A Soldier’s Surprise Birthday at Scott Air Force Base-October 19, 1965
Things have been happening mighty fast for 19-year-old Sgt. Gerald Mahoney of Norwood. For a young man whose every day since enlistment had been filled with surprises of one kind or another, his 19th birthday turned out to be an unforgettable experience.
The young airman was surprised with an extraordinary birthday party at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, where his military transport flight stopped en route to the Chelsea Naval Hospital for treatment of combat wounds received in Vietnam.
Flight nurse 1st Lt. Maureen Harry learned of the milestone birthday while she and her patient were airborne on a long-haul flight from Travis Air Force Base in California to Scott. Springing into action, Lt. Harry radioed ahead to Scott AFB and ordered a birthday cake to be prepared for arrival.
Wounded in Action Alongside Childhood Friend-October 19, 1965
The celebration offered a welcome moment of joy for a soldier who had packed a lifetime of intense experiences into his brief military career. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Mahoney, Gerald Mahoney enlisted right after graduating from Norwood High School. Rising rapidly through the ranks, he achieved the rank of sergeant at just 18 years old while serving as a squad leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
His journey to a stateside hospital bed began during a perilous mission to capture an enemy ant hill guarded by the Viet Cong. Mahoney and his squad began scaling the slope when a hidden Viet Cong 30-caliber machine gun suddenly opened fire. Mahoney was struck three times—twice in the leg and once in the hand.
Miraculously sharing his fate was his close friend and squadmate, Specialist Fourth Class Charles Murphy. The two young men had enlisted together in Boston, been assigned to the exact same outfit, and were ultimately wounded on the very same hillside.
A Celebration to Remember-October 19, 1965
Instead of a dreary hospital stay far from home, Sgt. Mahoney found his stateside hospital bed surrounded by enthusiastic well-wishers, a custom-baked cake, a piano, and an impromptu “Happy Birthday” choir. Reflecting on the heartwarming outpouring of support during the long leg of his journey between Saigon and the Chelsea Naval Hospital, Sgt. Mahoney declared the unusual celebration “really something.”
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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