Snubby in Vietnam

[SF VET]

CPT Gregg Hollinger, MiA

CPT Hollinger I were in the same MACV advisor school at Bragg, NC for three months. I was prepping for my first tour, after 18 months in the 3d ID Germany, as a mech platoon leader and CO.

Gregg was going back for a second tour. I met his wife and two young daughters, and as it were, we went over on the same plane to Tan San Nhut, for about 5 days of in-country briefing. Got our patches and name tags sewn on our jungle fatigues, and were issued a .45 and an M16.

We hopped on a truck to take us and a few other officers out to the airbase, where some SGT with a clipboard said to us "... .you, go noth, you, to III Corps, and pointed to me and said, you, hitch a ride south."

Gregg and I shook hands, and vowed to keep in touch; he was going way north, to I Corps, and we would meet up at the base Officer's Club in a few months and share stories. That would have been late Oct.

This is CPT Gregg Hollinger's MiA report.

All I can say more is he is the reason I fly my flag every day, and have a POW/MIA sticker on my car's rear bumper.

I hope Gregg's wife and daughters long ago came to have peace in their hearts for their husband and dad.

Farwell, Gregg.

Service Member Profile

SF VET

 

[Drm50]

Each section had a conex at HQ to store personal possessions.
Key for lock was with the Supply Sargent. Seemed like every time we would get some good souvenir type stuff and stash it in conex it would get broke into. Especially at Chu Lai.
I forget where this picture was at, we got stuck several times pulling guard on Cobras while they were on ground, at night.
You can see the butt end of our 40mms in lower left of pic.

 

[ron_c]

a few minutes before I boarded a plane at Travis AFB fly to Vietnam, I called my wife, and she told me she had been in an affair with an Army Doctor, unknown to me, and would now be living with him. I hung up and completely put all thoughts of her totally, totally out of my mind, something I must have thought necessary for my upcoming Infantry year in Vietnam. I did not confront that 'till years later.

This may be cold or heartless, but it really was better for someone going to VietNam not to have a girlfriend/wife. You had enough to worry about without wondering what was going on back home. Some guys handled this better than others.

In my 5th month in country, we had 2 new FNG's come to our unit. Both were 18. One made made the mistake of saying that he had gotten married just before coming to VietNam. Some guys ridiculed this guy every chance they got, telling him that she was probably home right now with someone else, she probably only married him for the GI insurance in case something happened to him. Things like that.

I tried telling him don't listen to them they're just trying to get under your skin and to just laugh it off, otherwise they will keep it up. He had only been in the unit for about a month and one night while on guard duty, he "accidentally" shot himself in the foot.

After being treated and sent home, we found out weeks later from his friend that came in country with him that she indeed was with someone else and divorced him. He messed his foot up so bad, he would probably have a limp for the rest of his life.

 

[SF VET]

As for coming down with some sort of "tropical' illness, the only thing I had to seek care for after my return was for a depigmenting skin condition caused by some sort of micro parasite or fungus in water, called Tinea Verisicolor, which is cured by bathing with something like Selsun or the like. I never once had any sort of GI problem, not once.

When I talked to my wife of 4 years from Travis AFB, I had no idea of all this, men can be so blind. Burt when I sat down in my seat, and looked out at the setting sun, some sort of internal, innate survival mode kicked in, and I put all thoughts of that out of my mind, and it really was kind of liberating to not have to worry about my own safety on behalf of a family back home.

Repression of awful occurrences can be very essential sometimes. But eventually, it is necessary to deal with it.

Once, went up to Saigon with another officer, married, and coming back he felt awful for his dalliance in the city. I told him to forget it, it didn't matter, nothing like that matters in war. Just get yourself home safely.

When I was at Bragg in the 5th SF Group, quite a few of the enlisted troops had two families. They would rotate back and forth to the same Vietnamese compound or city, and have a "wife" and children, and have another wife and kids back at Bragg.

Just one of those things that unusual circumstances cause.

All the best, and stay safe, SF VET

 

[SF VET]

This is two decades later, way out in the Desert, early spring '91. By then I was a physician, and Chief of Staff of the busiest military hospital in that war. Our EVAC provided care for over 35 Thousand patients in that time, which is hard to believe, sometimes 500 or more a day, many at the nearby POW camp.

I took my trusty Pentax with me, and at some point, will post pics and adventures in that war. I had gone over as part of a small advance party for our EVAC hospital, and was issued a 1911, which was near impossible to keep from rusting, and turned it in the the unit armorer as soon as I could.

This is a pic of General Franks, note the 3 stars, who visited our EVAC, with his non-concealed Baretta 92 and with a better mustache than mine. He had lost a leg in Vietnam, so was extremely interested in what we were doing. I am most proud of the fact that no American who arrived at our hospital with a heartbeat died.

