How Many Viet Nam Vets Here?

[Phu Cat]

Air Force, II corp, Phu Cat Air Base. Kinda volunteered for Nam in a round about way. Got a little too cozy with this E-8 daughter and he musta had some connections and wanted to put an end to my shenanigans and was shipped to SEA.

Phu Cat had no army, marines or roks on its perimeter. We ran our own patrols and I was one of 12 or 15 mortar guys. We had 4 pits. Got hit by a 122 which was minor but it really messed up my hearing.

After I got home I got interested in the POW issue since I realized it could have happened to any of us. That was the time I found out a buddy from high school had been captured at fire base Mary Ann when it was over run in '71. The cool thing about this story is one of the guys in his squad GOT HIM BACK!!! He's alive today with a POW VA card and 100% disabled as he was shot up pretty bad. But I'd never heard of this happening before. Anybody else?

Phu Cat

BTW, It was not very well known at that time that the AF was trying to create a combat unit. Today's Security Forces I think to some degree are an outgrowth of what happened at Phu Cat. Our CO brought this up at past reunions but I've never seen anything in writing about it.

[5x40]

Class of 1968 TET. 1st Avn Brigade,192nd Assault Helicopter Company, Phan Thiet. U.S.A. RET.

[Scratch]

Crew Chief, 1st Special Operations Squadron; 56 Special Operations Wing; Det 1; Danang 1971/1972...

Ops Officer; Joint Task Force - Full Accounting; Hanoi SRV 1994.

[Sully]

Crew Chief, 1st Special Operations Squadron; 56 Special Operations Wing; Det 1; Danang 1971/1972...

Ops Officer; Joint Task Force - Full Accounting; Hanoi SRV 1994.

Glad you made it back to the World.

[Scratch]

Glad you made it back to the World.

And you too, sir...

[TROUBLEMAKER_46]

US Army, 7th Bn 13th Arty, 66-67. 105 howitzer mobil unit. Moved all over. Last stop for me was in Phu Cat!

[Hhardrockminer]

I was there from Sept.66 to Oct. 68. I will not be part of VFW as I didn't see any of them standing up for us when we came back. just my .02
Ken

[bongobobny]

Interesting and somewhat accurate observation Ken! I know I felt pretty much on my own and an outsider to say the least myself...

Welcome home brother!!

[rhino 2]

Interesting and somewhat accurate observation Ken! I know I felt pretty much on my own and an outsider to say the least myself...

Welcome home brother!!

....

[vwbuild]

1ST. 175 guns Marine Corps. My section leader was Sgt. Wray Trunkhill. Sgt. Trunkhill supposedly fired the first 105 in Vietnam. He once took a direct mortor round so was a scar from head to foot. Never saw him sleep.

[Sully]

Salute to you, glad you made it back to the World.

[vtxharley]

USMC 0331 M-60 machine gunner 1970-1976
Trained through boot Paris Island South Carolina ITR camp Geiger Camp LeJune Basic specialist training Camp Geiger Camp Pendleton over seas combat Training Straight to get on the bus to go to Norton air force to fly to Okinawa to country, Two brothers in Nam one in Marines as scout and one in the airforce working crash and recovery I was called off the plane that morning and TAD to Eltoro Calif Nobody ever told me why, I was Blue tagged to Eltoro Does anybody know what Blue tagged stood for duirng Vietnam I guess it just was not my time Thanks to all that went and served
God Bless

[rhino 2]

USMC 0331 M-60 machine gunner 1970-1976
Trained through boot Paris Island South Carolina ITR camp Geiger Camp LeJune Basic specialist training Camp Geiger Camp Pendleton over seas combat Training Straight to get on the bus to go to Norton air force to fly to Okinawa to country, Two brothers in Nam one in Marines as scout and one in the airforce working crash and recovery I was called off the plane that morning and TAD to Eltoro Calif Nobody ever told me why, I was Blue tagged to Eltoro Does anybody know what Blue tagged stood for duirng Vietnam I guess it just was not my time Thanks to all that went and served
God Bless

Perhaps it was because you had Two siblings in-country at the time...
I think that rule go's back to the Sullivan Brothers ..

[vtxharley]

Perhaps it was because you had Two siblings in-country at the time...
I think that rule go's back to the Sullivan Brothers ..

My oldest brother had already returned from Nam in 69 I was suppose to go in 1971
Thanks for the answer

[Retired Army]

Just a Serviceman



He was getting old andpaunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Am. vets,
Telling stories of the past.


Of a war that he had fought in
And the deeds that he had done.
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, everyone.

And 'tho sometimes, to his neighbors,
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened,
For they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For old Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer,
For a Serviceman died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.



He held a job and raised a family,
Quietly going on his way,
And the world won't note his passing;
'tho a Serviceman died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories,
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a Serviceman,
Goes unnoticed and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution,
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise,
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow,
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are sometimes disproportionate,

To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Serviceman,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It's so easy to forget them,
For it is so long ago,
That our Bob's and Jim's and Johnny's,
Went to battle, but we know.

It was not the politicians,
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom,
That our Country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Serviceman,
Who has sworn to defend,
His home, his kin, and Country,
And would fight until the end?

He was just a common Serviceman

And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us,
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict,
Then we find the Serviceman's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles,
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor,
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage,
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline,
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
FOR A SERVICEMAN DIED TODAY"

Author unknown

I was processing the film off the U2 that returned from Cuba the day President Kennedy was assonated. I have a Army graphic on my speaker screen, I feel obligated my military retirement is making the payments on my trike.

[desertclassic]

Welcome Home to all the Brothers. 221st Aviation Company, Soc Trang Airfield, 69-70. Jim

[bikerbillone]

Old veteran of the 'forgotten war', does that count?

[Shmick]

I was a tailender and was evac'd out via Thailand April '75. Army...still think about it on long, Sleepless nights.

With 101st ABN attached TDY to 5th Marines for evac in 75. Never got off Medevac slick, just touch n goes, Saigon & Thailand back to Big E. Chaos ruled, fear stunk & we were there brother. Get some rest now.

[bowhunter]

I was there from July '69 to Jun '70 US Army with the 101st Airborne stationed at Camp Eagle between Hue and Phu Bai. I was lucky, a Radar O'Riley type of sorts. Things were different then, we weren't looked at as heros but rather the scum of the earth when we got home. I'll never forget after I got home to Buffalo NY I flew down to Philadelphia to be with my Fiance and thought she would like to see me in uniform, so I did just that. When she saw me her look spoke volumes! She tried to recover and asked me why I was in uniform when I was discharged, and asked me If I wanted to change. I don't think she even kissed me right away, and it was obvious she was ashamed to be with me.

It has taken me up to just a couple of years ago to come to grips with all of it, and sure don't feel like any kind of hero. Better men than I didn't get to come home.

As of this year I am now a lifetime member of the VFW and a member of the American Legion as well, but am not active with either. To me it's just a cheap place to get drunk, but hopefully as I do get involved that outlook will change.

I am currently 60% disabled thanks to exposure to agent orange and type 2 diabeties and am trying to be declared 100% as I was sort of forced to retire last fall because of the increased discomfort of periferal neuropathy in both feet and hands.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it! What's yours???

69 to 70 Army 126 trans delivered fuel and supplies from Camron Bay to Laos.

Agent orange got a lot of us.

Not many greeters when we go home. God Bless Jack

[mozrocks]

70-71 162nd Assault Helicopter Company Can Tho