TBS 2-67 Cruisebook_Updated_7Jan23

Richard Laughlin O'Leary
I met Richard on a hot late summer evening at Phu
Bai in the oficers' tent. He and I had been in
Oficers Basic school together. After graduation he
got married and then he went on to artillery
school where he explained he got his training to be
an aerial observer. We were glad to see each other
as we had been catching up on news of our other
classmates since we graduated the previous
January. He explained it was his irst day in the AO
job, and he was going on his irst mission to ly
over the DMZ the next day. He spoke very lovingly
of his wife of a few months and hoped to see her
when he could get R and R. We made plans to see
each other again the next night at the same place.
The next night came and went, but he didn't show
up. I made a few inquires and learned that on his
irst mission he was killed by a large caliber round
that hit him in the passenger seat but missed the
pilot.
I will never forget Richard O'Leary. He was a
serious yet fun illed guy that placed this country's
needs above his own and his future family's.
Semper Fi.
Walter (Tim) Pitchford, USMC, 1966. 13727
Oakridge Road, Carmel, In 46032
A Note from The Virtual Wall:
When this memorial was irst published The Virtual
Wall could not identify the incident in which 2ndLt
O'Leary died. Since then, a tremendous number of
Marine Corps documents have been made
available on the Internet by the Texas Tech
Vietnam Project. Among them are the following:
The 4th Bn, 12th Marines Command Chronology
which acknowledges one man killed in action on
25 Sept "by automatic weapons ire" without
giving further details.
A 12th Marines message 251905Z SEP 67, the
Situation Report 25 Sep 67 which says
"12th Marines AOs lew 6 missions for 13.9 hours
and conducted 4 arty missions, 2 visual recons,
and one convoy cover. 1 AO KIA as a result of
hostile ire vicinity Gio Linh."
The 1st Marine Air Wing Command Chronology,
which says
"25 September: 2ndLt R. O'LEARY, air observer in
an O‐1C, was killed when a burst of .50 caliber ire
hit the aircraft during a mission north of Con
Thien."
The Marine Air Group 16 Command Chronology
which notes
"25 September ‐ In the Dong Ha area an H&MS‐16
O‐1C was hit by enemy ire at coord YD137565,
one fatality" (Note: The location given in this CC
is in error. Someone at MAG‐16 interpreted the
coordinates in the H&MS‐16 after action report
incorrectly. The location reported by the pilot,
Dave Marshall was grid square YD1375.
The H&MS‐16 Command Chronology which says
"1245H ‐ Visual recon for Plumness in grid
squares YD2478 and YD2778 for artillery. Visual
recon north of ire break. Took .50 cal ire and
small automatic weapons ire from YD1375.
Aircraft took 3 hits, Aerial Observer was killed in
action by .50 cal high explosive round. Took hits at
1770' heading 250 degrees. Took aircraft back to
Dong Ha immediately."
The H&MS‐16 entry is taken verbatim from the
post‐light report:
Richard Laughlin O'Leary
Second Lieutenant
M BTRY, 4TH BN, 12TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV
United States Marine Corps
M‐70