Fieldcraft Waldron, Adelbert; S/Sgt; Army

[Sean the Nailer]

[h=4][/h] In these “Person Specific” threads, I am asking for a sharing of information regarding teachings, accomplishments, anecdotes, first-hand-experiences, and the like. Simply pertaining to the individual named in the title. I intend for a separate thread for each separate person, and in no way is this to turn into anything other than respectful and pertinent statements and stories about the shooter. If you want to talk about someone not named in a thread, PM me and I’ll start another. At the same time, disparaging comments, wrong remarks and the like, WILL be removed. This is intended to turn into a compendium of information of each marksman, because not everything is published, nor has everything been disclosed that has since been “unclassified”. Ya’ll know right from wrong, so let’s all make these threads GREAT. If we are lucky, the possibility exists for “those who are still alive” to add in their two cents. THAT luxury is not afforded very often. Hence why I want this to be kept “on point”. Thank you.
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theNailer Gunny Sergeant Rating: 3.3/5 this site 971 posts this site	Nominate | Report Posted: 11/30/2014 8:20 AM [h=4]Re: Waldron, Adelbert; S/Sgt; Army[/h] From what I understand, very little of this man is out there, and there has even been a hint at controversy. I'm not sure how accurate that rumor is, so can anyone verify anything, and/or add any light to this man's accomplishments?
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theNailer Gunny Sergeant Rating: 3.3/5 this site 971 posts this site	Nominate | Report Posted: 12/2/2014 12:28 PM [h=4]Re: Waldron, Adelbert; S/Sgt; Army[/h] I got this from another member here: There is controversy for sure. He worked in a 9th infantry division free fire zone. Used a suppressed m21 and night vision. Because it was a free fire zone, he could and did shoot anything that moved. He could also see what he was shooting thanks to nv. He worked the canals. The vc used the canals and sampans to move supplies. So did the peasants. He shot over a hundred people in 6 months on the canals, more innocent peasants than vc. More women and children than men. He was pulled from rvn, sent home, and covered up. The majority of 9th infantry division snipers hate his guts today because of his cold bloodedness and killing women and children. He made more vc than air and artillery strikes did in rvn and his killings got follow up teams butchered alive. Nobody today wants to talk about it. The majority of the 9th guys worked at ft Benning at the marksmanship unit and did mobile training team trips to rvn to run the sniper schools. They had really high standards about sniping like Gunny Hathcock. No cold blooded killers need apply. If you were too kill happy they got rid of you. They were why Waldron was pulled. Lones Wigger was one mtt commander who had extremely high standards and he wouldn't tolerate any BS. Wigger is a national champion small bore shooter known to a few of the really old guys here. A lot of stuff on the 9th sniper school stuff is in Peter Senich's sniper books, including a picture of Waldron with Mitchell Werbell with Waldron holding a suppressed m21 with a sionics suppressor on it. That's about all you will find.
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sandwarrior First Sergeant Rating: 3.4/5 this site 4470 posts this site Ignore this Member Send Private Message	Nominate | Report Posted: 4/26/2015 11:42 PM [h=4]Re: Waldron, Adelbert; S/Sgt; Army[/h] Wow! No wonder he never makes front line news. Or even barroom mention. I know Hathcock was talked about by those who went to the Marine course. A couple guys were mentioned from the Army side from those who went through the SF course. I can't remember who they were though. Kind of an interesting thing though. The VC often used "innocents" to move supplies and even fight. It bothered a lot of people to kill some of the people they did. Even Hathcock shooting a kid with rifles strapped to a bike. You also could have tripped across drug smugglers. Just as, if not nastier than the VC if you got in their way. Added: to the second paragraph, think of the Phoenix program. They caught people red-handed and they were the ones getting called brutal. surprised the Phoenix people didn't snag him up if that is the way they thought. Added II: What I believe to be a correct photo of him. When you google him a very young looking soldier with a 101st shoulder patch comes up. Last edited 4/27/2015 12:52 AM by sandwarrior
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sinisterAMU6 First Sergeant Rating: 3.1/5 this site 1536 posts this site Ignore this Member Send Private Message	Nominate | Report Posted: 11/1/2015 11:45 AM [h=4]Re: Waldron, Adelbert; S/Sgt; Army[/h] From Sharpening the Combat Edge by LTG Julian Ewell (CG of the 9th ID in Vietnam), Department of the Army, Washington, DC, 1995, p. 123: As an interesting war story, our most successful sniper was Sergeant Adelbert F. Waldron III, who had 109 confirmed kills to his credit. One afternoon he was riding along the Mekong River on a Tango boat when an enemy sniper on shore pecked away at the boat. While everyone else on board strained to find the antagonist, who was firing from the shoreline over 900 meters away, Sergeant Waldron took up his sniper rifle and picked off the Viet Cong out of the top of a coconut tree with one shot (this from a moving platform). Such was the capability of our best sniper. We had others, too, with his matchless vision and expert marksmanship. Sergeant Waldron earned two Distinguished Service Crosses for his outstanding skill and bravery. http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/090/90-20/CMH_Pub_90-20.pdf
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sandwarrior First Sergeant Rating: 3.4/5 this site 4470 posts this site Ignore this Member Send Private Message	Nominate | Report Posted: 3/9/2016 1:32 PM [h=4]Re: Waldron, Adelbert; S/Sgt; Army[/h] sinisterAMU6 wrote: From Sharpening the Combat Edge by LTG Julian Ewell (CG of the 9th ID in Vietnam), Department of the Army, Washington, DC, 1995, p. 123: As an interesting war story, our most successful sniper was Sergeant Adelbert F. Waldron III, who had 109 confirmed kills to his credit. One afternoon he was riding along the Mekong River on a Tango boat when an enemy sniper on shore pecked away at the boat. While everyone else on board strained to find the antagonist, who was firing from the shoreline over 900 meters away, Sergeant Waldron took up his sniper rifle and picked off the Viet Cong out of the top of a coconut tree with one shot (this from a moving platform). Such was the capability of our best sniper. We had others, too, with his matchless vision and expert marksmanship. Sergeant Waldron earned two Distinguished Service Crosses for his outstanding skill and bravery. http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/090/90-20/CMH_Pub_90-20.pdf​ This kind of makes me wonder if the "after-stories" overrode the truth. Maybe, he WAS super effective and they pulled him due to that. For his own safety. In the Army, even while holding Hathcock in awe, snipers were still referred to a "Murder, Inc." Many VN vets I've talked to outside my cadre talked about it being a 9-5 war and 'keeping the balance'. As long as that attitude pervaded, there was no way they could win and simply clung to the hope they would leave. In one piece hopefully. This mentality most certainly had some inroads as to the stories that were passed along later on. What I see though is too many first hand accounts of children tasked with moving weapons/munitions and even being the victim of a sucker attack, such as a grenade in with a baby handed to a GI. A suicide mission from their point no doubt, but life means little to them. Success in war meant a whole lot more, ...so said Giap.
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kraigWY First Sergeant Rating: 3.4/5 this site 2337 posts this site Ignore this Member Send Private Message	Nominate | Report Posted: 3/10/2016 10:55 AM [h=4]Re: Waldron, Adelbert; S/Sgt; Army[/h] Most Vietnam Vets, Grunts anyway, don't really like to take about what they did or didn't do in the jungles. Not something we like to talk about, not something we want to remember but something you cant forget. So is you find some one like Waldron, who decides to remain in the shadows when he returns, there is a tendency to make up stories both good and bad. I wasn't in the Delta, I was in I Corp. I didn't know the man. But I respect him. I rather doubt the award two Distinguished Service Crosses for shooting un-armed 109 women and kids. Just because he didn't come home and write books of his accomplishments doesn't make him any less of a soldier.
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theNailer Gunny Sergeant Rating: 3.3/5 this site 971 posts this site	Nominate | Report Posted: 3/10/2016 11:48 AM [h=4]Re: Waldron, Adelbert; S/Sgt; Army[/h] Kraig, I understand and agree with what you say. And I respect your position. This is partly why my opening post has these words: "I intend for a separate thread for each separate person, and in no way is this to turn into anything other than respectful and pertinent statements and stories about the shooter. If you want to talk about someone not named in a thread, PM me and I’ll start another. At the same time, disparaging comments, wrong remarks and the like, WILL be removed. This is intended to turn into a compendium of information of each marksman, because not everything is published, nor has everything been disclosed that has since been “unclassified”. Ya’ll know right from wrong, so let’s all make these threads GREAT." I'm only trying to make this line of threads, on this site, as accurate of a compendium of those who've actually "been there/done that" for both historical reasons, as well as future learning facts. How to succeed AS WELL AS what not to do. Myself, I prefer to learn from others mistakes, before making more of my own. And in my field, the more mistakes made on paper equals less time, effort, materials wasted in real life. Thank you.
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sandwarrior First Sergeant Rating: 3.4/5 this site 4470 posts this site Ignore this Member Send Private Message	Nominate | Report Posted: 3/11/2016 3:27 PM [h=4]Re: Waldron, Adelbert; S/Sgt; Army[/h] Interesting point Nailer. Good or bad, we can take a lesson from each and every one of those that were there. Some could fill a book, others may not fill a paragraph.

