Rusty Brockman Echo Recon, Sgt Henry Lucero, Cpt Bach, Cpt McConnell, & LTC Hodges. I feel you know this…. I was there – I was the one that called in the artillery on the cong that day. . Mostly guys from 70-72 in D and E Co. Pat Jones, Robby McPhail, Alton Eckert, Walter “Doc” Roberts, Terry Williams, “Doc” Schag, and others. The Army refused to award it to me and it is not in my records. I remember many nights at the TOC as well. What about the classified recovery team I was on from the 101st Airbourn Division that came in early 1974 to try to find and get POWs and body remains, which I still have nightmares about. 3. I’d really would like to know the dates if someone can remember. I was sent to Vietnam in April of 1972, arriving in Saigon at Tan Son Knut in the afternoon. I was the on-scene mission commander that day. I was with “Task Force Gerry Owen” until June 72. group 229th? Weather its in the jungle or on the ramp. got myself and about for or five others out in front of the orderly room with a stack of papers in his hand. My unit had been moved to Hill 54. We were given civilian clothing on the flight line and all the liquor we could carry. So you’re saying Det 1 377th Combat Security actively patrolled on combat operations? Fred: You have described the same moron I had as security the morning of that mine sweep. He went home (back to the world) before I did and when i was in the compamy rear once “French” supply sgt about 7foot tall red hair. We have some D Co guys like Walter Roberts, Pete Schag (both medics), Doug Stamper (radio), etc. What happened and what did they…. Don’t know anything about U.S. vs NVA tank confrontations. I was still on Fire Support Base Melanie until June 26 1972. Oddly enough, I could not find any reference to that day (which was a really big thing) and what transpired from F/9’s records. John, UNTIL I saw a re-election poster for President Richard Nixon. As for the chopper crash: For the most part we didn’t use each others names, especially in the bush. WE WERE NOW STATIONED AT BEIN HOA ARMY BASE VIET-NAM. Seal Team 2 was on the roof in 1975.After the last Helo was lifted ,The Team stay for recon for two weeks, They had a 5 mile swim , to the USS MEYERKORD FF-1058 , The team brought back valuable info on who and how many troops was in Saigon . I wish I knew where we went on the raids so I could tell you but all I was concerned about was setting up good communications and keeping it that way. How many Americans do you suppose know that the American infantryman in the Pacific in WWII, over a three year period, saw combat an average of 40 days, but in Vietnam, over a single year, it was 240 days? Garry Owens MF’ers. The PTSD group I am in has about 24 in it and we are all in our late 50’s and early 60’s. Thanks, Phil, Thanks for the e-mail, can’t wait to talk to you, Jim, To Don Gibson, I do remember you very well on Firebase Grunt11 mostly from your great sense of humor. I never knew where we were going, I just went and did my job. The tanks and the SA-7’s were like nothing ever encountered in Vietnam before. I hope you and yours had a great Christmas and New Years and will have a great year coming up. I have had so many sleepless nights over this war I had to be a Fred, you were with D 1.7? I have a vivid memory of this, but when I talked with Dane a few years back he had no memory of this event :–). As for your records. where I at first pulled security at Marble Mountain, then around the outer perimeter of the airbase at Danang as well as pulling convoy duty. After that, after refueling we just took off from Tay Ninh and got the emergency call to rescue two VNAF pilots who got blown out of the sky in the Michelin, SA-7’s. I was close by as an FO with A Co, same battalion. I was with A company once and you guys weren’t far away. I would say that it is Memorandum #149 dated January 1973, but that number may only be to/for the United States Forces? I thought that hook went down as a result of a chain breaking. I was Infantry in an Artillery Unit that was there at air base while pull out in April 1975 so I assure you there were still grunts on the ground under hostile conditions. I thought I had made the correction from Lai Khe to Tay Ninh. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. do you remember what smu is . The heat was so intense from the burning fuel that the magnesium alloy of the chopper ignited and increased the temperature, melting parts of weapons and the chopper itself. The National Personnel Records Center in St Louis reports that they can find no records for me in RVN or for F/8 after August 1972 and they told Senator Burr (NC) that they believe that all records for Soldiers in RVN in 1972-73 were burned in a mysterious fire in 1973. You had to be going somewhere that had water though. I was with Ftrp for a short time. I was in Vietnam from Feb 1972 until Feb 1973, shortly after the “peace agreement” was signed in Paris. A total of 9 men were killed and another 10 medically evacuated due to combat injuries. I was also in the tower when the rockets went over us and hit Bien Hoa. I have read a lot on Vietnam, wondering if any author could capture and do justice to what I did in the bush with the CAV. LYNN BISCAMP WAS K.I.A. My unit at the time (C Co. 1/7) had lost my 201 file and for several days I’d go over to Long Bien to see if they’d found it before being sent back to a base empty of U.S. forces. Great training for us future Foreign Area Officers”! We did not lose! Small world! Hey! Washington DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1980. We recovered the bodies and helped with