SGM. Gene Sidney Wright U.S. Army, Retired

SGM(USA)(Ret) Gene S. Wright left on his final PCS on September 27, 2013. He did not leave a forwarding address. He was born July 30, 1932 in North Carolina and grew up in New York City, joining the Army in 1951. Most of his time was spent in the Explosive Ordinance Disposal field working with some of the finest troops in the military. His military awards include the Soldier's Medal, (3) BSM’s, (2) MSM’s, (3) ARCOM’s, and Purple Heart. He served in Korea, Okinawa, Germany twice and Viet Nam twice. He retired in 1982. In 1978 he received an External Assoc. Science Degree from NYU and a BSA in Occupational Education Mngmt. from S.W.TX State U in 1989. He was an avid fan of baseball, golf, and the Dallas Cowboys. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Martha of 52 years, his mother, May, and brothers; John, Roy, Donald, and Wayne. His survivors include daughters Christa Lee and husband, Jim, Margrid Ambrogio, Karin Winkler and husband Wayne. Grandchildren Shannon Leigh and husband, Richard, Rick Flaherty and wife, Dee, John Andrade and wife Tina, Gene Andrade and wife Monique, Kim Moorefield and husband Charlie, and Jesse Winkler. Great grandchildren Trevor Shane, Rylie Flaherty, Nicholas and Joshua Andrade,Dane Andrade, Trevor Winkler, and Emily Moorefield. His sister, Lorraine also survives him. All that he wanted out of life was to go places and do things; he did that visiting over forty countries, mostly as a member of VIP support teams. After retiring from the Army, he worked for the Post Office for twelve years finally completely retiring in 1994. Funeral Services will be held Monday, Oct. 7th, Visitation 9:30am, Service 11:30am at Colonial Funeral Home, Universal City, TX. You may share a message or memory in the memorial guestbook at www.colonialuniversal.com and http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=118109628.

San Antonio Express Editorial

As a member of the U.S. Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit, Gene S. Wright spent much of his adult life keeping the world safe for others. He joined the Army in 1951 and began his training in ordnance disposal in 1958. “They would go out when they would find different explosives in the fields,” his daughter Christa Lee said. “They had to check to see if they were live or dead and, if live, had to detonate them.” During his first tour of duty in Vietnam, Wright trained Army of the Republic of Vietnam soldiers in the jungles of South Vietnam; during his second tour, he was assigned to provide support in Da Nang. “Every morning they would call us about how many incidents we had to take care of that day,” said friend and colleague George Doyon. “It could have been mines or projectiles.” Wright died Sept. 27 at 81. He was born in Stump Sound, N.C., and raised in New York City. He joined the Army because “he was looking for a job or something to do, and he felt the Army offered the best opportunity at that time,” his sister Lorraine Wright said. During his first tour in Vietnam, the Jeep he was riding in hit a mine, injuring Wright so badly that his jaw had to be wired shut and he had to eat through a straw for months, Lee said. For much of his career, Wright trained other ordnance disposal units, testing and inspecting their work. Wright also trained officers in the San Antonio Police Department. “We had a three-man team that did nothing but give lessons at the Police Academy,” Doyon said. “We trained the first bomb disposal team in San Antonio.” After John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, members of the EOD, or explosive ordnance disposal, unit started working closely with the Secret Service and the FBI by providing VIP support missions. “We were given civilian clothing every year,” Doyon said. “Any time the president was going to leave the White House, we would go with him.” They also were present for foreign dignitaries and other government officials. “We went to England and Paris a lot,” Doyon said. “We would be available if there were any terrorist activities.” The teams were trained to disarm explosives ranging from dynamite to nuclear bombs. “Anything that had to do with explosives, that's what we did,” Doyon added. Wright married a widow with three daughters in 1961. “What courage this man had to marry into a family; he'd never had a family before,” Lee said. “He took us on and we were his girls — he always referred to us as his girls.”

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