Our Story

At the age of 19, Jerry joined the US Marine Corp on June 6, 1966 from his home state of Minnesota. After basic training and communications school, he was placed in the First Marine Division and was sent to the front lines of Vietnam.  The life expectancy for anyone in this Division in Viet Nam was seventeen days.  On his seventeenth day he and his friend, Gary, were both hit by incoming, enemy rounds.

Both men were blown backwards, lying side by side, head downhill on a knoll. Gary was hit in the chest and faintly uttered, ‘Help’, three times as his chest was exposed, and blood spewed profusely from his chest flowing down both sides of his neck.  Jerry was incapacitated and unable to move due to severe injuries. The Commander came down the hill and pronounced Gary as ‘Gone’. They attempted to carry Jerry down the hill by the legs as his legs were aimed uphill, but the muddy trek proved impossible. More help came and Jerry was put on a stretcher and taken down the hill to the BAS bunker. They were out of morphine and all they had to offer Jerry for pain was whiskey and a cigar. 

The official telegram from General Wallace M. Greene Jr., USMC Commandant of the Marine Corps, stated, “Gerald R. Toczek USMC was injured 24 September 1967 in the vicinity of Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam.” (This area, although deemed the Demilitarized Zone, DMZ, by the military and media was more cynically labeled by the troops themselves, the ‘Dead Marine Zone’.) 

Jerry sustained six wounds (left ankle, right knee, right thigh, right hand, left shoulder, and abdomen) from hostile artillery fire while in a defensive position.  He was taken via helicopter to a field hospital which was subsequently also severely hit. He was unaccounted for and ‘lost’ for 8 days along with all his medical records.  He awoke on October 2, 1967, with gangrene in his left leg and ankle, in isolation, in a room at the US Naval Hospital, Yokosuka, Japan.  On October 28, 1967, he was transported by a medical transport plane to Oakland Naval Hospital, California, where he was treated for 18 months. It was there, while in recovery, at the age of 20 he was awarded the ‘Purple Heart Medal’, November 28, 1967, by General Robinson. He was honorably discharged from the USMC on April 22, 1972.  

Historical Note:  Between September 19 – 27, 1967, in a massive attack by artillery fire on Con Thien, the North Vietnamese fired more than 3,000 heavy artillery, mortar and rocket rounds against the Marine battalion at Con Thien (Combat Base near DMZ).  In response, the US artillery returned 12,577 rounds, Navy gunships fired 6,148 rounds and the US fighter /attack aircraft flew 5,200 missions against the enemy firing positions.  Significance: This attack was one of the heaviest North Vietnamese artillery bombardments against American troops during the Viet Nam War and was the first phase of what was the Communist 1967-1968 Winter/Spring Campaign. It culminated in the legendary 1968 Tet offensive.  

Jerry and Deborah believe God miraculously protected during this time for specific future He had planned for him.

Jerry joined the Army Mountain Men division in 1972. The Mountain Men were a mountaineering battalion, trained in cross country skiing, climbing and repelling mountains for military service. On August 22, 1979, Jerry was named the unit’s most outstanding soldier, being selected for the ‘Best Soldier Award’ during training camp and promoted to Staff Sergeant. He was honorably discharged August 26, 1979.

In 1989, Jerry joined the Navy Seabees, a construction battalion.  He was honorably discharged February 2, 1993.