the wreck of the chopper. was killed leading a water gathering detail, and after his death the detail was suspended and the bunkers were destroyed and we left and tried to find our pz the next day with no luck. I’ve never heard an EOD person termed an “operator”. Glad you we with us. 1st Class Gary Hall and Marine Lance Cpl. I was one of the AMCs for that mission to Chu Lai, as you may recall, where we operated from Rosemary’s Point to support operations in the southern part of the province. i was also in TFGO and i was on a bunker when the rocket attack hit Bien Hoa. F4s took out an NVA tank about a click from FSB Gunt II which was not far from Bien Hoa. That December, the VMA-121 Green Knights became the seventh and last Marine A-4 unit to fly Vietnam combat missions. (some of these would have been before your time, though). Worked with and supported CAP Units around the Da Nang area Hoi An, Dien Ban, Duc Duc and all around in what I think believe was the I Corps area. I’ll post your email to the E Co 1/7 Facebook page for you (it’s private page, otherwise I’d direct you to it). Most went to bases in Thailand and the last aircraft with American personnel to leave Danang, was a C-130 which flew to two bases in Thailand, Udorn and (I believe the other was)Utapao. There was some fire, then we waited. Nixon had put ‘restictions’ on news coverage at that time and most of the public had no idea what was REALLY going on, even those at Ft. Meade. the landing strip in Long Bien when the mission terminated. I also remember we had incessant rocket and mortar attacks damn near everyday till you could set your watch by them. Well, don’t you have any orders with other people’s names on it from the unit you were in the 101st with? I’m trying to debunk someone I highly suspect is a “veteran poser”. Got a cool assignment. I’m not aware of any exchanges of fire between US armored vehicles and NVA tanks. The writer seems to think I am trying to engage in a pissing contest when all I am really doing is stating the facts (specifically on his claim about combat deaths in the Air Force SF during the period 1972 – 1975) as they are reported in reliable journals, particularly on the Air Force’s own site. Since I was a 31E20 and repaired 504RT units with the 101st, I could repair the RT’s without having to send them to a higher repair area. The brigade stood down in late May or early June, and a reinforced over strength battalion of infantry was formed (the Gary Owen Task Force) to continue looking for the enemy in the same vicinity as before. One was Ed Nelson from a town called Walla Walla and nobody belived that he came from a town by that name. The Paris Peace Accords were in fact a peace treaty. Bob Zorne….A Co. CO was Fred Vengelen (dark hair) but his XO who frequently took the company out was Bob Clark (blond). The next day I went on a “light to fight” patrol. The VA says they have lost about the first 2 and a Half years of my records but the VA doctors say that the problems I have would only come from what I went through in Vietnam, I am 59 years old now and have been this way for about 10 years now. There is no record or info I can find on this Special Operation. DaNang AFB received a misdirected Loran strike causing light damage to one building and one UH-1H aircraft. The last U.S. ground combat unit in South Vietnam, the Third Battalion, Twenty-First Infantry, departs for the United States. Air Cav troops were still there in Jan and part of Feb. I had a 1985 copy of The Vietnam Almanac that was edited by the late LtCol. This volume details the Marine activities during 1965, the year the war escalated and major American combat units were committed to the conflict. 2 weeks later I received orders for 30 days leave and then to report to Ft. Campbell to some Engineer unit in the 101st. I cannot find them. Inf. My copy of the original 1985(?) Which may have helped me somewhat confused about dates and times, I don’t know. Fran, I arrived in country on 28 September 1972, through Camp Alpha, Long Binh and Plantation, eventually ending up at Bien Hoa, finally settled with Fox9. He had a great commercial, though, showing him riding a horse and holding the staff of a big American flag. Were you there or do you know what Cav outfit flew us out?”. Somebody mentioned a young Major. Again, sorry about the date. Now, as long as I have you on the line, Major: Is the After Action Report correct as to those Blues? Check out the reply I sent to Michael Everson about that time. I was onLZ Linda Feb – May 72 in an artillery unit but I can’t remember the company or battalion. Also, what do you mean they were “defending inactive combat until the end od of January 1972 and then you say 1973? The red towels are more simple to discribe than: Do you remember buying solid color hammock’s from the locals. We used our blues for unit security, some on-ground BDA and SAR functions. i am ex army medic and i am looking for other medic who served in nam from 71-72 with 85 evacuation hospital in qui nhon and we where under control of 43 medical group then i move to 67 evacuation hospital till mid 72 in pleiku an long binh then to 95 evacuation hospital in da nang 72..we travel to long giao,phu thannh,chu lai,phu bai.so if any old medic digger please write to me at my email..thank you for reading my request, ed vail,g’day mate, sorry for late reply, been so frustrated with everything, for years searching for people serving in the medic and no such luck. Finally Irish came back, obviously perturbed, and said “They must be reconning by bayonet now”. Michael Evenson here are some other names from the