Airman James Timothy O'Neill -- The Last Fourth of July Hero

              

    Each year since 2015, around the Fourth of July, I've posted a tribute to the men who died in Vietnam on Independence Day 50 years earlier. This will be last such post.

    Navy Airman James Timothy O'Neill, 20, of Baltimore, was the last American serviceman to die in Vietnam on a Fourth of July, and he was the only one who perished on July 4, 1973.

 By the summer of 1973 the war was over. At least it was for most American troops, but not for Navy and Marine personnel clearing mines from the coast of North Vietnam under the peace agreement.

 Operation End Sweep as it was known began on February 6 and ended July 18, 1973. With just two weeks to go in the operation, he was killed in an accident aboard the USS Ogden when he was caught in the closing door of a Sea Stallion helicopter. He was an aircraft maintenance technician stationed on the USS Tripoli, but he and other sailors from that ship were dispatched to the Ogden to help with operations there.

 Timmy, as he was known to his family, was the eldest of six children, two boys and four girls. His father, John T. O’Neill, was a Baltimore city police officer, and his mother, Bridgid McMullen O’Neill, was a homemaker. His immediate family also included a cousin, Thomas B. McMullen, who was the same age as Timmy and was like a brother to him. Thomas graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1974.

 One of Timmy’s sisters, Peggy Zulkowski, remembers the day her family learned of his death. Due to the dateline difference, it was still the Fourth of July in the United States when they were notified. “Because our father worked shifts, we never had a cookout on the Fourth of July, but that was the one year we did,” she explained. The family had returned home after watching fireworks when a car pulled into the driveway with a chaplain from the Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis and another Navy officer, bringing the news that Timmy had been killed. July of 1973 was the height of a gasoline shortage. Ms. Zulkowski recalls, “Their car ran out of gas in our driveway, and we had to siphon gas from our cars so they could leave.”

 Ms. Zulkowski was in her early teens when her brother died, and she said her parents talked very little about the circumstances of his death. It was not until she was in her fifties that she learned the entire story by searching the internet. One of the things she discovered on an Operation End Sweep message board was that the pilot of the helicopter on which Timmy died suffered severe guilt the rest of his life due to the accident.

“How sad to think someone would suffer all those years over something that was an accident,” she said. “If that man had come to our door he would have been welcomed. We bore him no animosity.”

Timmy had an aptitude for mechanical and electronic equipment, and he helped his father in his sideline of repairing cars. He was also an avid fisherman and would sometimes take off and walk several miles to his favorite fishing hole.

Ms. Zulkowski said Timmy enlisted when he was 18 and loved being in the Navy. He was not much for writing letters, but he sent his parents detailed tape recordings telling them in great detail about his work and travels.

            One person who never even knew Timmy posted a memorial to him on an online wall. It’s an unusual message and illustrates the wide variety of people who were affected by Vietnam. Dated 2001, the message is signed simply “YN3 McClurkin” (YN3 is the abbreviation for Yeoman Third Class). His message said:

“I never knew you in 1973, but I knew of you. Until this day I never knew your name was on the ‘Wall.’ I remember typing the Captain's letter of condolence to your parents. Processing the letter disturbed me because it all seemed so sad.

“In July of 1973 everything was just about finished, wrapped up, the final curtain for a long involvement and you should have been home in a few months. Occasionally over the past 28 years I have recalled typing that letter, wondering how your family must have felt when they received it.

“I know nothing about the life you lived. I know nothing about the hopes and plans you may have had for the future. This I do know. God never intended for mankind to be in conflict with one another.”

I searched for “YN3 McClurkin” to share with him the information I had learned about Timmy but was never able to find him.

One of Timmy’s high school friends, Bob Lari, posted a message that illustrates the type of person he was. Bob, who knew Timmy since they were nine or ten years old, wrote:

 My memories of Tim include his incredible skill with models and electronics.  I didn’t recognize it at the time, but that skill was evidence of Tim’s awesome analytical intelligence blossoming.  I was 18 years old when Tim was killed while serving off the coast of Vietnam.  Before he enlisted in the Navy, we spent countless nights watching late night horror movies, building models and rockets, and engaging in adventures some of which I am not at liberty to share.

“In 1971 like most juniors I received my high school class ring.  Later that year there was an evening activity night at the school.  Tim joined me and my usual entourage from school.  As the evening was winding down, we went outside and sat on a small hill overlooking the football field.  All was well until an acquaintance from school attacked me from behind.  I was seated at the time and at a significant disadvantage.  We tumbled down the hill and landed on the football field in single combat.  I don’t recall how long the engagement lasted, but it ended in a draw as our respective factions pulled the belligerents apart.  To this day I don’t know what motivated the attack.

