Cape & Islands News

Harwich Viet Nam Vet gives his land to Coast Guard

House & apartments to be used for USCG Morale, Welfare and Recreation
Dedication honors Viet Nam War action which killed two Guardsmen

A 27-year Coast Guard member and Vietnam veteran will dedicate his land to the Coast Guard during a ceremony scheduled to begin 10 a.m. Friday in Harwich.

Retired Master Chief Petty Officer Mark McKenney has officially decreed roughly eight acres of land in West Harwich, Mass., including a main house and two apartment buildings, to the Coast Guard to be used in the future for housing and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) purposes.

The dedication will occur on the 40th anniversary of the first two Coast Guard members who were killed in Vietnam aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Point Welcome, where McKenney served as a gunners mate.

During the dedication, two plaques will be unveiled. The first will honor the seven Coast Guardsmen killed in the Vietnam War and the second will honor Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Bruckenthal. Bruckenthal, along with two U.S. Navy Sailors, was killed in a suicide attack April 24th 2004 while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Came under "Friendy Fire"
First Guardsmen lost in Viet Nam

August 11, 1966, Point Welcome was conducting a nighttime patrol and was attacked by two U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantom jets and one B-57 bomber.  The friendly fire incident killed two members of the crew including the commanding officer, Lt. j.g. David Brostom (shown in inset on right), and an engineer, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jerry Phillips, who were the first two Coast Guardsmen killed in the Vietnam War. McKenney was aboard the Point Welcome and received the Purple Heart for injuries suffered as a result of the attack.

The five other Coast Guardsmen killed in Vietnam, who will also be honored, were Lt. Jack Ritticher, Fireman Heriberto Hernandez, Chief Petty Officer Morris Beeson, Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Painter and Lt. j.g. Michael Kirkpatrick.

Representatives from the First Coast Guard District, Coast Guard Sector Southeast New England, Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod and Coast Guard Station Chatham will participate in the dedication ceremony.  Northport, N.Y. Police Chief Ric Bruckenthal, father of Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Bruckenthal, and Retired Capt. Ross Bell, former executive officer of Point Welcome and recipient of a Purple Heart, will speak at the event.

Learn more about the event 

A thorough history of the Point Welcome and the "friendly fire" event can be seen by clicking here.

About 8,000 Coast Guard members served in Southeast Asia from 1965 to1975, and currently the Coast Guard has members deployed around the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism.