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D/1/8

Guest Book Archives

Email me at the address shown below.  If you want your communication posted to the public guest book, please use a subject line in your email like this:   Subject: (Guest Book yes) (Email no)   The parenthesis and key words Guest Book and Email trigger my programs and make it easier for me to post your entry. The Yes or No let me know whether to post your message to my guest book and whether to post your email address along with the guest book entry.  If you do not wish to post your email address, you could simply ask them to contact you through my email address.  I will forward the emails to you and let you decide whether to make direct contact.

When in doubt, I will assume that your email is a private communication and will not post it. I tried automatic guest book forms, but was not satisfied with the reliability across browsers and operating systems.  Simple email appears much more reliable.  I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Thanks....Homer

James Barnes
Medic
D and B Company
1st of the 8th

If you need to contact James, email me at swampfox address below and I will forward it to him.

Posted 6 MAR 2011

Tracer 5

Mr. Steedly,

I found your website and noticed that you may have served with these units or members and may have communication with possible witnesses.

I am investigating the MIA Case for Floyd "Rock" ROBINSON, Co. D, 1st BN, 8 IN-4ID who was part of a 5 man Recon team last seen during an ambush on 12 March 1969. The mission of the team was to move to Hill 873.

I would like to send an Investigative team to retrace the Recon team's footsteps that day. The team leader mentioned heading toward Hill 873 on a 150 azimuth avoiding trails, then they were ambushed near a large bunker complex.

If you can shed any light on this patrol, please contact Swamp_Fox address at bottom of page and I will forward it to LTC van Auken.

PS:  I have a map of the area if you want to see it, email Swamp_fox at address below and I will give you the link.

Found this page from A/1/8 member of Tracer 5.  and this one also...

Lt. John Nolan 
4th Platoon
D Company, 1st Bn, 8th Inf, 4th Inf Div

First of all I want to thank Homer Steedly for putting together this site.

For most of my tour (Nov ’68 to Nov’69) I was 4th Platoon Leader of Delta Company. There are really no words in my grasp to express my respect and thanks for the men who passed through the unit. The job you did, the courage you displayed and the sacrifices you made were truly incredible. It is a failure of mine that I can no longer name each one of you. Your faces flashback, but not all of your names. In that respect this site may help all those who discover it.

While I can, I want to document those I remember and their position- primarily 4th Plt, but also in Delta. I hope others can fill in the blanks, before, during and after my tour. By the spring/summer of ’69 Delta’s four platoons averaged about 20 men apiece, and were reformed into three. In my mind I will always remain Plt Ldr of Delta 4, but in reality that designation changed, frankly I don’t recall my new call sign.

Delta Company Commanders

CPT Ted Yamashita from ~ Oct 1968 to ~Apr 1969

CPT Caldwell Apr ’69 to ?

CPT Steedly ~Oct 1969 to ~Feb 1970


3rd Plt Ldr Frank Thomas ? Fall ’68 to Winter‘69

Plt Ldr Robert Ponzo Winter’69 to ?

Plt Ldr Peebles Fall ‘68 “ later became D Co. XO

Plt Ldr John Hines Nov ’68 Summer ’69 later became D Co XO

4th Plt Ldr John Nolan Nov ’68 Jun ’69 became A Co XO


4th Plt SGTS

Brown

L R Reyes

Joe Ward

Pete Harris


4th Platoon Sqd Ldrs/Members ( I lump these because almost everyone held a leadership position at some point due to attrition)

Leonard Miller RTO Became Co RTO, then Bn RTO, it is my understanding that Leonard was wounded in Operation Wayne Grey while serving in the Bn TOC.

Ed Folley, RTO

Jim Karls, RTO

Nagel , Sqd Ldr

Louis Rivera Reyes, M60, Sqd Ldr, Plt Sgt.

Jerome Parker, Sqd Ldr Jerome was wounded May 16th while point Sqd Ldr on a Hilltop sweep near firebase Denise ( near An Khe). He was hit multiple times by automatic fire and continued to direct his squad until the enemy fire ceased.

Savage, M60

Tucker, M60

Tefatiller

Joe Fowler, Tm Ldr, Point . Joe was killed May 16th,1969, in ambush while walking point near firebase Denise, An Khe. Joe was a totally reliable 11 Bravo. He quietly accepted all assignments, and executed them professionally. He often walked point and kept the platoon and Company on course and on more than one occasion gave us prior warning to approaching NVA.

