Question specifically for Vietnam Vets

[Chromedhearts]

I have met a guy that I do know for a fact is a retired Artillery Colonel, and did serve multiple tours in country. What don't add up to me is that he says he was accompanied by dependents. He says he was billeted in a heavily defended compound in Saigon, had "9-5" hours, and went into the field only occasionally, to fire bases, by helo, always back in time for cocktails at the O Club, and dinner with his wife.
I know what REMFs are, but accompanied, by dependents???

 

[Lee Barner]

depends on how early in the "war" it was. i know a retired marine sgt major who retired just before i entered the service in 69 who was stationed there with his wife also. he worked in the embassy, both in the origianl embassy in Hue and then in Siagon when the country was divided. sounds like a REMF to me. lee

 

[armabill2]

I was there in 1965 and never saw anything like that.
Of course, I wasn't everywhere.

 

[em-man]

He could have had a native or indigenous family.

 

[max]

In 1970, there were some officers who were stationed in Saigon that had their wives living in the city. They were not in military housing and it was not official policy.

 

[GatorFarmer]

An Enduring Classic: Ann Caddell Crawford's Customs and Culture of Vietnam: ThingsAsian talks about a book that is now out of print, but was once considered a useful guide to Vietnam. The author was an Army wife who arrived with her three young children and lived in South Vietnam right out amongst the population.

 

[redsfan2]

Never really thought about it much, but I have seen a lot of photos showing the embassy compound and surrounding areas and some of the people in the photos seem to be dependents. I just kind of assumed they were embassy staffers .... could just as easily been military wives .. ??

 

[AKAOV1MAN]

IIRC some military dependents were in VN as late as 1966. I was there in 63/64 and there were a substantial number of dependents there at that time. At that time the US effort was known as MAGV, that is Military Assistance Group VN. Later changed to MACV, Military Assistance Command VN. The primary difference was that early on we only had specialists there, advisers, the odd engineer outfit, aviation units from every branch of the services, and lots of intel and civilian folk from almost all the alphabet agencies.
The first draftees arrived in 1965, which most folks regard as the real US ground effort in VN.
We had had advisory personnel there since the late Eisenhower adminsitration, and in 63/64 they had bulked up to 15,000-20,000, depending on who you are listening to. I would vote for the lower number.
I believe that the first acknowledged American KIA was in 1962, although I cannot swear to that year.
Prior to the US build up, VN was considered a good posting for a career military guy(we were almost all guys then), and then got better, and then worse. Some of us were worried the war would be over before we got our ticket punched, of course subsequently many of us got our ticket cancelled.

 

[Spotteddog]

AKAO,
Excellent post both of content and context!

 

[Jayb]

I never saw any dependents there between 67 and 69...... of course I was in northern I Corps, and taking dependents there would have been a less than brilliant decision.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

When I was there it was a hardship tour-dependents not allowed.

 

[Chromedhearts]

Thanks for the comments All. This clears it up some. This guy was obviously REMF, and I don't intend that as derogatory, they had a job also. I also had not thought about Embassy Staff, they would have had their families until the last days.
I rememberd that Korea was nonaccompanied in the 80's and they weren't even shooting then, not much any way.