Thomas Healey
B/1/8

I served with B Company, 1st Bn 8th Inf, 4th Infantry Division from May of 1967, until I was wounded on August 12, 1967. We had a minor conflict, but we had to call air strikes that day to help out. We got hit with our own artillery and since I was higher up on the hill, I got hit in the legs but my two friends were killed. The two men that got killed that day were Ed Randazzo, who was quite a character and Len Ludwig, who are both on Vietnam Wall, Panel 24E. There were others killed and wounded when they tried to blow an LZ to land copters. I eventually got out on a bubble top. I think mothergook referred to that in his guest book entry. I went to Cam Rahn Bay and was then reassigned. I left country on May 14, 1968 one year to entry. I became a SGT with a basic training company at Ft. Gordon, GA. I left the army in December of 1968. After leaving the service I became a Police officer in the city of Quincy which borders Boston. I was a detective from 1971 until I retired in 2002. I do remember CPT Christy and now that I am in contact with you, I may start to remember others. Glad you made it back and thank you for your service and thank you for contacting me.

Posted 23 NOV 2010

Bob Sholly
CO, B/1/8
1967

Homer - I have been following your pages for some time and find them to be helpful and interesting. Good job...its nice to know that B, 1-8th was in good hands in the later years.

First I would appreciate it if you would post the following on your guest pages.

I am in the final stages of completing a book about the 1-8th's first year in Vietnam. Beginning from the time we left Ft Lewis in October 1966 and landed in Tuy Hoa, to when we moved west of Pleiku and the battles in the spring of 67 and the Nine Days in May battles, to the battles in Dak To and Kontum in October 1967.

I am looking for guys to interview who were in the 1-8th or supported them from the artillery, engineers, and aircraft, or anyone else who was involved in our actions. I already have a lot of material, but am looking for more individual perspectives to put more passion into an already loaded narrative. I am looking for letters from families of men who were in the unit and individual memories of events and things that stuck in their minds...during that first year we had several small firefights and several large ones that got the attention of everyone in the 4th Infantry Division...but I am also looking for that odd memory that crops up whenever someone thinks about their time over there. We had four Medals of Honor awarded to men in the battalion in a two-month period (McNerney from A Co, Grandstaff and Molnar from B Co and Bellerichard from C Co. It is not only the death and destruction that happened, it is the story that seems funny in retrospect or even was at the time...the monkeys at Dak To, the elephant west of Pleiku discombobulating one of our ambushes when we thought it was an NVA elephant supply column, the squad leader who got confused when he was trying to capture a prisoner and who told a single NVA soldier to DiDi instead of Dung Lai (stop) (which the soldier immediately did). Things like that.

From Oct 66 to Dec 66 I was the Battalion S1, from Dec 66 to July 67 I was the B Company Commander, and from July 67 to Oct 67 I was the S3. This was my first tour and I kept a daily journal of what happened in the unit. Now I want to flesh it out with the memories of the other guys who lived it so that their memories are kept alive as well as the memory of those others who didn't come home.

Guys can contact me by writing to me at: Robert Sholly, PO Box 1590, Pearland, TX 77581 or emailing me at:

 
Welcome Home guys!

Posted 15 August 2010

Marty O'Donnell
B/1/8 Infantry
4th Infantry Division

I've been surfing the internet for information on my unit in Vietnam since finally going on line a few months ago. I hadn't touched a computer since my forced retirement 8 years ago.

I was assigned to B Co. 1st of the 8th, 4th Div in August, 1968. I arrived at FSB-29 in late August. I was then assigned to the 1st platoon. I went through your website and saw the picture and the name of Wayne Elledge. He was my best friend. I know how our memories fade some, but I'll never forget the day he died. Many mornings we would wake up and there would always be someone who would say, " It looks like a good day to die." Well that October day it came true for Wayne. My 4-man patrol was returning to FSB-29, when we passed Wayne, Larry Conklin, Zeke and a new guy, replacing us. We weren't back on FSB-29 more than half an hour, when we heard a lot of small arms fire. Wayne was killed, Zeke shot up pretty good, the new guy badly wounded in the leg and Larry shot in the neck. Only Larry could return fire and he held the gooks off until choppers arrived. We wanted to go but out, but the Officers wouldn't let us because of the danger of being drawn into a larger ambush. Larry came back to the company later, but was killed in another firefight. I think he was awarded the silver star but can't find the information on the net.