Russell Colby

Anderson

Burke, I believe went to sniper school and returned to unit.

Carisquilla

Incarnation

There are many more who will come to mind and be added. Any readers please add to this list also.

Soon I will add brief descriptions of various Delta 4 operations during my tour.

Email Swamp_Fox address at bottom of page and I will forward it to John.

Posted 01 SEP 2010

Gary Lysne

I was with the company from Jan 69 through Jan 70.  I was a SSG instant NCO who was always with the 3rd Plt, the first month or so as a squad ldr, and then Plt. Sgt or Plt Ldr. depending on the vacancy.   When you came into the company Lt. Stephen North was brand new as 3rd Plt. Ldr and I was the Plt. Sgt.  Someone sent me your website and I have just finished reading it in its entirety.  Thank you for your website.

I am the policeman from Seattle, that you talked about in your Oct. 69 ambush story that carried one of our casualties off the hill.  I returned to the Police Dept. and retired Oct. 94, for service with 27 yrs.

I would like to hear from anyone in the unit.

Posted 28 JAN 2005

Al Wall

I was with D 1/8th 4th ID in late 1969 and early 1970 then transferred to C 1/12th 4th ID till Sept 1970. If anyone knows me e-mail me at:



Posted 16 NOV 2004

Dennis Crawford

Hello my name is Dennis Crawford.  I served with D Company, 1st of the 8th, weapons squad, M-60 machine gunner from Sept. 68 till Aug 69. I recognize Rick Abrams and Robinson. I have the cigarette lighter that you have shown online. I have picture of those guys and many more. I am trying to locate Rick Abrams. I am from long island NY. I would like to hear from you.

Ed Warneld
SFC USA,  Retired

I went to Nam on my second tour, with the newly formed Co D 1/8 . Left Ft Lewis Aug 67 (Mc Chord AFB ) on a C 141. I Do Not Remember I was a E-6 at the time. When we got to Dragon Mountain I was moved to the Bn S-5. I stayed with the 4th until Feb  68.



Posted 30 JUL 2005

Ed Warneld US Army Ret  

DC ,25th Wall- Parade 8 Nov to 11 Nov 07

There are 4 of us from D Co 1st of the 8th going, we departed Ft Lewis on 9th Aug 67 with the newly formed D Co 1st Bn 8th Inf. We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, Arlington Va. Any other who want to join us give me a call at  the Hotel. Rooms can be booked on line at a great savings.



27SEP 2007

Leslie Durkee,

D/1/8 came into the Company about OCT 5th 1969 to the 1st Plt. as a rifleman. He humped the AN/PRC-25 radio and remembers always being up with the first squad while humping with the Platoon, so he must have been the RTO for the Plt. Ldr. He is looking for someone who remembers him, the V.A. has not been helpful in processing his claim for benefits. They don't think he was there. His records, Name and Soc. Sec. # are incorrect in the records data base. They have a "Kelly" Durkee, but not a Leslie, his Soc. Sec. # is one digit off from their records, so he is looking for someone to confirm he was there.

To refresh your memories, 1st Plt. was involved in a firefight on Dec. 5th, where Roger McWrite (sic) point man and their medic Jerry Hauschultz were killed as well. To further aid your memory, I think someone took a round in the helmet during that and wasn't killed. Leslie broke his wrist that day and was dusted off to An Khe and never returned to the field, consequently he never received any of his records or awards or personally signed out of the company.

He remembers his Plt. Ldr as Pete Dripps. I remember the incident he talked about, but not a Lt. Dripps. I wonder if it wasn't Lt. Peoples? I thought Lt. Holder was the Lt. of the 1st Plt. about that time. I think Glenn Sattler was in the 1st Plt. as well, either as Acting Plt. Ldr or Plt. Sgt. or Lt. Bruce Simmons. Carl Nagel a squad leader, was in the first Plt. then as well. I am hoping our 3rd Plt Medic Ray Hubbard will remember the incident as well.

If you remember him, or would check with any of your contacts and see if they remember him, it would be very helpful to him.

You can email me here at the website if you have any news for Leslie...

Thanks...

