Lt Michael O'Keefe

 

 I arrived in country in June 1967 as an Armor branch officer and was assigned as XO, HHC 3d Bde, 25th Infantry (which we all know became 4th Infantry on 1Aug67).  Anyway, about a month later, my RA commission came through in Field Artillery, about which I know less than squat.  That was about the time the new D companies were formed in the 1/35, 2/35, and 1/14.  Apparently, DA forgot to send FOs with them, so I got assigned initially to "A" Battery to be the FO for C/1/35. On my first assault with them, we landed in a mine field, the details of which I am hoping the 174th AHC can provide.

I was to replace their FO who would go to D/2/35. Except, he didn't want to, and his grunt company commander didn't want him to, so upon my 3 days of observing him observing, I was transferred to "C Battery" and attached to D/2/35 where I remained until December, 1967 when I was transferred to 3/18th at Chu Lai.

During my time as FO, on one of our combat assaults, I jumped off the skids up to my butt in mud, watched the Dolphins fly away, got on the radio to the Battery, and asked them for an application to flight school. I went to flight school when my tour ended and spent my second tour as a Cobra pilot with 2/20 Aerial Rocket Artillery in the 1st Cav.

 So that's my story.

 Michael O'Keefe mok444@gmail.com

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