30 Mar 2005 SFC Rufus Wilson Bills was born and raised in Sweetwater, Tx. He preferred to use his middle name of Wilson. He graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1950 and entered the Army. He was with G Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, First Cavalry Division, in Korea. He was wounded on June 8, 1951 in Korea and was returned to duty in Japan. He was a part of the Occupation of Japan and was awarded an Occupational Medal. He served in several stateside posts, and met his wife, Gisella in Germany. They were married in 1961 in Odessa. He returned to Germany, participated in the Berlin lift, came home to Fort Lewis Washington. One daughter, Karen was born in Sweetwater and the other daughter, Sharon was born at Madigan General Hospital near Fort Lewis. He did another tour in Korea, and returned to Germany. His Germany tour was cut short and he started his tour in Vietnam as a member of MACV Advisory Team 75 advising the SVN Army in the Delta region. He was killed on August 3, 1967 in hostile action, six weeks short of returning home. The photo above was taken around 1955-56. He is remembered on the Permian Basin Vietnam Veterans' Memorial.

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