Carol Wagner, Leader Correspondent
Photo by Carol Wagner Bill Kuhnke will be the grand marshal for the 106th annual Bonduel Fourth of July parade. Kuhnke holds the medals he received during more than 14 years of service with the United States Army Airborne Corps. His uniform still fits.
William “Bill” Kuhnke served in the U.S. Army Airborne Corps for 14 years, 10 months and 18 days. He was planning to stay in the service, but had to leave and go on disability when he was wounded in Vietnam.
He is the grand marshal for the 106th annual Bonduel Fourth of July parade, which begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
“It’s an honor,” Kuhnke said.
He grew up in the town of Maine and enlisted in February 1952 at 17 years old. His brother was serving in Korea.
“I thought he might need some help,” Kuhnke said.
He reported to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, then to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii for 16 weeks of basic infantry training. That was followed by jump school for three weeks at Fort Benning, Georgia. Kuhnke was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg in North Carolina in August 1954.
He later was an honor graduate at mountain training school in Japan, where he also placed second in his division in pistol and rifle shooting. He made the division team in advanced rifle marksmanship.
“I did a lot of shooting,” Kuhnke said. “We won a lot of matches.”
In November 1958, he was sent to the Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Fort Benning and later to Germany. He returned to Fort Benning from Germany for the All Army Rifle Matches.
In the early 1960s, he made the 3rd Army team and the 101st Airborne rifle team. During his career, Kuhnke received a silver and two bronze badges for Excellency in Competition in team marksmanship. He won three individual division first places.
In 1965, Kuhnke was sent to Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry. Coming down a mountain after a search-and-clear mission, he stopped for lunch in the tall elephant grass. When the squad’s point man didn’t return, Kuhnke went looking for him and found he had been killed by a sniper.
Kuhnke took cover behind a tree but was shot twice by the sniper, first in his right arm and then his right leg.
“The bullets went through my leg and arm,” Kuhnke said.
He was treated in the field for seven days and then was hospitalized at Fort Campbell for 10 months. He was discharged from the Army on Dec. 23, 1966.
Kuhnke’s injuries put him on permanent disability. He wears a brace on his leg and had several operations on his arm to be able to use his hand.
He was awarded the Purple Heart, Expert Infantryman Badge and Master Parachutist Badge, along with several other medals for his service.
Kuhnke is a member of Bonduel American Legion Post 217, Shawano Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2723 and the Oneida Disabled American Veterans.
Kuhnke and his wife, Helga, have been married 56 years and live in Navarino. They have three children.