“Serving those Who have Served”

Michael A. Brodick was born on December 22, 1944 in Hayward, California. He was the oldest child of Aloysious and Jeanne Brodick and has a sister Pamela and a brother Jonathan.

He graduated from Bishop O’Dowd high school in Oakland, California. He then obtained a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California. Later he obtained a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix.

He joined the Army on February 14, 1967 and was sent to Fort Campbell, Kentucky for basic training. He was then transferred to Fort Monmouth Army base and Fort Dix in New Jersey to complete advanced training in communications.

He was sent to Vietnam on December 8, 1967 and arrived at Cam Ran Bay for processing. He was then sent to Chu Lai and joined the 337th Signal Company, 37th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade.

Mike was a SP5 with special training in, 32E20 and 26L40, Electronics Repair. His combat assignment was to provide Tropo Communications to U.S. and allied troops. Tropo Communications is a method of communicating with microwave radio signals over considerable distances – often up to 300 kilometers (190 miles), and further depending on terrain and climate factors.

While the U.S. Army employed thousands of combat troops in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, thousands more combat support and combat service troops also deployed to Vietnam to support the combat elements. Among those were soldiers from the Signal Corps, who were tasked with providing reliable communications for U.S. and allied troops. The largest Signal Corps unit organized for the war was the 1st Signal Brigade, which had a peak strength of 21,000 soldiers in 1968 and was by far the largest brigade in the U.S. Army at the time.

Department of the Army, Operational Report of the 37th Signal Battalion for the Period Ending 31 July 1968: “the mission of the 37th Signal Battalion was to provide communications support to the advisory effort and other Free World Forces in I Corps Tactical Zone. The Battalion also provided area communications support to logistics complexes, U.S. Government agencies located in the I Corps Tactical Zone, and performed other communication missions as assigned by the Commanding Officer, 21st Signal Corp.” 

Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Nui Thanh District, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam.

Chu Lai was a United States Marine Corps military base from 1965 to 1970 and a United States Army military base from 1970 to 1971 during the Vietnam War. Approximately 56 miles southeast of Da Nang, the base had an airfield to supplement the major base at Da Nang.

On May 6, 1965 units from the ARVN 2nd Division and 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines secured the Chu Lai area. On May 7, 1965, the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (3rd MEB), composed of the 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, elements of Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) and Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 10 landed at Chu Lai to establish a jet-capable airfield and base area.

The Marine base was handed over to the U.S. Army’s Task Force Oregon in April 1967. It subsequently became the headquarters and base area for the U.S. 23rd Americal Infantry Division from September 1967 until November 1971.

Upon his return from Vietnam, Mike was discharged from the Army on February 13, 1970, at Fort Ord, California.

Mike went to work for various companies in Silicon Valley, namely Western Electric and Mitsubishi, with responsibility in logistics. He continues to offer his expertise as a logistics consultant.

Mike founded Simply Good Works, Inc. in 2014. Simply Good Works is a 501c3 nonprofit, fundraising organization whose sole purpose is to raise funds to aid our new generation of military Veterans who are suffering with either physical or mental injuries due to their time in service. The funds raised go directly to The Wounded Warrior Project, The Independence Fund, Paws for Purple Hearts and HomeFirst, which is a leading provider of services, shelter and housing opportunities for the homeless. 

Mike and his wife Paula have been married for 43 years. They have two children, David and Gregory. They also have two grandchildren. They reside in San Jose, California