Honoring Lt. Michael Dennis Noonan on His Birthday; KIA Vietnam July 4, 1969

Today would have been the 68^th birthday of Michael

Lt. Noonan's final resting place at Arlington.

Dennis Noonan, who was killed in the service of our country in Vietnam on the Fourth of July 1969. Lieutenant Noonan died while serving as a forward observer in a helicopter that was shot down. He was from Amarillo, Texas and a graduate of Texas A&M University. One of his classmates was Henry Cisneros, former Mayor of San Antonio and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. When I contacted Mr. Cisneros for my book, he wrote of Lt. Noonan:

"Thank you for helping me reflect on Mike Noonan’s life and on his sacrifice on the Fourth of July. Of course I remember him well. He was quiet and shy. But beneath that exterior was strength of character and determination. He worked hard and was focused on doing his best in his studies, in the Corps of Cadets, and on the playing fields. He was studious and serious, but exerted himself in all the physical aspects of A&M life. The true strength of his convictions was evident in the decisions he made to serve in combat and the courage he showed. He made us proud as an A&M brotherhood. He deserves the appreciation and respect of our country.” 
 

Lt. Noonan is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Also killed in the crash were the crew chief, Specialist Fifth Class Darrell Eugene McGee, and the pilot, Warrant Officer Timothy Shawn Michael. Warrant Officer Michael wasn’t supposed to be on the aircraft that day; he volunteered to fly the mission in place of his roommate, who was ill. Mr. Michael’s home of record was Cicero, New York; he is buried at Assumption Cemetery in Syracuse. Specialist McGee was from Berlin, Wisconsin, and is buried there at Oakwood Cemetery.