Later in the year I was infused into the 1/14th Infantry and finished my tour with them. Like I said, memories fade and I've never been good with names. Were you our platoon leader, I'm sure it was 1st platoon? If you would like, I can send you some pictures taken around FSB-29 and 32

I was able to straighten out some dates by going through some letters I sent home.

Assigned to B Company, 1st of 8th on 8/31/68. Heard they hadn't lost a man since January '68. 1st platoon, 2nd squad. Took Highway-14 from Pleiku to Dak To during monsoon season. Still at 1st Brigade FSB at Dak To on September12th. Company B had only 3 platoons and 4th was added. Choppered to FSB-29 on September 19th. Left FSB-29 for FSB-30 around October 15, just before NVA started shelling FSB-29. February 6 Dak To turned over to South Vietnamese. February humped to FSB near Kontum. On February 19 five of us left 1st of 8th to be infused into 1st of 14th, 4th Div. March 8th we were at LZ Marylou and choppered to 1st of 14th at Bunker Hill and I stayed with this unit until August '69. Glad my mother saved these letters so I could remember what the hell I was doing. I made copies of several pictures around the time I was with 1/8th. If you would like me to send them to post on your web site, let me know and send me a mailing address. I still have your phone #, let me know if you'd like me to call.

Yes, you can post what I wrote. I've sent email to St. Louis for a complete copy of my military records so that I could verify certain dates. The "Good Soldier's&" nickname was Frenchy. I was not near point that day, but I do remember that a dog and his handler were actually on point that day and the gooks allowed them to walk past a cross trail before they opened up on our guys. You got all of the details correct and after the Dustoff we walked through the spot and there were a lot of discarded cans of albumin used by our medic on Frenchy.

The snake story was one of the highlights of my tour. The way I remembered it was the jungle was real tight and we were definitely in single file. Then we stopped and someone, probably you or the RTO radioed to the point to find out what the hell was going on. They called back and said there was a python hanging across the trail. Probably you said to get it out of the way. A call came back to tell you to come move it because they weren't going anywhere near it. The rest is history.

The guy who tore himself a new asshole that day was the worse case of many that day that impaled himself on punji stakes that were imbedded all over a hill we were climbing. If my memory serves me right, several others were dusted off that day as well.

Now your story of the NVA medic. I remember one being killed and had thought it was by a Puerto Rican kid named Willie because I remember him with the guy's new SKS with the collapsible bayonet, he also put on the guy's pith helmet. I'm probably mistaken here, but I do appreciate the fact that you gave his family closure. I do remember the notes that proved he was a medic and that he had pictures. I also remember that some of his notes were in a comic book cover, I think it was batman. I was still with the 1st of the 8th, B Company when this happened.

It's been a long time and I've been thinking about this forever, because after going through all of this guy's belongings we were ordered to clear the trail and me and another guy picked the body up and threw it into some brush. I've always felt badly about this but didn't have any pictures or info to track anyone.

Homer, thanks for doing this, it's made me feel better too. After you read this let me know if you would like to talk the old fashioned way, by phone. I would definitely call you.

 Thanks for your website. I will send what information I can to help
 others who have responded and have questions.

