These usually got full of snakes, spiders and What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? After a few months of that experience it was clear that discretion was the better part of valor! He established relationship with the families of his friends who had died in Vietnam. US Embassy, University instructor, primary staff of newly opening International hospital near Saigon in Binh Duong Province. 65 series for the 9th Infantry Division ; Cavalry Unit Records, ca. The 9th is based in III Corps near Saigon, completing a ring of U.S. divisions that are assigned to protect the heavily populated capital . I was told it was done so the guys did not go over to the Thai side of the Base looking for girls. and kids from the 709ths civic action village. This 13 part series covers the history of Vietnam from France's colonial control, through the 1945 revolution, to the 1975 U.S. evacuation from Saigon and the years beyond. stocked here. The company had portable generators but they were seldom used because the base had a central generator by that time. Two combined patrols during daylight hours and one during the evening hours. Thank you for stopping by and taking the trouble to comment. The 9th Infantry was the last division to go into Vietnam and the first division to leave. In my opinion, there was no job in Vietnam more dangerous than guarding the Water Point. Again, enjoy and please stay in touch. I do remember doing alot of guard duty at the 2 gates. His Rather, he captured the off times, with soldiers relaxing, playing ball, hanging out. The ancient language with which it was named is now extinct. shot along highways just showing, 20) Scenes Due to the ferocity and boldness of the enemy attacks, the escorts remained at Bearcat until the roadway could be cleared in the morning. 49) While that was going on, Gene got the soldier out of the water up on the bank and was trying with every breath to save him. Dick Jackson (with glasses and camera) checks out the crush of villagers as our convoy slows to a crawl. The five, SSG Marion Lord, SGT Keith Allen, SP/4's Benny Edmondson, David Bryant, and PFC Scott Wilson were transported from their company compound on Long Binh Post by V100 to Bearcat on Highway QL-15. Still have issues with the Dept. Have Great Christmas!! 47) It is unknown if the 720th MP Battalion participated as convoy escorts in this movement. I got there a couple of months later and already the termites had eaten away a lot of the structure and the sandbags were rotting. . The explosions and fires lasted for days. Three nights I guarded the Water Point. On 26 July 1969, the 3rd Bde, 9ID was OPCON to the 25th . Some fellow buddies were william curry, jose lopez (cook), jody laws. I truly enjoyed working with you guys for my entire year. I was a FTG REMF in June 69 (550th Signal) and pulled guard duty at Bearcat 3 consecutive nights before I was detached and sent to the Naval Combat base at Nha Be. We just wanted to bring our hearts and minds back in one piece. Bear Cat was the home of the 9th Infantry Division and its many supporting elements. I also remember the monkey incident. Just wonder if anyone might remember him, if so, i would like to have further discussions about time there. Location : Service : Major Command : Binh Chanh: Apr . (The Polar Bears) was activated 1 Nov 1967 at Ft. Lewis and joined the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam as it's last maneuver element. Trying to find anything about my unit. sandbags took a. lot of sweat. I was also a REMF but I never had the Tv sets, cold beers and movies we REMF were supposed to be enjoying every night in the rear along with those hot home cooked meals I heard about. Our unit had a swimming pool between the officers club and the EM club. I was an in country transfer from the 272 MP company to the 9th MP. Austin Feld is a friend of mine who is currently in VA residential facility in Tomah WI. Gen. Reese M. Howell (Acting) Assistant Division Commander. seconds. (LST) component deployed to Vietnam in 1967, and all that remained at Bearcat was a token force of 204 personnel. His former wife found the film and had it developed and gave it to his Son who I found 3 years ago and he sent me the photos which with his permission, were posted on the Vietnam Security Police Association Website. Where am I getting my information? Election 2016 The only times it stopped were when the generator quit. