Paul Keaveney, of Smyrna Beach, Florida, served in Vietnam as a Lance Corporal with the 3rd Force Recon Company, First Marine Division. In February of 1970, during a patrol in the A Shau Valley, he and his fellow Marines ended up in a firefight with NVA. For his actions that day, he was awarded the Silver Star.

Written from his hospital bed, Keaveney’s letter to his parents is now part of the stage play Voices From Vietnam. A collection of interviews, letters, and stories from Vietnam Veterans, MIA families, Vietnamese refugees, and students, Voices From Vietnam is presented by Major Bruce H. “Doc” Norton, USMC (Ret), a decorated Vietnam War veteran, author, and former oral historian for the Marine Corps, and Dr. Harry Kantrovich, a retired Chief of Naval Operations Command Master Chief, playwright, and award-winning director. The play will have its world premiere at the Journey Theater in Warrenton, VA on November 8-24, 2024. A book of the same name is available from Academia Press and online booksellers.

February 15, 1970

Dear Mom & Dad,

I hope this letter will find you doing well and enjoying those sunny days in Florida. I am fine, but I am dictating this letter to a Navy nurse who has been kind enough to listen to my story and write it down for you.

I am in the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan, and being treated for some injuries that I received on the 7th of February. Our team, Snakey, was inserted by helicopter into the A Shau Valley that morning to conduct a reconnaissance of an area used by the NVA. We had only been on the ground for less than an hour when our point man began walking down a trail made by the NVA.

I told the Marine in front of me to tell Cpl. Bishop to stop this action and to get off the trail, but no sooner had he moved forward when the NVA sprung an ambush on us. I was the first one hit, in my right leg, just a few inches above my knee, and down I went. Then all hell broke loose. Sgt. Garcia, the point man, returned fire with his M-14, but he was killed, then Bishop was shot and killed. I told Lance Corporal Fuhrman to get the radio off of Bishop’s body so I could call for air cover and an emergency extraction. As Fuhrman moved to get the radio, he too, was killed. That left Lance Corporal Silva and Private First Class Murray and me to stay in the fight.

I had my M-79 grenade launcher with me and began to fire at a machine gun position, but then I was hit in the right arm, just above the elbow. I was still able to reload and continue to fire, but I was hit in my left arm, making me pretty useless. I was able to use secondary radio and got an immediate response from US Army helicopters still flying near our area. They came in with rocket and machine gun fire to suppress the NVA company that we had walked into.

While waiting for an Army “Blue Team” to arrive from Camp Eagle, I was hit again, and this time it was on my right side with the bullet exiting out near my spine. Last, but not least, I was hit for a fifth time, but that round hit my holstered .45 and set off two rounds in the pistol’s magazine.

The most incredible thing to happen was when three NVA soldiers ran up the hill to me, carrying AK-47 rifles. They stood in front of me, looked at me, and then ran back down the hill to wherever they had come from. It happened so fast that neither Silva or Murray fired at them. They certainly could have killed me.

The “Blue Team” arrived about two hours later, coming with a reinforced platoon of Army infantry from Delta Company. They made their way to our position and called in a Huey helicopter and lowered a jungle penetrator to hoist me up and into the Med-evac bird. When I was about ten feet up, I fell off and landed in a heap on the ground. They tied me in a little better and the second attempt was successful. I was taken to the Army’s 85 Evac Hospital in Phu Bai, and into surgery to remove two of the three bullets that had hit me. Two days later, I was able to attend a Company Memorial Service for eight Marines from 3rd Force Recon Company who had been killed within a week’s time.

Today, I am fine. My wounds have been addressed and I’ll be leaving here soon for a Naval Hospital in Florida.

Please do not worry. The tough part is over and I’ll be home soon enough. Say a prayer to the guys who are still there, as they need all the help they can get.

I’ll see you soon. Love,
Paul

Silver Medal Citation

Silver Medal Citation
Paul Sproules Keaveney

Silver Star
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS
DURING Vietnam War
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Lance Corporal
Division: 1st Marine Division

GENERAL ORDERS:
CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lance Corporal Paul Sproules Keaveney (MCSN: 2476234), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Reconnaissance Man with the Third Force Reconnaissance Company, FIRST Marine Division in connection with military operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 7 February 1970, Lance Corporal Keaveney was a member of a reconnaissance team which was conducting a patrol in the A Shau Valley in Thua Thien Province when the Marines came under intense fire from a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force, pinning down the team and wounding four Marines, including Lance Corporal Keaveney. Despite his painful wound, he moved to a vantage point along the trail from which he could more clearly observe the movements of the enemy and from which he could more accurately deliver fire with his grenade launcher. With complete disregard for his own safety, Lance Corporal Keaveney boldly stood in full view of the hostile force on three separate occasions, and fearlessly remained in his precarious position while the enemy concentrated their fire on him, and delivered his grenade launcher fire with such devastating effectiveness that the North Vietnamese were prevented from advancing down the trail toward the Marines’ position. Each time he stood, he was struck by hostile small arms fire, but, undeterred by his serious wounds, he would again resolutely stand to deliver fire. When the nature of his wounds finally rendered him unable to fire his weapon, Lance Corporal Keaveney obtained the radio from the operator, thereby freeing a fellow team member to more actively engage the enemy while he requested helicopter gunship support and medical evacuation helicopters. His aggressive fighting spirit and valiant actions inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in the defeat of a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force. By his dauntless courage, bold initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Lance Corporal Keaveney upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.

This article originally appeared in THE VETERANS BREAKFAST CLUB magazine on 11/6/24: https://veteransbreakfastclub.org/voices-from-vietnam/

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