Patrick Finnegan
Vietnam: After officially gaining independence in 1954, Vietnam quickly became divided between an anti-communist south, and a communist North. By the early 1960s, tensions had risen, and the United States began sending military groups into Vietnam in an effort to keep the country from becoming completely communist. Throughout the 1960s, the amount of Americans serving in Vietnam rose significantly. By 1965, President Johnson decided to invest completely in the Vietnam war. He commenced air strikes and and implemented as many as 536,000 forces on the ground by 1968 (Digital History). After a lack of success, the United States decided that the war simply was not worth fighting anymore, and in 1973 made an agreement to withdraw from the country in exchange for the release of American prisoners of war. Despite the agreement to withdraw, Vietnam was still a costly war for the United States. The war resulted in 58,000 U.S. casualties, one of which is the center of this website.
Joining The War: With so many Americans opposed to the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, a large portion of the soldiers that served in the war were drafted. In fact, 25% of the country's total forces were drafted into the war. This means that many of the soldiers who served in the Vietnam War did not even wish to be enlisted. This was not the case with Thomas Morrisey, who showed his patriotism and love of his country no matter what the circumstances were. Morrisey enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 19 on October 17, 1967. By choosing to enlist--unlike many of his counterparts--Morrisey showed that he had the intent to serve his country with honor and commitment from the moment he joined. |
This website is Dedicated To Thomas J. Morrisey and Any Other Veteran Who Lost Their Life Serving For Our Country.
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The intention of this website is to provide a detailed, but accurate account of an unfortunately unknown Vietnam hero.
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