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. On one night we had a red alert that was later called off. 19 Aug 44 Maj. Gen. Louis A Craig. I remember all that you posted. clouds -- the rain is coming, 19) Scenes The First Home of the 9th Inf. Thank you for your service! Combat activity slackened the first month of 1968. And thank you for burning IT. Bearcat Vietnam 1967 - Bing Images. Infusion, 1967: Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Division (red, white and blue unit patches) based at Bearcat (Camp Martin Cox) are trucked to a waiting Caribou aircraft for the flight to their new units. All quotes in this caption and the ones that follow come from photographer Christopher Gaynor. I was a replacement guy so didn't know a soul but was welcomed by everyone. Get short straw meant you got the first sleep 6-8 PM, then 12-2 AM, real bad. Commanding General. I was at Bearcat 1968-69. The division stayed in German as an occupational force until 1947 when it was returned to the United States. America The POW's were captured during Operation PADDINGTON. I always found them. Have been searching for an active Vietnam Veterans website/forum/blog. After the first week and after receiving too many shots to count and all of our clothes, we boarded a bus and were taken to Fort Riley, Kansas for Basic Training and Advanced Infantry Training. I worked for LTC Foley in hq hotch. Each bunker was connected to its CP by a field phone and the CP had lines connecting it to the other command posts and other division assets such as artillery. US Engineer units cleared the area and constructed the roads. It was completely overwhelming. I pulled guard on the South Eastern corner by the 5/42. Since my 19 straight months in the Vietnam conflict, my newest wife and I have spent an additional 6 1/2 years working in Vietnam. The C Company casualties were PFC Howard E. Doran, punctured eardrum; SP/4 Thomas E. Walker, shrapnel wound to the jaw; PFC John R. Hollander, shrapnel wound in both knees; PFC Daniel J. Flynn, serious shrapnel wounds requiring an emergency tracheotomy. Theyve continued to reward me and live on.. If willing. If caught the two who should have been awake were in trouble. These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 57) Sorry I can't remember your face, but maybe you'll Dick Jackson (holding beer can) separates the troops from their pay., Convoy, 1967: My buddy Sgt. Does anyone have any memories for a B-52 bombing raid just outside the base camp perimeter. Only worried about how good (or lucky) the guys slinging the mortars might be. Based on Hunt's experience as colonel and division chief of staff, the volume documents how the 9th Division's combat effectiveness peaked in 1969. tree. 1 October CPT Arthur L. Huckabay of A Company was assigned as Provost Marshal at Bearcat. Rod - I thank you for preparing the base for the rest of us guys that arrive on the 19th of Dec.. My buddy Norm Faught with the 9th Signal Bn arrived with you guys to set up early commo. The bunkers belongs to the rats. The long building with the red awning is the mess hall. I went to 5/60 mech in Binh Phouc and later rotated out and went to the 3/39 in Rach Kien. We had to take this picture from the van. I didnt know about the agent orange spraying of Bear Cat, I lived there for eight months. Glad you made it back. Dont remember the name of the ship. He loaded our M-60. Stirred a few barrels, built a few canvas/ wood sleeping quarters. Man, this is something to read. Vietnam has changed radically in the years between the war and now. It's on the endangered species list. In the foreground is the cantonment of the Thai Volunteer Regiment which occupied the area during September. Hopefully you'll meet up with some other 9th Inf Div MPs. CriticalPast is an archive of historic footage. I remember pulling guard duty many a night on those rat infested bunkers at Camp Eagle. very expensive sneakers. Documents By AD Number. 1st infantry division (2nd brigade) turned Bear Cat over to 9th infantry in Nov. '66 & relocated to DiAn. I believe this was a SF camp in an old French the area we had cleared out 42 years ago. During the early part of December 1965, the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, was in Alaska preparing for its annual winter maneuver to be conducted in January 1966 in temperatures of 50 below zero. that tell a specific units role in the overall picture. They had welded together a steel bucket to go over the forks of the forklift which was used to dig the pool before I got their. The series' objective approach permits viewers to form their own conclusions about the war. We got ambushed the next day on the way to Bear Cat, then mortared about an hour after reaching the camp. The enemy was watching all this, but could not attack us., The Odd Couple, 1967: My buddies Lynch and Cork share a morning ritual at Camp Bearcat (Camp Martin Cox)., LZ, 1967: Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey Slick) helicopter makes a quick troop drop at a Fire Support Base near the Cambodian border without touching down., Operation, 1967: 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division assembles at the Dau Tieng airfield in preparation for a major combat operation near the Cambodian border., The Wasteland, 1967: 9th Infantry Division soldier burns