JOHN O'DONNELL
MARINE VET
HONORING A YOUNG BRAVE MARINE HERO
THIS MAN HAS GIVEN OF HIMSELF EVERTHING HE COULD, SO THAT HIS BROTHER MARINES AND THE PEOPLE BACK HOME COULD LIVE A MORE PEACEFUL LIFE. THIS GIFT OF HIS LIFE SHOWS THE GREATNESS OF THIS HERO. HERO'S DON'T WEAR A CAPE OR MASK NO! THEY WEAR MARINE GREEN.HERO'S COME IN DIFFERENT SHAPE'S AND SIZE'S. AS EACH DAY PASSES,WE MUST TAKE THE TIME TO REMEMBER WHAT THIS HERO GAVE UP! SO THAT WE COULD LIVE IN A FREE SOCIETY. THANK YOU ! SEMPER FI! HERO YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN DOSEN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE A 2YR, 3YR, 4YR, ENLISTMENT OR A DRAFTEE OR RESERVIST,OFFICER OR ENLISTED YOU HAVE EARNED THE TITTLE OF U.S. MARINE! A NATION CRIES OUT FOR THE LOSS OF ONE OF ITS SON'S.
May 25, 2014 |
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Billy Zdrojeski
Billy.stro@gmail.com
NY
Happy Birthday. May God Bless You, for your sacrifice
Jul 23, 2013 |
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John Woenker
cousin
627 Main St New Haven IN 46774
I Proudly display your Marine sword, and your Marmion sword in my house. I never knew you, but I knew your mother well. She would often tell me that I reminded her of you, which made me proud. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.
May 10, 2013 |
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taylor brown
thank you for serving our country. your hard work has paid off. thank you sir!!!!!!!!
Apr 22, 2013 |
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A Note From the Virtual Wall
On 25 May 1969 Bravo Company, 1Bn, 3rd Marines, was holding a defensive position about 5 kilometers southwest of Cam Lo (in Quang Tri Province just south of the DMZ). The position had received enemy 82mm mortar fire during the morning hours, apparently without harm, but the company's luck changed in the afternoon. The Command Chronology reports that
'At 251745H, at Bravo Company position vicinity YD055684, the NVA firing 82mm mortars ... dropped one round into the increments pit of the 81mm mortars, setting them on fire, fire spread to the 81mm ammo in the ammo pits, this started the 81mm ammo going off, and the fire spread to a pallet of 81mm ammo near the position, causing it to explode. People trying to put out the fire before the explosion got too close, Bravo suffered 8 KIA, 29 WIA, and 2 MIA. Rounds continued to cook off, making it impossible that night to get every one of the KIA or WIA out. Company forced to move off hill by continuous explosions.'
On the morning of the 26th the Marines regrouped, reoccupied the position, and recovered additional bodies, increasing the casualty count to 12 dead. No identifiable remains were recovered for two Marines known to be present, and a week later one of the wounded died of his injuries. The fifteen men were
1stLt John W. Abbott, Hammond, IN, Bravo 1/3
2ndLt Timothy M. O'Neill, St Louis, MO, Bravo 1/3
Cpl Gary D. Carter, Tyler, TX, Bravo 1/3
Cpl Daniel L. Pucci, Berea, OH, Bravo 1/3 (DoW 06/02/1969)
Cpl Jan Rauschkolb, Denver, CO, H&S 1/3
Cpl William F. Skaggs, St Paul, MN, Bravo 1/3
LCpl Paul A. Graff, Sunnyvale, CA, H&S 1/3
LCpl Michael A. Powell, Atlanta, GA, H&S 1/3
LCpl John Winters, Clark, NJ, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Jimmy K. Church, Columbus, OH, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Keith A. Kahlstorf, Britt, IA, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Edward T. O'Donovan, Chicago, IL, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Jim J. Walters, Sioux City, IA, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Leroy C. Williams, Jacksonville, FL, Bravo 1/3 (Body not recovered)
Pvt Monek Weitz, Roxbury, MA, A Btry, 1/12 Marines (Body not recovered)
May 25, 2012 |
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Donald Brown
drbrown38@juno.com
Son's Godfather, fellow Marine.
4530 Winneway Dr. San Antonio TX 78222 USA
You are still rembered and loved John.
Grettings John! Just wanted to stop by and salute you for being a fellow officer, shake your hand for being my son's Godfather, and say 'Hi' for being a friend and a fellow Marine.
Semper Fi!
Jan 18, 2012 |
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Tom Clark
ushistoryman@yahoo.com
Researcher for the State of Indiana
8400, Wicker Ave. St. John IN 46373 USA
Seeking Family and Friends
We need your help! Since 1986, the students of Lake Central, High School, in Northwest, Indiana, have been researching, the men and women from the state of Indiana, who gave their lives, in the Vietnam War. We are the researchers, for the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam, War Memorials, located, in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Of the 1,621, Vietnam casualties, we have located, 1100+, families, as of the date of this entry. We are seeking, any and all help, in locating the family, or his friends. If you have any information, that may help us, please contact us, at the following: Lake Central High School, Tom Clark, History Dept., 8400 Wicker Ave., St. John, Indiana, 46373 or email us, at: ushistoryman@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
Jan 26, 2011 |
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Erin Fitzsimmons
Dear Family of John William Abbott,
My name is Erin Fitzsimmons and I am with the GATE (Gifted and Talented Enrichment) program at Pinelands Junior High School, and in February my class and I are going to Washington, D.C. for two days. One of the historic places we will be visiting is the Vietnam Wall, where the name of John William Abbott is engraved.
John was a very honorable and inspiring man for giving his life for people he had never even met. Even though he paid the ultimate price, those people thank him and thousands of others every day for the freedom he gave them. I am terribly sorry for your loss and I know that he is missed. I’m sure he was a kind, caring man and that you all loved him with all your hearts. It takes courage to die for what you believe in, and I will remember John’s courage when I go to the wall. I will look at his name, and out of all of them, it will be the one that I will remember forever.
Sincerely,
Erin Fitzsimmons
Oct 13, 2010 |
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Donald Brown
drbrown38@juno.com
Good friend, fellow Marine
4530 Winneway Dr. San Antonio Texas 78222 USA
To one of the best!
Greetings John! So many years have passed since we last met - 41 to be exact. How much I miss our great times together in Pensacola. Rest in peace, and Semper Fi.
May 30, 2010 |
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Karen Westerhouse (Voros)
mgm_gram@msn.com
childhood friend
3188 Dan's Drive Stevens Point WI 54481 United States
Growing up together
John and I grew up together in Hammond, Indiana. He lived across the alley from me. I have nothing but happy memories of John. The last time I saw him he told me about his future bride and how wonderful she was and how much I would like her.
My mother has always said that John(ny) was my 'first date'. He took me to his parents' restaurant for a coke. :) My heart broke when I learned of John's death. Over these last 40 years, I have thought of and cried over John's passing many, many times. I am so very proud of you, Johnny. Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Nov 12, 2009 |
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