 

[173rdLRRP]

I was on Kwajalein in 1991 or thereabouts for a Missile test. We required some machining to mount our sensors to trackers. I met a machinist in the smaller shop and he likes my LRRP T-shirt

He introduced himself as Adelbert Waldron and that he had sometimes worked with 8ID LRRP as a sniper. We talked for 3 hours.

It was not until I got back to Mainland and could access information that I discovered what he had done: 109 probables, two Distinguished Service Crosses, and a Silver Star. He was apparently extremely reticent, refused interviews, and would not readily talk about his experiences. I can find no references to him much beyond he died a few years after I spoke with him and nothing about his being on Kwajalein. I liked the cap he was wearing, and he gave it to me

I do remember much of what he spoke about.

I was a Team Leader with 173rd ABN LRRP 1966-67. My original TL is credited with 30-40 CQK at Son Tay Raid. I remain in close contact with him.TL after me was CSM Pat Tadina (dec) with 116 CQK to include 80 recovered documents and weapons (confirmed) and with whom I was in contact every month. Tadina was on patrol status for 5 years and received 8 BSMV and two SS. TL after Pat was Lazslo Rabel who was KIA after 28 months of patrolling and 40 CQK. His wife received MOH from Oresident Johnson. We were friends in 4/503rd PIR.

Our engagement ranges were generally 3-25 m with some initiated at perhaps 1 m. Tadina sometimes just walked down trail in NVA uniform with his 6 man team and just opened fire when he ran into folks going the other way at flash burn range.

 

[173rdLRRP]

I replied to this on similar thread today.

I met Adelbert Waldron on Kwajalein in 1991. We spoke for three hours as he did machining on equipment mount. He refused interviews and apparently did not talk readily. He liked my 173rd ABN LRRP t-shirt. He died only a few years later. I have good memory of what he saudt

 

[173rdLRRP]

I replied to this on similar thread today.

I met Adelbert Waldron on Kwajalein in 1991. We spoke for three hours as he did machining on equipment mount. He refused interviews and apparently did not talk readily. He liked my 173rd ABN LRRP t-shirt. He died only a few years later. I have good memory of what he said