Roeirh V.8nyder R. D. 2 Mount Joy, Pa. SUSQUEHANNA BULLETIN ‘Susquehanna Times & The Mount Joy Bulletin MARIETTA & MOUNT JOY, PA. Memorial Day, 1975 VOL,75 NO, 20 Remembering the Donegal men who fell in Vietnam John W. Heaps May 21, 1975 Mount Joy On April 8, 1967, Pfc. Charles W. Heaps was serving as a radio telephone operator with B Company, Fifth Battalion, Seventh Cavalry during the mission of reinforcing another in- fantry unit which was heavily engaged with an enemy force in the An Lao Valley. ‘““When his comman- ding officer was seriously wounded, Pfc. Heaps, with complete disregard for his own safety, crawled 40 meters under intense enemy fire to the side of the wounded officer. *“Upon finding the com- mander mortally wounded, Pfc. Heaps held his position and placed effective fire on the enemy, silencing an enemy weapon. “During this action, Pfc. Heaps was mortally wounded.”’ For this .acuoun, Pfc. Heaps was posthumously awarded the Army’s Bronze Star for Heroism. The citation for the medal goes on: ‘‘His display of dedica- tion to duty and concern for his fellow soldiers was in keeping with the highest tradition of military service and reflects great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.” Heaps was a 1964 graduate of Donegal High School. Before joining the Army he worked for Auto Litho, Inc., in Mount Joy. He was a member of Friendship Fire Co. and Chiques Methodist Church, where he sang in the choir. He was survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Heaps, Mount Joy, two sisters: Charlene (Mrs. B.R. McDevitt, Jr.,), Marietta, and Cheryl, Mount Joy, also a brother Craig, Mount Joy. Richard L. McMinn Marietta On April 14, 1970, Speci- alist 4 Richard L. McMinn exposed himself to enemy fire to obtain ammunition for his M-60 machine gun. Spec. McMinn provided an unbroken flow of ammuni- tion for the machine gun, enabling his gunner to place a heavy and effective volume of fire on the enemy. Five days later, on April 19, McMinn was on night patrol when he stepped on an anti-personnel mine, or booby trap, and was killed. For his action on the 14th McMinn was posthumously promoted to the permanent rank of sergeant and was awarded the Army Com- mendation Medal with a second oak leaf cluster. His citation read:‘‘He showed personal bravery, professio- nalism, and exemplary dis- tinction in his devotion to duty, in keeping with the highest traditions of the military services.” Sgt. McMinn was born in Martic Township, the son of Mrs. Pearl Herr McMinn and the late George McMinn. He attended Her- shey High School and was employed by National Stan- dard Company in Mount Joy before joining the Army. He enlisted in February, 1969, took his basic training at Fort Dix, N. J., and became a combat infantryman on July 16, 1969. He was survived by his mother, his wife Kathryn Penyak McMinn (Now Mrs. William E Buller of Rheems) and a daughter, Laura. Also surviving were seven sis- ters: Martha (Mrs. Russell Mendenhall) of New Provi- dence, Bessie (Mrs. Norval Peters) of Conestoga, Lillian (Mrs. Samuel Strubel), Conestoga, Dorothy (Mrs. Howard Wilson), Ronks, Vivian (Mrs. Paul Jones), Gordonville, Va., Janet (Mrs. Forest Smith), Mid- dletown, and Mrs. Mary Emma DeVoe, Elizabeth- town. Two brothers also survived: James, Hummels- town, and Ross in florida. A grandmother, Mrs. Mary Herr of Kirkwood also survived. Ten Cents John S. Shoemaker Milton Grove In the very early morning of February 23, 1969, Corporal John S. Shoe- maker, U.S. Marine Corps, was on guard at one of the security outposts in Quang Nam Province 14 miles southwest of Danang. At approximately 2 a.m. the outpost came under attack. Shoemaker left his area and rushed to a beleaguered post in an attempt to assist there. In the ensuing battle, a grenade thrown by the enemy exploded within the post, and Shoemaker was struck by the ‘blast and fragments from it. A corps- man was at Shoemaker’s side almost immediately, and a medical evacuation helicopter was quickly summoned. But Shoemaker was dead on arrival at the naval hospital at 4:50 a.m. Shoemaker’s chaplain wrote his family: ‘John was extremely well liked. He had a cheerful disposition and showed constant hard work at every assigned task.”’ The son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul K. Shoemaker, John was born and raised in Milton Grove. He was a 1967 graduate of Donegal High School where he was on the wrestling team and was affectionately known as ‘Stubby,” because of his stocky build. At Camp Lejeune, N, C, he was voted ‘outstanding recruit of his platoon.’ In a letter of tribute published in the Lancaster newspapers, his friend, Tom Johnstin, said this of John S. Shoemaker: ‘‘Yet with all this giving, he expected little in return.” He was survived by his parents, a brother, Paul S. of Manheim R.D. 3, and two sisters: Joanne (Mrs. Mar- tin H. Hynsicker) of Mount Joy and Irene S., Milton Grove.
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