Flying high: Old Marine colonel honored by his Vietnam 'sons'
dlauderdale@islandpacket.comSeptember 21, 2013   Retired U.S.
Marine Col. Walt Ledbetter of Lady's Island is photographed at
his surprise birthday party Sept. 6 at Panini's restaurant in
Beaufort. Members of his former helicopter squadron in Vietnam
attended.   More than 20 Vietnam veterans descended on Beaufort
Sept. 6 like they used to buzz into the jungle in CH-46
helicopters named after rock bands.  They came from Washington
state, California, Colorado, North Dakota, Texas, Maine, Florida
and elsewhere to surprise their old commanding officer.  Their
mission was to celebrate the 84th birthday of retired Marine
Col. Walt Ledbetter of Lady's Island. He headed their "Gopher
Broke" HMM-263 squadron for six months in 1968 and 1969.  Back
then, he was a lieutenant colonel, 39, and as good a CH-46 pilot
as there was in the world.  They were lieutenants, maybe 23,
fresh out of college, all volunteers in a squadron that didn't
have the majors and capta