Photo By Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris | The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division hosted a ceremony on Memorial Day to...... read more read more
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FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division hosted a ceremony on Memorial Day to name the New York National Guard’s Armed Forces Reserve Center here after a fallen Vietnam War Soldier.
Inwood-native Thomas F. Minogue, a field medic serving with HHC, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, was killed in action March 21, 1967 when he shielded his wounded company commander from enemy automatic fire with his own body.
“PFC Minogue was one of more than 58,000 service members who did not return from Vietnam to kiss and hug their family members,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Palzer, 99th RD commanding general. “I thank and honor PFC Minogue and his fellow Vietnam Veterans for all that they did.”
Minogue was only 20 years old when he made the choice to willingly sacrifice his life for his commanding officer and thus save the lives of the rest of the Soldiers in his company.
“Hearing of his acts of heroism certainly stirs within me the kind of pride and patriotism that makes me proud to have answered my calling to be a member of America’s Army Reserve,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Lombardo, U.S. Army Reserve command sergeant major. “I would be proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with PFC Minogue in combat.”
According to testimony from his fellow Soldiers, Minogue and his company were attacked by a battalion-size element of North Vietnamese combatants. They had killed most of the company's officers and were attempting to kill the company's commanding officer and overwhelm the remaining U.S. soldiers.
During the attack, Minogue returned fire on the enemy while simultaneously treating the wounds of his fellow Soldiers before shielding his commander from enemy fire.
“He was a medic – that means he went over there to help people,” said Maj. Gen. John Hussey, commanding general of the Army Reserve’s 200th Military Police Command. “But when it really hit the fan, there was no tougher son of a gun on that battlefield that day than PFC Thomas Francis Minogue. He answered the call to save his fellow comrades in battle.”
Because the company commander was the only Soldier who could call for close air support, indirect fire, and MEDEVAC, Minogue's actions subsequently prevented the North Vietnamese soldiers from overwhelming the remaining American Soldiers.
His sacrifice saved not only the company commander's life, but also the lives of several other U.S. service members who were able to withstand and survive the enemy attack.
“What a great honor and tribute this is to my brother Tommy,” said Minogue’s brother, Jack. “There’s an old saying, ‘Time heals all wounds,’ but I don’t know about that. Fifty-four years since Tommy got killed, and I still think about him every day.”
The 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War is being recognized nationwide from May 2012 through November 2025 to honor the 2.7 million men and women served in Vietnam during the war.
“Today is their day, but most of all, it is PFC Minogue’s day,” Palzer said.
| Date Taken: | 05.31.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2021 13:49 |
| Story ID: | 397846 |
| Location: | FARMINGDALE, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 294 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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