Vietnam Vets-When & Where

[vito]

Funny thing about old threads being resurrected. I saw this one and started reading, and suddenly saw a post that said "26 Med Battalion, 101st Airborne...." and it sure caught my eye. Than I saw that the posting was mine from when this thread first started. I kept reading and twice more I was stopped cold, until I saw that those posts were also mine! So this is post #4 for me on the same thread. It won't be many years from now that my entire life up to and including my year in Vietnam will represent only one third of my life to date. Seems like another lifetime when I served over there, but the memories and impact last forever.

I'll add one sad note. The day I was leaving RVN, one of my friends, who was one of our medevac pilots offered to fly me to Danang to catch the plane down to Saigon for my flight home. About a month later I was told that the very day I left he was killed in a crash due to a transmission seizure over Danang bay. But despite thinking I knew him pretty well, I guess I could never remember his last name, and thus have never been able to find him on the Wall in DC. Recently I was asked my one of my grandkids if I had any close friends who died in Vietnam whose name was on the Wall, and it made me doubly saddened to remember that my one time good friend Al was probably listed on the Wall somewhere but I can't figure out where. I guess its even possible that when I was told he died it was not true, but I'll never know.

 

[bgrafsr]

Went TDY to Bien Hoa from 31Oct64 to sometime in January 65. Was supposed to go to Cam Rahn Bay or DaNang, but those orders were scrubbed and Bien Hoa came up.

We got hit around midnight on 31 Oct or 01 Nov with mortars. Destroyed several aircraft and put holes in the runway.

They used foam to put out the fires and someone said blood was used to make the foam, which I doubt. Several weeks later, I was working a TACAN site by the runway on mids, and was accompanied by a tiger, who was stalking me. He kept walking back and forth along the concertina wire and when I shined my light on it, all I saw were his huge green eyes. I spent the rest of the night inside the cab of a truck.

Called AP headquarters and told him I had a tiger on post, so they sent several AP's to the site in a jeep. Tiger was gone. In the morning when dawn broke, more guys came to the site, and said "let's go" we're going after the tiger. I said no thanks and left after being relieved.

Heard later on that an AP had to shoot a tiger on his post, that was coming after him.

 

[star1]

Memorial

Six of my friends went to Vietnam , 5 made it back

Certainly a sobering site when seen in person, thank you for all who served

 

[REM 3200]

50th Med Det(Air Ambulance) "EAGLE DUSTOFF"
and 326 Med Bn(ABN), 101st Airborne Div, Camp Eagle,
early 1967. Then an EVAC Hospital in Nha Trang, late 1967 & 68.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Three cruises off Viet Nam in USS Neverdock (CVA-31). The "off" counts more than the "Viet Nam." Nobody ever shot at me, and there is no comparison with those who were shot at.

IIRC, the Army and the Marines, with some help from USN and USAF, won that war. The politicians and the ARVN lost it.

I don't know whether we've learned anything from it.

 

[alde]

Not me but my brother. He did 3 tours as a Marine. He never wanted to talk about what he went through or where he was because it was too difficult for him. All I know is he has always been my hero. He earned 2 Purple Hearts and ended up losing his battle with liver cancer 4 years ago due to the agent orange at 66 years old. I do remember how he was treated when he got home and it was horrible.

Thanks to all of you. You have my deepest respect.

 

[caduceus]

USS Oriskany CVA-34 72-73. Here is a link from a fellow shipmate who has been compiling material about the ship since 1998. Paragraph 5 has some interesting data in ordnance dropped, time at sea etc.
One whiff of aviation fuel brings it all back.
THE USS ORISKANY - MEMORIES OF VIETNAM

 

[bgrafsr]

I guess it's appropriate that I come in on the tail end of this thread. I tried fellas, I really did. Volunteered twice for Nam and got turned down both times.
I did however live dangerously in Northern Thailand. If I really wanted to I could walk off into the jungle where there were all kinds of baddies, mostly snakes.
Back in town I faced a chance of food poisoning, STDs the Docs had never heard of and lizards that were telling me to do the anatomically impossible!
So I mostly stayed on base for the most part.
However my separation papers say I served in the Vietnam Nam theater. I show it to people who ask, but I never take credit for places I didn't go. I still feel like the Zeppo of the era. Cheers to you guys who were there and put it on the line.
SP5 C R James

RonJ, we had those lizards in the Phillipines. When I first heard them, I thought someone was outside the barracks yelling at me to screw myself. Their call sounded exactly like what you mentioned.

