John "Chickie" Donohue (born 1941) is an American former United States Marine, merchant seaman and trade unionist.[3] He is best known for his 1968 journey through Vietnam where he delivered beer to several United States service members during the height of the Vietnam War.
John Donohue | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Chick, Chickie |
| Born | 1941 (age 82–83) New York City, United States |
| Service | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1958–1964 |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Khe Sanh |
| Alma mater | Harvard Kennedy School[1][2] |
| Spouse(s) | Theresa O'Neil |
Early life
editA native of Inwood, New York, a neighborhood in upper Manhattan, Donohue served in the Philippines and Japan with the United States Marines from 1958 to 1964.[4]
Vietnam beer run
editIn November 1967, influenced by anti-war demonstrations and bartender George Lynch, who worked at a local bar called Doc Fiddler's (now called “Tubby Hook Tavern”), Donohue set out on a four-month journey to bring beer to several enlisted men from his neighborhood who were deployed in Vietnam. He landed a job on a merchant ship taking ammunition from New York to Qui Nhon, Vietnam. He arrived on January 19, 1968, and handed out the first beer to Tom Collins, member of the 127th Military Police Company and Donohue's childhood friend. He later travelled to A Shau Valley where he brought beer to two additional Inwood natives, Kevin McLoone and Rick Duggan, and participated briefly in the Battle of Khe Sanh. The following day, he set out for Saigon where he handed out his last beer to Bobby Pappas, a communications specialist in the Army. Having missed the return voyage of his merchant ship, he had to wait for some time before getting a passport and visa through the U.S. Consulate. On the day of his flight out of Saigon, the Tet Offensive started, leaving him stranded in the country. He later latched on as an oiler on a merchant ship destined for New York where he arrived on April 1, 1968.[4][5][6][7]
Later life
editIn 1970, Donohue bought the pub Doc Fiddler's and ran it for several years.[5] He later was a trade unionist.[8]
In media
editDonohue is portrayed by Zac Efron in the biographical action comedy film The Greatest Beer Run Ever, directed by Peter Farrelly.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ "Biography: John "Chick" Donohue". bookreporter.com. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ "ALUMNI-CONNECT-CLASSNOTES-WINTER 2017". Harvard Kennedy School. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Mike McAlary (20 June 1990). "Brothers under the skin". New York Daily News. p. 4. Retrieved 20 August 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Eric Spitznagel (7 November 2020). "Meet the New Yorker who brought beers to his buddies in the Vietnam War". New York Post. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ a b David Kindy (10 October 2021). "A Man, A Mission, And The Greatest Beer Run Ever". HistoryNet. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Corey Kilgannon (29 May 2017). "A Daring Beer Run to Soldiers in Vietnam, Recounted Yet Again". New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Robin Young; Serena McMahon (11 November 2020). "Memoir tells tale of one man's 'Greatest Beer Run Ever' to friends serving in Vietnam". WBUR (in Icelandic). Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Jimmy Breslin (8 July 1984). "He digs going to Frisco". New York Daily News. p. 8. Retrieved 18 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Adam Starkey (17 August 2022). "Zac Efron delivers booze in a war zone in 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever' trailer". NME. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Samantha Bergeson (17 August 2022). "'The Greatest Beer Run Ever': Zac Efron Enters the Vietnam War with a Six-Pack in True Story". Yahoo!. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
