Biography
of SFC Houston D. Wedlock
SFC
Houston D. Wedlock was our keynote speaker at the Eleventh Annual Memorial
Day Service, held by the Friends of Midland at the cemetery on May 29,
2004. It was a wonderfully bright and sunny day--perfect for
memorializing America's fallen heroes--and SFC Wedlock's stirring words so
moved our gathered guests that many requested that they be printed on the
website. With SFC Wedlock's kind permission, "Let
Us Remember" is available here. Below is a biographical
sketch of SFC Wedlock.
SFC Houston
D.Wedlock was born in White Post, Clarke County Virginia. He attended
White Post Grade School, Millwood Middle School and the Johnson William
High School in Berryville, Virginia.
SFC
Wedlock spent more than twenty years in the United States Army. His
assignments included the 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division
and the Army Elite Special Forces with the Green Berets. He served as a
Platoon Sergeant in the Airborne Divisions, an instructor at the Army
Airborne School training troops for parachute jumps, instructing at the
John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance and the Third Army
Noncommissioned Officers Academy. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam.
The second tour of Vietnam with the Elite 5th Special Forces Green Berets
was as a Senior Military Advisor to the Vietnam Special Forces LLDB.
He
has been honored with many military awards and commendations doing his
tours of duty:
The
Combat Infantry Badge
Master Parachutist Badge
2 Bronze Star for Valor
2 Vietnam Cross of Gallantry for Bravery
Vietnam Parachutist Badge
5 Good Conduct Medals
National Defense Medals
Special Forces Tabs
Expert Infantry Badges
Jungle Expert Tabs
Campaign and Service Medals
On
completion of his military career, SFC Wedlock was an owner operator for
the trucking industry for five years, leading to a management position as
a Regional Safety Manager with a large trucking firm located in the
Midwest. Following his retirement from trucking,
SFC
Wedlock joined VisionQuest as the Transportation Manager and a Buffalo
Soldier Re-enactor.
He
holds the title of First Sergeant in his Buffalo Soldiers Research and
Re-enactor group and has a special interest in Black Military History.
This hobby has led to a comprehensive research of the Civil War, Buffalo
Soldiers in the old West, the Spanish American War, World War I, Black
Paratroopers, Tuskegee Airmen, and the Red Ball Express of World War II.
During
the last ten years Trooper Houston Wedlock and his Buffalo Soldiers
Re-enactors have presented this history through presentations and exhibits
to many military bases, schools, universities and communities throughout
the Eastern United States.
SFC
Wedlock has been the exhibitor for the VisionQuest Mobile Museum since it
was first opened in 1998.
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