THE WALL OF FACES

On the wall at Council Rock North High School so no one forgets.

Dear 1LT Daniel A Hennessy, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter

Distinguished Service Cross


Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Daniel A. Hennessy (ASN: 0-5326579), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company B, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). First Lieutenant Hennessy distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 28 December 1966 while serving as a platoon leader with elements of the 8th Cavalry on a search and destroy mission in Quan Hoai An Province. When his platoon suddenly received intense hostile fire from a nearby village, Lieutenant Hennessy dauntlessly led an assault on the Viet Cong positions. Maneuvering through a hail of bullets, he moved to the head of the platoon and was the first man to enter the hamlet. Unmindful of his vulnerable position, Lieutenant Hennessy fearlessly engaged the enemy with his rifle and hand grenades. He then called for artillery strikes within ten meters of his own position, which allowed his platoon to reach cover at the edge of a rice paddy. As he shouted orders and pointed out hostile emplacements, Lieutenant Hennessy was critically wounded by Viet Cong fire. Realizing that his wounds were fatal, he courageously continued to direct his men, until finally turning over command to his platoon sergeant with his last words. Demonstrating unimpeachable valor and profound concern for the men under his command, he inspired them to overwhelm and defeat the entrenched hostile force. First Lieutenant Hennessy's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 1658 (April 13, 1967)

Action Date: 28-Dec-66

Service: Army

Rank: First Lieutenant

Company: Company B

Battalion: 1st Battalion (Airborne)

Regiment: 8th Cavalry Regiment

Division: 1st Cavalry Division

Miracle tribute to a brother in battle

By Guy Clifton

31 May 2010

Reno Gazette-Journal



For many years, a Reno veteran has spent a portion of his Memorial Day walking amid the flag-decorated gravesites at Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery to reflect on a cold day in 1966 and 10 fellow soldiers who didn't come home from Vietnam.



One soldier in particular, Lt. Dan Hennessy, always comes to mind for Roger Riffle. The two served together in B Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Airborne of the 1st Air Cavalry Division based at An Khe in the central highlands of Vietnam. Though they came from different parts of the country -- Riffle from California and Hennessy from Pennsylvania -- they were raised Irish-Catholic and were lieutenants commanding platoons in B Company.



They had become fast friends, a friendship cut short when Hennessy and nine other soldiers from B Company were killed in a firefight with the Viet Cong on Dec. 28, 1966. Hennessy was awarded posthumously the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism.



So Riffle, who moved to Reno in 1974, always remembers and always tries to pay tribute with a reflective visit to the cemetery.



But Memorial Day 2009 was different, emotional and, ultimately, wonderful for Riffle, and that experience has carried over.



"It's a moment in time that will be with me until I draw my last breath," said Riffle...



Here's what happened:



Last Memorial Day, Riffle was in the Seattle area...(On) his return flight to Reno he watched as the other passengers came on board... Then a man came from the back and instead of taking the aisle seat, he sat down in the middle seat next to Riffle.



Riffle and the man next to him, Mike Doyle of Carson City, struck up a conversation and the subject eventually turned to Memorial Day and Riffle's service in Vietnam. Doyle, who grew up in Newton, Pa., said he recalled attending a memorial service for a soldier from his high school who had been killed in Vietnam. The soldier was Lt. Dan Hennessy.



Riffle said he was shocked when he heard the name of his fallen friend...



It was Doyle's turn to be shocked when Riffle, his voice choked with emotion, told Doyle that he had been with Hennessy on the day he died.



The two men sat in silence for several minutes before Doyle asked Riffle if he could describe what happened the day Hennessy died.



Riffle said he explained it as best he could, describing how his platoon had established a blocking position, while the platoon led by Hennessy and a third platoon led by Lt. Lamont Finch, went to either side of the small hamlet.



Then all hell broke loose.



"All of the sudden, I heard rifle fire and machine gun fire all over the place," Riffle said.



All three platoons took heavy fire and lost men.



"I can't remember what communication we had with Hennessy and his platoon," Riffle said. "All I knew was that they were in even deeper crap than I was."



The battle raged into the night, with 10 soldiers from B Company killed and an unknown number wounded.



"It was a dire situation," Riffle said. My platoon spent the night there in that blocking position. I learned at some point that night that we had lost the leaders of both the other platoons."



Hennessy received the nation's second-highest military award for valor rushing to the front of his platoon and engaging the enemy with his rifle and hand grenades, then calling for artillery strikes within 10 meters of his own position to allow his men to reach cover before he was critically wounded.



Riffle and Doyle engaged in small talk for the rest of the flight, but exchanged contact information at the airport.



They met in Carson City a few months later... Riffle gave Doyle a photograph of the B Company platoon leaders taken in 1966. Doyle gave Riffle a photo of Hennessy's name on the Traveling Vietnam Wall that had been in Reno in 1997. In the photograph, unknown to Doyle, were the names of several of the other members of B Company who had died that day.



The encounter with Doyle also prompted Riffle to try to find members of Hennessy's family in Pennsylvania. With some detective work and the help of friends, he located Hennessy's brother, Tom, and shared an emotional phone call.



"He was most appreciative of it," Riffle said.



Riffle is planning to attend a reunion of the 1/8 Airborne later this year in Washington, D.C., and is hoping Tom Hennessy and his family might make the trip.



He still marvels at the odds of he and Doyle sitting together on an airplane and sharing a connection with one soldier out of the thousands killed in Vietnam.



"From my standpoint, this was a gift from God, really," Riffle said.



"It was a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful thing to happen. It's just a joy to know that Tom Hennessy, Dan's brother, knows that his brother is still remembered 43 years after he died. To me, it's totally what Memorial Day is about."

Daniel is buried at St Andrews Cemetery.