Snubby in Vietnam

[SF VET]

In an earlier post with a pic, it was the interior of a small outpost across the river, just after it was "over-run" by Chuck. No need for the Bad Guys to fight their way thru the wire, just leave the outpost alone, let the troops and their families, who lived there with them, get lazy and complacent. Then after lunch, when everyone was napping and sleeping off their Rice Wine, walk in thru the front door, flip grenades into the "hootches", grab the combo and weapons, and beat feet. In and out in probably less than two minutes.

We mounted a rescue from across the river, but in reality, was just a clean-up of the dead. Our local guys, the QRF as is nowadays called, had to gear up, assemble, and get to the river, bring up some sampans and ferry across. I don't recall how long it took, I am guessing 45 min at least.

Here, in this slide, note the blown and burned bunkers, with the 292 antenna still standing. Smoldering, dead soldiers and their families. A massacre, really. But totally predictable.

When a big force tried to overrun the District compound just north of us, they were repulsed. I hopped a ride up to look it over, and it was just gruesome. And already with the awful odor of death. I never took any pics of dead. I learned when around the dead, to breathe thru my mouth, not my nose, so I wouldn't smell it. Of course, inhaled a few flies.

Spent the last few days zeroing in my X Bolt 223, with my 40grain Vmax bullets. A clover leaf at 100 yards, off a sand bag. I can still shoot. Took my 1915 303 SMLE MkIII up to a shop/gunsmith up in Charlotte this afternoon, I bought it for ten bucks in 1959, and am sourcing a new Enfield barrel, so it has the accuracy it deserves. I reload my own 303.

Next up, to get my MK 5 Jungle Carbine to shoot also to point of my aim. Thing kicks like a mule. Great drive, the 40 miles to and from the range, back roads, no traffic, winding and hilly, open exhaust, under the arching trees, windows down in my Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Life is good, you all take care, and all the best... SF VET

 

[SF VET]

I have decided it is time to go thru my thousands of slides shot since the late 60's, and others from my dad from the '50's. A few years ago, selected some of my 5 or 6 hundred from Vietnam and Desert Storm to make photo books for my kids. The ones I have posted from RVN are from that group, and I am going thru them again to see which ones I can have professionally scanned. I don't have many left already scanned that I have not already posted on this thread.


So.... with the permission if granted I will in the meantime post slides from my second war, shot with the same reliable Pentax.

First, this is how a mech infantry division goes to war. 330 M1 Abrams on a train heading to the port from Ft. Riley KS, where my Evac hospital was also prepping for deployment. There were NO Photography signs along this track, but I kinda paused and when the MP's were looking the other way, out came my trusty Pentax loaded with Kodachrome.

I will not post any pics of war wounds we encountered. Just shots from this war 30 years ago.

If I don't hear from the moderators, I will fill add pics from this conflict, while I sort thru my slides from RVN to have scanned.

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

 

[SF VET]

well, since the moderators haven't shut this thread down....

When I DROS'ed from Vietnam, I was posted to Ft. Bragg, already a familiar post to me. Checked into the JFK center to see if they had a position for me, was offered an A Team with the 5th Group, or some slot in a PsyOP's Battalion. The former sounded more interesting, so was sent down to Smoke Bomb Hill, and took over ODA A/I/5. The first of five teams in A company, 5th Group.

Soon started the 3 month SF Officers course, mostly classroom, some field stuff, and then was privileged to wear a full SF "Flash", or the Group's insignia on my berets. In the next 18 or so months, it was easy duty, some field training, SF Jump Master school, and a few TDY missions, the best to Morocco.

When that over seas training mission was completed, all of the 5th Groups' teams went back across the Med to Rota Spain, a big Navy base. While there, all of us on a Navy landing ship, all the other officers except me and one rookie LT decided to fly back to the US, and did so. I was then in charge of the teams with one LT. And all the weapons. Soon, however the '73 Arab/Israelie war broke out. For a few days it was a tenuous situation. I was briefed that if the Israeli's were about to loose, due to the fear they would resort to Nuc's, the US would need a "trip-wire" to justify US intervention. And since I had all the weapons and Group's men, that would be us. Of course, if we were to be dropped between two tank armies, we wouldn't last 15 minutes. But the US then could intervene to avoid a Nuclear war.

But the Israeli's prevailed, and we all flew back to Bragg. I felt pretty honored when my team SGT told me after all this, "...Sir, we will go with you anytime."