Posted 20 MAR 2010

Charles Younginer
Ret. E-8

TThanks for this site I have been looking for information on B Company 1/8th for years and this is the first that I have found. Reading all of the e-mails really brought back memories. I was one of the fellows who help bring the python snake back and cut it up. I went through three Commanders but CPT Crunch stood out more than the other two before him. I think I went out on every patrol that went out night and day. I remember one night we went out and came back on the wrong coordinates and all hell broke loose.  Thank God none of us were hurt that night. Some of the names I recall in the Company were Alabama, Gerkins, Gary Starks, Nick Zappone, The Kid (Plt. Ldr) and Slater. There also was Weider and I forgot the kid who had the worst case of jungle rot in 1967. Oh yes how can I forget Doc Webb,  Willie the Indian and Pineapple.

I left November1967 from Dak To to return back to Pleiku. Once I arrived there my father passed away and I was told to ship out to the states and try for a reassignment.br>
I have been fighting the VA for years for PTSD and other ailments to be turned down and even told that my CIB does not mean that I was in COMBAT what a bunch of &%^#@.

Welcome home Brothers and God Bless.
Posted 14 FEB 2010

If you want to get in touch with Chuck, just email me at the address at the bottom of the page and I will forward it to him..

Alfred Davidson

Somehow I located your web site. My name is Alfred P. Davidson. I have always been called Penn which is my middle name. I served as the Senior Medic with Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Inv 4th Inf Division.

God Bless you and WELCOME HOME!

Chuck Michaeli...

I am Chuck Michaeli  2nd Platoon B company 1/8th INF from May 15, 1967 to May 10, 1968, weapons squad and carried the M-60. I was called Mother Gook or Mac, due to the fact that I used vines to suspend my air mattress off the ground. Some of my platoon leaders were 1st. Lt. Allen, 2nd Lt. Wilson (GOLDEN BOY). I don't remember the rest. I had three COs. I don't remember the first. The second was Captain Christie (Cpt. Crunch) and Captain Moore. I remember the tall man from Tennessee who was the CO's. RTO. I was wounded in the knee at Dak To on FEB 6, 1967.  There was a Gary Dice who was in the 1st. Platoon. He was wounded at the battle of the Nine Days of May  in July 1967, but later returned to B Company. Gary Dice became a pilot for North West airlines and died of cancer in 1987. Gary was good friend of mine. There was a Steve Smith who was in the 2nd Platoon. Steve was wounded in the Nine Days of May and he also returned to B Company. Steve worked for the railroad out of St. Louis Missouri. I visited him in 1970 and 72. Steve was the youngest man in B Company. He turned 18 in May 1967. I am writing about the events that happened to B Company for the VA and VFW. I will be e-mailing you from time to time looking for information. I hope you don't mind me doing this. There were a SPC4 Lenix and a SGT. Ryeburg and a PFC Grace in B Company with me also.


Our XO was a 1st Lieutenant King from Texas. One of our Battalion Commanders was Lt Col Gail Wilson. In a battle North of Jackson Hole,  We could only make a small LZ to get our wounded out. Lt. Col Wilson came in with his little bubble helicopter and stayed on the ground with us. We put two men at a time on his bubble helicopter and evacuated them to the aid station at Jackson Hole. Lt. Col Wilson then walked with us (2000 meters) to the next LZ, where we could make it big enough for three helicopters to land. On 9/3/67 B Company and A Company 1/8th INF were waiting outside of Due Co Special Forces Camp for Lt Col Wilson to arrive by helicopter and let us know which way we were going into the ID Drang valley. We waited for four hours and word came down that LTC Wilson's helicopter crashed and he was killed. He was a great leader that will be missed.

We had five black soldiers who would sing songs every night after we dug into our defensive perimeters. They would sing the great songs of the 60's, like Down on the Boardwalk. One singer was SP/4 Shorty Davis, a 5 foot tall black man. Whenever we went in the rear area, Shorty would put on the yellow Sergeant First Class strips on his sleeves. We all got a kick out of the respect he got wearing those stripes. He would go in the NCO clubs and bring out whiskey for the rest of us. If he got caught, he would have been locked up. Shorty Davis made in home.

