Sometimes, reality is so bizarre that it seems like it should be a movie. This is exactly the case with the incredible story of John “Chicky” Donahue. In November 1967, Chicky, a 26-year-old former Marine, found himself at Doc Fiddler’s, a bar in Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood. There, he listened to George Lynch, a patriotic former soldier, express his frustration with the anti-war protests on TV. Lynch jokingly suggested that someone should go to Vietnam and deliver beers to the local boys serving there. Little did he know, Chicky would take this idea to heart.
Chicky was inspired by Lynch’s words and decided to embark on a mission to bring beers to his friends serving in Vietnam. At that time, 28 men from Inwood had lost their lives in the war, including Chicky’s friend Tommy Minogue, a heroic combat medic. Determined to show support for those still fighting, Chicky set out to find his friends in Vietnam.
Finding the servicemen was no easy task. Due to security measures, letters from Vietnam were heavily censored, making it hard to pinpoint exact locations. However, Chicky gathered information from families and friends at Doc Fiddler’s, piecing together clues about where his friends might be stationed.
Armed with a list of names and a duffel bag full of beer, Chicky secured passage on the SS Drake Victory, a ship transporting ammunition. After weeks at sea, he arrived at Queen Yan Harbor in Vietnam. His first stroke of luck came when he met Tommy Collins, one of the men on his list, who was guarding the ships in the harbor. The two friends spent the night catching up over beers.
Chicky’s civilian attire, jeans and a plaid shirt, helped him blend in and avoid suspicion. When a lieutenant mistook him for a CIA operative, Chicky played along, which would prove useful in the coming weeks.
Chicky’s next challenge was finding Ricky Dugan, another friend on his list. He hitched a ride on a mail run with the First Air Cavalry Division, where he unexpectedly met Kevin McLoone, another friend. After sharing a beer with Kevin, Chicky continued his journey north.
Eventually, Chicky reached Quang Tri Province, near the demilitarized zone. He found Dugan at an observation post, and they spent the night reminiscing about home. Despite the danger, Chicky joined the men on patrol the next day, experiencing firsthand the realities of war.
Chicky’s adventure took a turn when he missed his ship back home. Stranded, he made his way to Saigon, navigating the chaos of the Tet Offensive, a major attack by North Vietnamese forces. Amidst the fighting, Chicky managed to find Bobby Pappas, another friend on his list, at Long Binh.
After months in Vietnam, Chicky finally secured passage back to the U.S., arriving in Seattle before flying home to New York. He successfully delivered beers to four of the six men on his list. Tragically, Richard Reynolds Jr. had been killed in action, and Joy McFadden had returned home due to illness.
For decades, Chicky’s story was shared as a legendary barroom tale. In 2017, it was immortalized in a book, and in 2022, it became a feature film starring Zac Efron, Bill Murray, and Russell Crowe. Even today, the surviving friends occasionally gather in New York to reminisce about their extraordinary adventure.
Chicky’s journey is a testament to the power of friendship and the lengths one will go to support their comrades. His story not only highlights the absurdity and unpredictability of war but also serves as a reminder of the enduring bonds formed in the most challenging circumstances. Through his daring beer run, Chicky brought a piece of home to his friends in Vietnam, offering them a brief respite from the harsh realities of war.
Research the Vietnam War, focusing on the social and political climate of the 1960s. Prepare a presentation that highlights the impact of the war on American society, including the anti-war protests and the experiences of veterans. This will help you understand the backdrop of Chicky’s story and the motivations behind his actions.
Imagine you are one of Chicky’s friends receiving a beer delivery in Vietnam. Write a letter home describing your experience, the surprise of seeing Chicky, and the significance of his visit. This activity will help you empathize with the soldiers’ experiences and the morale boost Chicky provided.
Engage in a group discussion about the ethical implications of Chicky’s actions. Consider questions such as: Was it right for Chicky to risk his life for a gesture of friendship? How do personal relationships influence decisions in times of conflict? This will encourage critical thinking about the complexities of war and human connections.
Watch the film adaptation of Chicky’s story and read excerpts from the book. Analyze the differences in storytelling, character portrayal, and emotional impact. Discuss which medium you found more effective in conveying the story’s themes and why. This will enhance your analytical skills and appreciation for narrative techniques.
