Paul Francis O’Leary did not have to serve in Vietnam. Born on January 29, 1947, in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, he was a Canadian citizen who later relocated to Brooklyn, New York. Although he faced adversity simply trying to enter the United States Army, Paul remained determined to serve the country he had chosen as his own. His decision was entirely voluntary. He was not compelled by citizenship or obligation, but by a deeply held sense of patriotism, duty, and personal honor.
After successfully enlisting, Paul was sent to Vietnam and assigned to A Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was still new to the country when he found himself at Fire Support Base Buell, an isolated American defensive position near the base of Nui Ba Dinh Mountain in Tây Ninh Province. The position had come under sustained pressure from a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong force using coordinated infantry attacks and mortar fire.
The fighting continued through the night of August 22, 1968, as the enemy attempted to break through the American perimeter and overrun the base. Paul was in a difficult position at a terrible time, but he remained with his fellow soldiers and helped defend the perimeter. During the battle, he entered a friendly bunker after assisting his unit in repelling the assault. An enemy rocket-propelled grenade then struck his position, mortally wounding him. Although the soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry ultimately held their ground and defeated the attack, Paul later died from his wounds. He was only 21 years old.
The men who fought beside Paul remembered that he faced the enemy with honor and bravery, despite being new to Vietnam and confronted by overwhelming circumstances.
Paul O’Leary crossed a border to serve. He entered a war he was not required to fight and gave his life while defending the soldiers beside him. His sacrifice is also remembered in the country of his birth. Paul’s name is engraved on the Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, where he is honored among the Canadians who served and died during the Vietnam War.
PFC Paul Francis O’Leary’s life was brief, but his actions spoke clearly. He demonstrated the meaning of courage, sacrifice, and duty—not through promises, but through the choices he made and the men he stood beside.
DEEDS, NOT WORDS.
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