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Francis Trainor Mulvey Jr.
FRANCIS TRAINOR MULVEY JR.
Birth Nov. 20, 1944
Hometown Fennimore, Wisconsin
Parents Francis M. and Loretto (Trainor) Mulvey
Military branch Army
Early Life
Francis Mulvey was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on Nov. 20, 1944 and was the only child of Francis M. and Loretto (Trainor) Mulvey.
The Mulvey family resided in Fennimore, Wisconsin. Francis, also known as Francie, attended St. Mary’s Catholic Grade School followed by attendance at the Fennimore High School, class of 1963. During his high school years, he was active in athletics, being on the football team all four years. He was on the baseball team as a freshman and was the basketball and track team’s manager. He was in chorus his junior and senior years. Additionally, he played Robert Ablett in the play “Red House Mystery.” He was active backstage in the community’s “Little Theater” and the Democrat Party.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Mulvey attended UW-Platteville from 1963 to 1967, where he studied business and comprehensive social science. He left school after his mother’s death in August 1967.
Military
Mulvey joined the Army and began basic training on Nov. 29, 1967 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He attended advanced individual training at Fort Polk, Louisiana and was designated as an Infantryman.
He reported for duty in the Republic of Vietnam on May 23, 1968 and was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion (Mechanized) 50th Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade.
On Aug. 25, elements of B Company were attacked by an estimated company size unit of enemy soldiers in the Binh Din Province. Heavy fire rained down on the Americans in the form of small arms, automatic weapons, and B-40 rockets. An attached artillery forward observer grabbed a radio from the unit’s radioman who had been shot and subsequently was killed himself while calling for artillery support during the fierce fighting. Helicopter gunships were the first to respond and sprayed the enemy with their arsenal of automatic weapons and rockets.
Mulvey reacted by trying to establish radio contact with higher headquarters but was unsuccessful because the radio network was jammed. Realizing that any effort of radio contact was useless, he left his position and moved into the open to his platoon’s forward position at great risk to his life. There he grasped a machinegun and began placing heavy and effective fire on the enemy. As members of the platoon began to withdraw to avoid flanking maneuvers, Mulvey stayed behind to cover his comrades with machine gun fire. Shortly thereafter, intense hostile fire zeroed in on his position and he was mortally wounded.
Corporal Mulvey is buried in the St. Lawrence O’Toole Catholic Cemetery near Mt. Hope, Wisconsin.
His name appears on the Fennimore Veterans Memorial.
Mulvey was posthumously promoted to the rank of Corporal. His awards include the Bronze Star with valor device, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two service stars, Vietnam Military Merit Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, the Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with rifle bar, and Sharpshooter badge with machinegun bar.
Francis Mulvey’s name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washinton D.C., on panel W46, line 18.
