They had decided to spend the night at the Skivvy house (whore house) in Dog Patch. Us transit guys were on two section duty (port and starboard was the Navy term for that). The first half of my year in Vietnam (1967) I was stationed at the large U. S. base in Danang. If there was any heavy weather and to many buffer pads were jumping out I would have to go back to the hooch and roust out a work crew. This is a 122mm rocket crater in the road in front of our shop. - LCU-63 * MIA * We assumed everyone around us had the same idealistic desire to strive to do our best all the time. 89 helpful votes. There were many places within NSA/NSF DaNang where personnel were assigned. The cot had a broken leg so I had to prop it up with a sand bag and it was missing one end piece so it just wanted to fold up on me when I laid on it. Another source for jungle fatigues was up at Camp Reasoner. Port bow of the barracks craft shows no. Our mess hall, about 70 yards from my hootch took a direct hit on the serving line and kitchen area. Now I know where Barbee is but where is Babyson? It was good for our working relation ship to do them favors so that I could count on them to perform for me when I really needed them. There was the real possibility of hitting a mine or being ambushed by the VC (it happened more often then I would like to think about) . One night I stood a four hour office watch and another night I was on a four hour barracks fire watch. Closer and closer, the engine starting to whine! It was losing altitude and we were wondering if they would make it. by the time they got to us AWC# 5 we would be awake (hopefully) and report in. I'm sorry my last letter to you was so abruptly ended, but I figured I'd best get it sent, otherwise you'd still be waiting. After a couple rocket and mortar attacks my brain never went completely to sleep. Also we took care of damage at Camp Reasoner and the small CAP out posts. uniform. I am a 20 year old US soldier and my country says I have to be here! He praised me for staying calm and I had done good then he said I should go outside and sit down as I was looking a little green around the gills! He had to re arrange his schedule to accommodate me. I went back to my cubicle crawled into bed, ending my On May 13,1968 we took 6 122mm rocket rounds as explained in my May 15,1968 leter. painting rocks. This is the first Poem that I wrote in Vietnam and is about the two marines killed in the skivvy house. If there were any trouble calls from the Marines (usually lights out on the perimeter or something not working at the mess hall) then it was jump in the truck drive out and check and drive over to our hooch and get who ever was needed to go fix the problem. On May 15 I had finished 6 or 8 escape doors. very first day of war. It was a real learning experience for the three of us. The doc had no idea but it was a sure thing she was going to die. I think that maybe it was a way to help get my thoughts together, write the event down and then move on. Yes, everyone called him soccer ball head ! Da Nang Vietnam 1968 stock footage and images. Then we saw a little dot far up Elephant Valley. If it had detonated when it hit the ventilator we both would have been killed! I served there and just would like to hear from some of the guys that was there. It is also one of the top international surfing destinations. while we were starting the wall framing we heard the sound of a UH-1 helicopter. Yes that's puppy and our new steel worker (Calhoun). I was to hear FNG Everyone was busy as hell and I didn't have any idea as to what was going on. Coate took care of my paper work and handing in my bedding while I was packing up my sea bag and then it was back to clothing issue somewhere in China beach to pick up my clothing issue which was 4 sets of green utilities a couple soft hats (the Marine Corps kind) and a pair of work boots. loading the LSTs and loading onto trucks. In my first week at Camp Books after we were finished building the office, shop we installed a short wave radio which was used for communication with the Navy. The hooch in back is the doctors office and residents. He got in line and they loaded his truck with beds, lots of beds. List of aircraft of the Malaysian Armed Forces, http://www.worldcat.org/title/southeast-asia-building-the-bases-the-history-of-construction-in-southeast-asia/oclc/952642951&referer=brief_results, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/by-sea-air-land-marolda/chapter-4-winding-down-the-war-1968-1973.html, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, United States military bases of the Vietnam War. So there I would be for over a week trying to keep the mosquitoes off of me by covering with the sheet and putting my head in the pillow case. Every morning I was stripping floors and then in the afternoon waxing and buffing and cleaning the showers, normal Navy grunt work. The MPs had used their white belts as tourniquets just above the knees. The MPs left in a hurry. He left me sitting there on the steps saying he would send Beerworth down at 1700 hr to get me settled in. This is the Hoa Kahn clinic at the time I started working there. We went through the gate, down Main Street, took a left and stopped in front of a small building that looked like a hamburger stand. Da Nang is known as the tourist capital of South-Central Vietnam, with a west coast location that makes for beautiful sunsets against an impressive backdrop of lush mountains. That sure screwed with our sleep! The Brief. The wounded man was the Mess Sargent who was the only one at the mess hall at the time. I went to my CO and asked to help. What that means is we stood a four hour night watch every other night. . . That was the LTs first rocket attack and he didn't react fast enough. I faked being