“On the drive home, I noticed my class ring had fallen off during the affray.  It was near midnight on a moonless Saturday night, and my ring was somewhere on an unlighted football field.  I decided it was futile to return to the field as the odds of finding the ring were slim even in daylight.  Everyone went home and went to bed, or so I thought.

 “Early Sunday morning my dad followed his usual routine of going outside to retrieve the Sunday paper from the lawn.  When he opened our front door, he noticed something Scotch taped to the outer side.  It was my class ring.  While the rest of the town slept, Tim went to his house, retrieved a rake, hiked back to the school, and in the gloom of night raked the football field until he found my ring.

“I have no words to describe my gratitude or my sense of loss at the passing of the best friend anyone could ever ask for.  Knowing Tim, I can’t help but believe he was probably attempting to help someone when tragedy struck.  The loss of a friend is still heartfelt to this day.”  

 Timmy’s death touched a wide circle of friends and family. He had a large extended family (his  mother was one of 16 children) and the O’Neills lived in a close-knit neighborhood. Timmy’s remains were not returned to the States for more than a week after his death, and during that time there were numerous visits and expressions of sympathy from friends and relatives. Practically the entire neighborhood attended his funeral, held July 13, 1973, at St. Ursula Catholic Church, followed by interment at Baltimore National Cemetery. His mother died in 2013 and his father in 2015. The family obtained special permission from the Veterans Administration for them to be buried in the same plot as their son. Their names are inscribed on the reverse of his tombstone.

Honoring three Americans who died in Vietnam on July 4, 1972

On this Independence Day 2022, pause to remember three Americans who died in Vietnam 50 years ago on July 4, 1972. During the course of the war, 167 Americans were killed on a Fourth of July. The worst years were 1967 (49), 1968 (41), and 1969 (31).  By the summer of 1972 the war was winding down. Three men died on that Fourth of July, one killed in action and two in accidents.

Marine Corporal John Edward Parton, 24, grew up in Sheridan, Wyoming and had also lived in Arizona. He was killed while making an assault with the 1^st Vietnamese Airborne Division in Quang Tri Province. Corporal Parton had a daughter and a son. He was the last U.S. service member to die in combat in Vietnam on a Fourth of July. (The last to die on a Fourth of July perished in an accident in 1973). He is interred at Custer National Cemetery in Big Horn County, Montana.

Navy Storekeeper Stephen Michael Brumfield, 20, of Wytheville, Virginia, was killed in a forklift accident aboard the heavy cruiser USS Newport News. Friends say he drove a hot-rod Plymouth, played the drums, and was a DJ on the ship’s radio station. He is interred at the Sunrise Burial Park in Fairlawn, Virginia.

Army Specialist Fourth Class Robert David Hamilton, 18, of Pasadena, Texas, a heavy construction equipment operator, was killed when a vehicle overturned in Bien Hua Province. His unit built artillery fire bases and other facilities. He joined the Army when he was 17, and his family knew him as “Bubba.” He is interred at the Forest Park East Cemetery in Webster, Texas.

Honoring Three Who Died in Vietnam on the Fourth of July 1971

 

On this Fourth of July, pause to remember the three men who gave their lives in the service of our country in Vietnam 50 years ago, on Independence Day 1971.

·        -- Navy Electrician’s Mate Manolo Briones Agnes, 23

·        -- Army First Lieutenant Victor Walter Lew, 28

·        -- Army Specialist Fourth Class Richard Michael Purcell, 22

Manolo Briones Agnes, 23, was from San Pablo City in the Philippines. He died in an accident on July 4, 1971 when struck by a South Vietnamese Navy ambulance near the Vietnamese Navy Dispensary at Cat Lo.

Manolo Agnes and Wife Emma

In 2018 his widow, Emma Alcos Agnes, wrote the following on his memorial page on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial web site. It had been 47 years since his death, and she was 68 years old:

“Out of the 1 year and 11 months we were married we only spent like 4 months altogether. He was stationed in Virginia and at Camp Pendleton. He told me that he volunteered to go to Vietnam so he could come home to Phil for R&R. I think he was only in Vietnam for less than three weeks when the casualty happened. He died so very young. I occasionally see him in my dreams. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any child. Although he’s not with me anymore, I’m still happy and proud I was once married to him. The kindest, loving husband one could ever ask for.”

Manolo Agnes is one of 27 American servicemen killed in Vietnam whose Home of Record is the Philippines. Many more men of Filipino descent who lived in the United States served in the war. A Facebook page dedicated to Filipinos who served in Vietnam can be found at https://www.facebook.com/FilipinosVietnamWarMilitaryService/timeline.

Lieutenant Victor Walter Lew was a Renaissance man. He held bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history, did doctoral studies, and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador. He was a combat infantry officer in Vietnam.

Lt. Lew died July 4, 1971 at age 28, killed by shrapnel from a mine while serving with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade in Quang Nam Province. He is buried at the Fort Rosencrans National Cemetery in San Diego.

