Vietnam War veteran Mark Oconnor stands in front of a school in the rural highlands district of A Luoi, Vietnam, as a girl rides past on a new bicycle that he gave her. Oconnor, who served in the war from 1970 to 1971, recently bought 55 bicycles for ethnic minority students in the district who live too far from school to walk there every day. “I took too much the first time I was over here, and now I am trying to give back,” said Oconnor, 63, of Sioux Falls, S.D. “It probably won’t ever be enough, but I want to do what I can.” Oconnor said he plans to return to Vietnam next year and give away at least 200 more bicycles to poor children. April 21, 2014.