All over the nation this weekend we honor our family members, friends, neighbors, everyone who has made that ultimate of sacrifices in service of this country. Their sacrifices advanced our interests from the Civil War to Afghanistan and Iraq, that we may enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted.
This weekend my family honors, with extreme pride, but also a great sense of loss, the ultimate sacrifice of Richard Wayne McGee. He was the beloved youngest son of my husband’s grandmother, Dovie McGee, and older brother and best friend to my mother-in-law Linda (McGee) Green. He was born May 22, 1947, in Oakton, Kentucky, but his family migrated to Northwest Indiana in search of better employment opportunities when Richard was six. He did not excel at school, but enjoyed the Boy Scouts, and was especially proud of his uniform. And he idolized his older brother, Gene, who was a career soldier. So, perhaps it was no surprise that he would consider joining up. Still, even the circumstances of Richard’s enlistment provide our family with the opportunity for mixed feelings of pride and loss. You see, Richard enlisted when he was just 17, and still in high school. Consider that, at that time, the U.S. was beginning to escalate troop involvement in Vietnam (There were 23,300 troops in Vietnam in 1964; 184,300 troops in 1965 and 385,300 troops in 1966.), and anyone under the age of 18 needed parental consent to join the Army. Fully committed, Richard dropped out of school, secured his mother’s consent, and joined the Army on June 2, 1964. His tour in Vietnam began September 3, 1965.
While “in-country” with A Co 2/35, Richard volunteered for “shotgun duty” in 1965. When his TDY (temporary duty) was up, he requested reassignment in order to remain with A/501st Aviation Battalion, 71st Assault Helicopter Company (the legendary Rattlers and Firebirds). I read once that a door gunner on a Huey in Vietnam had a life-span of five minutes. I know that was an exaggeration, but in truth it is a very dangerous position, standing in the open door of a helicopter, making a target of oneself. I cannot imagine the courage and determination it would take to do something like that, let alone to be eighteen or nineteen years old and do it. By all accounts, Richard was good at his job and, time and time again he literally hung out there, staring death in the face, putting his life on the line for his brothers and a cause he believed in, and he did it fearlessly. For his service, Richard earned the following citations: the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation.
But, during his service, Richard gained something else for us to be proud of: he became a man. And, while he surely didn’t have the time to grow into the complete man he would have become, his friends and family were able to get a glimpse of that man from his letters home and from accounts from the men he served with. A reporter from Richard’s hometown paper, the Post Tribune, caught up with him in Vietnam, and Richard told him he had found in the Army his goal in life, and he wanted to better himself and get a better education. Richard wrote home about the new friendships he had forged, about meeting people so different from himself, from different races and backgrounds. And his fellow soldiers have described him as:
“the finest example of the 25th Div.” (Sgt. Lee Franchot, Squad Leader)
“Richard was top notch. I respected him very much as a person and as a soldier. He was so young and so brave.” (Cacti Dennis C. Eichler)
And, his youngest sister, Linda Green said of her brother:
“He was tall, handsome, gentle, kind, nurturing and very protective of everyone. He was my hero when I was a little girl ... long before he put on that uniform and died for his country. He'll always be my hero.”
It was not really a surprise to anyone that, when Richard’s initial tour of duty was up in Vietnam, he signed up for a second 90 day tour. On June 28, 1966 Richard wrote a letter to his sister Linda, telling her he would be home to see her in 67 days, “if I don’t get killed” The letter, of course, came after the telegram informing the family that Richard had been killed in action on July 1, 1966. The cause of his death was listed as small arms fire. The details were described in his citation for Distinguished Flying Cross:
General Orders 4608, Award OF The Distinguished Flying Cross, HHC, UARV, 13 July 1966For heroism while participating in aerial flight: Corporal Mc Gee distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 1 July 1966 while serving as a door gunner of an armed helicopter during a reconnaissance mission near Duc Hoa, Republic of Vietnam. When his fire team received an emergency call from an observation aircraft which had located an estimated company of Viet Cong, they immediately flew to the area and engaged the insurgents. During the repeated firing passes over the fortified Viet Cong positions, Corporal Mc Gee stood on the skids of his helicopter and placed suppressive fire on the Viet Cong. Although the fire team was receiving intense ground fire from all quadrants and all the main armaments of the aircraft were expended, he continued to place effective machine gun fire on the insurgent positions. On the last firing pass, Corporal Mc Gee was mortally wounded by the intense Viet Cong ground fire. Corporal Mc Gee's personal bravery and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Richard McGee was 19 years old when he died. He is never far from our thoughts. But on days like Memorial Day we are especially mindful of him. We wonder what he would have done with his life, had he lived. We wonder if he would be proud of the way in which we honor the principles he gave his life for. And, we wonder how we can live lives worthy of his sacrifice, and the sacrifice of the more than million other lives lost to safeguard our liberty. Mostly, we hope his loss will never be in vain. On Memorial Day, our family honors Richard Wayne McGee. We are sad, but we are so very proud.
This year, as our family grew with the adoption of three children, we added a second middle name, a “family name” for each child. We were so pleased to add the name Richard to our son’s name. As we keep Richard with us by sharing photographs, stories and memories, my son will come to know his great uncle; the kind son, the true friend, the protective big brother, the brave warrior. There is so much for him to live up to with this name, and so many opportunities to make us proud.