Joseph C. McDonough

After graduating from West Point in June 1945, he attended the Basic Course at Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia and was sent to the Philippines for two and half years and served as a company commander in both U.S. and Philippine Scout Infantry Units. In 1947 he returned to the United States for duty with the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Upon the completion of parachute training in 1948, McDonough joined the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he served for three years as a company grade commander and staff officer.[1][3]

In 1951-1952 he attended the Advanced Course, Infantry School at Fort Benning and from there he was deployed to Korea. McDonough spent a year in combat with the 1st Battalion, 223rd Infantry Regiment as a rifle company commander, battalion operations officer and battalion executive officer and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his service.[1]

McDonough returned from Korea in 1953 and attended the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He reported for duty to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland one year later and served there as an instructor until November 1958. He was subsequently ordered to England where he was a student at the British Staff College, Camberley.[1]

From January 1959 to May 1960, he served in the Plans Branch, Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Headquarters, U.S. Army, Europe in Heidelberg, West Germany. McDonough then served from May 1960 to June 1961, as Battalion S-3, Battalion Executive Officer and Battalion Commander, 1st Battalion, 54th Infantry, 4th Armored Division stationed in Baden-Württemberg, West Germany.[1]

McDonough then returned to the United States and assumed duty as a Plans and Projects Officer in Infantry Branch Officer Personnel Directorate, Department of the Army, Washington D.C. While in D.C., he was ordered to the Army War College in August 1964 and upon graduation one year later he was assigned to the Office of the Under Secretary of the Army under Stanley Rogers Resor and served as Chief, Military Personnel Management Division.[1][4][5]

In May 1967, McDonough joined the 1st Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam as the Battalion Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry. During this period the battalion participated in Operation Pershing I and II which was a battle against enemy forces and an effort to assist the Vietnamese in establishing a pacification program in Bình Định province.[1]

In September 1967, he assumed command of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Air Cavalry Division. The Brigade continued operations in Bình Định province and when the Tet Offensive commenced the 2nd Brigade was tasked with assuming operational responsibility for the Division's entire Area of Operations because the other two Division Brigades were redeployed to reinforce U.S. forces at the Demilitarized Zone and Battle of Hue. The 2nd Brigade subsequently rejoined the Division and on 1 April 1968, the 2nd Brigade, alongside other 1st Cavalry Division elements, conducted Operation Pegasus in order to relieve the Marines at Khe Sanh. On April 7, the 2nd Brigade captured the old French fort near Khe Sanh after a three-day battle. The link-up between the relief force and the Marines at KSCB took place at 08:00 on 8 April, when the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment entered the camp. The 1st Cavalry Division completed the relief of the Marine units on 10 April and assumed responsibility for the Khe Sanh area of operations.[1][6]

McDonough completed his tour in Vietnam in May 1968 and departed for the United States. For his service in Vietnam, he was decorated with Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, two Legion of Merit, second Bronze Star Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with 33 Oak Leaf Clusters. He also received several decorations from the Government of South Vietnam.[7][1]