Class of '70-71 here, U.S. Army attached to 1098 Medium Boat Company, crewed on LCU 1015 and hauled howitzer charges and other heavy freight north as far as Chu Lai, south to Tan Mai. I remember with the wrong tide it could be a real pain getting around the point at Chu Lai in order to get to the landing ramp. There was some story about a big island we could barely see as we rounded the point, something about V.C. Island or other. Our boat broke up during typhoon Kate while we were on a mission for the Seabees, even made the Stars and Stripes. After the boat broke up I ended up working as a radio operator for the Harbormaster up on the point overlooking the harbor...THAT was great duty but as usual I screwed that up and ended up finishing my last few weeks in supply back at the company area, that was a real downer...I used to see the company area only on payday.
Am I the only guy that never runs into anybody else that had a simple job to do or wasn't a member of the Green Berets or Marine Recon. I have to admit I've never run into any other GI type that worked on water the way I did but I sure knew plenty of guys that did their entire tour working a radio, typewriter, or worked in supply, the company area was full of guys that were in support of everthing else. As far as I can remember outside of getting shot at from shore a couple of times while on a coastal run (with 150short ton of howitzer charges on deck) I was in more danger sleeping in my bunk back at the company area when we got rocketed or mortared. Our base was right across the road from a Marine Corps Helicopter base, we caught all of Charlies short rounds intended for the Corps.
