team in. the team set in for a miserable night in the mountain jungle, but what the fuck, they were getting out in the morning.

On the 30th of May Team Blue Spruce had returned to Camp Reasoner from our patrol. We were debriefed, cleaned our weapons and gear, and proceeded to see who could get the drunkest on 3.2 beer. The next few days would be spent taking turns on guard duty on the battalion perimeter, going to freedom Hill PX, and getting briefed and trained up for our next mission. On the 2nd we were assigned the additional duty of acting as the Bravo Co. React team. We were briefed by our TL, Sgt. Jimmy Linn of our duties and advised that there would be no drinking. This fell on deaf ears partly because most of us were already drunk and partly because Shakey Linn was pulling on a Budweiser when he said it.

Sometime around midnight we we awakened by the Co. 1st Sgt. And Sgt. Linn and advised that Cayenne was in heavy contact, had reported heavy casualties, and had lost commo with Grim Reaper. (The Bn. TAC callsign) We were told to grab our shit and muster at the 3 shop for deployment to their pos.

The C.O., 1st Sgt., Linn, & Doc Domino were taken in the 3 shop for briefing and the rest of us were waiting outside for word about our team in trouble. The word we were getting was that the NVA were all over the hill, Huey gunships were on station and providing cover fire, Spooky gunships were on station, but unable to work because of limited visibility due to the hill being socked in, and there was no contact with the team on the ground. We were beside ourselves and begging to be inserted immediately. We were told we would be going in as soon as a viable assessment of the situation on the ground could be made and visibility permitted.

About 0300 we received the word that S/Sgt. Hampton had came up on Grim Reaper’s push and requested emergency medivac for Doc Lerch & himself. A CH53 pilot with a lot more balls than brains landed and picked them up. It has never been made clear to me if Doc Lerch died on the medivac or shortly after landing at Charlie Med. We were advised that Hampton was seriously wounded and reported the rest of his team were dead or missing. We would be inserting as soon after daybreak as the safety of the choppers allowed.

We boarded 2 CH46s just before dawn on the morning of the 3rd. The React team was composed of:

Sgt. Jimmy Linn TL
Cpl. James Southall ATL
Cpl. J. Boland Primary radio
HM3 Michael Domino Corpsman
L/Cpl. Jerry Kecker M79
PFC Delbert Enos Rear Point
PFC Nelson Livingston Alt Radio
PFC Doug Wolfe Point
L/Cpl. Dave Morris M60
& 2 Marines from 1st MarDiv graves regrestration who I didn’t know. I’m not sure , but believe Capn. Little, B Co. C.O. was co-ordinating the operation from the other CH46 in out flight.

We sat down on the south end of the hill and I remember seeing Campanella and McAdams lying in their hole on that side of the hill. They had both been shot in the head. I could not get off the side to my security position soon enough. I could see to my right another fighting position with bodies, but could not tell who they were. I found out later they were Petey Wedemier & Patterson.

If you were ever in a firefight with the NVA, you are aware that they didn’t normally leave brass piled up on the battlefield. This morning I was kneeled down in a virtual pile of AK brass. We were later told a force of aprox 30 overran the hill. Bullshit, I never saw a gook on my whole tour with over 3 mags of ammo and it was piled at least 30 to 40 yards up the whole side of the ridge. I think they were hit by at least a Sapper Co. and maybe more. Most of the claymore wires were still in position and had been cut. The claymores themselves were gone and no sign was evident that they had been blown. I was told by Phil Hampton months later that every position on the hill was hit by RPGs in the initial assault.

After we had been there about 15 minutes I heard a lot of excited shouting from the N.E. side of the hill. Jim Southall came to our side of the hill and said somebody off the side of the hill was whistling the Marine Corps Hymm and we might have survivors. PFCs Gorman, Mecedo, and L/Cpls Gonzales, Washburn, Ski (can’t remember his real name) and 1 other Marine who I have forgot his name were found in a streambed at the bottom of a cliff on that side of the hill. They had apparently been blown off the hill by the RPGs. I believe it saved their lives. All but Ski were injured to the extent they were sent home.

The KIAs, along with HM3 Earl Lerch, who had been medivaced earlier, wereL/Cpl. Terry Edgar, PFC Frank Huff, PFC Darrell Campanella, PFC Gerald. McAdams, PFC Peter Wedemier, & PFC Scott Patterson. I will never forget them. They are together on 60w & 61w of the Vietnam Memorial. We also recovered 1 NVA body. I have no idea why they left him.

I went on several missions with Hampton after the Cayenne mission and found him to be a brave and competent leader. I never asked him about that mission. Several times he brought it up and I just listened.

Thats what Lookout Mountain being socked in this morning made me think of. I hope the fuck its sunny & clear in the morning.

