Life After Vietnam

By Christopher Donegan and Paula Donegan

This book is the story of US Army Captain George M. Donegan from March 15, 1973 until his death in April 2019. The book is separated into stories that include his blind date, marriage, dogs, kids, heroics, work career, financial successes, financial failures, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and his love of sports. This book acts partially as a history book, taking you back to moments like 9/11/2001 or The Rumble in the Jungle boxing match in 1974. I think Mike's experiences give hope to the recently separated veteran, the new military retiree, and the disabled veteran that their is a full life waiting for you after your time in the military. This is also a great read if you like a good comeback story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christopher Donegan
• Release date: Aug 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005203894

Christopher Donegan

I have worked in Sales, Accounting, Banking, and Transportation since graduating from Missouri State University in 1999. I have been married for over 20 years and I have two daughters, one grown and in the Armed Services and the other in Junior High. I have a passion to help people who are struggling financially. I have been actively involved in the travel industry since 2012. I enjoy reading and writing non-fiction books, especially biographies.

Book preview

LIFE AFTER VIETNAM

By Christopher Donegan

with Paula Donegan

Copyright Christopher Donegan 2021

Introduction

This book is about the life of George M. Donegan from March 15, 1973 until his death on April 16, 2019.  My goals for this book are as follows:

To reach the recently separated veteran that wonders what life after the Armed Services can be like.  

To reach the veteran that has come back from Afghanistan or Iraq, or somewhere else the United States government is unofficially, and wants to see what a fellow soldier did in the face of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  

For the Donegan/Helton/Smart family to remember my father, and learn some things about him you may not know.  

To keep a promise I made to my father to put his life story to pen and paper in 2015.

The book is organized into a collection of stories in chronological order of the earliest year of the story or personal interaction with Mike, with the exception of the Tiger Woods story.

Chapter 1 - Who is Mike Donegan?

Mike is a real life Tennessee Volunteer, choosing to volunteer as a military advisor in Vietnam in 1972. 

George Michael Donegan was born on April 23, 1947 in Nashville, Tennessee.  He was the first born child of JB and Jean Donegan of Antioch, Tennessee.  Mike spent his childhood in rural Davidson County, graduating from Antioch High School in 1965.  Mike attended Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee from 1965-1969.  Mike majored in Industrial Engineering with a Business Administration minor.  Like all adult males in the 1960s, Mike enrolled in the Army ROTC program at the school.  In 1967, all college draft deferments were suspended, and Mike joined the United States Army Reserve.  My father obtained his military fixed wing pilot’s license, but was not approved for further flight training due to his color blindness.  My father was initially assigned as an Artillery officer, given his engineering background, but after speaking with a cadre member, Cadet Donegan asked the assignment panel participants to change his assignment to Infantry.  Mike graduated sixth in his ROTC class, and was given the high honor of Distinguished Military Graduate.  Mike graduated in August 1969 instead of May 1969 because he had to retake a Psychology class he dropped to watch the daytime soap opera Dark Shadows with a girl he was dating.

Mike was given a Regular Army Officer Commission and attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, Ranger School, Special Warfare School, and Vietnamese Language School.  Mike spent almost the entire year of 1972 in Vietnam.  Mike was wounded on two separate occasions while in-country.  Mike was a part of The Phoenix Program, a coordinated program to infiltrate the leadership in the Viet Cong led by the Central Intelligence Agency, while stationed in South Vietnam.  Mike resigned his commission at Fort Jackson, South Carolina on March 15, 1973.

At the advice of a senior officer, Mike accepted an Army Reserve Officer Commission the same day and was placed on Inactive Ready Reserve.  The US Army asked my father to report to active duty in 1983 to help prepare young officers for possible invasion of Grenada, or resign his commission.  After speaking with his wife, and taking into account having a solid sales career and three children, Captain George M. Donegan resigned his commission.  The United States did go ahead and invade the nation island of Grenada on October 25, 1983.

Captain Donegan received the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart (Twice), and other conflict and commendation medals.

Chapter 2 - Coming Home… Then Leaving Home in a Hurry

Mike had left home in August 1969 to start his career in the United States Army after living at home in Antioch during his college years.  After returning from the Army in March 1973, my father took some rest and recreation time back home in Nashville.

Viola Helton, Mike’s grandmother, or mother as she was called by my dad, told Mike that she missed seeing her daughter and other relatives that lived so far away in Carrington, North Dakota.  Mike told her that he was willing to drive her to see the family.  Mama, Mike’s mother Jean, wanted to go.  Jean knew, though, that her husband JB would not allow it.  This hard line position from my grandfather was not without its reasons.  My Great Aunt June’s husband Carleton had made a pass at Jean in the 1940s, while in Nashville, and my grandmother told JB.  There had also been instances of inappropriate behavior between Carleton and a younger woman in the 1960s.  Mike came to JB and said he was going to take both of them.  JB said Go ahead son.  If you knew my grandfather, and my father absolutely did, he knew what that statement implied.  Still, my father went to Mama and told him that JB said to go ahead and go.

JB watched my father pack up the car and head down the hill towards Old Hickory Boulevard, never saying anything to his wife about his strong feelings about the upcoming trip. The three headed off for North Dakota via Interstate 65.  When the trio arrived in North Dakota, Jean called JB to tell them they made it safe and sound.  My grandfather was furious.  He told her that if she was going to up and leave town and be around that man that she might as well just stay up there and not come home.  He also said the same goes for Michael.

Two whole days went by, and JB called Jean