I don't know about the men in your time. but most of the men with me had good luck charms. One black soldier from New York City's, good luck charm was a white mussel T-shirt. When we got on the plane to go home, his T-shirt was black. My good luck charm was a orange and black tiger key ring from my high school. Those lucky charms made us bullet proof.

Some Short Stories every day events that happened to B company 1/8th. INF....

Monkey Assault
I remember that one night B Company was dug in on the side of a large hill with big trees for cover. During the night a wild monkey came down from one of the trees and jumped on a sleeping soldier. His screams woke up his buddies. They were all trying to get the monkey off him and in the confusion that followed three or four men were bitten by the monkey. I think they were all in the 3rd platoon. All of those soldiers had to get rabies shots.

Captain Christie goes monkey hunting.
When we moved off the mountain with the monkeys, we moved in two columns through the jungle. We entered a area where the trees were spaced out a little and they were not as tall. Two monkeys started jumping from tree top to tree top. Captain Christie using his little M16, chased the monkeys and  shot both of them. I was impressed with the Captains shooting.

Snake Steak
One of the men in the 1st Platoon brought in a 12 foot python he had killed while on patrol. One of the black soldiers an E-6, who was a cook before joining B Company 1/8th, cooked up the python and several  soldiers ate the snake. I was told it was good, but did not get any of the snake to taste.

Dragons do exist!
I was on a five man patrol and we were taking a break from walking through the jungle, when the grass in front of me started to move. I watched as a large lizard come out of the grass and head toward me. I shot that lizard in the head with my M-16. It was 6 1/2 feet long and weighed about 125 lbs. It was around 40 inches is diameter in the middle of it's belly. The E-6  cooked up the lizard and I got to taste it. Not bad, but it did not taste like chicken.
Captain Crunch chewed my ass out for shooting that lizard and compromising the patrol. My excuse was that all I saw was the grass moving and I fired. I don't think Captain Crunch believed me but I did not change my story around him.

Pork Barbecue
B Company was moving up a long finger going up a mountain, when the CO decided to call a 10 minute brake. I had to take a dump and moved down the hill with only my entrenching tool. I had my pants down around my ankles, when the front line opened up with small arms fire. There was a lot of screaming, that sounded like wounded men, as I was trying to run up the hill with my pants around my ankles, falling on my face several times. When I arrived back at the company perimeter, I was told that Sergeant Premo Herandazs and his squad had opened up on eight to ten little pigs. What I had heard was the wounded pigs screaming. Sergeant Herandazs and his men took the best four pigs they shot back to the company perimeter, where the black E-6, cooked up the pigs over a spit that Sergeant Herandazs buillt. I was told they were good eating, but once again I missed out.

Package Home
One night B Company and D Company were set up together at the OASIS Fire Support Base. My night position was next to the last night position of D Company 1/8th. I was rolling up my air mattress, when one of the men from D Company came over to me. He had a large black scorpion in a small box and said that he found it under his air mattress. He told me, that he was going to mail it home to his Mom, for her to put in his bug collection. MOM or who ever opens that box will be very surprised.

These are just some of the daily things we went through just trying to get each day to pass.

Thank you for your web site. Chuck Michaeli


Check out Chuck's story about his first patrol with B/1/8 in July 1967 and the account of setting up Fire Base Dogbone.

Posted 22 FEB 2007

Charles Michaeli

I regret to inform you, Charlie passed away in November 2007.  We will all miss him.  His entries to this site were very important in helping tell the story.  I am very glad I got to know him.  Take the time to read his entries again and say a prayer for him and his family.
 

Homer
 

Phillip Bynum aka Tennessee, emails from his wife Nell Bynum.

Homer,

Oh, how I hope your e-mail is still current. After looking for years I finally stumbled upon your web site. There I found my husband's name in the memories of Chuck Magnuson. We have been looking for people who served with him and did manage to find Capt. Moore who is now retired as LT. Col. Robert Moore. We would love to talk to anyone who served with my husband, Phillip Bynum aka Tennessee. If Chuck or any others have e-mail address you can share we would love to have them. Also you can feel free to e-mail us and share our info.

