7 Aug 2004 Mike, known as "Mac" to his fellow Marines, was one of my best friends growing up. He was an adventurer and left high school just short of graduation to become a Marine. He wrote from Vietnam that he felt it to be his duty to serve, but cautioned me against volunteering when I told him I was considering it. His letters spoke of how hard it was to kill, of how it felt to carry back a dead fellow Marine, how difficult daily life was, and how much he was going to enjoy himself when he came home.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Eight men from Fox Company, 2/4 Marines, were killed in action on 08 April 1967: LCpl Lawrence R. Hagedorn, Carroll, IA LCpl Howard L. Leroy, Vancouver, WA LCpl Francisco A. Montano, Tucson, AZ Pfc Charles M. McKinney, Bristol, TN Pfc Jerry L. McKinney, Leaksville, NC Pfc James A. Popp, Hemlock, MI (Navy Cross) Pfc Jeffrey A. Schweikl, Enumclaw, WA Pvt Don C. Benfield, Macon, GA The following exerpt from Pfc James Popp's Navy Cross explains the situation: "Private First Class Popp's squad was conducting a squad-size patrol against the Viet Cong forces in Quang Nam Province. While moving along a trail in search of the enemy, the squad was suddenly taken under a murderous volume of small-arms, hand grenade and 40 millimeter grenade fire. The heavy volume of fire rained in from three sides, ..."

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