A whole nuther thread for another time.

All the best, and stay safe. SF VET

 

[SF VET]

SFC Tom C and I had a "handyman", Pop to us, he had worked for the French and eventually the Americans, we never asked him much about what earlier times were like. He is the chap who ate our cat. I don't think there was much to do once we got our indoor "hootch" built, nor how much we paid him. For all I know maybe he was a VC Spy.

I loaded up some 125 plated Extremes over 4.0 and 4.2 of HP38 last night, just got the rest of a die set to make my first revolver rounds. I can't recall really ever shooting any revolvers, this is the mint 28-2 four inch pistol I bought recently. I have an El Paso Saddlery rig coming one of these days.

Handling a revolver is sure different than a 1911 or High Power or H&K. I'll get the hang of it. Made a small adjustment to the rear sight to bring the impact up a tad.

So here is Pop, who relished cats. .

All the best, and stay safe. SF VET

 

[SF VET]

This is the 28-2 I picked up for $700 a month ago, seems scarcely shot and unmarred as far as I can tell. Has what I think are "target" grips, which is good because I have big hands. Nice pistol, wish I had "gotten" into S&W's years ago.

Stay safe, and all the best.... SF VET

 

[Old_Cop]

I greatly enjoy your photos and memories.

 

[photoman]

Excellent pics. I'm still trying to get over Kodachrome going t.u.

Who did the scans? They did a great job.

about every two months or so, I would hitchhike up to Saigon, my pay was always messed up, had to square that away when I DROS'ed back to Bragg after my tour. Make a PX run, and walk back to the airbase and see who and what was heading south. Usually, some aircraft was about to go to Can Tho, in the Delta, and from there I would see when any choppers were heading further south. Typically, some sort of supply UH would drop me off at my own Vietnamese compound. I have a great selection of aircraft pics, this one I think is an OV10, but the AF guys here can correct me if incorrect. I think this Bad Boy looks like some sort of terrible insect. Off to the side of the airbase was a big pile of wrecked aircraft.

All the best, and stay safe. SF VET
[url=https://postimg.cc/k6HJqvkM] [/URL]

 

[153]

Just to help keep this wonderful thread on track ... here is a picture of a snubby.

This and the thread about the “Penultimate .357 in Mexico“ are the best I’ve read in over 10 years on this forum!

Thank You SF VET!

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I had a boss who was a (5th SF?) veteran during Viet Nam. He had a favorite saying that something - usually deadly, or potentially so, was a "bad piece of change". 'Nuff said. I think the photo of your snobby would well qualify as a "bad piece of change".

Welcome home. Thank you for your service and your safe return.

Regards,


Dave

Just to help keep this wonderful thread on track ... here is a picture of a snubby.

This and the thread about the “Penultimate .357 in Mexico“ are the best I’ve read in over 10 years on this forum!

Thank You SF VET!

 

[SF VET]

After 18 months in Schweinfurt and Kitzingen, I returned to Bragg for 3 months of Advisor School and Vietnamese. I met another CPT who went back to Italy to buy a Ferrari and brought back a 275 Long Nose 4 cam GTB. His red (of course) Ferrari sat in the rain at our BOQ with my '71 VW Squareback. He told me every used Ferrari in Italy had been owned by Gina Lollabridgida, at least that's what the salesmen said.

We happened to be posted to Advisory Team 80, in the Delta, at Cau Lan, next to the Plain of Reeds. When I was sent south from Tan San Nhut, I hopped a ride on a C7 Caribou, which dropped me off at a deserted small airstrip. I stood there with my gear, wondering what to do now, but later a jeep drove up to pick me up and take me to the US compound.

I dropped off my gear, and wandered over to the TOC to introduce myself, and about the time I walked in, a tremendous gunfire and explosions echoed from the small city, and when I asked the S3 what was happening, he told me a Vietnamese Ranger unit was passing thru, and got in a fight with the local troops over some girl and were shooting it out. The Rangers were asking for an American airstrike on the local troops. The S3 said he wasn't getting involved in the mess.

A few hours later, the Rangers moved on, and I wandered over to see what had happened, and found the local troops were gathering up their dead.

This is a pic with my just purchased Olympus Pen F, a small half frame camera I had just bought and shot a few pics; this is one of me with one of the local unit's jeeps. All spiffy in my fresh unfaded fatigues. I had been at my first place of duty all of a few hours. I thought my year In Country was probably going to be quite interesting. Indeed, it was to be so.

My Ferrari friend soon had a positive skin test for TB, and was sent stateside.

