Kenny was my best friend from childhood, he lived a couple of houses up the street from me. Kenny and I spent our entire childhood together,I miss him and think of him all the time.
I found the following article and thought it should be told.
His life was cut short at age 39 of a pulmonary embolism. He had spent the last eight years as a house builder in Florida. Few knew of his military exploits until his death. He preferred it that way.
A year prior to his demise, he underwent coronary bypass surgery from respiratory problems that followed his service in the war.
His highest marks in life came with the awards and decorations he had received from heroism in combat—the Bronze Star (with cluster) and the Purple Heart after being wounded several times.According to Carl Hagopian, his former commanding officer in the Massachusetts National Guard, the awards came after he had saved the lives of many GIs, including allied officers.
Maloomian was one of the first tunnel rats,?E Hagopian recalled. The Viet-Cong had a network of tunnels and the Army’s Corps of Engineers formed a team that went into those tunnels and blew them up. Kenny captured many of those in there."
The Bronze Star came after Kenny saved 40 Australian soldiers. In 1967, he received another citation when he was in a medivac helicopter crash and pulled passengers out, including three wounded men.
So decorated was he, Kenny received 12 other medals and decorations, some from the government of South Vietnam. He was finally discharged after 13 months as a captain with the Army Rangers and Green Berets.
Dottie Sargent (McGuirk)
Kenny was my best friend from childhood, he lived a couple of houses up the street from me. Kenny and I spent our entire childhood together,I miss him and think of him all the time.
I found the following article and thought it should be told.
His life was cut short at age 39 of a pulmonary embolism. He had spent the last eight years as a house builder in Florida. Few knew of his military exploits until his death. He preferred it that way.
A year prior to his demise, he underwent coronary bypass surgery from respiratory problems that followed his service in the war.
His highest marks in life came with the awards and decorations he had received from heroism in combat—the Bronze Star (with cluster) and the Purple Heart after being wounded several times. According to Carl Hagopian, his former commanding officer in the Massachusetts National Guard, the awards came after he had saved the lives of many GIs, including allied officers.
Maloomian was one of the first tunnel rats,?E Hagopian recalled. The Viet-Cong had a network of tunnels and the Army’s Corps of Engineers formed a team that went into those tunnels and blew them up. Kenny captured many of those in there."
The Bronze Star came after Kenny saved 40 Australian soldiers. In 1967, he received another citation when he was in a medivac helicopter crash and pulled passengers out, including three wounded men.
So decorated was he, Kenny received 12 other medals and decorations, some from the government of South Vietnam. He was finally discharged after 13 months as a captain with the Army Rangers and Green Berets.
Jean Pacheco (Ravinski)
Dotty, thanks for posting the story about Kenny's time in Viet Nam. I will never forget being his classmate at Needham High. I'm so proud of him!