STRAW WADE C

WO1 Wade C. Straw was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 05/27/2018 at the age of 70.7
Camp Lejeune, NC
Flight Class 69-23
Date of Birth 10/02/1947
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with B/2/20 ARA 1 CAV in 69-70
Call sign in Vietnam BLUE MAX
This information was provided by Jim Gramke - obit

More detail on this person: Colonel Wade C. Straw, USMC retired (AKA Barney: Dog), 70, of Vero Beach, passed away, Sunday, May 27, 2018, with his loving and devoted family by his side. Wade was born on October 2, 1947 in Des Moines, IA, to the late Maj. Charles (USMC - RET) and Betyan Straw. He married Elaine Ochoa in 1978. The next several years were spent moving between various Marine Corps duty stations until Wade's retirement in 2003 after 30 years of service. After his military career, Wade continued to work for the US Treasury Department in Washington D.C. until 2013. At that time Wade and Elaine fully retired to Destin, FL. In 2017, because of declining health, they moved to Vero Beach to be close to family. Wade was a veteran of the Vietnam War - flying Cobra Gunships for the US Army and the First Gulf War - flying Harrier Jump Jets for the US Marine Corps. He was highly decorated for his bravery in combat. Wade was awarded 2 Silver Stars (Nations 3rd highest award for heroism), Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, 2 Bronze Stars with Combat V, Army Commendation Medal with Combat V, 41 Strike/Flight Air Medals, and a multitude of Unit and Campaign Decorations. Wade was a Marines Marine, highly respected by subordinates, peers and superiors alike, truly fitting of Ronald Reagan's famous quote; "Some People Spend and Entire Lifetime Wondering If they Made A Difference In the World. But the Marines Don't Have That Problem." Wade is survived by his wife, Elaine and son, Tom; brothers, Dennis (Roxanne) and Michael (Claudia). He is also survived by several cousins and many adoring nieces and nephews. A military funeral with full honors will be held at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL at a later date. The family requests any donations in Wade's memory be made to the Semper Fi fund, any military organization of choice or the VNA Hospice House of Vero Beach. Anyone wishing to send the family a message or share a story is asked to visit Wade's memorial page at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com Published in the TC Palm on June 10, 2018

Burial information: Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL

This information was last updated 12/10/2018

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Date posted on this site: 10/13/2025