The fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, marked the end of the Vietnam War. The 50-year anniversary of that milestone is now upon us. This is an appropriate moment to acknowledge not only those local veterans who served honorably during that war, but to reflect on the lives of those who never returned. For Kearny, this was 10 servicemen who were town natives, local transplants or former residents, but collectively representing the best of the community.
Two of those servicemen, one a Marine and one a soldier, were career military professionals. Lt. Col. John A. Dowd (USMC), the ranking officer of the group at age 37, was a highly regarded Battalion Commander with the 7th Marines. He was a true warrior with an extraordinary combat record, and a father of six.
SFC Thomas H. Welsh (USA), another father at age 36, was a Green Beret in the Army’s Special Forces, had extensive airborne experience, accumulated 18 years of service and was another seasoned veteran.
The other men were considerably younger.
Corp. Michael W. Sinibaldi (USA) at 18 was an aspiring musician (guitar) and wrote to his family regularly.
Lance Corp. Donald B. Scott (USMC), at 19, spent only his early childhood in Kearny before the family relocated to Harrison. Scott was an elite state swimmer at Harrison High before enlisting with the marines.
Corp. Michael F. Branin (USA), PFC George E. Matuscsak (USA) and Private David B. Atkins (USMC) were all just 20, with only Branin having graduated from Kearny High School before enlisting.
Corp. Thomas F. Hornby (USMC), like PFC Matuscsak, was born and raised in Kearny. He played varsity football at Kearny HS, and went on to work in a bank before a President John F. Kennedy speech inspired him to join the Marines. Hornby was only 21, recently married, the town’s first fatality and was tragically killed just over one week after his arrival in Vietnam.
Sgt. David W. Robertson (USA) was born and raised in Harrison, graduating from Harrison High, before relocating to Kearny. He then worked as a service manager for an electric company before his Army induction. He was only 22 and was sadly killed while on a mission the day after his promotion to Sergeant.
Lt. Vincent R. Capodanno (USN), a Navy chaplain serving in a Marine battalion, was likely the most heralded of the group, given his posthumous award of the Congressional Medal of Honor. This was for his selfless sacrifice while attempting to help wounded Marines under fire when he was tragically cut down. Father Capodanno, 38, , was born in Staten Island, ordained a Roman Catholic priest and performed overseas missionary work before later joining the Navy’s Chaplain Corps. After his mother’s death in 1961, he regularly spent his stateside visits with his sister’s family in Kearny up until his death.
The valor of these men was not limited to only Lt. Capodanno’s bravery. Dowd earned a (posthumous) Navy Cross, a Silver Star medal and a Legion of Merit and was killed during his second combat tour to Vietnam. Fittingly, he rests at Arlington National Cemetery, only yards away from the grave of Lt. Audie Murphy, the nation’s most decorated WWII combat soldier.
SFC Welsh, Sgt. Robertson, Corp. Sinibaldi, Corp. Branin and PFC Matuscsak all earned posthumous Bronze Star medals for their gallant service, with Branin and Matuscsak’s medals including a “V device” for specific acts of heroism under direct fire. Robertson’s record also includes an Air Medal for successfully conducting over 25 aerial counter-insurgency missions over hostile territory.
The battlefield experiences of these men in their final hours also covered the combat spectrum. Dowd, Capodanno, Matuscsak and Welsh were killed during major combat operations against the enemy. Matuscsak’s A Company withstood mass assaults from a reinforced North Vietnamese battalion, losing over 20 soldiers killed in the exchange. Dowd was killed by hostile machine gun fire while leading his battalion from the front.
Most of the others died in more limited, albeit no less perilous, combat sweeps from either enemy small-arms fire, rocket, artillery or mortar attacks. Scott was tragically killed by friendly mortar fire while Atkins perished under non-combat circumstances.
Kearny citizens should take pride in the service of these men, while recognizing each for their patriotism, valor and sacrifice on the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Robertson, Sinibaldi, Branin and Matuscsak were all honored with Banners for Hometown Heroes along Kearny Avenue.
May God bless each of them for their heroic service and sacrifice.
Ron Woods is a former Kearny resident who spent his career in the Department of Defense. His may be reached by email at ronjon638648@gmail.com.
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