Vietnam – Page 58 – Sgt. Grit Community

A TRUE FIGHTING MARINE…

3rd Recon Bn Reunion, Mac is coming in from CA… Mac Foster USMC was part of a 3rd Recon Unit of 47 Marine’s sent to DaNang Vietnam April 1963..

Photos of Mac 1963 and in 1970’s.. and 2005 with a good friend George Foreman.. read more

Mark drove 3 1/2 hours to visit me when I returned on a visit from Australia to visit my daughters in Indiana this past month…I was with Mark when he was wounded in Vietnam, and I myself was Medevaced out an hour latter the same day… September the 8th, 1967..we both spend approximately 6 months in various hospitals recovering from wounds sustained on that day…we haven’t seen each other in 41 years..our reunion began a year ago by email when I saw Marks’s picture on the Sgt. Grit web site…words can not describe how happy we were to see each other, and how proud we both are to have served together in Suicide Charley, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division…Republic of Vietnam! No one on this planet can appreciate the camaraderie, brotherhood, and the bonds of war that Mark and I will share together for the rest of our lives on that special day! thanks to Sgt.Grit, and sucidecharley.com for sharing our story. read more

Snipers And Monsoon Rains

On Jan 6, 1969 the Song Ba Ren River Bridge was completed by the 9th Engineer Battalion. It was 29 miles south of DaNang and was 722 feet in length. It is believed to be the longest bridge built in the history of the Marine Corps.

Vietnam Veteran Color Guard

Sgt. Grit: The traveling Viet-Nam Wall came to Shelbyville, TN. this fall. The organizer contacted me, as I am the Commandant of the local Marine Corps League Detachment to ask if we could help in the planning for this special event. He inquired if we could present the colors during the special ceremony on 1 November 2008. I replied that we would be proud to do it and told him I could do one better. Our color guard that morning was made up of Viet-Nam Veterans that had “boots in country”! read more

Immediately Introduced Himself

I first met LCpl Gary Keller during ITR (advanced infantry training) at Camp Pendleton in late 1966. All the Marines looked alike in their utilities and short cropped hair. One stood out from the others. He appeared to be more mature and with no chevrons, I assumed he was an officer. He was a private. It was our first day at the training facility and we were being assigned billeting in Quonset huts. As I was putting my gear away, a Marine tapped me on the shoulder. “My name is Gary Keller and I am from Yakima, Washington.” I introduced myself as PFC John Foster. I was surprised that Keller had just completed boot camp. I thought he was older but he was 18, just like me. After we all got settled in, we were called out on the deck for a promotion ceremony. About 6 Marines were being promoted to LCpl. Gary was one of them but he was getting his first promotion to PFC. read more

FDC Bunker

You sat in FDC at the 11th Marines did you not?
That same night I sat in the FDC bunker at Lima 4-11 on Hill 55…..
Merry Christmas ‘lo these so many years later.

stew

Army Artillery

In late 1966, 2 Army artillery battalions were sent to the DMZ to be attached to the 3rd Marine Division’s 12th Regiment. My unit was the 1st Battalion 40th Artillery composed of 105mm SP’s. The other unit was the 2nd Battalion 94th Artillery composed of 175mm SP’s. The 1/40’s base camp was at Dong Ha and we rotated the firing Batteries between Dong Ha, the Rockpile, and Gio Linh. The 2/94 was based at Camp Carroll. I was an artillery surveyor and was all over the DMZ and was at the ammo dump September 3, 1967 when the ammo dump was hit by NVA artillery. read more

The Bomb Dump

Sgt. Grit, My name is Sgt Dove, KA 0311 71-78 (Rose Garden 72-73). I would have never thought all this being possible sitting up in my tower at the Bomb Dump some 36 years later. What America has done is just mind blowing, being able to connect with long lost brothers who were close friends at one time and now reunited again. I have had the pleasure of having 3 old buddies come into my life again via your page, the Nam Phong roster and one other web page. read more

X-mas in RVN

Well; now I sent this to you: Dec 1967 as OpChief, G-3-11; Hill 10 and Dec 70, and still OpChief, this time E-2-11 at FSB Ryder.

The picture from Ryder show some interesting people: BGen Simmons; Lt Houston who retired some 28 years later as Colonel, Gunny Aguilar, Capt Mulholland, the battery commander who spent 4 tours in the Nam, SSGT Lozada (Me) who retired a CWO-5 in the Field Artillery and after 34 years and 4 months and other FDC guys and an Army Liasion Team since army units were loose in the Que Son basin. read more

April 1963 First Combat Unit in Vietnam

This is just to let you know, the first combat marines in Vietnam was April 1963 it was a 47 3rd Recon Bn “C” Co.. and this is the only link to this special ops unit.

Click here: The Advisory & Combat Assistance Era: 1954-1964 read more