I know without a doubt my husband is in heaven.
At a glance
Army·E-4·Battery B, 1st Battalion, 27th Field Artillery·23rd Artillery Group, II Field Force·Tay Ninh, 1968 to 1969·Died October 5, 2018
Don's story
Don graduated from high school in 1966 and went to Akron Barber College to earn money for Kent State, hoping to become a history teacher. Then he was drafted.
He went to Fort Knox in December 1967 for basic training, then to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for artillery training. He served a 13 month tour in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 with Battery B, 1st Battalion, 27th Field Artillery, 23rd Artillery Group, II Field Force, at Tay Ninh.
His wife, Theresa, says he came home a different man. He came home to a country that called him a baby killer, and his welcome home was rotten eggs thrown at him as he came off the plane in San Francisco.
He kept barbering, went into construction with his dad and started a family. He built his own home in 1973 and became a millwright in a forging factory, where he worked for 30 years until he retired in 2005. His children are T.Jay and Angie.
Don and Theresa married in 1988 and were together 30 years. He died on October 5, 2018, of a service-related illness from Agent Orange.
He brought home a jacket from Vietnam with a map of the country on it. It said, "When I die I'll go to heaven because I've served my time in Hell."
Theresa says, "I know without a doubt my husband is in heaven."
A tribute to Don
Condolences for Don's family
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May God bless you sir with eternal peace, thank you for your service, to your family i send my deepest sympathy to you all as you mourn the loss of this great man. May God continue to bless you with peace as only he can, and may America never forget these good men and the sacrifice they have given.
Nalani McNary, Read the story
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Help for families
Official places to learn more. Listing a resource here doesn't mean anyone qualifies for it.
- VVMF In Memory programHonors Vietnam veterans who came home and later died from causes related to their service. VVMF sets its own rules for who is included.
- Agent Orange and VA disability
- The PACT Act and your VA benefits
- Survivor benefits (Dependency and Indemnity Compensation)
- Find an accredited representative to help with a claim
- Request military service records
- Correcting military service records
- VA mental health care
Where this story comes from
- FAMILY ACCOUNT Shared by his wife through the Fire Swept Trail website, October 2026. Not independently verified.