 

[histed]

I turned 18 in 1973, after it was "over". Lost a few good friends there.Just wated to say

And thank you

 

[amazingflapjack]

we can locate them on the wall...

Funny thing about old threads being resurrected. I saw this one and started reading, and suddenly saw a post that said "26 Med Battalion, 101st Airborne...." and it sure caught my eye. Than I saw that the posting was mine from when this thread first started. I kept reading and twice more I was stopped cold, until I saw that those posts were also mine! So this is post #4 for me on the same thread. It won't be many years from now that my entire life up to and including my year in Vietnam will represent only one third of my life to date. Seems like another lifetime when I served over there, but the memories and impact last forever.

I'll add one sad note. The day I was leaving RVN, one of my friends, who was one of our medevac pilots offered to fly me to Danang to catch the plane down to Saigon for my flight home. About a month later I was told that the very day I left he was killed in a crash due to a transmission seizure over Danang bay. But despite thinking I knew him pretty well, I guess I could never remember his last name, and thus have never been able to find him on the Wall in DC. Recently I was asked my one of my grandkids if I had any close friends who died in Vietnam whose name was on the Wall, and it made me doubly saddened to remember that my one time good friend Al was probably listed on the Wall somewhere but I can't figure out where. I guess its even possible that when I was told he died it was not true, but I'll never know.

KIA's are listed by the date they were lost. That, along wit any other info we have can help us locate our friends. The cyber wall lists KIA's by state, which can also streamline the process.

 

[MCorps0311]

Today 48 years ago 6-28-1968 was my first day spent in I Corps Vietnam,with 3/27/Mike/Co. I was with 27th Marines for two months at Cua Ha,before they were sent back to the States.I was sent to 3/5/India/Co. out in An Hoa. I was with 5th Marines for three months,when I volunteered for CAP,aka Combined Action Program,and was station out in Hoi An with 2nd CAG III,MAF CAP 2-4-4.All my tour was spent in Qaung Nam Province. 6-28-1968 to 7-16-1969 ,my MOS 0311.Semper Fi.

 

[Jeff423]

Yankee Station '72

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Yankee Station '72

Jeff, that avatar looks like a Heavy One emblem. I was in Heavy Seven from 75-8. Also VFP-62 from 64-5, and VF-143 from 81-5. In Seven, I spent most of my time in NIPSTRAFAC, except for the first three months, and last five or six, which were spent at sea.

 

[Jeff423]

Thanks for your reply. I was in Heavy One from Dec. '71 until Dec '72. During that time the squadron made one West Pac cruise where we spent most our time on Yankee Station (off N. Vietnam). I was a "green shirt" and spent most of my time on the flight deck.

Jeff

 

[THEMULE]

Thank you. Don't know what else to say.....
Other than I'm sorry for how you were treated, makes me feel guilty for how I've been treated. The "new guys" appreciate your service. At least this one does.
Bob.

 

[41 fan]

I was on the USS Oklahoma City (CLG5) from 69 to 73. We were homeported in Yokosuka Japan. We went to Vietnam every month to provide Naval Gunfire Support
for Marine and Army units.
I was told in boot camp that foam was made from animal blood and could be consumed in an emergency. Came in 5 gallon cans. Dean

 

[Frank46]

The foam was made from horse blood and stank to high heaven. Especially when you got some on yourself when refilling the foam tank. Frank

 

[pmanton]

101st Abn Div Bien Hoa I made it until Aug 68 when I was med-evacued out.
CW-2 USA Ret.

 

[Jebus35745]

I was on the air craft carrier USS America off the coast when it ended. Just before they signed the truce, we bombed for over a week. Not sure what they were bombing, it was good for the economy. Been completely around the globe one time via the Navy, Larry

 

[federali]

Me Too.

Co A, 504th MP Bn. Nha Trang, October, '67--October 68.