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50

PostPosted: Thu Sep 21, 2017 1:23 am
by gquint113
Welcome Home all 1/50 boat people.. in a few hours it will be fifty years past that most of you climbed down those nets into the landing craft and launched onto the shores of Vietnam... personally I missed out on that adventure and walked down the gang plank to a "Red TAT" guard detail... as a result I also missed out on the training at An Khe and caught up with ya'll at Uplift.

Welcome Home Bros, we are blessed with a half century that was lost to way too many...

Q

Re: 50

PostPosted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 7:24 am
by mick hawkins
Thank You Mr. Quint bet it would be little harder to do now . 50 years seems like yesterday .


Harley Mick Hawkins

Re: 50

PostPosted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 1:59 pm
by gquint113
TRIVIA: Can any boat person identify the name of the song the Army band was playing as ya'll landed?

Re: 50

PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 10:56 am
by Jim Sheppard
As a matter of fact...I don't remember any of the events Gary talks about. I think I should remember disembarking via the nets...but not sure. I don't remember how I got to shore... and don't remember a band...and I don't remember any "training" at An Khe. I may have been in a different travel mode than others...as I was in the supply section of Charlie Company at the time we arrived. The two things I remember are one of the command team falling in the water from a shore boat... (I had always thought it was LTC Hutson...but was told years later that it was someone else...maybe the BN XO?)...and the look on Norm Poage's face when he saw that we would join the 1st Cav. He was the only one not smiling.

Re: 50

PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 12:29 pm
by mick hawkins
I do remember coming in on pt type boats and I thought the enemy would be waiting on us and I had no bullets . I remember the band but not the song. Was it when the saints come marching in ? I do remember the training and then the trip to Ichiban we didn't go direct to up lift and this trip is where we ran off and left Randy Smith and at Ichiban is when Larry Ashlock was wounded. I would say he was the first wounded in the Bat. but do not know that
Jim you could be right about all the company's not being together going to uplift or Ichiban. I remember someone falling in the water but I thought it was from the dock next to the ship . Will 50 years sure went by fast what a great bunch of guys the men of the 1st and 50th inf.

Re: 50

PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 4:30 pm
by pt9243
I recall boarding the landing shore craft from a barge. Couldn't see over the sides so had no idea where we were going. As the ramp came down we heard music and saw bunches of coconut trees. Thought - hey, this won't be so bad after all. Spend time at Que Nohn prepping the PCs then on to Ichibohn. Never went to An Khe. Ichibohn was crappy, rained a lot. A muddy mess. Moved to Uplift thank God.

Re: 50

PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 4:53 pm
by gquint113
OK... I'll break the suspence...
The song of the month was;
Georgie Girl

Re: 50

PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 6:11 pm
by pt9243
Georgie Girl? One of my favorite 60's song.

Re: 50

PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 6:58 pm
by gquint113
Pete ..... glad to see you're back up... hope it wasn't too bad for you and yours

Q

Re: 50

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:19 pm
by wfm7
Georgie Girl was the song played by the post band as each group vacated the barracks at Ft. Hood and loaded onto buses. B co must have been near the last to board the buses so we got to hear the tune all day long. I'd love to know the decision process for selecting that particular song. True, it was upbeat but the situation just didn't seem to fit. Aw, the memories.

Re: 50 My first day in Vietnam 50 yrs ago

PostPosted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 5:41 pm
by Lou Frisbie
We had been on the ship 23 days. The ship stopped near Quin Quen. A barge came from the shore. We started unloading onto the barge, One incident happen here. The XO of the battalion fell into the ocean with all of his gear and helmet on. When he came up all the gear and helmet were gone. Don’t remember his name he was a major.
As we got off the ship onto the barge they brought landing craft and we got in those and they ran us onto the beach and dropped the ramp. We loaded on buses and took to a location where all of our APCs were on a beach. Here they wanted all drivers to fall out. We were told to go get a vehicle and to get in convoy. So I had not driven a command track before, so I got in one. We got lined out to move to a staging area. We were half way there when my track quit running. A LT came up and ask what happened. I explained it would not run so he had me pushed to the side of the road.
I crawled out on top and watched the convoy go by. Being the green trooper I was I sit with empty M16 We had not been issued any ammunition yet. So I here I sat on top watching all the scenery. People in the rice fields. People walking along the road. As I was setting there I was getting thirsty. These kids came along saying want to buy a coke GI. I bought a coke for a dollar and was the hottest coke I every drank in my life. In a few minutes the battalion XO came by in a jeep he said what was wrong I said I was broke down. He acted kinda mad and he got on his radio talking kinda upset. So here I am setting on top just looking around watching the people in the field and the ones walking along the road (Highway one I believe). When a ¾ ton drove up with six soldiers and a SGT from 1st Cav. The SGT got out as the soldiers hit the ground on both sides of the road. Here I set on top of the APC fascinated. The SGT look at me and ask if I had any ammo I said no he threw me a full clip and said get my buut down inside. Soon a retriever
Track came and took on into the staging area. This where I met up with my platoon and General Westmoreland welcome us to Vietnam. When that was over. Sgt Ward had me fall out sent me some where to check out a jeep and to pickup an officer I think it was the XO of the battalion I can’t remember the name its been 50 yrs. The battalion moved out to Ahe Khe. The officer said I was to drive him to several locations getting our paper work in order. After a couple days he said we would be catching a convoy to Ahe Khe the next day. There I rejoined my platoon. I missed jungle training.

Lou Frisbie

Re: 50

PostPosted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 7:58 pm
by pt9243
Great post Louis. Don't recall the overboard incident but lots going on at that time. Your account is right on. My group never made it to An Khe instead we went to Ichibahn. A real shit hole. I also remember seeing and hearing Westmoreland at Qui Nohn. Seems like it rained constantly at Itcibahn,
holes filling with water so couldn't get in at night. Very exposed. Recall bulldozers working constantly clearing the LZ and surrounding terrain. Thought 12 months of this was gonna be a real challenge.