In November 1967, John “Chickie” Donohue snuck into Vietnam and braved actual firefights — just so he could bring his army buddies from back home some cold beers.
John “ Chickie ” Donohue served four yr in the Marines but had escape the state of war . He had only ever been to Vietnam twice as a merchandiser seaman , but knew dozens of soldier put on the line their life-time abroad . offend by the anti - war protestation in his city , the New Yorker decided to retort to Vietnam — to bring the troops cold beer .
It began on a wintertime night in November 1967 . Donohue was having a deglutition at Doc Fiddler ’s on 275 Sherman Avenue in his aboriginal Inwood neighbourhood when word coverage of protester in Central Park blared on the television . Patrons denounced them as naive idealists , while bartender George Lynch cover a plan .
Pabst Blue Ribbon / YouTubeJohn “ Chickie ” Donohue eating rations ( justly ) with friend Rick Duggan ( diametric , with boxwood in front ) and members of the First Air Cavalry ’s Bravo Company .
Pabst Blue Ribbon/YouTubeJohn “Chickie” Donohue eating rations (right) with friend Rick Duggan (opposite, with box in front) and members of the First Air Cavalry’s Bravo Company.
“ Somebody ought to go over to ‘ Nam , track down our son from the neighborhood , and bring them each a beer ! ” Lynchsaid .
As detailed in his bookThe Greatest Beer Run Ever , A Memoir Of Friendship , Loyalty And War , Donohue set out on an challenging four - month odyssey that traverse more than 8,000 seafaring miles . From New York City to Qui Nhon , he was armed with nothing but a leaning of name calling — and a trove of beer clanking below pack of cards .
John “Chickie” Donohue Sets Sail
John Donohue was born in New York City in 1941 . He was raised in the northern Manhattan vicinity of Inwood which was for the most part populated by Irish - Americans such as himself at the time . He spend his juvenility run around town with friends Tommy Collins and Rick Duggan .
Rick DugganJohn Donohue on theDrake Victory .
Donohue enlist in the Marine Corps when he came of years . He learn how to handle weapons but never experienced combat . A marine merchandiser after that , he used his seaman ’s identification wag that substantiate he could treat ammunition to deliver supplies to Vietnam . But at the height of the warfare in 1967 , he felt useless .
Rick DugganJohn Donohue on theDrake Victory.
He know at least 28 people from his Inwood neighborhood who had died in Vietnam and feel the rabid demonstration against the state of war disesteem their forfeiture . Sitting at Doc Fiddler ’s , he could n’t help but feel Lynch ’s hypnotism of a globe - sweep beer run was worthwhile . After all , those soldiers could go bad in the wink of an oculus .
“ They were like my kid pal ’s age , but I know them , ” enunciate Jack Donohue . “ I get up in the same house . But I ’ll tell you what really chivy my misstep . The manifestation in Central Park . The protesters would convey a Vietcong flag . They would chant murderers , baby killers , all this other hooey . ”
Lynch , the bartender at Doc Fiddler ’s , had only made Private First Class but was a patriot through and through , who organized local Memorial Day and Independence Day parade . He even rear a flagpole on the street corner of Sherman Avenue . have intercourse as the “ Colonel , ” he require Donohue for his tar ’s card — when Donohue decide to deliver the beer himself .
Pabst Blue Ribbon/YouTubeChick Donohue’s 8,000-mile journey took two months.
The word spread like wildfire . Tommy Collins ’ mother gave Donohue $ 100 to bring to her Logos , but Donohue turn down the Johnny Cash and focus on the mission . He resourcefully found a line as an oiler on theDrake Victory , which was about to drag ammunition to Vietnam .
With a bag full of beer , Donohue took to the ocean .
The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Chick Donohue arrived In January 1968 after two months at sea . Most soldiers thought he was in intelligence , as he was dressed in a plaid shirt and corduroy pant . He set course for Duggan who was fighting in Khe Sanh as a specialist in the Army First Air Cavalry Division , and tell anyone inquiring that he was Duggan ’s stepbrother .
Pabst Blue Ribbon / YouTubeChick Donohue ’s 8,000 - air mile journey took two months .
“ It take two months to get there , so I drink all the beer,”saidDonohue .
Pabst Blue Ribbon/YouTubeChick Donohue (left) with Duggan’s men.
After restocking the payload of PBR and Schlitz , he embark on a string of U.S. military convoys , planes , and helicopters to Khe Sanh . Donohue let low - ranking soldiers in on his mission and found them eager to help while mention they ’d love a dusty beer , themselves . He sagely kept quiet around luxuriously - ranking officers .
“ ‘ If I enjoin you the true statement , you would not believe me , ' ” he said . “ The longer I was there , I became aware that they ’re deferring to me and they did n’t turn back me . And I knew the patois from being in the Marines . So it just worked . ”
Tommy Collins was the first booster on Chickie Donohue ’s list to chance the casually dressed civilian . “ ‘ What the hell are you doing here ? ' ” Collins call back saying . “ He ’s in a combat zone , and here he is walking around like he ’s pass on a golf game pleasure trip or wherever the inferno he ’s going . ”
Donohue forge forwards to find Duggan . He had hitch a helicopter drive to a northern frontier settlement in the Qang Tri when he did — and also found the responsibility under attack by the North Vietnamese Army .
“ Chickie ! Holy s**t ! What the hell are you doing here ? ! ” Duggan say . John Donohue casually respond : “ I brought you some great beer from New York .
Pabst Blue Ribbon / YouTubeChick Donohue ( exit ) with Duggan ’s men .
When foe troops start fire , Duggan threw Donohue an M97 grenade launcher . When the debris settled , Donohue watch as Duggan and two others on his tilt “ pop up the hind end open and … take their first sip of beer in a while . ”
It was the sodding mo for Chick Donohue to tell Duggan his momma want him to take care raft .
Chickie Donohue Escapes From Vietnam
John Donohue had only found four of the six world he mean to find , as one had expire during his beer run and another was sent home with malaria . He shared tidings of Jefferson Airplane ’s new album and NFL coach Vince Lombardi retiring — before a chorus of bewildered soldier he meet reminded Donohue to maneuver back .
“ Wait a minute , ” one soldier say . “ You ’re telling me you do n’t have to be here and you ’re here ? ”
Donohue trek to Saigon a few week later to get a flight of steps to Manila to board his ship back to New York . The Vietcong had run over Saigon as part of the Tet Offensive , however , and were gun mass down in front of the U.S. embassy . Remarkably , the unarmed civilian made it out live — and back to Doc Fiddler ’s .
“ The Colonel , who never drink on duty , poured himself and everyone else a beer and raised it , ” said Donohue . “ ‘ To Chickie , ’ he said , ‘ who fetch our boy beer , esteem , pride — and love , goddamnit . ' ”
Chick Donohue return a change man and found himself agreeing with theVietnam warfare protestshe had admonished just a twain of months in the first place . He bring in the American administration had lie about winning the warfare , and desire his acquaintance to return home safely . luckily , all four of them did — and have beer with Donohue to this 24-hour interval .
“ He came through at a clip when society did n’t need us and the protesters were on us , ” said Collins . “ But that ’s Chickie . He ’s one of the nicest but craziest guys you ever desire to encounter . ”
After get a line about John “ Chickie ” Donohue , take a look at33 photos of the My Lai Massacre warfare crime . Then , learn aboutveteran self-destruction in the last decade eclipsing American troop casualties in Vietnam .
