Braintree's Fallen

He may be gone, but he is not forgotten – On this day March 3, 1964, Army Captain Morris (Morrie) R. McBride – 28, Ranger Infantry Unit Commander, perished while serving his country with Advisory Team 77, United States Military Assistance Command, 30 miles north of Saigon, Vietnam. Captain McBride was the first person with a home of record as Braintree, Massachusetts to sacrifice his life in the Vietnam conflict. He was a highly trained Army Advisor, could speak fluent Vietnamese and worked closely with the South Vietnamese Army. Captain McBride was a leader and an American hero. Morrie was born on April 8, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois. In 1941, Morrie’s father, a Colonel in the United States Army, was called to active duty, and the McBride family experienced life in the Army by traveling throughout the United States. At the end of World War II, the family moved back to Chicago. He graduated with honors from the York Township High School in Elmhurst, Chicago in 1953, stu...

    He may be gone but he is not forgotten – On this day January 24, 1967, Army Captain William (Billie) E. Hingston Jr. , pilot of a UH-1C Huey Helicopter, was killed in action while serving his country in Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam, about 83 miles west of Pleiku. He was born on November 26, 1940 and lived 26 Years and 2 Months. Captain Hingston was a former hockey star at Archbishop Williams High School as well as United States Military Academy West Point . He joined the Armed Forces while living in East Braintree, Massachusetts. He graduated from Archbishop Williams in 1958, attended Boston College for one year before transferring to the United States Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1963. He served in the United States Army as an aviator (helicopter pilot) and in three years of service he attained the rank of Captain. At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Nancy Hingston of Columbus, Ga, his son William E. the 3rd and his dau...

 

              He may be gone, but he is not forgotten – On this day, January 15, 1969, Corporal Gerald Gregory Bradley, USMC , age 21, a Marine Corps Rifleman (0311) was killed in action while serving with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division (2/1) in the Village of Cam Sa, Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. He was awarded the Silver Star (by order of the President of the United States), Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation. He was born on March 23, 1947 and died on January 15, 1969 at the age of 21 years and 10 months. At the time of his death he was survived by his parents, George and Lulu (Cushing) Bradley, his sister Mary Lou, and his two brothers William and George Bradley. Corporal Bradley was born in Boston and moved to Braintree at a young age. He lived at 48 Bur...

      He may be gone, but he is not forgotten –  On the day after Christmas, December 26, 1965,  Major Louis R. Raleigh  - USAF , Age 33, an A-1E Skyraider Pilot, was killed while serving with the 602 nd  Air Commando Squadron in Bien Hoa, South Vietnam.  He was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, Good Conduct Medal, the Air Force Longevity Award and his Aviator Wings.  He was born on December 02, 1932 and died on December 26, 1965 at the age of 33.   Major Raleigh was the first casualty from Braintree to sacrifice his life during the Vietnam War. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife Joan Lee Raleigh (Mahar) and his five children Janice age 7, twins Michael and Mark age 6, Lisa age 4 and Timothy age 1, his parents Mr. and Mrs. Denis Smith of Braintree and two sist...

       He may be gone, but he is not forgotten – On this day September 9, 1965, Private First Class James (Jimmy) William Mahler, 0311- Rifleman, USMC , 20 years and 28 days old–perished while serving his country with Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, (1/9), in an engagement near Cau Ha hamlet, about 7 kilometers south-southeast of the newly constructed Marble Mountain airfield at Danang, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. At the time of his death, he was survived by his father, Harold T. and his mother Alice E. (Hall) Mahler, his grandmother Mrs. Fred Hail and brother of Harold Ted Jr. and Richard Mahler. Jimmy attended Braintree Schools until the 10th grade, moving to Marshfield in 1961 and graduating from high school in 1963. While living in Braintree, he attended Penniman School, Hollis Junior High School and his sophomore year at Braintree High School. He grew up in the East Braintree neighborhoods of 19 Marshall Street and Penniman Terrace. He and his older ...