Phillip was a RTO and was in Vietnam 67 and 68 in 1st of the 8th, 4th Inf, B Co. He remembers some of the names listed on your site and some he does not. Most of them he didn't remember until he saw their names here.

Homer, what a good job you are doing. Did you know Phillip? He doesn't remember hardly anything and has a 100% PTSD rating for good reason I can see. We now live in Murray, Ky and we are retired. Phillip had a daughter born 25 years ago with the number one and two Agent Orange birth defects. Spina Bifida and Hydracephalus. She is in wheelchair but is a happy girl married with 2 daughters.

Nell Bynum

--------------------------

Homer,

Phillip was glad to talk to you. I think it made him feel a little better. He has 100% V.A. and social Security disability for PTSD. We have had small VA disability for about 6 years now for PTSD but was upgraded this month. I knew when we had been married about 2 months something was wrong with him just did not know what it was. He still after all the diagnosis and everything doesn't think there is anything wrong with him. I have been married to him for 20 years and it has been 20 years of hard road until this year. It seems as if his medicine has finally begun to help him. It would have been wonderful to have had them 20 years ago but at that time he refused to go to V.A. Alcohol was keeping him going until 2001 when he had heart attack and had to quit drinking. We are watching Oliver North's war stories right now. It is about the true story of 11 days in May in Vietnam, Hamburger Hill. I have a newspaper article (what is left of it) that Phillip sent his mom. I think it was from Stars and Stripes about a hill they had to take. This article helped him prove his PTSD. I may have some pictures and I know I have the newspaper article if you would like for me to scan them to you I will. Also please feel free to post my letter or letters to you and anything else about us you would like. I have a lot of respect and love for the Vietnam Veterans. I salute you all.

Nell Bynum (wife of Phillip Bynum aka Tennessee)

Some photos- one is Dak To Air Strip-other is Firebase you guys were building. Let me know if they come through.

Nell

------------------------------

Homer,

I have no hesitation about you publishing what I write to you. It may help someone else. If what we have gone through together and Phillip's own personal Hell help some one else it would make me very happy. I have come to the conclusion that although the Combat Veteran has PTSD in a severe form, I believe that the spouse gets it in smaller doses. I know it may sound crazy but since I started 6 years ago, when he had his heart attack and stopped drinking, trying to get him help and to understand his feelings I have had nights without sleep thinking about Vietnam. I was really ashamed of myself because I would get mad because we never went anywhere, and, I mean anywhere. I accused him of not going because he wanted to stay next to his beer cooler. When I found out he was afraid to go in crowds and different places I was so ashamed. I had read about PTSD and there was the comment that the Veteran was afraid of crowded places and always wanted his back to the wall. So I worked up the nerve and asked him and he just shook his head yes. How sad this World is to its best young men. You know when we first got married 20 years ago he would set booby traps in front of every door. He would always have the electric company install floodlights wherever we lived. And he always checked the perimeter. He still does that. I noticed he would watch every step he took before he set his foot down. I stepped on a spider one day and he got angry at me for doing that. With a heart like that how can it not be broken in Combat? I know his heart is broken, but trying to heal now and he is still trying to get home. I hope he makes it in my lifetime. I feel so much for the Vietnam Veteran, They went, they served, they paid. They are all my heroes just as my husband is and I am so very proud of all of you. Nell

------------------------------

Homer,

I wish I knew when that Battle was and what hill. Phillip said he thought it was when he had been there just a little while. He did seem to remember a little about it. Now I would like to know if you know anything about the Battle of May 29, 1968 on Hill 29 that 1st and 8th got Unit Citation for? If not could you tell me where I may be able to find out about it. I am curious about this as Phillip has no recollection of it and His Capt. Moore was the one who told me about the day and location and that a regiment of NVA tried to overun them, but he didn't seem to want to discuss anymore and I tried to respect his feelings. Any info would help me so much. Keep up the good work.

