"The
picture on the left was taken March of 1969, age 18. Young, but not
so innocent. In 1990, I went back to Vietnam. The picture on the right
was taken as I crawled out of one of the tunnels in Cu Chi."~Paul
O'Connell
Paul
O'Connell, Mike 3/5 I served with Mike 3/5 (1st platoon)
from October 1968 - September 1969. I arrived in country a PFC, and
by June 1969 was Combat meritoriously promoted to CPL. I was an 0311,
and progressed from a rifleman to fire team leader, to squad leader,
and for a brief time before I came home, right guide.
I participated in Operation Taylor Common (103 days in the bush), Musgokee
Meadows (kicked ass with Bravo 1/5), Pipestone Canyon (booby traps galore)
and Durham Peak. Also participated in many other actions that never
seemed to earn a name. I survived action in such dreaded places as the
Arizona, Dodge City, Go Noi Island, and the Que Son Mountains.~Paul
O'Connell
Paul
and Judy O'Connell
Paul
has posted the letters he wrote home from Vietnam
on the Vietnam Veterans Homepage site, some powerful reading of the
life of an 18-yr-old combat Marine. He has also written several poems about Vietnam
that are posted on the Mike 3/5 website. Thank you so much for sharing
your memories with us, Paul.
Mike
3/5 Website
