Jerry Allen

In The Spotlight: Bravo For This Black Lion!

Gerald (Jerry) W. Allen (Maj. USA Ret)


Platoon Leader/XO B Co 2/28 Jun 66-Jun 67

Jerry quit High School in his Junior year to join the Army on 22 October, 1958 at age 17. After completing basic training at Ft. Dix, Jerry completed Heavy Equipment Operator School an signed up for Airborne training. He was assigned to A Co 2/187th Airborne Inf. 101st Airborne Div and completed jump school. First assignment in A Co was as a BAR gunner/packmule. He then attended Radio Telephone Operator's School and became the CO's RTO/packmule. He received orders to Berlin Brigade and was assigned to the Engineer Platoon of the 2nd Bn 6th Inf as a demolition specialist after completing the Demolition Mine Warfare School. Promoted to Sp4 and volunteered for Special Forces training. He was transferred to 10th Special Forces as a Demolition Spec and cross-trained in weapons and medic and promoted to E5.

Jerry returned to 101st ABN in 1963 as a Combat Engineer Sqd Ldr. While assigned to the 326Th Engineer Bn, Jerry attended Jump Master School, NCO Academy, Recondo School and Ranger School and was promoted to SSG. He applied for and was accepted to attend Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, GA. Jerry Completed OCS in December, 1965 and was assigned to the Ranger Department as a 2Lt Ranger School Instructor until he received orders to VN in April 1966.

In June 1966, Jerry arrived in VN and assigned to B Co 2/28 as Platoon Leader of 1st Platoon, and later, 3rd Platoon. After 9 months on line, Captain Turner moved Jerry to Company X.O. When Jerry had about a month left in country and the company was on an operation and the 1SG was wounded, Cpt Turner asked Jerry to come out and run the CP. When Jerry got out in the field with the company, he remembers telling Captain Turner that "I would rather have my platoon back and let SFC Gilbert run the CP" (big mistake, Jerry said, as Captian Turner honored his request and gave him his rifle platoon back). Jerry continues, "Captain Turner sent me on the first helicopter to the new location to recon our new area, the S-t hit the fan as soon as I hit the ground, small arms and machine gun fire from everywhere, my 'PUCKER FACTOR' was off the chart. I think this was the beginning of Billing's. The next 4-6 days was bad news, I returned to rear to go home 3 days before 'Freedom Bird'."

After completing his tour with the B 2/28, he was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Bien Hoa. Shortly after arriving, the Brigade moved to the northern highlands where he spent six months as HHC XO/LLRP Cdr (Jerry says that was another "Big Mistake"). He was promoted to Captain in Mar 68 and returned to the US in Apr 68 to command an AIT company at Ft. McCelland, AL.

He applied for and attended Rotary Wing Flight School and went back to Viet Nam in Mar 69 where he was an Assault Helicopter Platoon Leader and later Operations Officer. After 1,450 hours of driving a helicopter he returned to the US to attend Armored Officers Advanced Course at Ft. Knox, KY. After graduation was assigned to Armor School as a Leadership Instructor in the Armored Officers Basic Course. While teaching at the Armored School he was selected for the Degree Completion Program (he had completed his GED and earned over 60 hours of college credit attending night school while in Germany and at Ft. Campbell).

Jerry was assigned to the University of Tampa as a junior and received a BS in Education. While attending the University of Tampa, he coached the Women's Volleyball Team, played varsity baseball and coached Little League Baseball. Upon graduation, he returned to the 101st again to command a rifle company in the 1/501 Inf. After he turned over the command of his company he was assigned to the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, England AFB as the Army Advisor for Close Air Support. While assigned to England AFB he was promoted to Major and sent to the US Army Inspector General School in Washington and assigned to the United States Armed Forces Headquarters' Europe as an Inspector General for 18 months and XO of an Armored Cav Sqdn for 18 months.

Jerry received order's to attend the Command and General Staff College at Ft Leavenworth, KS. After CGSC he was selected for LTC and assigned to Ft. Leavenworth. Jerry elected to decline the promotion and retired in June, 1980.

After retirement Jerry and his family moved to Lexington, KY where he worked as a Production Superintendent for Universal Fasteners for four years. In 1984, he moved his family to California in order to join his father in his business. Jerry's dad was having health problems and he wanted Jerry to take over the business. Jerry's dad passed away in 1994 and Jerry took over the business.

Our son Kirk (34) is a business owner in Los Angeles, daughter Keri (31) is a stay at home Mom who has given us two beautiful grandchildren, Britnii (10) and Dean (3) and son Shane (27) Medical School student headed to be an Emergency Room Physician.

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