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5th Comm BnContains "mature" content, but not necessarily adult.[email protected] 
  
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5TH COMM ROSTER
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Nickname Terry
Name Theron Page
Rank(s) Cpl in Nam
Platloon/Co H &S Motor-T
E-mail [email protected]
Comments

I was with the 5th Comm. Bn in 1967. My MOS was mechanic in the motor pool and together with a great team, we kept the radio trucks in operation and off the "Dead Line". <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

I went through Motor Transport training at Camp LeJune, then Infantry training at Pendelton, then to Vietnam.<o:p></o:p>

While in country, I served for six months at 5th Comm. then later at FLC (Force Logistics Command) on the other side of DaNang.<o:p></o:p>

After Nam, I served at the Marine Corp Air Station in Santa Ana, California.<o:p></o:p>

Three short years in the Corp., but a whole lot of memories. Here are a few of my photos of 5th Comm.

Updated 5/26/2002
 
Nickname Sgt. Joe Koller
Name Joe Koller
Rank(s) 66, Pvt, 67 LCpl, Cpl.68 Sgt
Platloon/Co 5th Comm. Bn gusrd duty for 3 months HQ III MAF 67-68
E-mail [email protected]
Comments I spent a lot of time on guard duty in bunker 3, from june 66 to about sept. had to clean up the mess when the Marine blew him self up with a frag gernade, I was his replacement. Then to IIIMAF HQ as a wireman and switchboards operator. I am looking for anyone that went through Boot camp at San Diego in Oct 25 Plt. 1010 Please contact me.
Updated 5/26/2002
 
Nickname TJW
Name TJ Wilkins
Rank(s) Cpl
Platloon/Co Hq, III MAF, COC Comm
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
I was sent to IIIMAF COC comm ctr from 5th Comm and spent my tour at the III MAF
compound in 69-70. I remember when the ammo dump gothit and our mess hall
got destroyed plus all the rain, the smells and the trips to freedom hill.
Updated 6/3/2002
 
Nickname KEN
Name KENNETH B. CAMPBELL
Rank(s) SSGT/USMC; GYSGT/CWO2/USMCR
Platloon/Co RADIO RELAY & CONSTRUCTION
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
SERVED WITH RR & C CO. FROM APRIL 1970 'TIL SEPT.1970
WHEN THE BATTALION WAS ROTATED HOME; WAS THERE
WHEN ARMY CAME INTO HOA LONG AND RELIEVED US.
WAS THEN TRANSFERRED TO 1st ENGR.BN.
 
Updated 8/3/2002
 
Nickname Mud Marine
Name John Callahan
Rank(s) PVT.- PFC - PVT.- PFC - PVT.- PFC. L/CPL. RET.
Platloon/Co Comm. Supp. Co. (2531) Voice Radio
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
The way I see it I was promoted 4 times,
..... sorta makes me a Sargeant ?
 
1/8 A Co. (Radio) Cypress, Med Cruise 1964
1/ 8  H&S Co. Comm. Plt. Dominican Rep. 1965
5th Comm. Bn. V N 1965 - 1966  (Comm. Supp. Co.)
 
Looking for PFC Bruce Brantz (2531 Comm.Supp.)
from South Philadelphia.
Updated 9/15/2002
 
Nickname gbechen
Name Gerry Bechen
Rank(s) PFC -> CPL -> PFC :)
Platloon/Co Comm Plattoon, Comm Co.
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
USS Okanogan from Long Beach, CA JUN66 to CHU LAI,
JUL66, via Hawaii for a few days. And of course the Typhoon
we ran intonear the Phillipines. After a short while, some of
us went to DaNang (some nice pictures on this site). Lived
at the Beachfront property for a while and then moved to
III MAF HQ to work in the message center. All in all I have
some fond memories of the time spent in VN. I have a few
pictures of the 5th Comm camp and local areas. I drove a jeep
and made a lot of courier runs when the lines were down. Not
all of them were fun. Approx. tour dates Left Long Beach at end
of May 66, arrived Chu Lai about one month later. Left from
DaNang about mid July 67.I heard the day after I left, the DaNang
AirStrip was hit pretty bad. Would be glad to hear from anyone
I served with or any others.
Updated 6/13/2002
 
Nickname Rod West
Name Rodney L. West
Rank(s) Pfc-Sgt. in Nam, retired MGySgt.
Platloon/Co Const. Plt. and Comm Plt at III MAF
E-mail [email protected]
Comments Took the boat ride on the Thomaston, seasick first four days out till they put me in sick bay. Spilled 5gals. of OD green while painting trucks on the upper deck. Helped camo a MIKE boat in the well deck with that. Went to 8th Comm after Nam, same guys for the most part. Retired from USMCR as MGySgt. Comm Chief for 4th MAW. Went to the show in Saudia Arabia as a Gunny with a local HUEY unit. Some things never changed. Kept in touch with Gary Vietor in Michigan and Ralph Haas in Davenport, Iowa, both Const. Plt. troops. Went to boot camp with Wayne Schlosser in MT, Eugene Telenko Const. Plt. truck driver and Gary Vietor. We all reported to 7th Comm at the Stumps in Nov. 65
Updated 6/13/2002
 
Nickname jack
Name John W. SIMMA
Rank(s) GySgt USMC
Platloon/Co CommCenPLT/CommCo//BnS-4/Hqco66-67//OpnsCommCO//opnsComSptCo7thComm 70-71
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
  
Updated 2/2/2003
 
Nickname MSN NicknameRogueMule
Name James R Connor
Rank(s) E-5
Platloon/Co 5th Comm Bn Radio Relay Plt
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
In Country Nov 65. Bunked in the old compound with the pyramid tents.Walked along the creek to the mess hall to eat the "RED DEATH". In Jan 66 Iflew to Subic Bay boarded ship and sailed back to Viet Nam to partiscipate in a landing. In April 66 I moved to Monkey Mountain and stayed until Jan 67. I moved to the main base in Da Nang and made courier runs until March 67.
 