Lieutenant Victor Walter Lew

 Born April 14, 1943 in Lombard, Illinois, Lt. Lew was named for both parents – mother Victoria and father Walter. The family moved to Chula Vista, California when he was a child. His father served as a Machinist Mate in the Navy aboard the USS Kennison in the Pacific during World War II.

Specialist Richard Michael Purcell, of Bel Ridge, Missouri, was wounded on June 25, 1971 in a rocket attack. He lost both legs and suffered other injuries, and died on July 4. Ironically, his brother, Robert John Purcell, also lost both legs in Vietnam a year earlier, on June 12, 1970.He survived, but died in 1977 at age 29. Two other brothers, James and Raymond, served in the Korean War. Specialist Purcell is interred at the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery in St. Louis.

Remembering Those Who Died 50 Years Ago

As we celebrate our Nation's birthday, pause to remember these 18 men who gave their lives in Vietnam in the service of our country on Independence Day 50 years ago, July 4, 1970. I had the privilege of talking with the families of many of them while writing my book, Died on the Fourth of July. They are much in my thoughts this holiday.

There was Marine Private Jimmie Slim, a Navajo from the Four Corners area of Arizona who as a boy loved horseback riding and basketball.

Army Warrant Officer Richard John Warden kept the helicopter he was piloting under control despite being mortally wounded, saving the lives of those on board.

PFC Randolph Spiers loved to race around his Missouri farm in a beat-up old pickup truck. He left it in the field when he departed for Vietnam. His family keeps the rusted hulk in that same place as a reminder of him.

Each man has a story. Each name represents a family whose life was never the same.

Remembering Those Who Died Fifty Years Ago Today

As we celebrate our Nation's birthday, pause to remember these men who gave their lives in Vietnam in the service of our country 50 years ago today. I had the privilege of talking with the families of many of them while writing my book, Died on the Fourth of July. They are much in my thoughts today.

In addition to the men listed below, Air Force Colonel Patrick Martin Fallon, 47, was shot down on July 4, 1969. A parachute was sighted, and he is known to have been alive on the ground. His fate has never been definitively determined. In August 1979 he was declared "Killed in Action - Body Not Recovered."

If we don't honor and remember, who will?

NAME	SERVICE	RANK	AGE	HOMETOWN
Bonventre, Thomas S	Army	PFC	23	Elmont, NY
Driscoll, John R. III	Army	SERGEANT	29	San Mateo, CA
Dugan, Ben G.	Navy	PETTY OFFICER 2	23	Lordsburg, NM
Gardiner, Robert Paul	Army	WARRANT OFFICER	21	Anaheim, CA
Gassaway, Ambrose	Army	SPECIALIST 4	19	Fisher, LA
Gladney, John Willie	Marines	PFC	19	Albany, NY
Greenman, Drew Marlin	Army	CORPORAL	18	El Paso, TX
Griffin, Robert Allen	Marines	PFC	19	San Antonio, TX
Hubbard, Alfred Willie	Army	SPECIALIST 4	21	Florence, AL
Hughes, Charles F.	Army	CAPTAIN	33	Hayward, WI
Javorchik, John Charles	Army	CORPORAL	20	Nashville, IL
Johnson, Thomas W.	Army	PFC	19	London, OH
Liles, Ephriam Rutledge II	Army	WARRANT OFFICER	22	Pickens, SC
Martens, Stanley Wayne	Army	SPECIALIST 4	20	Concordia, MO
Matthews, Floyd Joseph	Navy	SEAMAN	22	Los Angeles, CA
McGee, Darrell Eugene	Army	SPECIALIST 5	25	Berlin, WI
McIe,, Johnny Ellis	Army	CORPORAL	23	Webster Springs, WV
McNelly, William Robert	Army	PRIVATE	21	Ft Mason, CA
Meyer, Joseph John Jr	Marines	PFC	20	Mechanicsburg, PA
Michael, Timothy Shawn	Army	WARRANT OFFICER	21	Cicero, NY
Noonan, Michael Dennis	Army	FIRST LIEUTENANT	22	Amarillo, TX
Pirrman, Raymond Lee	Army	SPECIALIST 4	21	Louisville, KY
Shuemaker, Michael T.	Marines	CORPORAL	19	Jessup, PA
Sticks, Steven Michael	Army	PFC	20	Okauchee, WI
St. Laurent, Lance W.	Army	SPECIALIST 5	19	Seattle, WA
Sydor, Dennis William	Army	PFC	18	Jersey City, NJ
Watts, Floyd	Army	SPECIALIST 4	25	Watts, KY
West, Jimmy Don	Army	SGT FIRST CLASS	29	Duncan, OK
Withee, James M.	Army	SPECIALIST 4	20	La Porte, IN
Wood, John Clifford	Marine	CORPORAL	19	Alamosa, CO