ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Col. Jerry R. Fry, U.S. Army Retired
Jerry R. Fry grew up as an Army brat, the son of a retired Master Sergeant. His upbringing took him across the United States and abroad, living in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Iowa, Japan, and Hawaii.
After graduating from high school, Fry enlisted in the Army in early 1962. He completed both basic and advanced individual training before attending Jump School. Shortly thereafter, he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, just days before the Cuban Missile Crisis. During that tense period, Fry was actively involved in preparations to parachute into Cuba, a mission that was ultimately called off following a political settlement.
In July 1965, as an infantry sergeant (E-5), Fry entered Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon graduating on January 14, 1966, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry. His first assignment was with the soon-to-be reconstituted 9th Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. Due to a shortage of officers, Fry initially served as a Brigade Adjutant and later as a Battalion Adjutant. At his request, he was eventually given command of an infantry platoon in the 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment.
Following his service with the 9th Division, Fry attended Army Helicopter Flight School. After earning his wings, he joined the 17th Helicopter Company for unit training in preparation for deployment to Vietnam.
In September 1967, he deployed to Vietnam, where he experienced the events detailed in this book.
Clifford A. Gehrt, Former 1/Lt., Infantry
Clifford A. Gehrt is a decorated Vietnam War veteran and retired banking executive. Born in 1941 in Northern California, he graduated from Sacramento State College in January 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Personnel Management. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army College Option Program as a designated Infantry Officer Candidate.
Cliff earned his commission as an infantry second lieutenant upon completing Infantry Officer Candidate School (OCS) Class 1-66 at Fort Benning, GA, on January 14, 1966.
He was among the first officers assigned to the reactivated 9th Infantry Division, initially filling a major’s slot as the 1st Brigade Adjutant (S-1). In that position, he oversaw the reception and processing of more than 1,000 incoming recruits. He later served as Battalion Adjutant and S-1 for the 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment (“Fighting Falcons”), filling a captain’s slot while still a 2nd and then 1st lieutenant. His unit deployed to Vietnam via troopship for 21 days in December 1966, and his Vietnam tour ended in November 1967, after which he continued to serve as a training company commander in the Army Reserve until February 1971.
Following his military career, Cliff transitioned into banking, where he built a successful 30-year tenure culminating in his role as Regional Vice President for Bank of America.
Now retired, he resides in Northern California with Beverly, his wife of more than 60 years.
Jerry Fry has spent the last eighteen years assembling a seventy‑plus‑volume collection of Civil War primary‑source documents, released for publication in August 2026 and available through Amazon.com. The collection, titled 1861 Missouri Speaks: Rebooting History, is supported by a companion website, 1861MissouriSpeaks.com. A separate Sampler volume, containing selections from each of the fourteen series (pictured here), is also available on Amazon.com.
