“My vision in Vietnam is to see that there are churches built in the North part of Vietnam also so that the government people have the opportunity to go to church and receive salvation. The people of Vietnam are kind and gracious, especially to us Americans, they are very forgiving! If you want to meet some of the friendliest people in the world, then Vietnam is the place to go. The Lord would have everyone to be saved, but who shall tell them? Lets go!”
Today, Jerry fills a full time position at his church doing housekeeping. On Sundays, he and his wife Sondra are Sunday School teachers. Jerry and Sondra have 6 children and 9 grandchildren. Jerry is also Commander of the Royal Ranger youth scouting program at their church, Christian Chapel in Columbia, MO.
Jerry has returned to Vietnam several times with groups of Vietnam veterans to help them make peace with their past. He also worked with the local government charity assisting the underprivileged children. “Going back to Vietnam and helping the children and meeting the people has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”
After his Honorable Discharge, Jerry worked for 5 years at the Boonville County Hospital. In 1972, the Veterans Administration opened a new hospital in Columbia, MO. Jerry applied and was accepted immediately. He worked there until his retirement in January of 2006. Today he reflects with satisfaction on his career commenting that “the VA hospital was a great place to work, with many learning opportunities and the pleasure of working with many highly educated and dedicated people.”
Jerry Wassmann was born in Boonville, MO. He served in the U.S. Army from 1965 thru 1967, stationed at Walter Reed Hospital working in research and in the intensive care unit performing lab tests. In April 1966 Jerry was part of a surgical research team sent to Long Binh, Viet Nam for 6 months stationed at the 93rd
Evac. Hospital where he performed laboratory tests on critically wounded soldiers to keep them from going into shock.
