 In October 1964, he was awarded a Good Conduct Medal upon completing three years of satisfactory service in the Marine Corps.As a squad leader in Company I, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, O'Malley was sent to Vietnam in 1965, arriving at the Chu Lai Marine Corps base in May.Three months later, intelligence indicated that a Viet Cong regiment had moved down from the mountains and positioned itself a few miles south of Chu Lai.