A 50-year search for answers about a brother’s disappearance

By Gail McCarthy

» Staff Writer

Dan Duffy, a Rockport innkeeper, had a brother who served in the Marines during the Vietnam War, and when he returned he was never the same.

Two years later, in December 1970, his brother disappeared under mysterious circumstances. His body was never found.

For 50 years, Duffy has tried to find answers. And now in a new memoir, “In Search of Brother Rich,” he chronicles his efforts and detective work on his unusual journey of discovery.

A reading and book signing will take place Thursday, June 12, at 7 p.m. at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck in Gloucester.

Duffy’s personal nonfiction account will immerse readers into the “mystery, memory and meaning of family,” according to a press release.

The author’s older brother had moved to a commune in Corrales, New Mexico, seeking solace and healing. During the war, his wife of two years had left him and when he returned from Vietnam, his hands shook from a nervous condition that developed. Then around Christmas 1970, his brother was last seen near the banks of the Rio Grande River.

In this book, Duffy shares his investigation, from retracing his brother’s final steps to tracking down former members of his brother’s commune. This was a difficult task because no one could remember the last name of the woman who last saw his brother near the river.

SEE DUFFY, PAGE 2

Dan Duffy, a Rockport innkeeper, had a brother who served in the Marines during the Vietnam War and disappeared two years after his return to the states. Now in a new memoir, “In Search of Brother Rich,” he chronicles his 50-year journey to find answers. A reading and book signing will take place at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson St. in Gloucester, on Thursday, June 12, at 7 p.m.

COURTESY PHOTO

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“ This book is the truest thing I’ve ever written,” Duffy said. “It’s my attempt to honor my brother, to give voice to his story, and maybe — just maybe — help others who are still searching for something lost. This is a story for anyone who has ever longed for answers, lost someone too soon, or held onto hope against the odds.”

This is Duffy’s second memoir. He published his first, “Brother, Brother,” in 2016. The author is one of five siblings who grew up in New Jersey.

“After I wrote the first book, I learned so much more about my brother’s last year before he disappeared. While writing that book, I stumbled on to more and more information,” he explained.

The story about Duffy’s quest also appeared in the Albuquerque Journal.

Duffy learned that in the 1970s, there were dozens and dozens of communes in New Mexico, many formed by hippies and others wanting to live off the grid. His brother and eight other people from New Jersey ventured out to New Mexico, living in a house with no heat or electricity.

In his subsequent research, Duffy acquired a 10-page report of his brother’s arrest in Missouri on his way back to New Mexico. He learned his sibling spent six months in a county jail for misdemeanors.

When he tracked down the last person who saw his brother, the details were vague. But they both had done LSD, and for a veteran, that was one way to try to forget the war.

Duffy reached out to NamUs, a nationwide resource center for missing people.

He contacted a New Mexico coroner’s office, and he sought out his brother’s military records because, most importantly, he wanted his brother’s name to be included on the “In Memory” honor roll, a project of the Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for veterans who are not listed on The Wall memorial.

The plaque reads: “In memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service.”

But to get military records, Duffy needed a death certificate, which was never issued without a body.

Finally last June, Duffy was able to represent his brother at a ceremony that recognized more than 600 men whose names were added to the In Memory roll. The plaque is on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in Washington, D.C.

“It’s not quite closure, but a way to honor my brother,” Duffy said. “The point in sharing this story of what I went through is in case that it might help someone else if they are in a situation of loss. Sometimes we strive and strive to find the answers, and they are just not there.”

For the past 14 years, Duffy and his wife Helene have been innkeepers at The Beech Tree B&B in Rockport. He also is a docent at Cape Ann Museum and a member of the Sandy Bay Yacht Club.

Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-675-2706, or gmccarthy@northofboston. com.