Homer
 

Posted 17 MAY 2007

Bill Johnson

I was deeply touched by your great website, and by many of your comments. How is it that we come to late middle age before we can look back in detail at those times? For too many reasons to list right now, I believe we are kindred spirits in many ways. By way of introduction, I was a draftee grunt who arrived at D/1/8 in early October 1967, and humped with 3rd platoon of that company (carried an M-79, then a PRC-25) until I got profiled out of the infantry (messed-up knees from getting me and my radio out of the lead ship on a hot LZ in April 68 - but that's a different story). I was bounced around the medical labyrinth for about 6 weeks, and then got a job with 4th Div Awards & Casualties Branch (4th Admin Co) where I proof-read valor awards for a few weeks, then moved to the casualty reporting section, where I rose to NCOIC (acting E-5) for a time, then went to 8th Field Hosp. in Nha Trang as hospital liaison. In that cushy slot I extended my tour, and got an "early out" in Nov. 68, so I didn't have to face being a garrison soldier for the balance of my hitch. So I was part 11B and part REMF - two distinctly different experiences, and that's putting it mildly. Since my field time was over before you got there, we share some of the same ground, but at different times. I do, however, have one specific question for now: Do you perhaps recall Capt. Raymond P. Sanders of D/1/8? He was a mustang who assumed command of D Co in Feb. 68 at Dak To. He was, in my opinion, the finest company commander a grunt could have wished for - no BS, no Mickey-mouse, and a real concern for his guys. I believe his tour as CO would have ended about the time you got to C Co, so maybe you never crossed his path. I'd like to communicate with anyone out there who remembers me, or who served where and when I did. That's it for now. Welcome home, friend, and welcome to a better life. I look forward to hearing from you.



Check out Bill's Recounting of Thanksgiving Day 1967.

Posted 2 JUN 2005

Tom White

"D" Co 1/8th fall of 1967

This is a great site you've got started. It's going to help you and a lot of others. I was with D/1/8 as a rifleman in the fall of 1967. At the time the Captain's name was Burke. The company went to 'Nam as a unit in mid-August 1967. I and a few others joined them on Oct 1st. I believe there was only 85 of us total, or may be it was only 85 men in the field at that time. We worked West of Pleiku along the Cambodian border and in fact ran a few 5-6 man patrols across the border. We were told we "volunteered" for those missions and we wouldn't get any air or artillery support if we got in trouble over there. I never believed that but fortunately didn't have to find out. About Nov 1st we were moved South heading for Ban Me Thout to help the 25th Div out; when General Peers got the word about the NVA build up in the Dak To area. We only made it as far as Bam Plec (sp) when we were turned around, brought to base camp at Pleiku, fed a lot of beer and sent to Dak To. I transferred out of the 4th Div in Dec '67.

Best regards,



Posted 14 DEC 2004

Reginald Mongeur

I was with D/1/8 from Sept 1968 until March 1969. We were on FSB 32 I believe. It has been so long that I am not sure. My PSG was Francis Daniels. He was an E-6. Tall guy with a handlebar moustache. My squad leader was E-5 Ron Nelson from GA, I think.

I am always looking for guys from my time in the NAM



Thank you BROTHER
You have a great website!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted 28 JAN 2005

Paul Hubbard
D/1/8

I just read your account of OCT 30,1969 with as much detached interest as I could muster. It was upsetting, to say the least, way too close to home. I was the 3rd platoon medic assisting doc Keyes pull the wounded and dead back to safety. He and I had no covering fire with the exception of Sgt Ted Bahle, whom I would love to contact and thank one more time. I may have been too busy to hear or see the covering fire, as I was concerned with the comments from yourself and Top Madden "You have 5 minutes to get them out. I've got artillery coming." followed by "You have 5 minutes to get them out. I've got gunships and planes on the way". Although your name rung no bells, your picture did. As one of the paths I've crossed, I thank you for being a part of my life, leader, comrade, protector. I now live my life in Missouri, healthy for my age and pray my children never have to tell stories such as yours. Those who now serve are wished well and Godspeed. Be advised of an upcoming event in Branson, Missouri third week in June, 2005.
For more info go to this website                     http://www.operationhomecomingusa.com/
Being only a few hours from me, I plan to attend and God willing anyone else from first of the eighth who can make it.   Welcome home.

Posted 4 MAR 2005