Category: Vietnam

Bob Hope and Martha Raye

Sgt Grit,
Here's a shot of Bob Hope's Christmas Show on Freedom Hill in 1967. Les Brown and his Band of Renown and Raquel Welch share the stage. (Raquel's the one wearing a white top.)
I also saw Martha Raye in "Hello Dolly" at the same venue in early 1968. I rode in a Navy launch with Martha across the DaNang River going from the White Elephant to Camp Tien Sha. She was a pure delight to be with and lifted everyone's spirits. read more

Australian Photo Journalist

Dear Sir,

  Hi my name is Shaun Gibbons.   My father, Denis Gibbons was an Australian photojournalist in  Vietnam 1966-1970.   Unfortunately Dad passed away a few weeks ago.   Attached are a few photos from a series he took with a US Marine  Unit.   The only description I can find with the photo sequence is    Fire fight between Viet Cong (VC) and United States (US)  Marines, Hoa Vang textile Factory, there were two Marines  wounded in the action.   I was wondering if you knew of any way I could find out what  unit is in these pictures, and if there are any surviving  members?   Thank you so much for your time.   Cheers Shaun

Guest of the Country

I served with 2/4 Marines… part of the first RLT that went  ashore at Chu Lai… 1965… Our American flag ordered down by a  General… He said we were guest of the Country…    I have a picture  of a flag that 2/4 Marines flew this flag was put up  when word the general was flying in to meet with the battalion  commanders at 2/4 preparing for Operation Starlite. If you know  the history, it was the first encounter with the NVA regular  Army… historical and may have the only original picture that  has surfaced… After Starlite even the general would not tell  us to take it down.

thanks William ( Stubby ) Ralston…

4 Deuce Mortar Battery at Conthien

Hi Sgt. Grit,

  Enclosed is a picture of one of the mortar crews stationed at the firebase located at Conthien back in February of 1968. The Battery was Whiskey 2/12 and consisted of 6 guns, one of those being a 4.2 in Howtar (half howitzer, half mortar), located at the center of the battery. That particular gun had the wheels removed and was nailed on top of a wooden platform in which had to be greased with axle grease in order for it to traverse. (2nd picture). After many months of service, this gun was later on removed and sent to a museum somewhere in the States.   Bobby (Hobo) Hancox Vietnam 67/68

4.2’s in Action

Sgt. Grit: Talk about those 4 deuces got me thinking about the good old times in Vietnam in 1969. I’m attaching a couple of photo’s of the big mortars in action from my battery, Whiskey 3/11. Our battery was composed of 4.2 mortars and 155s so we could have a pretty good range of coverage.I was the FDO at the time and we were at LZ Baldy and built our site from scratch, scrounging everything we could from the Army. I was the FO with India Company 3/7 and later the LO. Enjoy your newsletters and always look for a familiar name. Love to relive some of the old Corps memories from Quantico and Lejeune. Remember carrying my Olympus in my flack jacket on patrol and when a moment came up would snap off some great pictures but lost half of them when they were sent to be developed and never returned. I’ve got some decent ones and my wife put them in a photo book for me. Was in 3/7 from March thru July 1969 and Whiskey 3/11 thru January 1970. Semper Fi,   Brian A Sekardi Ist Lt, VN 69-70

Anglico and German Nurse

Recently found this site and have been catching up on stories.  I noticed several that referenced ANGLICO units and a couple that referenced a German nurse. I was with 7th Comm.  Radio Relay and attached to the 3rd BN ROK marines near Hoi An. The bunker next door was a detachment of Anglico marines. I am attaching a picture of my Unit board and also a couple pictures of a party put on by the Anglico boys for Capt. Proudfoot who was returning to flying the phantoms. They invited some German Doctors and a Nurse from the German Hospital. Maybe this was the nurse referred to in several previous stories I read. One of the pictures shows her Standing with the Capt.  Also sending picture of my unit by the bunker. I am on the left, next Pfc. Hurley, Pfc. Grissom (my hippy) and Capt. Lee,  ROK communications officer.  Don’t know exact date but it was early in 69 since I made Cpl. In Dec 68 and Rotated home in May 69. read more

Veterans Day

I was honored to be invited to Washington DC to attend a Vietnam Veterans Day celebration at the Wall  by the History Channel and Honor Flight Conyers and prior to that I purchased a black leather jacket with USMC and combat air crew wings on the front. I wore it from my flight origin in Atlanta until my return. I stopped counting at 20 the number of people who ask me where I got it (mostly women who wanted to buy it for their husbands). My answer was Sgt Grit online so if your sales for this product increased I would expect some compensation. LOL! It was an ENORMOUS Hit. read more