Kerry Orr was born in 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland.  He grew up there, graduated from Patapsco High School with the Class of 1966 and then enrolled in the University of Baltimore.  He initially had a student deferment from the draft, but gave it up and almost immediately received his draft call.  He was inducted into the Army July 7, 1967.

During Infantry Training at Fort Polk, Kerry was offered training as an NCO, which he accepted.  After graduating from the NCO Academy at Fort Benning, Georgia, Sergeant Orr was ordered back to Fort Polk where he spent the next several months training troops.

The troop buildup in Vietnam at that time was continuing at a rapid pace and Kerry’s turn to join them came in November 1968, arriving at his unit of assignment, Company B, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry, then operating from Fire Base Malone.

Kerry was wounded February 11, 1969, about three months after his arrival in the company.  A defoliation operation was taking place along the river north of Firebase Malone.  Thick vegetation lined the river banks and boats had been spraying it with Agent Orange while Company B provided security.  The boats picked up the Infantrymen at the base in the morning and returned them there after the day’s work up the river spraying defoliant.  On the third day of the operation the boats were ambushed when coming back to base camp at the end of the day and Kerry Orr was wounded in the enemy’s initial burst of fire.  A shell fragment from an RPG round hit and knocked his helmet off, leaving him with a concussion and a minor but profusely bleeding head wound.  A medevac helicopter was called in to the site and it took Kerry out.  After treatment in the 23rd Evac Hospital for about two weeks he returned to duty in his unit.  He was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism for his actions on March 24, 1969.

In July 1969, his term of service being up, Kerry rotated back to the United States, was discharged at Oakland, California, and returned to his parental home in Baltimore.  In 1974 he went to work for Control Data Corporation in computer sales, and Kerry was with them for twelve years.  In 1988 he began a twenty-five year career with Zenitel USA as a Regional Sales Manager in the Southeast.  In 1997 he was promoted to Regional Vice President, then Vice President of Sales in 2005.  Kerry retired from Zenitel in July 2012.

While all that had been happening, in 1995 Kerry married Monika, a girl from Kansas City who agreed to join him in Atlanta, but the deal was that when the time came for them to retire, she got to pick where they would live.  She picked here.  So, they had a house built in Lakeway and moved into it in 2009.

In the brief time since his arrival in Texas, Kerry has been active with the Vietnam Veterans of America, especially in supporting the now nearly complete “Build the Monument” project.  He joined as a life member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Kerry has a daughter, two grandchildren, and a 3-year-old great grandson.  He rides motorcycles once a week at least.  Over Memorial Day, he made a 3800-mile ride with Ride For The Wall to honor the 58K vets that died in Vietnam, along with the MIA/POW's. 

Kerry was on the executive committee to build the Vietnam Veterans Monument on the grounds of the Capitol in Austin and the Touring Dog Tag exhibit for the 3417 Texans that died in Vietnam.  He does peer counseling for current Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and raises money for Wounded Warriors Families at the San Antonio Military Medical Center.