David Mangan and his father, Chris Mangan, in 2021.
Meaghan Portell of Festus sent a photo of her father and brother, both Army veterans.
“My dad, Chris Mangan of Festus, was drafted into the Army in May of 1969,” she said. “After basic training and advanced individual training, he was assigned to 1st Infantry Division (Big Red 1) immediately upon arriving in Vietnam. He was reassigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment when the 1st Infantry Division colors were sent back to the states.”
In November of 1970, Chris was honorably discharged as a Spec 5. He served in Vietnam 13 months.
He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, a Vietnam Service Medal, a Vietnam Campaign Medal and a Bronze Star Medal. He lives in Festus with his wife of 50 years, Helen.
Following in his father’s footsteps, David Mangan joined the Army as a 1st lieutenant in October 2010.
“His initial assignment was to the National Training Center with the 11th ACR,” his sister said. “He then went to Germany for two years as a trial defense counsel, before returning to Ft. Hood where he joined the 1st Cavalry Division. While there, he deployed to Afghanistan from 2016-2017 as chief of operational law for United States Forces-Afghanistan.”
David Mangan, now a major, is an instructor at the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Va., where he lives with his wife, Karen.