In small groups, choose a key scene from Chicky’s journey and reenact it. Focus on capturing the emotions and dynamics between characters. This activity will help you engage with the material creatively and gain a deeper understanding of the characters’ motivations and challenges.
**Sanitized Transcript: The Greatest Beer Run Ever**
Truth is often stranger than fiction, and sometimes a real-life tale is so outlandish that people are left to wonder why it hasn’t been made into a movie. This is one of those stories.
In November 1967, a 26-year-old named John “Chicky” Donahue was having a drink at Doc Fiddler’s, a local bar in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. At the bar was George Lynch, nicknamed “The Colonel.” Lynch was a private first class who had been discharged from the military. He was a strong patriot with little tolerance for the growing anti-war movement that was gaining momentum as the Vietnam War continued.
That night, Donahue listened intently as Lynch expressed his dissatisfaction with the protests playing out on the TV above the bar. Always eager to show appreciation for those in uniform, Lynch exclaimed that someone ought to go to Vietnam, track down the local boys serving there, and bring them each a beer. Lynch then turned to Donahue and asked to borrow his Merchant Marine ID card.
Donahue, a former Marine and member of the Merchant Marine, was surprised. Lynch wanted to bring a beer to every man from their neighborhood serving in Vietnam. Initially thinking Lynch was joking, Donahue soon realized he was serious. However, it was clear that Lynch could not pass for Donahue, making the use of his ID card pointless. With all other forms of travel to Vietnam restricted for safety reasons, Donahue was inspired by Lynch’s enthusiasm and decided to travel to Vietnam himself to deliver beer to his old drinking buddies.
At that time, 28 residents from Inwood had been killed in action, including Tommy Minogue, a combat medic and friend of Donahue, who sacrificed his life to protect his commanding officer during an overwhelming attack. For his bravery, Minogue would receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Inspired by their sacrifice, Donahue wanted to support the others still overseas as quickly as possible.
The first challenge was finding out where the servicemen were stationed. Due to security reasons, any correspondence to and from Vietnam was censored, with exact locations omitted. Still, word spread, and family and friends visited Doc Fiddler’s, providing names of service members along with cryptic references to unit names and snippets of information from letters home.
Armed with a list of names and an idea of where to look, Donahue secured passage on the SS Drake Victory, a World War II-era ship being used to haul ammunition. After weeks at sea, the Drake Victory arrived at Queen Yan Harbor, and Donahue made it ashore with a duffel bag filled with beer, including lesser-known brands unlikely to be available in Vietnam.
He planned to spend three days finding the six men on his list before heading back to his ship. It was here that Donahue had a stroke of luck. The ships in the harbor were guarded by military police, one of whom was Tommy Collins, a man on his list. When Donahue called up to him, Collins was shocked to see his friend had traveled across the world to deliver beer. After the initial surprise wore off, they spent the night drinking and reminiscing at a local bar.
However, their festive mood caught the attention of an overzealous lieutenant. Donahue, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, told off the officer, who mistakenly believed Donahue was working for the CIA and backed off. This civilian clothing would serve him well in the coming weeks.
After spending the night at the barracks, Donahue headed north. One of the men from the bar was a member of the First Air Cavalry Division, the same unit as Ricky Dugan, another resident on his list. The man had no issues bringing Donahue along on the mail run scheduled for the next morning.
Working through a hangover, Donahue boarded a Grumman Albatross headed for Bravo Company of the First Air Cavalry. Unfortunately, Bravo Company had left that position and was headed north, about 200 miles towards the demilitarized zone separating North and South Vietnam. Fortunately, there was another mail run scheduled for that new location, but Donahue had less than an hour to make the flight.
Picked up by a passing Jeep, he explained his mission to the driver, who turned out to be Kevin McLoone, another man on Donahue’s list. After a brief surprise, McLoone enjoyed a beer before speeding off towards the airfield. After saying goodbye, Donahue boarded another plane, with the crew assuming he was a CIA operative.
Landing in Fubai, he managed to board a Huey helicopter, again believed to be working for the CIA, headed for Quang Tri Province near the DMZ. Dugan was at an observation post when he was radioed to return to the command post. Entering the bunker, he was astonished to see Donahue, who handed him a beer. They spent the night talking about life back home but refrained from drinking due to the proximity of the enemy.
