Kenneth Aungst, a retired Army first sergeant and Vietnam veteran, seen here at U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach, Germany, on April 17, 2024, was the first American to receive the 7th Army Training Command's Good Neighbor Award for service to the U.S. Army and local community on April 19, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Kenneth Aungst, a retired Army first sergeant, made a vow after narrowly surviving an early morning attack on Kontum Airfield in January 1968.
A platoon of North Vietnamese sappers infiltrated the base, killing six of Aungst’s men, wounding more than a dozen and destroying 16 aircraft, he recalled while speaking at U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach last week.
The helicopter mechanic, now 87, was struck in the back of the head with shrapnel from an enemy grenade and was later asked to identify the bodies of his young troops.
“I made a promise to myself that I was going to make my life a positive life,” he said. “If I make it out of here and get home to [my wife and daughter], I’m going to be a good guy.”
Aungst, who has German residency through his wife, Marga, is considered a community icon in the greater Ansbach area for his volunteering efforts, and his dedication to soldiers and veterans.
He was honored by the 7th Army Training Command with its Good Neighbor Award at Tower Barracks in Grafenwoehr on Friday, along with nine German citizens for their support of the U.S. Army and local community. He is the first American to receive the award, which is often given to local mayors and clergy.
Kenneth Aungst on a helicopter in Vietnam in 1962. (Kenneth Aungst)
Kenneth Aungst in Nellingen, Germany in 1955. (Kenneth Aungst)
Kenneth Aungst, seen here during his Army service, was honored by the 7th Army Training Command for a lifetime of service to the greater Ansbach community during a ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on April 19, 2024. (Kenneth Aungst)
“He is an outstanding partner with our unit,” Col. Ryan Kendall, commander of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade at Ansbach, said after the ceremony. “As each command team cycles through, he’s that thread of continuity with those (community) relationships.”
Aungst grew up speaking Pennsylvania Dutch on a farm in Pine Grove, Pa., he recalled. Both of his parents, Eldoria and Roy, worked to support the war effort in World War II.
Aungst left a job at a leather tannery to join the Army at 18.
In 1955, he arrived in Illesheim, Germany, straight out of basic training, he said. He met his wife at a guest house in Bad Windsheim. Wedding bells and a daughter, Barbara, soon followed.
During the first of three tours to Vietnam, Aungst helped evacuate the wounded in an air ambulance unit. He served as a technical inspector for the 57th Assault Helicopter Company during the second, which included the attack on Jan. 10, 1968.
Retired Lt. Gen. Hubert Smith, then a captain, said Aungst saved numerous lives that night.
“We had guys who were in very bad shape,” Smith said by phone Tuesday. “Ken immediately took charge.”
He has always been deeply concerned about the welfare of others, Smith said.
Aungst retired to the Illesheim area in 1980. He worked as shoppette manager and later as postmaster for Storck Barracks.
He began to focus more on good deeds to keep his post-traumatic stress at bay.
Aungst has provided snacks and coffee for COVID-19 vaccination drives and he’s active with American Legion Post 1982. In the community, he’s served as a point of contact for a program that brings together American families and foster children during the holidays. He also helps German widows get the benefits they’re entitled to receive.
Helga Moser, community liaison for the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, said Aungst is her “go-to” person when organizing cross-cultural events. Aungst said the secret to his success is simple.
“Do what you can for other people,” he said. “A smile from somebody’s face and a thank you for what you did for them is all you got to have.”
burke.matt@stripes.com @MatthewMBurke1
Kenneth Aungst, center, a retired Army first sergeant and Vietnam veteran, receives the 7th Army Training Command’s Good Neighbor Award. Also participating in the ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on April 19, 2024, were, left to right: Sgt. Maj. Paul Fedorisin, the training command’s enlisted leader; commander Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter; Col. Ryan Kendall, commander of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade; and brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Kyle Clutter. (Christian Carrillo/U.S. Army)
