The Greatest Beer Run in History
Would you bring a beer to your friend…in an active war zone on the other side of the world?
John “Chickie” Donohue had already served his time in the U.S. Marines during the early stages of the Vietnam War. A local sandhog (tunnel construction worker) in New York City, he enjoyed the occasional pint at his favorite watering hole.
One day in 1967, the barflies were watching the seemingly endless protests against the war on a television hanging about the bar. Saddened by the lack of support for their countrymen, the bartender remarked “someone should go to Vietnam to give the soldiers a pat on the back and buy them a beer.”
Chickie piped up, smiled, and said something along the lines of “consider it done!”
No one really expected he was being serious.
Making a list
Chickie and the bartender, George Lynch, spent the next few weeks scouring their neighborhood for information on any active-duty soldiers. They came up with a list of about half a dozen men, one of whom grew up in the very same building as Chickie.
Having made his list, he now moved onto the next step.
How does one go from New York to Vietnam, an active war zone, for as little money…
