Honoring Service: Fallen Veteran Christopher H. Markey, Vietnam
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Christopher H. Markey, born on March 6, 1945, was the son of Gerald F and Jeanne M Markey. Alongside his sister Margot and brother Gerard, the family were active members of the Church of the Resurrection.
Date of Birth: 3/6/1945
Died On: 1/6/1970
Branch of Service: U.S. Marine Corps – 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
Christopher attended Resurrection School in Rye, Stepinac High School in White Plains, and Bullis Academy in Silver Spring, Maryland. During his college years, he worked as a lifeguard at NY AC in Travers Island during the summers. Eventually, Christopher graduated from Boston College in 1968, where he also played football as a member of the varsity team.
Following his graduation, Christopher enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served during the Vietnam War. He underwent officers training school at Quantico, Virginia, earning his commission in February 1968. Initially residing in Birmingham, Michigan, he was part of the Marine Reserves before transitioning into extended active duty on February 7, 1969, at Quantico.
After spending five months at Camp Pendleton, Oak, Christopher was assigned to duty in Vietnam with the First Marine Division on November 1, 1969. Upon his arrival in Vietnam on November 4, 1969, he was assigned to the 2nd Platoon of Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion,1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
Tragically, during a sweep near An Luu, approximately 10 kilometers northwest of Bien Ban, Christopher accidentally triggered two M-26 grenades that were booby-trapped with a tripwire as he crossed a rice paddy dike. As a result, he suffered multiple fragmentation wounds to his body and was immediately medevacked. Sadly, 2nd Lt. Christopher H. Markey, USMCR, succumbed to his wounds on January 6, 1970, following the patrol in the Danang area of Vietnam on New Year’s Eve 1969.
At the age of 24, Christopher, a Marine officer and platoon leader, had been in Vietnam for two months before the tragic incident that led to his fatal injuries.
