In The Spotlight

Don is a very modest individual who does not talk about himself much. It took a little effort to get him to tell me the details of his ARCOM with "V" award he won on October 9th, during Operation Shenandoah II (text of the citation in linked next to his name on the "Unofficial Roster"). Don did tell me that the second platoon was point that day, and SP4 Anderson was pointman. Don remembers that they were in a wet area when Anderson was hit point blank by a VC machinegunner. Don crawled forward to help Anderson. When he got close to Anderson, he had an opportunity to fire on the VC bunker, but his gun jammed. Don picked up Anderson's M-16 and started to fire it, but it also jammed. This had Don puzzled, as Anderson was always cleaning his rifle. Don suspects the wet conditions had something to do with it. While still under fire, Don pulled Anderson back to relative safety, out of the field of fire of the machinegunner. Don says he does not understand how he himself was not hit, as the VC machine gunner was doing all he could to shoot Don. Don figures it just wasn't his turn. As mentioned above, for his actions that day, Don received the Army Commendation Medal with "V" for Valor. Here, in Don's own words, are what he has been doing since Vietnam:

I only did the one tour in Nam. Most of my life I spent as a self-employed auto mechanic. My wife and I have taken foster children for the last 15 years. We have had around fifty over the years. We won Foster Family of the Year award a couple of times from the outfit we are with. Also won State (Pennsylvania) Foster Family Outstanding Service Award one year. We have two natural children. Our girl is 31 and our boy 29.

If you would like to contact Don, you can email him at: DPKOCHSR@aol.com