I tend to focus on the Boston College stories and students who make headlines. There are many deserving groups that I overlook, including the BC men and women who gave their lives serving our country. BC established a fund and on campus Memorial for these veterans. Read more about it here and visit the Memorial the next time you are on campus.
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Thanks for posting this Bill. For being a small private school, Boston College has a proud legacy with military service. It was great of the school to dedicate this memorial a few years ago.
For all BC grads serving or who served, thank you on this Memorial Day.
RIP 1LT Robert Douglas Hauer, USAF, CSOM 1968 - my close friend.
We loved football, but in our college days the rising of BC basketball was our king.
Bob becme a Forward Air Control Pilot (FAC) in Vietnam and I joined the Army.
Bob's name is etched on the Vietnam Wall section 7W Line 039
and also on the BC Memorial and the Town of Brookline Memorial.
Bob was originally listed as MIA on 05 Sept 70, but in reality he was KIA that day - a little over two years after graduation. Bob was piloting a forward observer aircraft (Cessna O2 Skymaster)when he was shot down and his plane was seen plummeting into triple canopy jungle, no parchute observed or beeper detected. He was promoted to Captain while officially listed as MIA.
More details:
On 5 September 1970, then 1st Lt. Robert D. Hauer was the pilot of an O2A, call sign "Cutie 24," that departed Cam Ranh Bay Airbase at 0915 hours on an single aircraft Forward Air Control (FAC) mission. He was to control a set of F100 fighters, call sign "Dusty 61," on a pre-briefed attack against a known enemy target. 1st Lt. Hauer proceeded to the target area to familiarize himself with it before rendezvousing with Dusty flight.
Once all aircraft were on station, Robert Hauer directed the fighters' attack on that enemy position located in rugged jungle covered mountains approximately 14 miles southwest of Duc My, 24 miles northwest of Nha Trang and 34 miles nothwest of Cam Ranh Bay, Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam. An additional terrain feature was a prominent east/west flowing river winding through the middle of the strike area. By 1050 hours, after expending all ordnance, Dusty 61 was off target and returning to base.
1st Lt. Hauer conducted a Bomb Damage Assessment (BDA) evaluation, the result of which he called in at 1130 hours. He then told Cutie Control that he was going back down to take another look at the ground, but did not see any additional enemy activity in or around the strike location. Robert Hauer's last transmission came at 1149 hours when he requested a time hack from the control center. Weather conditions consisted of broken clouds at 4500 feet, 6-mile visibility and winds at 10 knots from 160 degrees.
At 1410 hours, a full-scale search and rescue (SAR) operation was initiated. Cutie 34 was diverted to the area of the airstrike to coordinate the visual search. Those efforts continued until darkness made it impossible to do so any longer. A systematic search pattern commenced at first light and continued until 11 September. At that time the formal SAR operation was terminated when no trace of the aircraft or its pilot could be found. Robert Hauer was immediately listed Missing in Action.
God bless all BC Veterans who gave their lives in the service of our country - and especially bless their families.
RIP MICHAEL JAMES MONAHAN
I was having breakfast in McElroy when word was circulated quickly through the tables that Mike had been killed in Viet Nam. His former room mate, Pete Driscoll, confirmed the terrible news. Mike had entered BC as a member of the Class of '68; but decided to leave his pre-med studies and volunteer for the USMC.
Mike was a tall, strong, yet quietly gentle man, whose life should have been spent healing others in body and spirit. He left us too soon.
MICHAEL JAMES MONAHAN
PFC - E2 - Marine Corps - Regular
Length of service 0 years
Casualty was on Oct 26, 1966
In QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE
Body was recovered
Panel 11E - Line 113
Thank you Lenny and Jack. Jack, Robert was among the 120 names I read yesterday on the Brookline Memorial, covering WWI, WWII, Vietnam and Korea.
Thank YOU, Matthew for honoring our veterans who paid the ultimate price.
Semper Fi. Do or die! Ever to Excel!
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