Roy Tschudy

Roy Tschudy enlisted in the United States Army and achieved the rank of Specialist 4th Class.

Mr. Tschudy entered the Army after high school and attended Basic Training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, receiving further training in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was assigned to the 1st Aviation Brigade, 307th Battalion, 164th Aviation Group with the 271st Aviation Company. They arrived the first day of the Tet Offensive.

His Company was assigned to the Mekong Delta, 70 miles south of Saigon. Mr. Tschudy’s tour of duty consisted of a night watch where he was assigned steady perimeter guard duty in a two-man sand bunker containment on the jungle’s edge.

He was Door Gunner on the CH-47 Chinook helicopter flying sorties in the Mekong region, spending 13 months in Southeast Asia.

After an honorable discharge, Mr. Tschudy joined the New York Police Department, serving in numerous capacities, including basic patrol and undercover policing, and Training Officer for new graduates. He earned numerous awards including Cop of the Month, a Meritorious Award, and the Bronx Public Service Award twice.

Retiring after 24 years with the NYPD, Mr. Tschudy worked in the security field for seven years at Suffern High School. He was forced to retire when he was diagnosed with an Agent Orange illness.

Since 2004, he has been an active member of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 333 and is the current President. In 2013, along with another Chapter member, Mr. Tschudy embarked on a program to assist disabled veterans who have suffered leg amputations and/or spinal cord
injuries. Their HAND CYCLE PROGRAM, to date, has purchased and delivered 15 hand cycles, an out-rigger canoe, two mountain bikes, and two trike bikes — all through fundraising.
 
Mr. Tschudy, along with other Chapter members, teaches the Vietnam experience at schools through a program called "Stories, Memories Left at the Wall," with over 100,000 students and faculty participating in the program. Currently, they are assisting The Wall project in Washington, D.C. to find photographs of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.

Mr. Tschudy helped in the burial of an indigent Vietnam veteran who recently passed away, ensuring that a proper respectful farewell was performed.

Mr. Tschudy has been married to his beloved wife, Lois, for 42 years. They have two children and three grandchildren.