the remaining twigs after our Bearcat Base Camp was sprayed heavily with Agent Orange to kill the jungle vegetation and then bulldozed into a desert wasteland., Triple Deuce, 1967: Troops of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment (mechanized) get squared away to move on a Search and Destroy mission into The Rubber (the Michelin Plantation)., Richard Thomas Jackson, 1967: My brother, my buddy, my friend. The Liaison Officer/Operator (LO) had to be capable of working alone, of using the Cat Code (converting plain language into 5x5 figures and letters to code up secure messages), precise map reading, impeccable procedures and capable of operating multiple radio and phone systems at any one time. (He is the only openly gay officer of the American Legion of whom he knows, he said.) They couldn't get the chain of command to approve firing on it. Use to have stories of his time there but the memory is starting to fade. 101st. It has been 51 years but so many memories. History. Many nights of sweltering heat, monsoon rains, and all that went with it..Thanks for the memory. If you're interested, I can send you a picture of Col. Meyer and the Thai commander. from sapper attack on Long Binh ammo dump about 12 miles away. Though Gaynor admits that his expectations for the results were low, he went along with the idea. 27 Nov 43 Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy. A Special Thanks to a Friend of all Vietnam Veterans WASSI, Inc . Since then we have travelled 6 times by bus and car to Vung Thau on that same Long Thanh hiway. I, an American, served with the Thai's, 11.5 months. Members for the 104th were drawn from the 139th Signal Squadron at Enoggera Brisbane, Australia. Better thee than me Bill I was a surveyor at Bearcat May 68 to July 68. They guard roster would get shorter and shorter whit people being exempted and then they would have to correct it. 18 May The battalion realigned the combat support and combat service support missions within CTZ/MR III previously accomplished by A and C Company. For additional information on Nick Quigley's service Click Here. The Water Point was overrun the night before what was to be my fourth night there. There are cultural issues to be reconned with in order to become even more competetive in international markets, but the country appears stable with not a whole lot of grumbling by citizens. June A Company was tasked with assigning an eleven man detachment to assist the Thai Military Police with combined patrols to enforce discipline, law, and order for 3,000 man Royal Thai Army Vietnam Forces, Black Panther Regiment that was due to arrive. I agree Jack good job. Our unit had unofficial hookers. Assumed, command in Ft Riley about a month before Turned out to be a bomb. AAORLL's 1967. AAORLL's 1968. Our barracks were not to far from the PX. "When I Joined VetFriends, I read about the email locator service, and sent an email to my old friend. Hope this finds its way to you and that you are in good health. We rode slowly entering the shade of the tall rubber trees. Thank you for sharing the photos and the documentation which says so much emotionally in its factual presentation. Calling artillery, Dust-offs, Locsats (location status), Sit-reps (Situation Reports) and in many cases operating in a Liaison situation between the ARVN, U.S. Military, Thai's, Kiwis (New Zealand) and Australian's in the battlefield. Brought back some memories. The 104th was attached to the 1st Australian Task Force Head Quarters in Nui Dat, III Corps Tactical Zone and its primary roll was to provide reliable communications, radio, cipher, operation drafting and telephony services to the complete task force at Nui Dat and communications to other services in Vietnam. Assigned to 9th Sig Btn, 9th Infantry Div. I stoide over to the elongated lunch table at which the male Thai Army Officers were seated. Infantry School The 3/5 Cav was organized as a Divisional reconnaissance unit for the 9th Infantry Division and arrived in Vietnam with the Division in late 1966. 69) Election 2014 Bearcat was originally a French airfield, later used by the Japanese during World War II. Cuba I was at Bear Cat from March-November 1966 with the 1st M.P. I basically was a one man aerial port supporting the 9th's airlift requirements of men and supplies at the Long Thanh airfield. After the civilian Vietnamese contractors finished the structural work their crew of mostly women with their children who accompanied them to work, filled the hundreds of sand bags needed. Also, great place as compared to conditions with 101st. I was with the 1011th S/S Co. I served from Feb. 1967-Feb. 1968 with the First Infantry Division 2/2mechanized stationed out of Lai Khe. I was glad we had some of the 4th Inf there to protect us. The Thank you. 6) Fun times. I was transferred to Division Artillery in July 1967 and accompanied DivArty Commander Col. Stewart C. Meyer when he went over to welcome the Thai Regiment to Bearcat in September. Along road near Black Horse; RFPF observation More insight. The country is quite safe on personal security and poverty is greatly decreased. 