Michael Davis O'Donnell ★ Vietnam War Gold Star Veteran from Illinois
On March 24, 1970 Major O'Donnell was declared a casualty of the Vietnam War. ★ He served with honor in the United States Army. ★ He is remembered by the people of Illinois. ★ May his positive example inspire us. Working together towards peace, mutual respect, and equality for all.
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Click to Submit Update Request for this Fallen Service Member▼ Content Integrity Note
Our displayed data concerning the life and military history of Michael Davis O'Donnell is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile was last edited on 2015-09-21 22:51:57.
Missing : Core Data
· Birth date· Enlistment type
· Date of tour or service
Missing : Supplemental Data
· Birth + childhood location· Educational background
· Marriage history
· Parents, family history
· Expanded references and citations
Service Details
| This Profile ID | 290768 |
| Service ID | 387443597 |
| Name | Michael Davis O'Donnell |
| From | Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois |
| Casualty Date | March 24, 1970 |
| War | Vietnam War |
| Service Branch | Army |
| Rank | Major |
| Specialty | Commander |
| Unit/Group | 1st Aviation Brigade, 170th Aviation Company |
| Casualty Type | Died while missing in action .. air crash on land .. body not recovered until 1995 |
| Location | Cambodia, Thua Thien province |
| Burial | Arlington National Cemetery and Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial |
| Notable Awards |
★ Purple Heart |
| Remembered | 
Michael Davis O'Donnell is buried or memorialized at Arlington National Cemetery and Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. This is a National American Cemetery administered through the Department of the Army.  Michael is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 12w, Line 40. |
Additional Details
Captain O'Donnell was a member of the 170th Helicopter Assault Company, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade. On March 24, 1970, he was the aircraft commander of a Bell Iroquois Utility Helicopter (UH-1H) with a mission of extracting a long-range reconnaissance patrol from Ratanokiri Province about 14 miles inside Cambodia. The aircraft picked up the team of eight and was ascending when it was hit by enemy fire, exploded and crashed in the jungle. His remains were recovered on April 12, 1995 and identified on June 20, 2001.Poem written by Major Michael Davis O'Donnell on 1 January 1970, Dak To, Vietnam. It was featured in the movie "Hamburger Hill" If you are able, save them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind. |
Commendations + Awards
Please note this might not be a complete or completely accurate accounting. For some awards we use probability factors based on known service details. Thanks for your understanding.
★ Purple Heart
★ National Defense Service Medal
★ Vietnam Campaign Medal
★ Vietnam Service Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Vietnam Gallantry Cross
Notable Reference Sources
These are typically links to pages on external sites that have provided specific nodes of information. In most cases the information has some assurance of being crowd-sourced and vetted by a community of users.Illinois Gold Star Veterans Gallery
Honoring the men and women of Illinois who gave their all for their country. May their example of courage and sacrifice be our guide. To be strong and responsible in our lives as citizens of the world. Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
▼ Illinois was home to over 28,678 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
• 4,575 World War I
• 19,315 World War II
• 1,845 Korean War
• 2,943 Vietnam War
• 393 Prisoners of war
• 4,734 Missing in action
• 124 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 217 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 29 Medal of Honor recipients
• 19,315 World War II
• 1,845 Korean War
• 2,943 Vietnam War
• 393 Prisoners of war
• 4,734 Missing in action
• 124 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 217 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 29 Medal of Honor recipients
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