Frank Jurney

Frank Jurney, Mike 3/5 Arrived in RVN-Chu Lai Nov. 66- assigned M/3/5 status 03 infantry Nov to May -I participated in all operations and duties of a front line Marine. May to 2nd week of Dec.

I was picked byCaptain McElroy to be a noncom assistant -job break down in the rear I was driver-rear secured zones. I also participated in all operations that M/3/5 was involved in. After Skipper Mac tour, I remained on the same job.

On operations handled any job that needed to be done radio-map -mule-cook-just plain back up. I was also able to cook or change any of our c-rations except ham-lima bean**can't eat fruit cake any more.

My last assigned duty from May -Dec--during an operation if we receive KIA --I was sent back on a chopper to view the remains in DaNang or Chu Lai.-sign off for return to USA. I also certified Callahan and Chaplain Vincent Capodanno and many others. They were all heroes and true MARINES.

Semper fi.
It was a great honor to serve my country and be a Marine.
FRANK JURNEY, M/3/5

Frank Jurney

Frank and Steve Cottrell

Frank and Steve Cottrell

"Skipper" JR McElroy (left)


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12, 13 May 1967 Operation UNION Sea Tiger Article


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Operation UNION Sea Tiger article


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Operation UNION II Sea Tiger article


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Operation UNION II Sea Tiger article
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Operation SWIFT Sea Tiger article

Above newsclipping of Father Capodanno's death 4 September 1967 during Operation SWIFT from the BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Frank's parents saved any articles they could about Vietnam while he was overseas.

Michael Callahan, M/3/5 radio operator
KIA 8 November 1967 on Operation ESSEX

On 9 November 1967, a young radio operator with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, M Co. was Killed In Action on Operation ESSEX...his name was Michael Callahan. Thirty-five years later, Michael's sisters, Dierdre and Sheila, and several of the Marines who served with Michael met up for the first time. The Callahan sisters invited these Marines to attend a very special Memorial to Michael...it was an incredible reunion that celebrated the brief, and as Dierdre says, "irreverant life" of a young man who blessed the lives of all who knew him.

Reunion in Philly
Michael Callahan Memorial page


The Replica Wall

Having served with Mike 3/5 in Nam from Nov. 1966 to Dec. 1967 and been in field as a Grunt, you have a good feel for excitement and action. Upon returning to the States and entering the work force time begins to pass and your memories of Nam are not as frequent. With time and in 1982 with THE HEALING WALL completed in DC, the Nation is beginning to recognize the veterans who served. I was not ready to attend the WALL

Time continued to pass, in 1988 a replica traveling WALL was in Jacksonville and I made an attempt to view the WALL with no success -I was not ready.

Time again passed till in 1999 in a small coastal town in north Florida the replica WALL is being presented. I with the desire to view the Wall and pay respect to my fellow Marines. So I proceed to Fernandina Beach. I arrived early with few in attendance-I proceeded to look up a few names that I could remember on the schedule and moved to the WALL finding Bailey, Callahan, Capondanno-names being hard to remember.

I wanted to pay my respects to the Marines that we lost in our first major battle with the NVA-UNION. I could remember one name Love. There on panel 19E line 105 I found Love, and there were the names of the other guys we lost that day-Love, Dennis, Summers, Scharibone and Haley. I viewed and paid my respect to my fellow Marines.

Upon returning home and viewing the print out of each Marine who had died that first day of Operation UNION--I was stunned viewing the date of their death--all had died on 13 May 1967----13 May 1999--32 years to the day, I viewed The WALL.

Semper fi,
Frank Jurney

Operation DESOTO

Operation UNION and UNION II 

Operation COCHISE

Operation SWIFT

Mike and H&S Website

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