Today I'm departing from my usual practice of posting obituaries about members of families that I study as part of the genealogy hobby.
I'm thinking about two U.S. Army officers with whom I served. They gave their lives in service to our country and our politicians: Catholic Father Major Aloysius Paul McGonigal and LTC Burr McBride Willey.
In 1962-63 I served in an Infantry company of the 1st Cavalry Division near Munsan-ni, Korea. For a short time Father McGonigal lived with us in our quonset hut BOQ on the top of the hill above the company headquarters building.
I met LTC Willey at the Presidio in Monterey, California where we were both enrolled in the Spanish language course. We often practiced the daily Spanish lesson together before class. Later we were both stationed in the Canal Zone (Panama). LTC Willey was on the Atlantic side and I was on the Pacific side. I still have fond memories of the time the colonel and his wife invited me for a meal at their home.
Here are several links to more information about these fallen comrades.
LTC Burr McBride Willey
Burr Willey, LTC, Army, Richmond VA, 19Jun72 01W046 - The Virtual Wall®
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund - Search
Major Aloysius Paul McGonigal
Aloysius McGonigal, MAJ, Army, Washington DC, 17Feb68 39E075 - The Virtual Wal
May They Rest in Peace.
Dick Henthorn
