Catholic Womanhood by Larraine Bennett
William Etchemendy
My dad was a true hero. He was a hero to his country, his family, and to me.
I can just hear him saying, “Oh, bah!”
And that’s because he was not only a hero, but a truly humble man.
He became an officer in his typically unassuming way, by enlisting in the army and then attending Officer Candidate School. He fought in World War II and the Korean War, was wounded in action five times. He was awarded the Legion of Merit twice, the Bronze Star (twice), the Purple Heart five times, and many other medals.
He was one of the few survivors of the battle at the Chosin Reservoir, where the U.S. military was surprised in the dead of night by tens of thousands of Communist Chinese. Trapped behind enemy lines and completely outnumbered, they fought valiantly, often hand-to-hand. In the end, the only way out was to cross the frozen reservoir on foot, in 35 degree below zero temperatures.
But even before the Korean War, he had made the treacherous landing at Omaha Beach in 1944. As a rifle platoon leader, he fought his way across France to take the Citadel at Saint Malo, fought in the Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge, and finally ended up in Vienna, where his commanding officer gave him the desk job he didn’t want.
That’s where he met my mom, a gorgeous German secretary who looked liked Loretta Young. They were getting along really well at a party in Vienna when she asked him if he was free the next day. He said “no.”
He was going fishing with some buddies.
He would always rather be fishing. But he drove her home in his jeep and, like a true gentleman, asked if he might kiss her goodnight.
My dad was always a gentleman, always thinking of others. Leaving the hospital just a couple of weeks ago, weak from pneumonia, he made sure that my mom and I went out through the door first.
My dad had a great sense of humor. Whenever my mom was sad or upset, he could make her laugh immediately, with his dry wit. Just a few days before he died, when I was fumbling around in the bedroom, trying to gather up the long tube that went to his oxygen tank, he joked, “What are you doing, hunting for mice?”
He taught me about virtue. He always said, “Never go to the extremes: always practice moderation.” And, in fact, this is Aristotle’s definition of virtue: the mean between two extremes. My dad was a truly virtuous man: brave, kind, and faithful. He always thought first about how he could serve others, never thinking about himself.
Like Saint Joseph, he was a man of quiet faith. He didn’t have to talk about it; instead, everything about the way he lived his life was an example of it. He was a man of integrity, humility, and service to others.
He taught me so many things. One of my favorites was: “Don’t be a spring butt.” This was a lesson in the virtue of humility. I don’t think he ever bragged about anything. Even when he won the National Masters Handball Championship, I don’t think he told anyone except maybe his handball buddies!
He taught me how to drive a stick shift on Rattlesnake Mountain. This was a lesson in the virtue of patience. And you couldn’t find a more patient grandfather, when he played cards with my kids, took the boys fishing, or taught them the secret man handshake: “we men must stick together!”
My dad taught me how to make picons the way his dad taught him, according to a Basque family recipe. Once, we drove all over the Pyrennees, stopping in every restaurant and bar, searching for a picon punch the way his Aita made them. We never found them. This was a lesson in the virtue of perseverance.
He used to tell the most wonderful stories about all the characters who came to the Overland Hotel and his adventures growing up in Gardnerville.
My dad is surely in heaven now, reunited with his brothers John and Leon, his sister Josie, and his Pop and Mom. I imagine him fishing in the most beautiful lake imaginable, catching endless quantities of fish.
Jesus said "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)." My dad had this great love, for he was willing to lay down his life for his country, and every day in countless ways for his family and his friends.
He was a true hero--a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, and friend. We will all miss him so much!
Laraine Bennett co-authored, with her husband Art, The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse and The Temperament God Gave You, published by Sophia Institute Press. Their new book, The Emotions God Gave You, is due Spring 2011. Please visit their website at http://temperaments.sophiainstitute.com/.
William W. Etchemendy Obituary
August 23, 1920
June 17, 2011
Bill was born August 26, 1920 to John and Jeanne Etchemendy in Gardnerville, Nevada. He attended Douglas County High School and enrolled in UNR in 1940. He was a member of ATO Fraternity and majored in Spanish. He was active in ROTC for 4 years. As a sophomore he won the Governor's medal. He graduated from UNR in 1943. Bill had a lifetime career in the military. He attended Officer Candidate School and received commission as Second Lieutenant Infantry at Fort Benning, GA in 1943. He was assigned to the 83rd Inf. Div in the European Theater in 1944 as a rifle platoon leader. He fought in Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes and Rhineland campaigns. He was wounded twice in the battle, during the drive of division through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Germany. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and the Hurtgen Forest and was one of the first units to reach the lower Rhine River attempting to cross the bridge to Dusseldorf before the bridge was blown. During the Korean War he was assigned as a rifle company commander of "L" Co. 31st Inf., 7th Inf. Division. He made assault landing in Inchon, South Korea and fought with his unit in Seoul, Suwon area. Later, they made a second landing in Iwon, North Korea with fighting towards the Yalu River. With the Chinese intervention, elements of the 31st Inf. and the 1st Marine Div. were attacked by several Chinese divisions at Chosin Reservoir. During the subsequent battle, he was wounded 3 times, but managed to reach Hagaru safely and then was flown to a hospital in Japan. During the Vietnam War he was sent to Thailand as an advisor to the Thai 2nd army to assist in the training of personnel for subsequent shipment to Vietnam and counterinsurgency action against anti-Thai forces. During his career he was assigned to HQ dept of the Army as a staff officer in the Pentagon, to HQ European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, and HQ and Service Command, Far East Command in Tokyo, Japan and the United States Forces Austria during the Russian occupation of Vienna. He was also in the US Forces in Alaska and other units throughout the United States. At various times during his military service he commanded units in the 2nd Inf. Div., 4th Inf. Div., 7th Inf. Div. and the 83rd Inf. Division. He received the following decorations during his 32 years of military service: Legion of Merit with 1 oak leaf cluster, Bronze star with 1 oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart with 4 oak leaf clusters, Combat Infantryman Badge, (2nd award), National Defense Service Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), American Campaign Medal (6 overseas bars) and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. When he retired, he was ranked Colonel in the US Army.
He is survived by his loving wife; Teje and their daughter; Laraine Bennett,(Art), his sister; Marie Uhalde and a sister-in-law; Ruby Etchemendy. He is also survived by his 4 grandchildren; Lianna, Raymond,(Laura), Sam and Lucy, as well as many nieces and nephews. A Rosary will be held at Ross, Burke and Knobel Mortuary at 2155 Kietzke Lane in Reno on Thursday, July 7th, at 5:00pm. A memorial mass will be held at St. Therese Church of the Little Flower on Friday July 8th at 10:00am, with a reception to follow. We will miss him so, but what a life he lived!
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