Honoring our Veterans: Walt Shumaker
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) Walt Shumaker served in the Army where he was in the front lines of the Vietnam War.
He had volunteered for the draft at 19-years-old and in total ended up serving 10 years.
Right before he joined the Army, Walt was working at a grocery store, which he thought he would make a career of.
As someone who came from generations before him serving in the military, he wasn't too unfamiliar with that lifestyle.
Right away Shumaker was put on the front lines of the Vietnam War. Upon arriving, he remembers his platoon sergeant warning the newcomers of what was to come.
“He said to us there’s a bullet waiting for you. It will either kill you or it’ll wound you depending on what you do. Or it’ll miss you. That right there said, wow you got to pay attention, you got to know what you’re doing, you got to look around and be aware of what is going on around you.”
Shumaker looked up to his platoon sergeant and wanted to learn from him, but unfortunately he was killed in battle two months before he was to head home. Shumaker said that his platoon sergeant's death really got to him at the time.
During out in the war Shumaker was wounded three times himself. One of those times was from enemy fire while he was on base. He descrives the Vietcong firing rounds from outside the base, where one of them hit him.
Luckily, he was fortunate enough to come back in one piece. Shumaker reminisces on the day he left the war behind. He remembers how he and his brothers began screaming and shouting once aboard the plane, "We're going home!"
During his time in the military he has received awards such as the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Army Accommodation, Vietnam Service Metal, and the National Defense Metal.
Shumaker spent a total of 8 years on active duty and two years in the reserves. Once reaching 10 years in the service, he decided it was time for him to take a different path, in search of a different life.
Today Walt travels often, and is a part of Veterans of America. He also writes for the AZ-LZ Newsletter, and participated in different Veteran events.
Shumaker encourages everyone to always give a helping hand to a veteran, whether it be taking them out or giving them gift cards.
