Ken  Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, KEN (1948~) Ken Wallingford entered the U. S. Army in 1969 and completed basic and advanced infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, paratrooper school, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Special Forces, phase one training, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Wallingford was sent to Vietnam in August 1970 and was assigned as a sniper with the 25th Infantry Division. One year later, he volunteered for a second tour of duty as a military advisor with MACV (Military Assistance Command Vietnam). While advising 200 South Vietnamese troops on April 5, 1972 at Loc Ninh, South Vietnam, he and four other Americans came under the heavy mortar and artillery fire from three divisions (30,000 troops) of North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong soldiers. After two and one-half days of oppressive and massive fighting, the numerically superior enemy overran his camp. Severely wounded, he was one of three survivors taken prisoner (six days before his scheduled discharge). Imprisoned in the jungles of Cambodia in a five-foot by six-foot ?tiger cage? for over ten months, he was repatriated in February 1973 following the signing of the Paris Peace Agreement. He was one of the first two Texans to return home. Military awards and decorations include the Silver star, Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, Army Commendation Medal for Valor with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Prisoner of War Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, Combat Infantry Badge, Paratrooper Badge and eight other medals and unit citations. Since September of 1988, Wallingford has served as Director of Veterans Liaison for the Texas Veterans Land Board. His responsibilities include broadening the VLB?s interest and awareness of needs in the veteran community, on the both state and national levels. He has addressed areas and issues that can benefit from the agency?s resources. Developed and maintained effective working relationships with veteran organizations, state and federal agencies dealing with veteran programs and issues, and the Department of Veteran Affairs.