TBS 2-67 Cruisebook_Updated_7Jan23

Richard Laughlin O'Leary
responsibility. It was busy at the Map wall. The
Lt. asked something like how was I doing. I was
surprised a little, and don't remember how I
answered.
Then he told me it was his irst day on the job and
just arrived in Vietnam, He was happy and
excited about the job he was doing that he just
graduated and just got married. I told him I just
was in country a month. He was beaming with
smiles, just a very friendly person.
The large underground room was full of oficers
and soon he was called away. After 20 minutes or
so, the Major interrupted us and ask him
something and he apologized that he had to go.
During the rest of my radio watch I was
expecting to hear from him, but not a word. I
didn't know that he was up lying right after we
talked. The coordinates in the report showed he
was just between on shore from the The Gulf and
along the south boundary of the DMZ when he
was KIA in a little Cessna O‐1 "bird dog" like in
the picture of one I took at Gio Linh.
I was on that radio duty for a week to replace a
man on R&R. The next day in the morning the
Major brought me his light helmet. It had a
badly fragmented hole through the top with his
dried blood all over the inside harness strapping.
Then he announced to every one his death. ?I
remember everyone stopped talking and looking
at the major. I could hardly believe that such a
nice person could be killed. That such a nice man
was dead, and so soon, and just my age.
And now, in 2018. To learn that Nixon and Johnson
both used 58,000 kia for political means. Nixon
ran on a platform that opposed the Vietnam war,
but to win the election, he needed the war to
continue, and Johnson knew about it.
smithsonianmag.com
I'll never forget him...I only stood duty in the CP
that week. And was assigned to Gio Linh in the
DMZ for 2 months, then south to Phu Bai with
Alpha‐2, 3rd Combined Action Group.
Mike Vallee Lcpl USMC ield radio operator, Comm
Company, HQ Battery, 12th Marines, Northern I
Corps Vietnam 1967. I've put up a Page honoring
O'Leary at:
http://www.ic2it.net/Mike/Marines/O'Leary/
As long as I live this page will stay up.
O1C similar to the plane Rich was flying in.
M‐73