Braintree's Fallen

       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 ...

     He may be gone, but he is not forgotten – On this day of August 7, 1967, Army Sergeant Richard (Dickie) T. McAndrew -21, Squad Leader of an infantry fire team, was killed in action while serving with A Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Regiment in An Loc,  Binh Long Province, South Vietnam.  He was awarded the Bronze Star with a gold letter V (Awarded for distinguished actions in combat), Combat Infantry Badge, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation and Good Conduct Medal.  He was born on November 6, 1945 and died on August 7, 1967 at the age of 21 Years old and 9 Months.  At the time of his death, he was survived by his parents, Richard T. and Katherine R. (McGovern), four brothers Thomas, Joseph, William and David McAndrew as well as two sisters Ann Marie and Catherine McAndrew.  Sergeant McAndrew grew up with his six siblings on 83 Howie Road in Braint...

                        He may be gone, but he is not forgotten – On this day June 3, 1966. Marine Captain Ralph Warren Caspole-33, an A-4B Skyhawk Pilot, was killed in action while serving with Marine Attack Squadron 223 based in Chu Lai, South Vietnam. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation, Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, Good Conduct Medal and the Navy Presidential Unit Citation. Captain Caspole qualified as a rifle and pistol sharpshooter. He was born on March 21, 1933 and died on June 3, 1966 at the age of 33 Years old and 2 Months. At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Catherine Deekens (Pendleton) Caspole, his mother and father Adelaide and Ralph H. Capsole, and he was brother of John Caspole of Ballwin, Missouri and Mrs. Edwin (Deborah) Don...

        He may be gone, but he is not forgotten – On this day May 2, 1969, Army Sergeant Frederick (Freddie) John Follette – 21, helicopter maintenance and door gunner , died while serving with the 116th Attack Helicopter Company based in Cu Chi, 20 miles northwest of Saigon. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with a Silver Star plus one Bronze Star for the six campaigns Freddie was involved in from November 16. 1967 thru May 2, 1969. He was also awarded the Air Medal for heroic actions as a crew member, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and a Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation. He was born July 13, 1947 and died May 2, 1969 at the age of 21 years and 10 months. At the time of his death, he was survived by his mother Evelyn (Holbrook), his father L. Reid Follette, his sister Mrs. Jane R. Ripley and his brothers Ellis and Reid Follette. Fred was a graduate of Braintree High School class of 1965 ...

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...