Monday, July 4, 2011
A mission during the Vietnam War reverberates in the lives of family members and friends 42 years later.
Aug. 5, 1969 In two weeks, Sgt. Jim Donnelly was due for some R & R in Hawaii. He had asked Sue Markus, his fiancee, to meet him there. One year and three days shy of his wedding date, Donnelly was leading his platoon into the Boi Loi woods. When Matt Switanowski had first spotted a bunker, the platoon pulled back and called in air strikes and artillery. “We could see the pilots they were so close to us,” Switanowski said. “You could almost shout to them. One piece of shrapnel almost tore my knee off we were so close. “They were dropping 250-pound bombs and artillery, but it took a direct hit on a bunker to do any damage,” he said. The barrage continued for 45 minutes. “After all this, we went back in. This time, the dog stayed back. I was…
'St. Charles Patch' continues its Independence Day series on a life-altering mission in Vietnam. Staff Sgt. James Donnelly's leadership abilities shine through, even as he sees close friends fall around him.
Staff Sgt. Jim Donnelly wrote often to his fiancée Sue Markus; his parents, Mary and James Donnelly Sr.; his brother Jerry, and his younger sisters, Mary and Marsha, then ages 6 and 10. One letter to his dad, who had served in World War II, tells much about his Vietnam experiences. June 11, 1969 Dear Dad: Once again I’ll have to cry on your shoulder. I lost my best buddy (Sgt. Higgins) 4 days ago. I still can’t believe it happened … I went to NCO school with him at Polk and then here for six months. I talked with him about 20 minutes before it happened. It really tore me up. As 1st Platoon leader, Donnelly quickly earned respect from his company commander and his squad members. “Most of the time, new sergeants would want to take over, show…
The outcome of a mission during the Vietnam War reverberates in the lives of St. Louis family members 42 years later.
Aug. 5, 1969 Matt Switanowski was in the lead, knowing Viet Cong (VC) or North Vietnamese Army (NVA) were nearby. A K-9 team had gone in front, and the dogs soon started getting anxious. The handlers told him, “Be careful. They’re very close.” Switanowski and his platoon were part of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, a group known as the Manchus. He was the point man on the lead platoon on an offensive, having been flown in on helicopters into the Boi Loi Woods in Vietnam. “It was a main area where the North Vietnamese dig in and hide,” Switanowski said. “Every time we went in, we always made contact. Always.” He had gone about 20 feet and began spotting holes in the ground where the VC or NVA would hide out. “Across a little opening, we …
JoAnn Melton
2:20 pm on Monday, July 4, 2011
'It hurts to remember, but we must never, never forget.' ~ quote from another Vietnam veteran more ›