a doctor from the USA and was shown around a little. I asked about the little girl and the doc said she had died Thursday night. That's danger close to the shop! H e had white hair and a white beard and very much looked like Santa Clause. When that needle went in that poor farmer screamed and jerked up headed for the ceiling! It had been built the end of April so was brand new. Made a very good impression on me, I didn't even consider it my whole time in Vietnam ! Supported COMSEC 705 (Camp Tien Sha), Operation Big Look (Da Nang) and USMC ground missions (1st Radio BN). pilot said that was to avoid being shot at by the VC. The Doc started by cutting the legs off. So what did I do for work uniforms ? The new pier facility allowed deep-draft ocean-going vessels to unload cargo directly onto . The next weekend I asked about the farmer ? Remember the talk we got about staying away from the prostitutes that I got my first day in Vietnam? The Marines slept 12 to 14 men in a hootch. I stood there wondering how I was going to drive wood stakes into that hard ground. These places had many different names, abbreviations, acronyms, terms, and phrases.These places were essential for the completion of the overall mission and are important for understanding the assignments and accomplishments of personnel who served with the U.S. Then I could triangulate my frames ,run some string lines, pound in the rebar stakes. Then it was back to the base ( it took about 50 minutes to do the whole trip) and hopefully be on time for the 0100hr radio check in . I was finished with my concrete forms before noon on Wednesday . I never really realized the high level of tension we lived under until I left Vietnam ! I even passed an enlisted sailor with a can of white paint and he was the fresh meat so what do I know about it. After he was medivaced one young labor worker(Baby son) would ask me every morning If I had heard how Barbee was and if I got a letter from him. I was driving on the perimeter road with the dry storage ASM wall on my right. A sad day because we were no longer a Seabee Team ! Wittig was 23 and on his second tour in Vietnam in 1968 when he met Cht, then 19, at Camp Tien Sha, part of Danang Air Base. I held that little girl sitting on my tool box and in a short time she was used to me and clutching onto the front of my shirt. Boy life was improving a lot. We aren't sure where he is yet and haven't got permission to go after him! The truck dropped us at the work sight. Camp Tien Sha is a former United States Navy base located in Danang, Vietnam. She would throw dirt into the air and scratch at her face until it was bleeding , rubbing dirt into the cuts. Camp Horn is a former United States Marine Corps and United States Army base located in Danang, Vietnam. One night I was in the office with LT Branch . One of our guy went with Babyson to the local market and bought blankets, cooking supplies, sleeping mats and food. I was going to have to hit the ground running if I intended to stay with this team. There wasn't much blood ,just a small whelp where the bullet went in. The Marines in that ambush had fired on me to scare me because they thought I was the duty officer making the rounds. The poor farmer had stepped on a mine. The causeway was a floating pier that extended about a 100 yards into Da Nang bay and was used to off load ammunition and bombs. Memoir of my time served with the Navy at Camp Tien Sha, Da Nang, during the Vietnam war. Here is the letter I wrote my parents on May 15, 1968. didnt get shot at and we safely landed and taxied off the run way. Often times during a rocket or mortar attack rounds would over shoot landing in Hoa Kahn or Dog Patch ,providing children for the Clinic. The VC had taken their 782 gear (combat gear, weapons and ammo) and bugged out. OK, Im new here, the rooky, The best attractions in Da Nang include a good mix of centuries-old pagodas, French colonial buildings, as well as tranquil beaches with clear blue waters, and verdant national parks. I was shocked when he told me she was only 15 years old! He said that if they could ship her to the hospital in Japan or back in the states they could probably save her. In reality, it is a collection of ideas, images, and information that enough people have chosen to preserve and disseminate. Well sure I heard about it and even saw them down at 1st MPs. Necessarily, more is lost to time than is remembered. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Vietnam photos available for quick and easy download. Well I never did hear from Barbee. nstar48; Media item; Jan 30, 2008; korean engineers maintenance control division vietnam war year 1968; . On February 10, 1970, SN Robert T. Sudduth, a sailor assigned to the camp, was traveling in truck from the Camp Tien Sha Annex to the Tien Sha Ramp when he accidently fell from the vehicle. U.S. Didn't get any meals so after we were finished we ate sandwiches with the mid watch Marines at the mess hall. I suppose that I needed that time alone to recover from the amputation! Some times a lot of shit happened . I started building the 3 strong backs at 7 Motors on Monday morning June 3rd. I was in Danang less than a month when the Vietcong used rockets to attack the Danang Air Base for the first time in the war, on the morning of February 27. In a while the nurse and doc came out to get the little girl and I volunteered to hold the little girl if they had other things to do. Issues related to race and race relations helped to define the African American experience in the United States, and these same issues defined the experiences of black soldiers in Vietnam.Race relations in combat were typified by cooperation, shared sacrifice, and a sense of brotherhood. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. The flares were often still burning when they hit the ground. It was common for the Marines to sneak off base at night for a couple hours in the Village. Nang officers billeting ! "Honcho come", he pulls me around the Quonset hut, his eyes were as big as saucers! Any damage at FLC was my teams responsibility to asses , clean up and repair or replace so I had direct involvement in all rocket and mortar attacks at FLC. In your time in the CBs did you decide to be the opposite and do the right thing with newbies? You FNGs get to the back of the I was standing in front of the hut assessing the job. He lets fly with 8 or 10 rounds then he is done for the day. The rest of my tour I did what every good Seabee team would do, I stole them ! I didn't realize at the time that the intended target was me and the generators. The two crew members jumped out just under the flames .They carried their M-60 machine guns. There was about a weeks over lap so the knew Chief could learn his job! Style attributes. . Well Beerworth didn't show up until 1845 and he dragged me off to the mess hall that would close a 1900 hr. Don't try to cross in to the base as there were mines. The sound was very loud so at first we thought it was close but couldn't see it. The doctor and nurse came out of the clinic. So over time it was easier to just not know anyone. Between 1969 and 1971 hundreds, if not thousands, of incidents of racial violence occurred in and around American military bases The Post office took a close hit and there was damage to 3 ambulances by sick bay and a bunch of trucks at the motor pool. Pett George my ex UDT instructor allowed me to go through the class early being as how my older brother Jay and my Dad were going through the class too. Why are you here in Vietnam ? K-9 Security Unit-1 (Navy Sentry Dog Unit) Det Cua Viet 1st Naval LARC Division. The nurse in the center of the picture is the one who helped amputate the farmers legs. Beerworth dropped us at 1st MPs. What the F is wrong with her? BU3 Hovanec expired July 7, 1969 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam. We were here, It was creepy doing that trip to the causeway. Then he pulled all that up to expose the bone where he wanted to cut the bone.The nurse held all the skin and muscle up while the Doc cut off the bones. DS CS: Jan 1968: 6 Oct 1972: NSGDet - at 8th RRFS, PhuBai, Vietnam. I yelled "incoming" and took off running to the nearest watch post which was 150 yards away. I would share it with my team mates but a lot of it I gave to the Vietnamese children at the Clinic or whenever I worked off base. It is very likely this was were the Marines were killed . Retro. It had been a very busy month with a lot of things happening. Nice history lesson for me. Over time that changed, I didn't want to know any newbies! Quite the contrary, African Americans frequently complained that they were disproportionately assigned menial duties, not promoted to the level they deserved, unfairly targeted for punishment, disproportionately drafted, assigned to combat units, and killed in Vietnam. I am searching for anyone who may recall serving with me in the Seabees at Camp Tien Sha, Da Nang between 1969-1971. The number of rockets are probably plus or minus a couple rockets. May 27 was my birthday. The Marine on the left was blond and looked like a California surfer.He to had been shot in the back of the head. Not all the time but sometimes . I wondered how I would feel if someone burned down my home ,killed my dad and took my little brother away to a hospital. I had to pick up a box of those little "letter balls" for IMB Selectric typewriters from Camp Tien Sha and from there, "fight" my way all the way to China Beach. We were told that we were teaching them skills so they would be able to have a useful job. Detachment Dong Ha - 1967 - 1970. The helicopter crew sat down a couple hundred feet from their UH-1 and waited. This was a real live human! Barrels of asphalt damaged by rocket attack, April 1969 . We started pouring concrete Wednesday June 5, 1968. is shown across the Han River from Da Nang itself. Tlchargez ds aujourd'hui la photo Camp Tien Sha. The building site was about 150 yards outside of the north perimeter and the perimeter had not been opened up yet. It took until 2000 hours to finish that first slab. Both of his legs had been pretty much blown off. Mostly I would just build and they would watch and fallow what I did. For the time being they were stashed in my hooch and on May 24, Karl Voiles spent his first day assembling beds. Naval Communication Facility. I would have to find some time to build a foot locker. Nobody even knowing where from or if they had families. But that only happened once as from then on I was ready. That is the only time I had to get clothing issue. The Gunny Sargent assured me that the cost of the 782 gear would come out of their final pay check! Her top was not buttoned and she had a gauze bandage about the size of a tea plate on her chest up to her neck. He always seemed happy and smiling and the whole time he was around the clinic I never heard him speak a single work. Only 364 more days to go! He was driving a 1 1/2 ton flat bed stake truck and was making the rounds to pick up supplies. That episode followed rioting along China Beach by black . nstar48; Media item; Jan 30, 2008; Funny thing about the base exchange was I only went there once my whole tour. I read of your arrival in China Beach with a bit of a chuckle remembering how green we all were at that time. The Doc told me to help tie the farmer down to the desk. The kids head had been stitched up and looked just like a soccer ball. Another thing that screwed up the night for us was our night radio, phone watch, it was a real bitch ! 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