Message From Our Chaplain

Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460

Veteran-Owned and Serving You Since 1902

At Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460, we know how much it means to serve. As a veteran-owned organization, we are committed to meeting the needs of those in our community. We’ve been open since 1902, and that means we’ve spent over 120 years helping people right here in Solon, IA.

As part of our mission, we are open to the public for meals, special events, and more. To learn more about Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460 and what we’re all about, read this recent letter from our chaplain from December 2024.

A Message From Chaplain Doug Thompson

This past April 30th marked the 50th anniversary of a solemn day for a fallen nation. South Vietnam fell under the communist control of North Vietnam. The capture of Saigon ended the Vietnam War, which killed over 250,000 Army of the Republic of Vietnam troops and two million Vietnamese civilians. However, the killing did not stop after the fall of Saigon. It is estimated that another half a million South Vietnamese were taken prisoner and sent to re-education camps, the majority of whom never returned. The 29th of April marked the 50th anniversary of the last two American servicemen to die in Vietnam by hostile fire. Corporal Charles McMahon, Jr., and Lance Corporal Darwin Judge were both from Company E, Marine Corps Security Guard Battalion. Corporal McMahon grew up in Woburn, Massachusetts, and died about a month shy of his 22nd birthday. Lance Corporal Judge grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa. The judge was nine years old when America sent its first combat forces to Vietnam. Ten years later, he would die in Vietnam at age 19.

The irony of it all was that the officer in charge decided to send McMahon and Judge to Tan Son Nhut airbase because he felt it would be a safer location for these two less experienced Marines. At 0400, the North Vietnamese Army began shelling the airbase with mortar fire. The purpose was to create enough damage to the runway areas to prevent further evacuations with fixed-wing aircraft. One mortar round struck the checkpoint where the two Marines were stationed, killing both of them instantly. Despite the damage to the airbase, for the next two days, Army, Navy, and Marine helicopter pilots worked around the clock rescuing over 7,000 people from Saigon. For the next several days after the Saigon airlift, US Navy and Marine personnel continued to pluck people from the South China Sea as they attempted to escape Communist forces by boat. The sea rescues saved the lives of thousands more fleeing Vietnamese. During one of these rescue missions, a Sea Knight helicopter piloted by Marine Captain William Nystul and co-piloted by Lieutenant Michael Shea with crew members Corporals Stephen Wills and Richard Scott suddenly lost altitude and crashed into the sea. Despite their severe injuries, Wills and Scott managed to inflate their life vests and pop up to the surface and were rescued 45 minutes later. Nystul and Shea never made it out of their helicopter.

The remains of Lance Corporal Judge and Corporal McMahon were repatriated to the US in 1976. Judge, a former Eagle Scout, is memorialized by an Eagle Scout scholarship. McMahon, who spent a great deal of his time at the Woburn Boys and Girls Club, is honored with an annual $1000 scholarship from the club. As for pilots William Nystul and Michael Shea, their remains have never been recovered despite the funding efforts of those who served with them. Their names, along with McMahon and Judge, can be found on Panel 1W, line 124 on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

I recall returning home from work that day in April. I flipped on the TV and images of Russian T-34 tanks in Saigon appeared on the screen, and the news anchor said, “The war in Vietnam is over.” As images of chaos and US naval forces shoving helicopters into the sea flashed across the screen, I sat down and wept.

Before I close, I would like to honor the following allied nations that helped our nation in Vietnam and the sons they lost: South Korea: 4000 KIA, Thailand: 350 KIA, Australia: 500 KIA, New Zealand: 37 KIA, Philippines: 9 KIA. The price of war is costly. The cost of lost freedom is immeasurable. Doug Thompson, Chaplain dotandjot@aol.com