I had been considering more and more leaving active duty for some sort of medical career, and applied to Nebraska, where my military career had all begun back in '65 in ROTC there. So resigned my RA commission, and drove back to Lincoln to attempt to do better in my 18 months of Pre-med than I had done in my first attempt at those sorts of courses. Enrolled in the GI bill, bought a bike, and dove into my science courses. I signed up with the Nebraska National Guard, and they made me Aide De Camp to the Major General of the NE Guard. I went where he went.

To be continued......

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

 

[Rolex28]

As a Navy Corpsman w/a Marine rifle squad in ‘66 I only saw issued weapons.

As part of a 106 recoiless rifle squad, mounted on top of an Amtrak in '66, I say thanks "Doc"

 

[Kevin J.]

Vietnam was before my time, but we also had rationing in Korea. If one used up all of their ration on themselves, they would soon weigh 300 lbs and have serious lung/heart problems. For those who drank beer, the OB off base was as good as what you could get in the Px/Commisary, so the drunks didn't have to worry about running out of ration before the end of the month.

Funny thing was, cokes were rationed. What they sold on base was shipped in from San Francisco, but the local coke products were made with real cane sugar, just like ones in Mexico are today. As such, they were richer tasting, and made you wonder why the stuff shipped from the states was rationed.

Oh well, nobody has ever accused Uncle Sam of making sense.

Oh my god. Yes OB beer which was much better than Crown in my opinion. In the clubs about 100 won (about 20-25 cents American) for a large 16 ounces bottle as I recall. Half that in the corner stores. First Korean I learned was “make ju hana mun ja sayo” meaning may I have a beer please. And yes local coke was better as well as orange Fanta soda.

 

[SF VET]

being an advisor, we had plenty of "down time", peaceful and just for maintenance of our "hootch", cleaning our weapons, deciding what to do for lunch and later dinner, walk a few steps to the Vietnamese TOC, clean the spark plugs on our 1.5 KW generator with my Buck folding hunter. Look in our 100 soldier sundry pack for more Wilkinson Sword Blade shaving blades. As a matter of trivia, Wilkinson was the first company to successfully make SS blades. I treated myself to a fresh blade every day.

See if we needed to carry water up to our 55 gallon drums on the roof of our Kitchen/Latrine. As soon as I got up, I re-set the codes on our secure radio system. It was this device that had about 20 pins I would set according to my code book, and then push into the radio set. For quick semi-secure commo I had a small CAC wheel, a small circular wheel with two sets of letters to line up.

I guess breakfast was just so every day I don't remember what we had. I suspect some local bread and a topping.

I repressed all thoughts of my failed marriage, necessary in retrospect, and sometimes in the evening I would climb up onto the roof of our Kitchen/latrine, and just watch the sunset.

There was a hauntingly beautiful song out then, Roberta Flack, "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Eyes" I would hear on the radio. Something I did to pass the time was to plan my modifications to my '71 VW Squareback Type III when I got back. I had a book on how to hotrod VW's, and I studied and planned my approach to his. Eventually, when I got back to the Land of the Big PX I did many mods to my VW, drove it over a quarter million miles before I sold it years later.

When I think now about that year, I recollect that it seemed to pass very quickly for me. I wasn't depressed or anxious, or fearful, but just focused on my job, and some sort of eventual medical career. Somewhere in that time, I developed a relentless, dedicated focus on what was necessary for my present and my future.

Relaxing on our roof as the sun set was important for my life.

All the best, and stay safe. SF VET

 

[mtgianni]

Roberta Flack "First time ever I saw your Face?". That is an awesome song as beautiful now as it was 50 years ago.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8_fLu2yrP4[/ame]
Thanks Vet for that memory.

 

[SF VET]

Yes, just a beautiful song, and memorable for me too. We had a 1.5KW generator for only US use in our little compound. But it would foul the plugs after a couple of hours running. About once a week a chopper would make a mail and resupply run out to us, and drop off some cans of 16mm movies. So if not otherwise busy, we would drape a sheet over some lines, and the compound's families would come and sit down and I would fire up the generator, and we wold have outdoor movies. I can recall two movies, one, "Play Misty for Me", a Clint Eastwood thriller. The other I can recall was Barry Newman in his white Dodge Challenger in "Vanishing Point." My first new car, replacing an MGB, was a '69 Dodge Charger R/T with the 440 engine, which we had taken to Germany later that year when we were posted to Schweinfurt. For some reason I can't recall, replaced it with a '71 VW Squareback.

