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Name of Dorchester Marine killed in Vietnam War added to memorial

DORCHESTER, Mass. — A Dorchester Marine's name was finally added to the neighborhood's Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Bobby McCarthy had joined the Marine Corps alongside his cousin Mark Ransom, looking to serve his country in Vietnam.

"We were just two young kids," Ransom said. "Joined the Marine Corps, and try to make America great again. That was our plan."

The plan fell apart on Veterans Day in 1968, when McCarthy was killed in action.

"He was on the search boats," Ransom said. "And they searched the shore with floodlights for snipers, and they took a rocket."

Of the 58,000 Americans killed in the Vietnam War, 80 were from Dorchester.

For all these years, one name has been missing from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Dorchester: Bobby McCarthy.

"For some reason Bobby's name, Robert's name was omitted," Ransom said. "Whether it was paperwork at the recruiting stations or what, but I have no idea."

Ransom first noticed his cousin's name missing from the memorial five years ago, and immediately began an effort to get it included.

His daughter completed the mission when Ransom became discouraged.

Ransom may be happy his effort to get McCarthy's name on the wall wasn't wasted, but he isn't pleased that his cousin's name has to be put on a memorial wall.

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"I have my own demons from Vietnam," Ransom said. "This brings back things I didn't think it would bring back"

On Memorial Day, they'll read the 80 names of the dead. Robert J. McCarthy will finally be one of them.