That night, their positions were hit by NVA infiltrators, and Donahue did his best to keep his head down, even joining the men on patrol the next day. The following day, he boarded a Chinook helicopter, which dropped him off near Quang Tri Airfield. After a series of misadventures, Donahue made his way back to Queen Yan, only to find that his ship had departed without him.
Desperate, he headed towards Saigon, doing whatever he could for transit. Once he reached the embassy, he faced a bureaucratic nightmare as a civilian in a war zone without a passport or military orders. While waiting for his paperwork to clear, Donahue celebrated the Vietnamese holiday of Tet in downtown Saigon. However, the festive atmosphere was interrupted by the Tet Offensive, a massive coordinated strike against South Vietnamese and American installations.
Caught in the middle of intense fighting, Donahue spent the offensive avoiding crossfire between the VC and American military forces. After a few days, the fighting subsided, and he was able to locate another man on his list, Bobby Pappas, a communications specialist based at Long Binh, about an hour from Saigon. Thankfully, that trip was uneventful, and Pappas was astonished to see him.
After returning to Saigon, Donahue witnessed a massive explosion at Long Binh, caused by a VC sapper squad detonating explosives. He returned to Saigon, dodging mortar shells along the way. After spending approximately four months in Vietnam, Donahue secured passage on a ship bound for the U.S., landing in Seattle before flying back to New York.
During his journey, he found four of the six men on his list. Unfortunately, Marine Second Lieutenant Richard Reynolds Jr. had been killed in action near Dong Ha the day after Donahue arrived in Vietnam, and Joy McFadden had been sent home after contracting malaria. The four men Donahue did find—Rick Dugan, Tommy Collins, Kevin McLoone, and Bobby Pappas—all made it home to the U.S.
What was told for 50 years as a barroom tall tale was turned into a book in 2017 and made into a feature film in 2022, starring Zac Efron, Bill Murray, and Russell Crowe. According to a newspaper report, the five men still occasionally meet up for dinner in New York.
Beer – A fermented beverage made from malted grains, often associated with social and cultural practices throughout history. – In medieval Europe, beer was not only a staple of the diet but also a safer alternative to water, playing a crucial role in daily life and social gatherings.
War – A state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country, often having significant historical and cultural impacts. – The Peloponnesian War, chronicled by Thucydides, provides a detailed account of the struggle between Athens and Sparta, highlighting the complexities of power and human nature.
Friendship – A close and mutual relationship between individuals, often explored in literature as a theme that transcends time and culture. – In “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is central to the narrative, illustrating themes of loyalty and personal growth.
Mission – A specific task or duty assigned to an individual or group, often with historical or literary significance. – The mission of the Apollo 11 crew to land on the moon in 1969 marked a pivotal moment in human history, symbolizing the triumph of human ingenuity and exploration.
Vietnam – A Southeast Asian country with a rich history, notably impacted by the Vietnam War, which has been extensively depicted in literature and film. – The Vietnam War, as portrayed in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” delves into the psychological and emotional burdens faced by soldiers.
Story – A narrative, either true or fictional, that conveys events, characters, and themes, often reflecting cultural and historical contexts. – Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is a story that explores the consequences of unchecked ambition and the quest for knowledge, set against the backdrop of the Romantic era.
Challenges – Difficult situations or obstacles that require effort and determination to overcome, frequently depicted in historical and literary contexts. – The challenges faced by Odysseus in Homer’s “The Odyssey” highlight the hero’s resilience and cunning as he strives to return home from the Trojan War.
Legacy – Something handed down from an ancestor or predecessor, often referring to cultural, historical, or literary contributions. – The legacy of the Roman Empire is evident in modern legal systems, architecture, and languages, illustrating its enduring influence on Western civilization.
Journey – A process of traveling from one place to another, often used metaphorically in literature to describe personal growth or transformation. – Dante’s journey through the realms of the afterlife in “The Divine Comedy” serves as an allegory for the soul’s path towards redemption and enlightenment.
Courage – The ability to confront fear, pain, or adversity, frequently celebrated in historical accounts and literary works. – The courage of Rosa Parks in refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus became a pivotal moment in the American Civil Rights Movement, inspiring countless others to stand up for justice.
