Ray Mc Mahon was a kind and gentle soul who was full of great potential. He gave the last full measure of devotion to his country in Cambodia on June 4, 1970. Charlie Company lost 18 other young men between March and June of that year in both Vietnam and Cambodia. Our unit, the 7th Regiment of the 1st Cavalry was the unit George Custer commanded at the Little Big Horn massacre a century before and it seemed we enjoyed much of the same luck. I feel that Mac saved my life by his kindness and the life of Jimmy Smith by his heroism the day he was killed. We had humped 5 clicks or so that day and were in the process of establishing our perimeter and night defensive positions when one of our automatics exploded. Ray told our squad to saddle up to check it out. Since I was digging our hole and "short" with a month left Mac told me to stay in and finish the NPD. Within 10 minutes I heard AK, M16 and M60 fire along with grenade explosions. Ray was alive when they carried him into the perimeter but he died before the Med-a-Vac chopper arrived. He drowned as his lungs filled with blood from his chest wound. I was told that they had found a dead NVA regular at the automatic site and blood trails leading away. Mac and Smitty were in the process of removing intelligence from the dead NVA when other NVA appeared on the trail and started firing. Mac pushed Smitty down and in doing so took a round in the chest. I went back to D.C. to thank Mac and also visit the others on June 4, 2000, three decades after his death. I still think about Mac every day. Had he lived he would have made a positive difference in this world. I know he did for Smitty and I that day in Cambodia. God bless you and keep you, Mac.

 

A memorial from one who served with him 4th Platoon, C Company 1st/7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division Jim Spencer 108 N. Parkwood Lane, Payson, Arizona 85541 james.spencer@aps.com  21 Dec 2000

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