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.