Lieutenant Straughan Downing Kelsey, Jr. was my only and older brother. He was the family's Protector. When he was Killed In Action, June 2, 1967 in Quang Tin Province, Vietnam the family died with him. My younger sister and I survive. We are all that is left of a once glorious family. I wish that the gifts the Lord blessed him with will not be forgotten nor his courage, valor and compassion.
He was a gifted athlete, artist, musician and intellect. He graduated from Princeton University in June of 1965 and entered the Marine Corps almost immediately. It was his lifelong dream.
This book is his story and legacy. It is the story of the times he lived in when America went from watching Howdy Doody to civil rights race riots and war at home and Vietnam.
America lost her innocence but Stevie never wavered in his devotion to his country and the Marine Corps.
Press Release:
My Brother Stevie: A Marine's Untold Story: Vietnam 1967
By
Marianne Kelsey Orestis
In recognition of her book, My Brother Stevie: A Marine's Untold Story: Vietnam 1967 and tireless work in promoting patriotism while honoring the sacrifice and service of all Veterans and their families, The Department of Defense recently awarded Authorhouse author, Marianne Kelsey Orestis, the prestigious Vietnam War Commemoration Award. Orestis represented the great State of Maine and the Topsham-Brunswick Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Washington, DC on June 30, 2017 at a ceremony celebrating her commitment to keeping the stories alive of Vietnam Veterans in her book. This tome is a story of courage and sacrifice of not only her brother but of all Marines, especially those who lost their lives at the massacre of Operation Union II on June 2, 1967. The battle was fought in the Quang Tin Province of Vietnam at the village of Ving Huy near the Mekong Delta where the An Hoa Marine Combat Field Base was located. This massacre resulted in the greatest loss of Marine riflemen throughout the entire war in a single day. Orestis reaches deep into their lives to tell the stories of this harrowing battle so replete with uncommon valor. In this personal account, Orestis chronicles not only the life of the Lieutenant but of the times he lived in paying respect to the lives of those who gave their utmost.
Orestis received the Department of Defense Certificate in appreciation of her dedication to the educating of those who came afterward by telling the stories of service, honor and sacrifice of the Veterans and their families in her biography.