Nell

You can publish this if you want as it is sincere and sees it from a woman's view.



Posted 21 JUN 2006

Nell Bynum:

A note from Nell Bynum, Phillip's wife. Phillip was an RTO and in Vietnam 67-68 with B/1/8.

Everybody's talkin' at me
I don't hear a word they're sayin'
only the echoes of my mind!
People stop an' starin'
I can't even see their faces
only the shadows of their eyes!
Goin' where the sun keeps a-shinin'
through the pouring rain
goin' where the weather suits my clothes!

The lyrics sound like they could have been written by a Vietnam Veteran.

It has been raining here for a few days. We sat out on the porch for a few minutes tonight. He was smoking and I was watching the rain.
I love to see and hear the rain. We came back in the house as the movie was going off. The music was Everybody's Talkin. The lyrics are
above. After a few minutes (while the music was still playing) Phillip said "I am going to bed. I bet you have never gone to bed in the pouring
rain have you Baby?" Took me a minute to realize what he was talking about. "I said no and not in the mud either, but you have a lot of times
haven't you?" He smiled and said "OH, yes more than I can count." I replied, "Yes but you survived it, now if you could just forget it you
would be all right wouldn't you?" He nodded yes then he went to bed leaving me knowing where his thoughts are tonight.

Now, my thoughts are in Vietnam in the rain.. I am crying for all of you tonight. My heart is heavy and my thoughts are of you guys tonight.

Nell Bynum

PS: The lyrics are from "Midnight Cowboy" and were heard in country around 1969. I remember hearing them and they seemed to talk
directly to my soul. (Homer)

Posted 25 Jan 2007

Ken Groff
B/1/8

I came across your site today and was very surprised to find so much information about our unit and the "guys" we served with. My name is Ken Groff, call sign "Eagle", and I was a platoon leader in B/1/8 from Feb '68 until about Aug '68 when I became the Bn S-2 serving with LTC Olds & MAJ Prahm. I certainly remember "Tennessee" my RTO and Chad Magnuson both great guys. The photo of "Georgie Girl" brought back memories, she was won by "Primo" Ernesto Hernandez one of our squad leaders in a poker game. I believe that she died from ingesting C-4, but that's another story. There was also a mutt named "short round" who had the run of the AO, ask "Yankee" if he remembers him jumping on and off choppers on his LZ? Bill Moore (Rebel) was our company CO and when he became the S-3 Air I followed him to Bn TOC, it sounds as though you must have been my replacement. Another platoon leader was "Swede" but he was wounded early on by one of our helicopters mistaking our flashing strobe lights (waiting for Snoopy) for enemy fire. My recollection of events and people is very fuzzy, probably because I was assigned to several platoons and also had the LRRP's so came in contact with lots of guys. I did have some contact with John Faruggio (?) he probably left country in the spring of '68. He wrote a very good editorial published in the Wall Street Journal, about veterans and Jane Fonda, as I recall he was from the Philadelphia area. Another name you may remember was SGT Batemen a "shake-in-bake that came to us in the summer of '68.  I ran in to him at the Jersey shore in the early '80's. Tennessee as I recall had been a truck driver, who told us stories about driving non-stop for days, I guess before log books were required. I am sorry to learn of the problems he's had over the years, hopefully things are getting better for him. Chad was our California surfer dude and both of them probably dug my share of our foxhole too many nights while I was setting up the perimeter. One of the greatest treats was to hide a can of beer in your rucksack and after a really rugged day of humping and after you got "dug in" for the night trying to sneak it out and open it without anybody hearing it pop. As I recall these two guys always heard it and made sure they got dibs. Even though I got the Army career pitch from LTC Olds I came home to Camp Hill, Pa. in '69 to my wife and 6 month old daughter who was born in March '68 when we were maybe on FB 29, not sure. I'm semi-retired and we spend most of our time between Pa and SC. Homer, thanks for the tremendous effort you put forth in assembling this site. I will continue to monitor it and hopefully hear from some of the other "bullets".

