IL SR2032

General Michael Daniel Healy died on April 14, 2018; he was born June 13, 1926 in Oak Park to Daniel and Helen Healy and graduated from Fenwick High School in 1945.

Served in combat during the Korean War as an Army Rangers company commander earning the nickname "Iron Mike" and later became a Special Forces officer whose actions inspired John Wayne's character in the 1968 film "The Green Berets."

Arrived in South Vietnam in 1963 and served five tours totaling eight years, including roles as Senior American Adviser to Vietnamese Special Forces, commander of "The Mike Force" battalion, and Commander of Special Forces in Vietnam in 1970.

Awarded three Distinguished Service Medals, two Silver Stars, the Bronze Star, four Legion of Merit Awards, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and two Purple Hearts; retired as the highest-ranking Green Beret.

The Illinois Senate expresses condolences to his surviving wife Jacklyn (married 69 years), six children, ten grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.