Mark McMahon served his country in the US Marine Corps from 1968 to 1973, resigning his commission when he was a captain.
He grew up in Whitinsville and was sent to Officer Candidate School at Quantico in Virginia, then assigned to the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. After assignments in the Mediterranean and Language School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he arrived in Vietnam in 1971.
âI landed in January in the middle of the night and it was so hot and humid, and we had our wool jackets on,â Capt. McMahon recalled. âWe had a battalion commander whom I thought had the mindset to run in battleâ¦made sure I stayed right behind him so that he couldnât.â