I had to pull the plugs on our generator every evening, and just my Buck Folder Hunter to clean then out for the evening's power. I used to wonder what the local families thought watching our movies. Maybe they wondered ".... do people really live like that somewhere?"

Here, a pic I have previously posted of Pop and I and my Buck working on our Generator.

I grew up working on my lawn mower motors, so this maintenance and on our 40 Horsepower Johnson's was second nature to me.

It was all so long ago, like in a different life, a different Universe.

Stay Safe, an all the best.... SF VET

 

[SF VET]

When I was posted to RVN in oct of '71, after about 3 months in an advisor course at Bragg, some of which was learning some basic Vietnamese, I flew over out of Travis AFB on a charter jet. Something I will always remember, and still "touches" me in a way, was when we landed at Tan San Nhut airbase in Saigon, immediately the plane's lights were turned off. As we filed up to the front of the jet to exit, the stewardesses touched each of us and said "..come home safe." Maybe some of those now older women sometimes reflect on how much that caring touch meant to young solders like me.

Went over with a good friend, CPT Gregg H, who soon went forever MIA. There were maybe five or so of us young Captains, several days of relaxed briefings, issued our 1911 and our M16's, and had our uniforms issued and tags sewn on. In one of our briefings, the Major told us a District Senior Advisor, a Maj, had just been killed in an ambush, as part of a RRT going to a site of an overrun compound. Classic tactic. Had no idea I would be a District Senior Advisor myself in 6 months.

Hopped a ride in a C7 Caribou down to Kien Phong, and arrived at my first home, John R Tine compound. It was beginning of the drawdown, so the compound was only staffed with maybe 20 our so of us, with a chow hall, and I had my own room, for when I would return for a few days back from my MAT missions. Only duty I had was my turn as Officer of the Guard, which were all Vietnamese in the corner bunkers, which had 30 cal MG's. Pretty relaxed pace, most of the US played handball in a nice court just inside the entrance. The Vietnamese lady cooks made great chow. And cut the grass with scissors. Picked up an M3 "Grease Gun" for just an extra sidearm. In Playboy mag that had just come out, the Playmate commented that she had just 'choppered into Cau Lanh, our adjacent town, and had "taken fire." I doubt it.

Here is whom our compound was named for. Was KIA two years before I arrived. Looks so young in this pic. So long gone...

[URL="https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/52122/JOHN-R-

and our small compound.

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

 

[SF VET]

Let me try to post CPT Tine's memory agin.
THE WALL OF FACES - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

 

[andyinlz]

Thank you for your link to The Wall of Faces.

Through it I found a photo and a description of the final mission of a man that was my college's first wartime casualty.

I received a college award named after him.

My son carries his name.

 

[Sistema1927]

That picture of John R. Tine seems to show "K.M.A." on his collar. Possibly a high school or college (Kentucky Military Academy?) photo? Maybe that is why he looks so young.

 

[BigBill]

Roberta Flack "First time ever I saw your Face?". That is an awesome song as beautiful now as it was 50 years ago.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8_fLu2yrP4[/ame]
Thanks Vet for that memory.[/
QUOTE]

This song would be 1970ish?

 

[quikdraw67]

SF VET -

thank you for sharing all of this. I was born in 1967, so most of Vietnam was before my memory.

I just wanted you to know how interesting it is to see your pictures and stories.

QD67

 

[SF VET]

I have seen this blown-up M1 Abrams on other "official" sites, or forums. Here is the story as I recall hearing about it at the time. Others who were participants in Desert Storm may certainly correct me.

The US forces lost only three Abrams to enemy action in that war. I was driving near the front in a Humvee when I saw this Abrams coming towards me on a flatbed, and grabbed my 35mm Pentax and leaned out while steering with my knees, and shot this pic. Note the painting on the side of the tank No Pictures.

This tank was pulling another tracked vehicle, and the engine overheated, and that set off the main gun rounds stored in the Bustle on the back of the turret. The blast doors saved the crew.

The tank anti-armor rounds were depleted uranium Sabot and were so heavy I could hardly lift one, and left the barrel at something like 4200 feet per second. WWII tanks had to stop to shoot, but Abrams can shoot with gyro stabilized accuracy when on the move. One of the drawbacks of the Abrams is that the dust filters have to be pulled and "shaken out" often in desert conditions.

