While stationed in Viet Nam I spent most of my time in a little town called Phan Thiet.. It's on the south China Sea, south of Cam Ranh Bay and Phan Rang. We were on a landing strip called LZ Betty. I was there from Sept 1969 to Sept 1970... here are just a few photos and slides I have.
My buddy Wick (Larry Wickersham) and I made this picnic area.. like we are going to have a picnic out here ... It was just a place to sit and drink some beer..
From time to time we did get hit by motor shells.. They did land close too.. Here is just one crater where one hit..
My buddy St. Louis.. Funny, we called each other by knick names
and now that's all I can remember. He was from St. Louis as I remember..
As you can see by the number in the side .. It's LCU 58 (Landing Craft Utility) and they were on the way to Phan Thiet. I was in Cam Ranh Bay and caught a ride back with them..
If I remember right this is the Missouri in the background?
There is "Burk" heading to the showers.. He was from Cincinnati as I remember...
Above is my forklift. it's ol number 23... 6000 lb. RT
The guys on the boats became good fishermen.. I can remember using frags to fish with too.. Fun in the sun you can say..
Remember I said we did get hit from time to time.. Here is just another one of those scary nights.. Upper left is my buddy "Wick"! the tall one.
Above is Leah. She is our Hooch girl. Her duties were to keep our place clean and our wash done.. It's nice not having to worry about it.. She was a nice young girl I often wonder what happed to her..
This is 1970 and on the plane home.. it was a good site to say the least.. "Round Eyes"!
below: This ship is the "John U.D. Page" It would bring in troops and supplies.
This is the site out of my Hooch.. That's the place we slept.
Yep, motor rounds hit home again...
The Guy on the left was called "Mouse" ..
As you can see we were driving stakes with the forklift.. No hammers here.. Wick was on the forklift!
Yes, this is me.. My, I was so young back then... I'm looking straight out of our hooch to take this photo.
Looking out our Hooch to the Right, North.
You have seen many photos looking out of our hooch.. Now you can see what it looked like. Wick and I fixed it up for 4 of us to live in. Every other night 2 were on guard duty and 2 had the hooch.. Behind us was the landing strip. Sometimes the Jets would "buzz our Air field" when they had a confirmed score, Hit! It's was something to be seen for sure. I can still remember all the choppers and planes (C130's). Today I still look to the sky's..
This was the EOD team. It's the "Demolitions" team. Several times I saw them bring in items they found out in the field. I had some photos I will look them up?
As you can see St Louis has "2 days" left and he is saying with his other hand he is "Short" as we used to say!
This was the Motor Pool where St Louis used to work! I kept away from here.
We had to make a trip into town and make a move with the forklift as I remember.. these are some photos on the way..
below: This was our Sgt.. His name was Sgt Louis Bell. I really enjoyed working with him and he sure did teach us a lot. He was very good at his job! It would sure be nice to see or hear from him again.. The other guy was a truck driver who was assigned with us as I remember.. (in White T Shirt)
This was the site on the way into town at the check-point.
This was the cemetery.... at night we had the chance of being hit, About every third night. they (Charlie) would hide out there behind the mounds for protection.. Yes, this is how they buried the dead.. and they still helped after death see..
It was my day to have "detail"! .. Yes, these ladies worked for me and they had to fill the sand bags with sand. It was to protect out sleeping area.. That was not an easy detail.. no one spoke the others language...
Can you believe I drove my forklift down that narrow street..
below: It seems to me this was a school house..
You can see this is a market area..
I will add more photos once I have them scanned.. it just takes time!