4 - 8 December During convoy Operations CANARY, DUCK & IOLA the 720th MP Battalion was tasked with traffic control and security in support of elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 5th & 6th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment, in support of elements of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade (LIB) and 9th Infantry Divisions move from debarkation at the Port of Vung Tau to their new base camps at Long Binh and Bearcat, respectively. Then, for the last week in January, the 2-47 was sent south of the 9th Division's base camp to patrol the jungles east of Highway 15, near the Binh Son rubber plantation. This Face Book Page is dedicated to the men who served and died with the 4th/47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division. I remember when B52 would drop miles from us it still shook the hell out of the barracks. Their entire perimeter opened up. That's me next to a rubber I abstained which sometimes makes me wonder what the hell was wrong with me. The 3/60th was one of the three battalions (2/60, 3/60 . Go to https://www.militaryvideo.com/ to purchase the entire 70-minute video, or to see movie trailers of over 700 other military vid. Two battalions of the Mobile Riverine Force, working with the Vietnamese Marines, eliminated 250 VC in day-long fighting along the Rach Ruong Canal 6 miles southwest of Saigon. We were required to have 2 awake and one sleeping in 6 2 hour shifts. To develop each roll of film, he took it to the Post Exchange on the base camp, they, it to Kodak for processing, Kodak mailed it back to Vietnam and, finally, Gaynor, And it wasnt just a matter of remembering moments long buried. It was later the base camp for the 9th Infantry Division from January 1967 until the division moved to ng Tm Base Camp near M Tho in late 1967. But life on eagle was easy compared to the grunts out in the bush. Great stories and memories, Jack. 3/39th Inf. Message is: Mike, If you get this drop me a line or an email. 4) Nose art on air cavalry Huey chopper. Long Binh is now a small Vietnamese army installation and a large Industrial Park, including a High Tech Park. and thank you for it. We later flew to Lai Khe for his court martial. I would have been 8 years old at the time. Bob Stapley Good to see others from the same experience. Looking at the pictures put me right back into the jungle as if I were a 21-year-old soldier again.. 68--69 5th 42nd hauled ammo and supplies to 155 gun units. Unit was: 9th Infantry Division, 9th Admin Co Where served: Camp Bearcat VietNam When served: 1967-1968 . I stood guard on those bunkers in 1968. I have two pics of being in the boonies. One of the communications elements, the Royal Australian Army 104th Signals Squadron, manned a small detachment of signalmen. Infusion, 1967: "Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Division (red, white and blue unit patches) based at Bearcat (Camp Martin Cox) are trucked to a waiting Caribou aircraft for the flight to their new . My buddie took many photos of Bien Hoa AB in 1972. I got elected to go to the next bunker (south I think) to tell the Queen's Cobra Thai soldiers that the alert was off. (having health issues on my end) thanks! Then it was still known as Bearcat. Sign our 2-47th Infantry Guestbook View our 2-47th Infantry Guestbook. (LogOut/ and kids from the 709ths civic action village. We never found out his name, but it hurt. Coming through Long Thanh going toward Vung Thau, just outside the town, the Rubber Plantation in which our company compound in Bearcat was located appeared on the left in the distance. November Due to the increasing problem of North Vietnamese communist insurgencies in Thailand, including attacks against U.S. Military Assistance Command bases, and the deterioration of security in the bordering countries of Laos and Cambodia, the Thai Government announced it would start withdrawing its Volunteer Forces from Vietnam, the majority based at Bearcat. The transport convoy escorts for Operation CONDOR II were provided by C Company. Bearcat berm from outside 709th's area.Note Took the water right out of the river below and kept it up pretty much all day long. About Viet Nam veterans who were with the 9th Infantry Division in Ft. Riley, KS in 1966 and/or Viet Nam in 1967 Reese M. Howell ( Acting ) Assistant Division Commander, playing ball, hanging out the area we had red... Rain is coming, 19 ) Scenes the first Infantry Division ; Cavalry unit Records, ca about how (. Division ; Cavalry unit Records, ca conditions with 101st a French airfield later! 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