Respectfully,
Doug Wolfe

Howard "Doug" Wolfe
February 23, 1949 ~ April 1, 2022 (age 73)

Howard “Doug” Wolfe, 73, of Flinstone, GA passed away on March 31, 2022 peacefully at his home.

He was born in Chattanooga, TN on February 23, 1949. He was preceded in death by his parents Alvin Wolfe and Della Ray Johnson, his aunt who was like a mother to him Bertha Scales, his younger brother Jimmy Wolfe, and his baby sister Penny Wolfe. He is survived by his wife Diane Westlund, his sister A. Ray (Pat) Monroe, his best friend and brother since he was 15 Jim “Bo” (Barbara) Parker, his sons James (Karen) Wolfe and Cody (Kim) Wolfe, daughters Tracy (Robert) Smith and Rebecca Wolfe. He was also survived by his eight grandchildren Dougie (Lexi), Noah, Cassie, Laney, Jordan, Delilah, Lizzie and Amelia, his stepchildren and their families and his beloved pets Bebe, Yellowboy, Willie, and Mr. Kitty.

Doug graduated from Kirkman Technical High School in 1967 and immediately joined the military where he proudly served in the United States Marine Corp Recon Battalion in Vietnam. He loved all sports and had an amazing memory for the statistics. He was a lifelong Tennessee Volunteers fan. He was a great outdoorsman and loved both hunting and fishing.

Visitation will be held by the family from 1:30 to 3:30 on Tuesday, April 5th at the Heritage Funeral Home in Fort Oglethorpe, GA. A memorial service will follow visitation at 3:30. Burial will take place on Wednesday at 2:30 PM at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or your local Humane Society. 

Mark Curtis
Thanks for the kind words about our teammate and friend. Point man, recon, airborne, scuba qual and graduate of Ranger School, the served in reserve units after ETS. He loved his family, pets and a true gentleman to people her didn’t know. R.I.P. BROTHER and Semper Fi

Ronald Overton
Had a beer with him when he came to Lansing last year. We were both friends with Jon Blume, Scuba NCO. RIP and Semper Fidelis.

Rick Sikkema
Semper-fi bro. RIP.

Rest In Peace. I will forever remember your political rants. Your dirty jokes(hotter than a whore house on nickel night) . Your love for coffee. You ability to fall asleep anywhere. And your love for my grandmother and all our crazy family.
I will forever cherish the summer I spent in Tennessee with you and grandma and you took me everywhere and made sure I saw “everything Tennessee could offer” including sonic every day, and made sure I had chocolate milk every morning, and Hardee’s as much as I could. Taught me how to drive the pontoon and (tried) to teach me how to shoot a bow in the back yard. And made sure I was introduced to every single one of your kids and family members. love you Doug. Posted by Kate Breininger 

Mike Shokatz, Just want to take a moment to say a great big thank you to each & everyone of you who took the time out of your busy Sunday to wish me a happy 75th birthday. I am truly blessed & grateful to have so many family & friends that think enough about me to let me know that you care.
Thanks again and Semper Fi to all of my brothers out there as well who stopped & left a comment or two.
Unfortunately we lost another one of my brothers this past weekend as we say fare winds and following seas to brother Marine Doug Wolfe who passed. Semper Fi

Bill Tidler Jr
My sincere condolences for the loss of your friend. May he Rest In Peace. Semper Fi!

Paps (Doug Wolfe), you were there for EVERYTHING in my adult life. My wedding, the birth of my kids (except Amelia, because you were at my house watching my 3 older kiddos), my graduation from nursing school, you helped me make it through school by watching Cassie all the time, my kids events, family dinners, Christmas, thanksgiving, Birthday parties and everything in between. You were there for all of it. you loved my kids, and you loved me and I don’t have a single picture of the two of us. 16 years of having you in my life and not a single damn picture. I really hope you knew how much I love you and respect you. I’ll miss you Paps.

Posted by Kimberly Dawn

Rest in Peace my Brother

Rest in Peace Doug

Thanks for sharing. Semper Fi Doug. I just returned from Texas, I attended my cousin’s funeral, a retired LAPD officer. God Bless Doug and his family. Email from Herman Jonse, Bravo Company 68-69

Edward L Cooper Jr.
1st platoon Bravon Co 6/68-7/69
Radioman , team Grim Reaper, Albrook and Panama Hat,  RIP Doug.

Sorry to hear of Doug's passing.  He came into Bravo not long before I rotated home.  


Semper fi; Bill
Lt Col (ret) Bill Woodier 

Retreat hell; we just got here!
Capt Lloyd Williams
Luce-le-Bocage, 2 Jun 1918

Thanks for the link/tributes on Doug. I cannot believe he is gone. God Bless.

 

S/F my friend,

 

Herman

Semper Fi: RIP Brother!

Ed Deats