page: Bruce Goetsche, Tom King, Shannon Gibson, George Potter, Robby McPhail and Paul Wessman (FO) to name a few others. There was, for instance, no reason to keep men out in the field during monsoon, month after month without a single stand-down to their base camp. I was a 60 gunner- Had 2 missions on/with the Point Team also part time mailman I flew back to Bien Hoa to get the company mail at times. The question asked when the last US ground combat troops left Vietnam. The Vietnamese custom of holding our hands was interesting. I decided not to wait and hitchhiked down and when I got there, I found out 33 guys got killed when it went down. Then they hit the sh*t. The 229th Blues came out to rescue. Doc Roberts…you’d know him. My platoon Sgt in C 1/7 (who was one of the rangers who assaulted the roof of our embassy in ’68 Tet and stayed in-country as long as he could because he was wanted for murder in San Jose Ca.) I WAS FIST ASSIGNED TO 1/12THCAV. Was one of your uncles called Ben? was activated to go to num in the early of 1972, but thing cancel out , but my question any troops sent to vietnam during 1972? Phillips… you may be on to something here and your post jogged my memory. LTCs always overrule 1LTs. I am currently active in the National EOD Association as legal advisor and Director of Veterans Benefits. Sadly he missed by only a few feet. (I have a few slides of that attack that I shot the next morning while smoke was still billowing. I left in Feb 1973 and I know that 12th CAG was scrambling to close up shop and I was told later that a lot of the paperwork was squirreled away in some repository outside DC, this according the Mr. Lundwall (Wally Gator), from Major Hewitt. There are stories to tell! One slip of a word misused and it is war between a few veterans. I have been unsuccessful trying to find our battalion CO, LTC Billy Thaxton. We also had a mix of 105s (3) and 2 155s while I was on FSB Gibralter (Song Don Gna River) late 71 – early 72. Warren – Bunker Hill II was the last. I did and was a soldier before the day was over. Upon arrival in III Corps, myself, the Troop CO and the Gun Plt Ldr attended a briefing where we were told our primary mission was to find an NVA/Russian 130MM Towed Arty BN that intel was tracking West of Nui Ba Din and that they believed was intending to get near Saigon in order to bring it under indirect Arty fires…..talk about a potential game changer! HE called everyone “snuffy” I left VN on the same flight and talked to him in the mid 80’s when he called me on Christmas eve. They were the last Air Cav Troop in three corp. Best of my knowledge they were there through the ceasefire. Molian (sp?) I remember the S3, the young-looking major Binford Peay, who later commanded the 101st Abn Div in Desert Storm, and as a four-star, USCENTCOM. Using The Wall and the Air Force list of dead in operations is factual and therefore hardly a pissing contest. I was medivac’d out of the field in July and never saw anyone from the unit. 3/21 never did engage the enemy and as the 196th was my last unit in Vietnam I consider this to be an act of cowardice second only to abandoning our ally to the North Vietnamese. Anyone have any information on what infantry unit this was. You remember seeing the body next to Tony Witter. I would very much like what ever documentaion you have concerning that class. at Camp Holloway in Pleiku. Thank God I saw 2 of my fellow unit members and they were shocked to see me because they thought I had got out and wasn’t suppose to come back. Sounds like you lived in Danang West, the old Marine compound. I never smoked but I have lung cancer now. Also, as I’ve seen in various accounts over the years, fatalities of all causes are sometimes mixed into KIAs. DALE BURTON MOILANEN. H Company, 75th Rangers also had a few men killed during that offensive. At dawn, the last Marines of the force guarding the U.S. embassy lift off. They’ve never cared and they don’t want to hear about it now. One other thing: Do you know Joe Kirby? This was especially true for me, because I was mostly with my supported companies in the field, and would generally return to my parent artillery back in the base. Unfortunately, he lost. I am not including those that died in helicopter crashes be it from hostile fire or accidents in my take. Tooo tall to go into the bush showed me a grease gun he had in the weapons room. We joined the task force at Cam Rahm Bay and operated in AO Wesson and AO Smith, mostly (there were 2 more that I have forgotten’). Just to be clear, I’m talking about E Co, 1/7 reunion. It was very dangerous after ceasefire as well. I enjoyed reading the emails from people that were in the same places at the same time as me. I would still look askance at your friend’s claim until I had additional information. Please join us. That is correct. The 1st Marines were the last marine … I’m getting old–just read the post again and saw that you were with F/9th Cav as well as others. As veterans, how would you feel about a distant relative from a night of passion in Vietnam popping up out of no where? One more thing Jack, Thanks for your support in Vietnam. I was in that ceremony. Glad to help…, Bob: When did you leave SVN? The Ammo Dump that blew up was Grunt II. That was probably F Troop 9th Cav. For Bob Florney: Hi Bob, glad you made it out of country ok, even if it was via medivac. Thanks. It came around again to land, and since we were in the boonies and could not see the runway, I though it was a second AC landing. Would go out and went home 72, but we were taking we! 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