Excerpt from the 1967 Dateline for The Lowell Thomas Award 1966
Best radio interpretation of foreign news… NBC news
A National Broadcasting Co. Radio News program, “Diary of a Hero,” featured the taped letters of helicopter pilot Major Donald A. Reilly – the most decorated Marine in Vietnam – to his wife. He was killed during a medical evacuation mission.
Reilly, 38, was posthumously awarded awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, and the Air Medal (with Gold stars).
On December 9, 1965, Major Reilly flew an armed helicopter for seven hours and supported ground operations. That night, in marginal weather, he volunteered to have an accurate 11 wounded Marines. While attempting to bring his helicopter into the besieged landing zone, Major Reilly was hit. He crashed and died later.
During nine months in Vietnam, he flew 298 missions, including 133 medical evacuations as well as armed escort duty, aerial observation and reconnaissance flights.
Reilly earned the Distinguished Flying Cross during Operation Starlight, when two of the three helicopters he flew was forced out of action by ground fire, and the third was hit as he directed artillery fire in effort to relieve a beleaguered amphibian tractor column.
“He was not fearless,” wrote his commanding officer, “but he always had the courage to do what he thought must be done in spite of the risks involved.”
The NBC program was by James Holton in Wilson Hall.