Hetzel, Norman Ralph
Item
Title
Hetzel, Norman Ralph
Creator
Bobby Ciarletta
Birth Date
October 4, 1948
Birthplace
Suffern, NY
Death Date
August 26, 1969
Burial Place
Union Cemetery, Ramsey, NJ
Occupation
Welding
Conflict
Military Branch
Rank
Sergeant
Serial Number
138386450
Service Start Date
1969-08-07
Service End Date
1969-08-26
Honors
Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Medal
Bronze Star
Vietnam Service Medal
Purple Heart
Biographical Text
Norman Ralph Hetzel was born on October 4, 1948 in Suffern, NY, although he lived in Mahwah and graduated from Mahwah High School.
Hetzel joined the army during the Vietnam War, and became squad leader at only 20 years old. His time in service was cut short while he patrolled hostile territory at Quảng Nam on August 26, 1969.
His burial included full military honors, and an honor guard from Fort Dix was present there (this was the fort where he had completed his basic combat training). The Rev. Dr. Horald Wittig of Grace Baptist Church said at the funeral service, “Norman is still in the welding business - he’s gone on before and the way is welded for us.”
Hetzel learned to weld through a work study program. One of his hobbies was bowling, and as a freshman he made it to the semifinals of a junior boys' tournament in Bergen county, and bowled a total 588 across three games.
Today, the American Legion Post in Mahwah is named after him. He received the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Bronze Star, Vietnam Service Medal, and Purple Heart for his service.
Hetzel joined the army during the Vietnam War, and became squad leader at only 20 years old. His time in service was cut short while he patrolled hostile territory at Quảng Nam on August 26, 1969.
His burial included full military honors, and an honor guard from Fort Dix was present there (this was the fort where he had completed his basic combat training). The Rev. Dr. Horald Wittig of Grace Baptist Church said at the funeral service, “Norman is still in the welding business - he’s gone on before and the way is welded for us.”
Hetzel learned to weld through a work study program. One of his hobbies was bowling, and as a freshman he made it to the semifinals of a junior boys' tournament in Bergen county, and bowled a total 588 across three games.
Today, the American Legion Post in Mahwah is named after him. He received the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Bronze Star, Vietnam Service Medal, and Purple Heart for his service.
Bibliography
Sgt. Norman Hetzel Buried With Full Military Honors, The News, p. 30, Sep. 8, 1969.
Trudy Walz, Where Main meets ‘Thank You’, Suburban News North, p. 6 (A-6), Nov 7, 2007.
"Norman R Hetzel - SGT", njvvmf.org.
Gerry De La Ree, Campi Jr. Has 613 Set In Scholastic Tourney, The Record, p. 37, April 22, 1963.
"Norman Ralph Hetzel", Vietnam Wall Memorial, fold3.com.
"SGT Norman Ralph Hetzel", findagrave.com.
"Norman Ralph Hetzel", U.S. Vietnam War Military Casualties 1956-1998, ancestry.com.
Mahwah High School Yearbook, 1965, p. 133, U.S. School Yearbooks 1900-1999, ancestry.com.
Memorial Day Parade Program, May 25, 1988
Collection
Citation
Bobby Ciarletta, “Hetzel, Norman Ralph,” Mahwah Veterans Project, accessed July 2, 2024, https://mahwahmuseum.reclaim.hosting/MVP/items/show/210.