TBS 2-67 Cruisebook_Updated_7Jan23

comfortably together.
We ended up in the same same Marine Division
in Vietnam, up on the DMZ. Doc went to artillery
school en‐route so he got there a bit after me. I was
at Con Thien; Doc was just a few miles east of there
when he was killed. There was no instant news
back then, just grapevine, so it took months for me
to learn Doc had been killed. At the time I was
busy, really busy, so I didn't send condolences home
as I should have done.
I do have a commemorative medal to send to
Doc's brother and a short history/relection of
1967. I've got to get his address from Peddie. I'll
see if I can't send you something too.
My thoughts on Doc: Nobody aims to get killed.
Nobody. But few people ever worked as hard to put
themselves in a venue that constitutes harm's way
with greater determination than did Doc. He was
easily attracted to the hard choice. If safe meant
easy he wasn't interested. What set him apart was
an iron determination that hid behind a warm
smile. He wasn't the sort of fellow that expected
every one to match his determination, so a smile
did set comfortably on his face. But when you knew
him, you knew how much he demanded of himself.
It does no good at all to question what good
ultimately came of his circumstances up on the
DMZ, when you understand that no one could have
stood stood in his way to being there. Fate
snatched him off that small hill side; his
determination put him there.
Remember him accordingly.
John "Doc" Doherty
Respectfully,
Col Bob Lewis, Marines (ret.)
***
I knew Doc at both Peddie ( for a couple of years)
and at Canoe U.)...although not well at either
location. When Peddie decided to honor Doc (and I
think some others) I sent the school, via email,
everything I knew, or thought I knew, about the
circumstances of his death...which was next to
nothing. As a platoon commander with 9th ESB at
the time, my Marines were just kind of bouncing
around within III MAF in a direct support role from
one infantry unit to the next. I think we were @
Union II north of Tam Ky when I got word of Doc's
death.
...I remember him as being a quiet, friendly, laidback
kind of guy ‐‐ not the kind of guy I would have
expected to see later at Annapolis or in the
Corps.....but, then again, I didn't really know him
well enough to make that judgment.
...Sorry I can't add much for Mr. O'Brien, other than
to say that Doc was a Hell of a guy, loved by
everyone who did know him, and died before his
time......but for his country. Buck Thompson
***
Hi Peter, My room was across the hall from John in
Basic School and then we were at Fort Sill together.
While in Vietnam Nam, I wrote John a letter. A
month or two later, I received a letter from his
M‐42