Ken Groff



Posted 7 SEP 2006

Chad Magnuson

Homer,
I came across your site while browsing 4th infantry Division sites.  I was with B Co. 1/8th from January 1968 to January 1969.

Originally I was assigned to 1st Platoon as a rifleman, carried the radio for about three months and then was the company CO's RTO, Battalion RTO and Commo chief for the last three months. I came across your site while browsing 4th Infantry Division site.

My name is Chad Magnuson, I was with B Co. 1/8th from January 1968 to January 1969. Originally I was assigned to 1st Platoon as a rifleman, carried the radio for about three months and then was the company CO's RTO, Battalion RTO and Commo chief for the last three months.

I was also in 1st platoon, Lt. Groffs platoon. Although the dates and circumstances are not perfectly clear, I do believe I took over as 1st platoon RTO when you left country. CPT. Moore was still the CO and 1st Sgt Thigpen was still in country after you left, (around July or Aug 1968).

I remember you very well. You always seemed to have a very calm, confident, and "in control" nature about you. I came to the 1/8th in Jan. 1968. I was one of two guys joining the unit that day. The other guy was an African American from Philadelphia, I forget his name but everyone nicknamed him "slug". He had a very hard time keeping up on patrols. He was also assigned to the 1st platoon. I remember my squad leader was Bob Bognetti, from Detroit.

I remember there were only two other guys in our squad at that time, I think they left country in May of '68. The CO was Cpt. Christie, affectionately know as "Cpt. Crunch" He was very tall and could out hump all of us. I was very happy when Cpt. Moore took over, his stride was more normal and I could keep up better. I remember Cpt Moore's RTO Penny. He was from southern California.

I remember FB 15 and 29 in May of 68 quite well. At the time i was a rifleman with 1st platoon. we were on the perimeter during the constant motor and rocket shelling that seemed to go on for a couple of days. There was a 106 recoilless rifle positioned directly above our bunker. Although I had never fired this piece of equipment, I saw a flash from either a mortar of rocket position directly in front of our position, I sighted in the 106 and on the second round hit the position and got a secondary explosion. If I remember correctly, the Battalion CO was on this firebase. When the shelling stopped he came over with Cpt. Moore and personally thanked me for taking this action. I heard he was going to put me in for a bronze star, but nothing came out of it. I did get a 3 day pass to Vung Tau for it, however I ended up carrying radio for Cpt Brennen. He was a west point grad, airborne ranger, if I remember correctly. I finished up as commo chief! I carried the radio code book and coordinated the resupply logistics from the field. I left country in Jan. 1969 as a Sgt. E-5.



Posted 21 MAY 2006

Tommy W. Thompson
SFC, US Army (Retired)

I arrived in-country on 8 Aug 68, becoming a PFC when my foot hit the landing strip in Cam Rahn Bay. I was originally assigned to B Co 1/8th Inf. I believe that was on Hill 1089. We were the ones who were airlifted from Hill 1089 to investigate a site from which 122mm rockets had been fired, over us, towards the Dak To base camp. I believe that was in Sept. '68. That was my first "action". The day before, we heard the rockets going over the firebase. One old-timer saw where they were being launched from and started firing the .50 Cal. at them. They tried a quick shot at us, but they were rushed and the rocket landed near the base of the hill.

The next day we went in on Hueys to check it out. That was my first taste of elephant grass. I stepped out of the chopper, thinking we were only a couple of feet up. After dropping about eight feet, I had the breath knocked out of me and got a few cuts on my arms from the grass. Luckily, we were the only ones there and I had a chance to catch my breath.

A month or so later, when we went to FSB 32, which was a few clicks on the other side of the valley where Ben Het was from FSB 29, they needed 11C's and moved me to the 4-Deuce in the mortar platoon of E Co 1/8th Inf.

