Michael Donald Oconnor

Michael Donald O’Connor was raised in Mount Pleasant and graduated high school in the class of 1965. After enlisting in the Army he completed trainings at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Fort Gordon, GA, and Fort Benning, GA. He was sent to Southeast Asia in April 1967 with the Company A, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. In June 1967 his unit was operating in the Kontum Province. Their goal was to seek out and eliminate the enemy. They encountered a large hostile force on the slopes of Hill 1338 outside of Dak To. Two platoons became cut off and were almost wiped out. In the end, 77 Americans were killed, along with 23 others wounded, including SP4 O’Connor. SP4 O’Connor was 20 years old at the time of his death. The Iowan’s body was buried at the Saint Alphonsus Cemetery in Mount Pleasant.