>>> HERE IS A STORY ABOUT
FRIENDSHIP.
YOU COULD CALL IT THANKSGIVING
FOR SERVICE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE FICTION, BUT IT’S
TRUE.
JOHN "CHICK" DONAHUE WAS AT A
NEIGHBORHOOD BAR IN NEW YORK
CITY.
IT’S NOVEMBER, 1967.
THE VIETNAM WAR IS UNDER WAY.
ON THE NEWS THERE’S A BIG
ANTI-WAR PROTEST IN CENTRAL
PARK, THE BAR KEEP CAME UP WITH
THE IDEA THAT SOMEONE SHOULD
BRING THE SOLDIERS A THANK YOU,
A BEER.
THE MAN WHO VOLUNTEERED JOINING
ME NOW, JOHN "CHICK" DONAHUE,
THE CO-AUTHOR OF THE BOOK "THE
GREATEST BEER RUN EVER," A
MEMOIR OF FRIENDSHIP, LOYALTY,
AND WAR.
"CHICK" DONAHUE, IT’S GREAT TO
SEE YOU, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING
THE STORY.
YOU WERE A CIVILIAN BY THEN.
WHY DID YOU VOLUNTEER AND HOW
DID YOU GET TO VIETNAM AND FIND
YOUR FRIENDS?
>> WELL, I WAS IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE INWOOD
SECTION OF MANHATTAN.
THE
MANHATTAN.
6:00 NEWS WAS COMING ON AND THEY
HAD DEMONSTRATORS ON FROM
CENTRAL PARK THAT DAY, AND I HAD
ACTUALLY SEEN THEM.
AND THE PROTEST HAD TURNED
AROUND BY THEN.
AND THEY WERE PROTESTING AGAINST
THE G.I.s.
AND IT BOTHERED ME AND IT
BOTHERED EVERYBODY IN THE CLUB.
AND THE CONVERSATION CHANGED AND
BRING THOSE GUYS A BEER AND LET
THEM KNOW THAT WE WEREN’T LIKE
THOSE GUYS.
WE WERE BEHIND THEM AND ALL OF
THAT.
AND I HAPPENED TO BE THE ONLY
GUY WHO COULD DO THAT, SO I
VOLUNTEERED.
THAT I THINK I COULD ACCOMPLISH
THAT.
>> AND HOW DID YOU GET TO
VIETNAM?
>> WELL, I WAS A MERCHANT
SEAMAN.
I WENT DOWN TO THE UNION HALL ON
7th AVENUE AND 13th STREET.
AND LOOKED UP ON THE SHIPPING
WALL.
AND THERE WAS A SHIP -- THE
"GREAT VICTORY."
THE MISSION PIER IN LEONARDO,
NEW JERSEY.
AND IT WAS GOING TO VIETNAM.
SO I SIGNED UP AS AN OILER TO
WORK IN THE ENGINE.
AND THAT’S HOW I GOT TO VIETNAM.
>> AND ONCE YOU GOT THERE, HOW
DID YOU FIND YOUR FRIENDS?
>> WELL, I HAD THE MILITARY
ADDRESSES.
FOR INSTANCE, THE FIRST PERSONS ON THE LIST WAS TOMMY COLLINS.
ON THE LIST WAS TOMMY COLLINS.
AND HE WAS IN THE HUMMOCK 27th
MILITARY POLICE BATTALION.
AND THE MILITARY POLICE TO GUARD
THE SHIP HAD 127 ON THEIR
HELMETS.
I JUST ASSUMED IT WAS PROBABLY
THE SAME BATTALION.
I ASKED THEM DID THEY KNOW TOMMY
COLLINS FROM NEW YORK.
THEY DID.
THEY BROUGHT ME TO HIM.
>> AND THEN YOU HITCH A RIDE.
YOU EVEN CHOPPER UP CLOSE TO THE
DMZ.
YOU GOT INTO A FIRE FIGHT
YOURSELF?
>> WELL, AFTER COLLINS.
WE SPENT THE NIGHT, WE HAD A FEW
DRINKS IN A PUB, WE SANG A FEW
SONGS, ALL OF THAT.
IT WAS GREAT FUN.
THERE WAS A TEXAN THERE WITH A
BIG COWBOY HAT ON, AND HE HAD
THE PATCH ON HIS SHOULDER, THE
1st AIR CAVALRY.
WHICH RICKY DUGAN WAS A PART OF
IT.
I ASKED HIM THE SAME QUESTION,
DO YOU KNOW RICKY DUGAN?
HE SAID, NO, I KNOW BRAVO
COMPANY AND THEY’RE UP IN RNK.
I TOLD THEM A STORY THAT HE WAS
MY STEPBROTHER, WHATEVER I TOLD
HIM.
HE SAID YOU BE ON THE TARMAC AT
0800 HOUR, I’LL TAKE YOU.
HE WAS A CREW CHIEF.
I DID THAT.
THE NEXT TIME I WAS THERE.
HE PUT ME ON HIS PLANE, I GOT
OFF THERE AND FOUND OUT DUGAN
HAD LEFT THERE EARLIER.
WAS UP NORTH.
THEY FLEW ME UP NORTH, HE WAS
OUT ON THE FIELD.
AND I HITCHED A RIDE TO THE
TRUCK TO THE ELZE WHERE THE
HELICOPTERS WERE.
THEY TOOK ME TO WHERE DUGAN WAS.
HE WAS OUT ON AN AMBUSH POST
WHEN I GOT THERE.
IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY.
THEY CALLED HIM IN AND THEY TOLD
ME TO GO WITH HIM.
SO, I WENT WITH HIM OUT TO THE
AMBUSH SPOT.
AND THEY HAD AN AMBUSH THAT
NIGHT.
AT THAT TIME, I KNEW THIS MIGHT
HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE, TRYING
THIS.
BUT I GOT OUT A DAY OR TWO THAT
FAR.
>> YOU THINK.
>> YEAH, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.
SO, THEN I TRIED TO ESCAPE FROM
VIETNAM.
IN MY ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE, I WENT
TO STY AIGON, MY SHIP HAD ALREAD
SAILED.
I WENT BACK TO THE AMERICAN
EMBASSY.
THEY PUT ME ON A PLANE, IT DID.
WHEN I SHOWED UP AT THE EMBASSY
AT 5:00 IN THE MORNING, IT WAS
UNDER ATTACK BY THE VIETCONG.
AND I GOT STUCK THERE.
MY PLANE, OBVIOUSLY, IF IT TOOK
OFF, IT DIDN’T TAKE ME WITH IT.
SO, I WAS STUCK THERE FOR MAYBE
EIGHT WEEKS BEFORE I FINALLY GOT
A JOB ON ANOTHER SHIP THAT TOOK
ME BACK TO SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I KEPT
LOOKING, I FOUND PAPPAS AFTER
THAT, KEVIN McCLUNE IN BETWEEN.
I BROUGHT THEM ALL A BEER.
AND THE BEST THING ABOUT THE
WHOLE STORY IS THAT THEY’RE ALL
ALIVE TODAY, AND WE STILL GET
TOGETHER.
>> THAT IS AN AMAZING STORY.
I KNOW AFTER SEEING STREET YAM
FIRST HAND, YOU ALSO HAD
DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT THE
PROTESTERS AND ABOUT THE WAR
ITSELF.
BUT THAT’S FOR ANOTHER DAY.
CHICK DONOGHUE, WE CAN’T THANK
YOU ENOUGH.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
HOIST A BEER FOR ME.
>> THANK YOU VERY, ANDREA.
>> YOU BET.