I was wounded on FSB 29 on 29 Oct 68. Larry Carpenter was wounded by the same 120mm mortar round. It landed in the doorway of our bunker, by the 4-Deuce gun pit near the TOC. That was the same day that Charles Hazlip, of the 105mm howitzers was KIA. After healing, I went back to my gun, which had been moved to FSB 32. A few weeks later, we were moved back to FSB 29. My gun crew then consisted of Carl Granger, James Floro (of Kansas City, MO), and Ken Holsen. A few months after that, I took over the 106mm recoilless rifle with Danny Huffman (of Jerusalem, AR) and Carl Granger took over the 4-Deuce. We manned the 106 on the FSB at/near Polei Kleng and later on LZ Bullet and one other FSB by a road between LZ Bullet and Camp Radcliffe.

After that tour, I spent two out of the next three years in-country. Most of that was as a grunt (C Co 52nd Inf - Saigon and E Co 2/1 Inf, 196th Light Infantry Brigade (mortars and recon) - Danang, Chu Lai, and Phu Bai). The rest was as an MP (with C Co 720th MP Bn and attached to A Co 716th MP Bn - Long Binh, Lai Khe, and Saigon) guarding convoys to just about everywhere in the delta region and over to the Cambodian border and guarding POWs, as well as patrolling Saigon with the Combined Police Patrol.

Ironically, when my third tour-of-duty was over, I was assigned to 2/22 Inf, 4th Inf Div, at Fort Carson, CO. That turned out to be a major blessing, since that is where I met and married my wife of 31 years in 1975. She was the one who finally helped me to "come home". I was medically reclassified out of the Infantry while serving in the Berlin Brigade in 1977. I pushed papers as a 71L for the rest of my 20 years as a soldier and retired from Fort Polk, LA, in 1988.

Tommy wants to find out the name of the person in the Enlisted Men's Club at camp Enari, Pleiku with him.

Posted 22 MAR 2006

Dan Montgomery

I was in B-1-8 in April to June, 1969. I think that would mean were in the same AO. My platoon leader was LT Moss. He was a red head and liked to wear a green towel over his neck.

Check out Dan's Website at www.sonic.net/kryptox/editors/roger/roger.htm


I have Dan's Email Address on file...Contact

Posted 10 OCT 2005

Ted Bateman

Lt. Steedly. Thank you for your comments-I really can’t tell you what they mean to me. Combat gave me lifelong lessons regarding unspeakable fear and humility. I am going to read all of your accounts and I will start to piece my recollections together as best I can-I guess it’s time. God Bless you Lieutenant, I remember you very well, a Leader-much brighter and introspective than you would demonstrate. Billy Crutchfield, Doc, Sgt Daniels, Top, Rhino. I recall hill 467, I believe fairly well to this day. Much more in my mind…….. as you well know. Feel free to post my e-mail address. I will be in touch. I’m pleased and comforted that you returned safely.



Posted 18 FEB 2005

Richard Boyce, brother of PFC James Franklin Boyce.

I contacted you several years ago and asked you about my brother PFC James Franklin Boyce, he was in B 1/8 from Sept 13, 1968 until he was KIA on January 20, 1969. You said that you didn't know him. Jabiya Dragonsun has been in contact with me (you mention him in your website) and said he knew my brother "Frankie" (we called him Frankie), Jabiya does not know how Frankie was killed, I think he was sent to another company. Back in the 70's I went to Waterbury Connecticut and met a guy named Leo Britt, my brother talked about him in a letter, but Leo didn't know what happened to Frankie. He said they went out on a mission and was told Frankie got hit, but that was all he said. Frankie played guitar and sang very well, we had just signed a recording contract with Warner Bros records, when we got drafted, then the army made us choose who had to go to the Nam, Frankie decided to go, something I'll never get over, it haunts me. He was younger than me and I should have went, but I won't go into that now.  I just thought this may help you remember Frankie. Thank you for reading this and I wish you well.

Sincerely,

Richard Boyce

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