Dec. 6, 2001
WACO, Texas - Mike Dewlen was the only Baylor University letter winner to die in the Vietnam War and now is the first individual to have his name on the Baylor "B" Association's newly created Wall of Honor.
Dewlen, who played football during the mid-60s, was enshrined during a Nov. 16 ceremony in the "B" Room at Floyd Casey Stadium for conspicuous gallantry in action.
A second lieutenant in the U. S. Marine Corps, Dewlen died in combat in 1968 and as a result of his aggressive leadership and courage in the face of hostile action he posthumously was awarded a Silver Star.
The Wall of Honor was created in 2000 by the "B" Association directors to honor certain letterwinners who have achieved prominence because of meritorious accomplishments in public or private life following their Baylor athletic careers.
Dewlen was a 1962 graduate of Amarillo High School where he was captain of the football team, a member of the baseball team and president of his senior class. After graduation he wanted to play at Baylor because his father had been a member of the Baylor team that played the No. 1-ranked University of Texas team to a 7-7 tie in 1941.
The younger Dewlen played on the 1962 Baylor freshman team, but was red-shirted the following year. He played guard in 1964, 1965 and 1966, winning letters in the final two years. After graduation Dewlen joined the U. S. Marines and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division in South Vietnam.
While serving as the fire direction officer of Battery C, Dewlen's men came under heavy attack in the early morning hours of June 11, 1968. After a company-size North Vietnamese force penetrated the defensive perimeter, Dewlen organized a counterattack and led his men in hand-to-hand combat. The counterattack was successful and the battery was saved, but as the North Vietnamese were retreating - leaving behind 28 dead - Dewlen was mortally wounded.
His name, of course, is on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., and his influence is still felt in his hometown, where Amarillo High School annually honors an outstanding student with the Mike Dewlen Award.
Because of his character and courage, Dewlen brought credit to Baylor University and the Baylor Athletic Department.