All the best, and stay safe. SF VET

 

[SF VET]

Kahn's Death

By the time I was done with my first six months in Kein Phong Province as a Mobill Advisor Team Leader, ie a MAT leader, HQ offered me a job up in HQ, which was the usual next step. But I was living on 10 bucks a month, and was already planning how to someday, when my four year commitment as a Distinguished Military Graduate, (DMG) and a Regular Army officer out of the ROTC program at Nebraska was up, I declined an out-of-country R&R, and also an in-country at Vung Tau or China Beach. Besides, other officers who I know went to Bangkok came back with Gold Dog tags and a case of "a social disease", and I needed neither. Never did take any R&R.
So they agreed to send me way south, down past Camau, to a 2-3 man District team.

I worked with two Vietnamese interpreters, both fluent in English. They did not live in our hootch. Son, whose family had fled south from North Vietnam in the great migration, was a level-headed soldier, easy going, good sense of humor, and really liked the ladies. In fact, before I arrived he had been awarded a Bronze Star for saving a US team when they were overrun.

Son back in '68 had been on the helicopter that rescued Nick Rowe, who had been captured in '63 and never sent north. Rocky Versace was captured too, died rather than submit, and was later awarded the CMH. Rowe wrote the book "Five Years To Freedom", and many years later was as assassinated in the PH; they finally killed him. Son told me the helicopter did not gun Rowe because Rowe had a beard, and that when they pulled Rowe onto the helicopter, Rowe could not speak, and could not talk in English at all.

Kahn the other interpreter was much more "high-strung" and emotional. One day the three of us walked down to our Whaler on the river, and when we got to our boat, I told Kahn to go back and get our gas can. Kahn argued, threw a fit, so I told him "just go get the gas, so we can get going.

Kahn continued to rant and rave and protest, so about the fifth time, I said "..I am going to give you a direct order to get the gas and if you refuse, I will send you back to your Vietnamese unit and that will be bad for you."

When he still refused, I sent him immediately back to the compound, and just a few days later, Kahn was on a local op, and stepped on a mine, and blew of his legs, and died in the mud of a rice paddy.

Kahn's dream was to someday have a small motorcycle repair shop. If only he had gone back and gotten the gas can.....

Here is a pic of Son, off to see a girlfriend up in Can Tho. As far as I could tell, Son had girlfriends just about everywhere we went. Note RPG wire on the bunker.
All the best, and stay safe.. SF VET

 

[44specialfan]

SF VET ... I’m yet one more admirer of your stories and the associated comments. From your telling of the incident, Kahn’s repeated behavior sounds really alarming to me, i.e., is he aware of some hidden danger behind you or what? That obviously didn’t turn out to be the case thank God for all involved. I would love to have heard more of Son’s recollections regarding Nick Rowe who I had a brief encounter with at Holabird many years ago. A very courageous and brave soldier. May he Rest In Peace.

COL James Nicholas “Nick” Rowe (1938-1989) - Find A Grave Memorial

 

[LoboGunLeather]

By the time I was done with my first six months in Kein Phong Province as a Mobill Advisor Team Leader, ie a MAT leader, HQ offered me a job up in HQ, which was the usual next step. But I was living on 10 bucks a month, and was already planning how to someday, when my four year commitment as a Distinguished Military Graduate, (DMG) and a Regular Army officer out of the ROTC program at Nebraska was up, I declined an out-of-country R&R, and also an in-country at Vung Tau or China Beach. Besides, other officers who I know went to Bangkok came back with Gold Dog tags and a case of "a social disease", and I needed neither. Never did take any R&R.
So they agreed to send me way south, down past Camau, to a 2-3 man District team.

I worked with two Vietnamese interpreters, both fluent in English. They did not live in our hootch. Son, whose family had fled south from North Vietnam in the great migration, was a level-headed soldier, easy going, good sense of humor, and really liked the ladies. In fact, before I arrived he had been awarded a Bronze Star for saving a US team when they were overrun.

Son back in '68 had been on the helicopter that rescued Nick Rowe, who had been captured in '63 and never sent north. Rocky Versace was captured too, died rather than submit, and was later awarded the CMH. Rowe wrote the book "Five Years To Freedom", and many years later was as assassinated in the PH; they finally killed him. Son told me the helicopter did not gun Rowe because Rowe had a beard, and that when they pulled Rowe onto the helicopter, Rowe could not speak, and could not talk in English at all.

Kahn the other interpreter was much more "high-strung" and emotional. One day the three of us walked down to our Whaler on the river, and when we got to our boat, I told Kahn to go back and get our gas can. Kahn argued, threw a fit, so I told him "just go get the gas, so we can get going.

Kahn continued to rant and rave and protest, so about the fifth time, I said "..I am going to give you a direct order to get the gas and if you refuse, I will send you back to your Vietnamese unit and that will be bad for you."

