I too was in Vietnam in 1965-66 1/9 the walking dead we landed by LST on the beach at DaNang on June 16th 1965. We came to there from Okinawa. My unit was on Oki for about 6 months before going to Vietnam I came home in July of 1966. I transferred to the USAF in 1968 and Maintained C-130 Aircraft for many years. In April 1973 I was part of Operation Homecoming when we brought the first POW’s out of North Vietnam. It was at this time I was able to talk and remember all the time in VN without any stigmas. I was very proud to be a part of the POW release, I retired from the Air Force in 1985 never forgetting my time in the Marines it is the proudest time of my Military Career.
Once a Marine always a Marine. Semper Fi my brothers.
Wow, I too was in Vietnam in 65 and left in 65. I also had been in Okinawa for a couple of weeks with A Co 7th Engineers and landed on White Beach in DaNang on an LST. Don’t remember exact date but it was around that time. We were attached to 3/7
Hey Ray, I am by no means a Vietnam War expert but, 7th Engrs. landed at Red Beach (The site of the future FLC) and set up CP west about 2 miles known as Camp Love. Harry 1371 7th Engrs. 68-69
Where was White beach?
Found where White Beach was, Located about 20 miles south of Chu-lai just north of Bantagan Peninsula. If anyone cares. Nick
White Beach is on OKINAWA….(home of the water tanks {people carrier}).
I joined 1/9 in Nov 65 81 mortars and spent most of my time attached to B and D Co. I have so much respect for those I served with I still have the memorial service obituary with the KIA names from the service at Camp Swab. There were many more to be added after the Bn went back in country in Dec 66. Godbless and Semper Fi
I was in 1/9, landed In viet nam, March 65. Left in 66. I was a tunnel rat. 1/9 lost more marines in nam, than any time before. Not good place place to be but to be from.
In 1968 I was assigned to I believe it was Task Force Mike. It was operating out of a firebase near Cam Lo, 1/9 was the main group of grunts in the task force. They sent me down to the mess tent as it was chow time. We got hit with mortars, and had no place to go. It was the rainy season, and the trenches were filled with mud and water. The mortars hit the mess tent, and several guys in line were casualties. 1/9 was hit wherever they went. As someone said they sustained the most casualties, of any unit in Vietnam. God Bless Them !
I was a Corpsman with D 1/4. When I checked in, the guy doing the assigning was a buddy from Corps School, and he assigned all the marrieds to the 4th Marines and the singles to the 9th Marines because the odds of dying in the 9th Marines were so much greater.
That is why they r called “The Walking Dead” ! CH53 CrewChief w/ HMM165, Late72/73.I flew in operation Ceasefire! What a joke. I don’t wanna get carried away. Please pray for ALL our troops all over the world. From Gitmo 2 the damn sand box ! Semprer Fi
Steve.
They got the name, I was told from Ho. They pissed him off some time in the first year of the war. Ho said kill them all, they are all as good as dead. “They are walking dead.” Check 2July1967 Operation Buffalo, known as worst loss for Marine Corps in Vietnam. Murray 1371, Vietnam Dec 66 to Aug 68 back May 69 to Aug69. Many operations went with 1/9, 2/9, 3/9, 2/26 and others. On the first 50,000 pulled out in Aug69 with 1/9.
I was in country from 1969 to October 1970. I was with c company 1st mt bn, attached to 5th marines at An Hoa. I came home with my company on board Navy ship and will never forget the time I spent there.
Semper FI and welcome home. Thank you for paving the way.
SGT Juan Rivera
•Security forces 8151 & 8152 Marine Barracks Hawaii
•Infantry/Grunt 0311 Charlie Company 1/3 1st platoon
•Linguist 2768
•Radio Operator/Chief 2531 & 2535 5/11 Marines
I was at Marine barracks Kaneohe Bay in 1967-1968 after my duty in Vietnam!!
Semper Fi
Al Scott
I to was at Marine Barracks Kaneohe bay with the lst Marine brigade attached to HMM -262 lst MAW when I got back from Vietnam 68 69 was at Cammp Lejeune right after and got a transfer to the lst Marine Brigade. Attended NCO leadership school and went to Ford Island and trained as a career advisor for the rest of my time in the Corps. 67-71.
To All Our Veterans – All Conflicts, All Eras, All Wars – Combat is Combat, War is War – Welcome Home My USMC Brothers . my interview on the internet : Vietnam Veteran Rudy Gomez
I too was in Vietnam in from August’65- September ‘66
with Foxtrot and Hotel 2 nd Battalion 1st Marines attached time 3rd Marine Division!!
Welcome home my brothers-in-arms and thank you for your service to this great country
Semper Fi
Landed 7May65 with H&SCo 2ndBn.4thMarines,1stMarineBrigade (later redesignated 3rdMarDiv) at “RedBeach1” which eventually became known as “ChuLai”.
N.B.–Almost every Marine remembers their Plt #-
serial #, & rifle #–I still remember my lock combo!! Anyhow- SEMPER FI to all.
Hey “Ski” Can not remember rifle # or lock combo. I thought I might have written them in my “Red Notebook” from boot camp, guess not. Harry
You transferred over to the Chair Force because you wanted to be where the better odds were to go on living, I’ll bet.
Been there done that 65-66 1/3 & 67-68 1/3 SLF/ 70-71 1stMPBn Rvn-Danang.