Category: Vietnam

DaNang Bomb Dump

I landed in Nam and was assigned to the bomb dump on Jan. 29,1968. As a "NUG" I asked questions about attacks etc., and the guys told me "oh we get hit all the time, but were only teasing"… little did they know that night would be the start of the greatest offensive of the war! Unsung heroes, we (12), the dirty dozen put out the frag for all the squadrons at DaNang and at one point we did some for Chu Li when it's bomb dump blew. Sleeping only a few hundred yards from mega-ton bombs (250-2000lbs) rockets and napalm, we daily went out in the 130 degree heat, to assemble for 12 hours a day. I once "pulled" over 500- 500lb bombs myself… we worked hard and once in a while got to go to China beach (twice in a year) and we had a club house boasting the coldest beer in Nam. read more

Not A Happy Marine

In August 1966 we were with the advance party HMM-165 sent to Ky
Ha, Vietnam; the rest of the squadron came over on a carrier
with the aircraft and equipment.

Our flight crews flew with HMM-364 for combat familiarization.
HMM-364 were flying the Dogs, UH-34D. Our first wounded was hit
in the gluteus maximus making a perfect clean shot through one
side. The aircraft dropped him a "B" Med. before landing at the
fuel pits. read more

Not A Happy Marine

In August 1966 we were with the advance party HMM-165 sent to Ky
Ha, Vietnam; the rest of the squadron came over on a carrier
with the aircraft and equipment.

Our flight crews flew with HMM-364 for combat familiarization.
HMM-364 were flying the Dogs, UH-34D. Our first wounded was hit
in the gluteus maximus making a perfect clean shot through one
side. The aircraft dropped him a "B" Med. before landing at the
fuel pits. read more

Hey Sgt Grit do you have this?

I had a great friend my last tour in Nam, now retired and lives in Oregon, Sgt Thom Maher. He found me on Facebook after 40 years and sent me this patch. We spent night and day together for many months and we both have health complications from "Agent Orange". We are a couple lucky ones that didn't get cancer from it. I have never seen this patch anywhere. read more

At Least 3 Tours

Sgt. Grit,

In Vietnam, I Celebrated my last Marine Corps Birthday in the Corps. Two Friends of mine and I went to the Vietnamese side of China Beach, ate sea food cooked in front of us served with lime juice and rock salt. While there the lady running the place, rickety bamboo and palm fronds, offered us her baby to take back to the states. Top Barker had been there at least 3 tours by this time and stayed another tour I believe, he was a World War II and Korea Vet and had earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star and several Purple hearts. Lieut. Little came just after I came, he left the same unit I was in at Camp Pen. read more

Yet another strange MOS

I thought CID and weatherman were strange. Now I sit next to a jarhead that was in during the late 60's. We are both on kidney dialysis (Agent Orange), I asked him what he did when in the Corps. He was a language specialist, I asked him what language, thinking Vietnamese. I worked with one of them back when they set up camps at Pendleton for the thousands they brought back at the end of the war. read more

Tanks

In response to an article in the newsletter of 21 Sept, by Larry Fleagle and tanks. Sorry Larry, there were no M-60's of any kind in Vietnam, but the tank retrievers were M-88's. Mentioned by you were three tanks on Hill-55 in 1965-66, here are a few pics of those tanks. One of a truck also, if you were there you would remember this truck and who died in it on the road to Hill-55. read more