When he still refused, I sent him immediately back to the compound, and just a few days later, Kahn was on a local op, and stepped on a mine, and blew of his legs, and died in the mud of a rice paddy.

Kahn's dream was to someday have a small motorcycle repair shop. If only he had gone back and gotten the gas can.....

Here is a pic of Son, off to see a girlfriend up in Can Tho. As far as I could tell, Son had girlfriends just about everywhere we went. Note RPG wire on the bunker.
All the best, and stay safe.. SF VET

For those unfamiliar with the weapons and counter-tactics, RPG means Rocket Propelled Grenade. Man-portable shoulder-fired launcher, rocket motor delivers a high-explosive warhead (typically a shape charge designed to punch a hole through armor or barricades, followed by a grenade through the hole). Very effective against vehicles or barricaded positions (such as bunkers). Effective range depends on the shooter, but typically about 200 meters, and may be launched in volleys at point or area targets from longer ranges.

The RPG warhead fired into a bunker is a devastating weapon with explosive force and shrapnel effect capable of great damage within an enclosed space.

RPG wire consisted of closely spaced grid of heavy-gauge wire intended to intercept the RPG warhead and cause detonation before impact on the intended target. Commonly used around exposed perimeter positions, command & control bunkers, aircraft revetments, fuel bladders, and other likely targets.

 

[Drm50]

Another war story. I was greenie and COs pilot was to take me out to a FB to replace a guy DEROSing. It was the little Bell chopper. After getting flight instructions from pilot the next thing was short hop to fuel up. Pilot had me hold stick between seats. Told me not to move it or touch anything else. The blade was idling, he goes in office of fuel guys. Front on plywood shack is big plexiglass picture window. Pilot was in there with a coke telling stories. My arm and hand were getting tired. I was afraid wrong move would flip copter or worse. Finally pilot comes out and says, dumb *** you still holding that? I sweat bullets for 20 minutes for nothing.

 

[SF VET]

My dad was a Naval Aviator from the late '30's to the early '70's. Once, way out over the Atlantic in a B25, the navigator came up between the pilot's seats, and his parachute deployed out the top hatch, but fused and streamered without fully opening, which would have pulled him out. But he was pulled up to the hatch, and was nearly asphyxiated by his harness. The crew worked hard to finally pull him into the cockpit. When they landed, the navigator was still woozy, and walked into the prop.

Like for Kahn, when your time is up, it is up.

All the best, and say safe. SF VET

 

[SF VET]

In my first six months, mid-Delta, travel was by jeep for me. I had a M3 .45 Grease Gun, which was handy as it fit perfectly in the grab handle on the jeep's dash. It was a fairly "peaceful" province, but just south of Dinh Tung province, a very contested province. This Advisor post Had a Major, a CPT, who was back at Bragg two decades ago when I was posted there as a physician in the early '80's and a SSG. This compound was over-run one nite, and the US only survived by retreating to their inner bunker and running an endless belt of ammo thru their M60.

One day, two "Donut-Dollies" visited, and when one of them asked where our latrine was, we pointed to a vine covered tiny room in the corner of the US hootch. I had a bad experience with a Timber Rattler in the army and did and still hate and fear them. From time to time a pencil-thin vivid green snake, which I assumed to be venomous, would be in the vines in the laterine. So we cautioned her, and to this day I respect her willingness to use the latrine anyway.

Shortly after my visit, my CPT friend was directed by the Major, a man of low moral character, to accompany some Local troops on an op up some canal. They were ambushed, with some troops KIA, and my friend CPT came back so violently angry when he found the Major in the rack with the Vietnamese house girl, that he was going to kill the Major, and was only restrained by the US SSG there. When our local command heard about the incident, the Major was immediately removed and sent back to the States.

Unlike the Vietnamese troops down at my second post, these troops were lazy and worthless. Here, they are causally shooting interdiction, likely without any intelligence as to a reason for wasting ammo. I have no doubt tney were all deaf too.

I suspect they were killed soon thereafter.

All the best and stay safe.... SF VET

 

[SF VET]

this is my jeep at Kien Van, the compound in the pic above. The US bunker right in front of the US hootch.

All the best, and stay safe... SF VET

 

[YkcorCal]

I salute all who served in country!

I was in the first drug suppression unit formed on Okinawa 1972 so the people who shot at me wore the same uniform as I did.

After I was replaced by a Capt. in my slot in the Drug Suppression Unit, as I was on temporary assignment, my Brigade Commander had orders cut on me to go to Vietnam (he was mad about the work I did in the Drug unit) however my name was deleted off the orders by a Major at Brigade HQ. The Brigade CO was very unhappy but since he stayed drunk most of the time he never figured out what happened. Long story.

On bad days sometimes I wish I had gone in country and never came back.