Staff Sgt. Douglas Jason Warden, United States Army, retired, was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 23.
The ceremony was held at the Oklahoma City Military Park Vietnam War Memorial at 1200 N.W. 24th. Many Vietnamese American leaders attended the ceremony to help honor the men who fought for their countrymen.
Warden was born April 14, 1947, in Prague. A 1964 graduate of Prague High School and after one semester at Eastern Oklahoma A&M College, the 19-year-old received his draft notice.
He arrived in Vietnam as a Private First Class, serving as a rifleman, radio telephone operator, squad leader, platoon sergeant and platoon leader.
After just seven months in the country, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant becoming one of the most decorated soldiers in the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division.
On his second day in combat, May 27, 1967, Warden earned the Bronze Star with “V” device to denote heroism when he stood up between his comrade and an enemy machine gunner resulting in a deadly engagement.
Three days later on May 31, his actions earned him the Silver Star and Purple Heart when his platoon was trapped.
As the radio telephone operator, he accompanied his platoon leader into the command post of the 22nd North Vietnamese Army Regiment where they killed over 10 NVA soldiers.
For actions on July 3, 1967, Warden was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for rescuing one of the injured crewmen from a burning helicopter that crashed into an ammunition dump, then returning to move ammunition away from the fire.
On Dec. 15, east of Tam Quan, Warden led a successful assault against an enemy rocket position and rescued a mortally wounded soldier. He was awarded his second Silver Star. On Dec. 16, as the battle continued, her earned his second Purple Heart and after Tet began, he would receive his third Purple Heart for combat on Feb. 19, 1968.
Warden re-enlisted in 1969 and served with the 1st Special Forces Group on Okinawa. While doing parachute training, a tower equipment failure resulted in a critical fall, forcing him into medical retirement. He earned his Special Forces tab and the Army Commendation Medal during this time.
Warden served from 1966 to 1973.
A 1980 graduate of Webster University, St. Louis, Mo., he completed a 15-year career with AT&T and 10 years with the Gartner Group. In 2011, he published his early life biography, “Boy Sergeant - A Young Soldier’s Story of Vietnam.”
He continues to assist veterans and ROTC/ JROTC students through the Oklahoma Special Forces Association. Warden lives in Shawnee.