If any of this is incorrect, please add your knowledge.

many more DS pics to come.

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

 

[SF VET]

Back to the Delta for this shot. Pretty sure this is from one of my occasional trips up to Province, Several hours by Boston Whaler, as way down at the tip where we were, there were no roads. Just the usual market meat area; my little hamlet would not have had any market anywhere near this large. For those who have traveled in 3d and 4th World countries this would be a common site. Lots of flies, and pretty strong smell too. The little cafe in my compound I am sure got their pork from Camau. No pigs at my hamlet, nor in my compound. But if you pour boiling river water over the chopped up bits of pork in the Ramen bowel with lots of peppers and spices, it was fine. Cheap too. I never, not once, got "sick" from what I ate as Advisor in my year.

When I have worked with Peace Corps volunteers in Central America on Army Reserve Medical missions in years past, they were very helpful to us. Most did not often have a chance to talk with other Americans. They did tell me that its was hopeless for them to live and work among the indigenous folk without picking up assorted worms and other parasites. And they just got used to passing worms alongside their villagers. Me, when I got back, just went to the clinic, and got a packet of de-worming pills, and killed whatever I was infected with. But I never got sick. I did have to use a Selsun-like shampoo on my back for the depigmented skin there, from a water parasite, called Tinea Verisicolor.

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

 

[Hueydriver7173]

Welcome home to all and God bless you for your service!!!!

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I am glad to hear that our friend SF VET managed to get through his tour without health issues, particularly with his close proximity to the local population, diet, and sanitation issues. Speaks well of his general health and good habits.

Not all of us were so fortunate. I recall being NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge) of a detachment and having to report less than 50% operational readiness, primarily due to illnesses. Intestinal problems were pretty common, vomiting and/or diarrhea resulting in serious dehydration. Rashes, minor scratches or cuts, skin lesions becoming infected and turning septic in a matter of hours. The feet were frequently assaulted with various maladies, usually involving parasites or fungal infections that might cause skin to slough away to the bone and underlying tissue regardless of any topical treatments. Eye infections were not unusual. The scalp, armpits, crotch, and other areas seemed to be targeted by any number of conditions.

I have had to call for medical evacuations for wounded soldiers in the field, but more frequently due to infections and other conditions that rendered a soldier incapable of continuing the assigned mission. We did not drink untreated water and we seldom ate anything other than GI rations, but that did not provide complete protection against every type of germ or parasite that our bodies had little or no protection against.

I suffered for several years from recurrent infections of my feet, during and after my Vietnam tours. Antiseptic and anti-fungal treatments were a daily requirement. After my release from active duty I remember waiting several months for appointments at a VA facility, sitting around for 5 or 6 hours, then being told to come back the following week, then finding that my records showed I had missed my appointment so I was disenrolled and had to apply for benefits all over again (only took a year or so to do).

In 1981 I was scheduled for outpatient surgery to remove a bit of shrapnel from my left knee. Reported to the VA hospital, waited for 4 hours or so, then I was introduced to my surgeon AND HIS INTERPRETER (the gentleman spoke no English at all). Nice enough guy, but I decided to go elsewhere.

Fast forward to the early 21st Century, and the VA actually treats us pretty good! For non-emergency issues I might have to wait a few months for an appointment, but when I have an appointment I am usually taken care of promptly and courteously. I no longer feel like I am causing an unacceptable interruption of someone's daily routine, and the staff always make me feel welcome and appreciated.

More rambling from an old veteran. Nothing more to see here so move along.

 

[duane_wade]

@SF VET thank you for your stories of life in Vietnam. I am intrigued with the books and recollections and documentaries from the war. I tried several times to join the army back then but they would not let me due to my hearing loss.

Thank you for your service and for your stories and will enjoy reading them as long as you're posting them.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[SF VET]

just quick recollection here: When I left active service in Jan of '74 to begin my path of an eventual medical career, I had to process out of the army. I was in a room with about a dozen troopers also leaving active duty. A SGT gave us a health declaration form, and told us ".... now in block 17, write in your own words ....I am in perfect health, and nothing is wrong with me, then pass your forms to me."

Making it difficult for them later to claim any disability. Tricks of the trade, I guess. The only health care I chose to get at my VA is for my glasses, which are first rate, and my hearing aids, also top of the line.

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