I am looling for information on David Grubic. His name appears on the MAA list along with others that I knew. Stoney Broadstreet, Johnny Earl Mack, Ollie Oliveras, Prince Murray and Shimmerhorn.
 
   
 
May GOD continue to keep and bless each of vou. 
Updated 7/22/2002
 
Nickname Sparky
Name Brian Farrell
Rank(s) Cpl/Sgt
Platloon/Co Radio Plt/Comm Co.
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
How in the hell is everyone?  Man, it has been a long time.  Came in country Oct. 67, rotatated back to the world Dec 68.  TAD Radar school, 1stMARDIV ; TAD Task Force Hotel' Khe Sanh, TAD POL Dong Ha. Anyone who was there with me, say hello!!!!!
 
Updated 8/22/2008
 
Nickname radio_relay
Name Richard Boyd
Rank(s) LCpl
Platloon/Co RR Plt, RR&Const Co.
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
Semper Fi Brothers. Wow, it's great to find a 5th Comm web site. My mos was 2831, radio relay repairman. Was in RVN with 5th Comm, from May '70 to Oct '70. I finished out my westpac tour with 7th Comm, on Okinawa. 5th Comm was actually decommisioned in Oct of '70 (don't know exact day), and hasn't been recommisioned. I was one of the last Marines at Camp Hoa Long. An Army Engineer unit moved in after us. Also spent time on 244, Monkey Mountain, and 950. Welcome Home to each and every one of you! I'll be in D.C. for Vets Day, and the M.C. B'Day. Hope to run into some of you there.
Updated 8/28/2002
 
Nickname ronleon
Name Ron Leonard
Rank(s) PFC-CPL Nam. Sgt discharge
Platloon/Co III MAF Comm room for war room.
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
Enlisted for Three.
Updated 10/10/2002
 
Nickname MSN NicknameTony3T
Name A P Stromecki
Rank(s) Sgt
Platloon/Co construction plt; rr & construction
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
Departed 29 Palms with Capt Wilhelm.Boarded the USS Thomaston in San Diego for transport to RVN.
In country from January 66 to February 67.
Slept in our pup tents the first night in camp.
 
 
Updated 2/27/2005
 
Nickname Doc
Name Dave Hildebrand
Rank(s) Cpl/Sgt
Platloon/Co Wire Platoon, CommSptCo
E-mail [email protected]
Comments Jan 66-Feb 67
Updated 3/24/2003
 
Nickname ALopez2
Name Adrian A. Lopez
Rank(s) L/CPL
Platloon/Co Motor "T", Headquarters
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
5th Comm - 21 Dec 66 to 4 Apr 68
 
Arrived a 6 months cherry-san and left a casualty at the end of Tet '68. Geat mix of old salts and new guys. I had a lot of great driving runs with the Bn and the best were the convoys up north for FLC. Of the Motor T bunch I remember Monzie, Ballard, Carter, Harris, Reno, Yslava, Meracle, Schlosser and Gunny Garrett. I am still looking for that hi-compression grease and sky hook. My last three years of a 2nd enlistment was as an Marine Security Guard with the USNATO/Embassy Detachment, Brussels, Belgium. Now it has come full circle, we have a Corpsman-son with 1/7 in Iraq. Semper Fi.               
Updated 3/25/2003
 
Nickname J D Keller
Name John Keller
Rank(s) 63 -67 Pendleton, RVN, LeJune,final rank SGT
Platloon/Co Radio Plt., CommCo, 5thComm and 7th Comm
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
Landing at Red Beach, 7thComm, then 5thComm, DoubleEagle I and II, MK83's Radio Jeeps, TSC-15's..2531 MOS  RVN 65-66
Updated 3/27/2003
 
Nickname Ron
Name Ron Parent
Rank(s) Sgt.
Platloon/Co Radio Platoon/Comm. Spt. Co. ('66-'67)
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
TSC-15 Van Operator
Updated 4/24/2003
 
Nickname Icecream
Name Bill Simonson
Rank(s) PFC Got Froze there somehow :-) something to do with a dispute with an officer
Platloon/Co TAD III MAF comm. ctr. 1968-69
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
Called a friend of mine up who was stationed at Camp horn one night.  His C.O. wanted to know how come I could call in on the red phone.  Just told him I had axcess and not to worry about it.  When my friend Ray got on the phone I told him "Get your Head Down, your gonna get hit any minute now!"  He laughed, in the background you could hear the mortars start walking in.  He said OK and gotta go.  His C.O. kept asking him "Who da hell was that guy and how did he know that stuff?"
 
Sat down at a PTSD group in Wisconsin and told the boys "Did you know that every shot fired in Viet Nam was accounted for?"  They didn't believe me.  We had a daily round expenditure in 68 along with the daily body count.
 
I will get the photos to you folks as soon as i can find them all and it will take time to re-do and transfere my movie of the drive around DaNang, and the ride to 5th comm. The movie is in super 8 color and i will have to transfere it to video tape then to the computer.   I also have a reel to reel tape i left running during the day at III MAF. (very noisy place) and one I left running at night during one of our famos rocket attacks.  It may also take me some time to dig that one up.
 
One of funniest things i'd ever seen was on the 5th com. compound.  An all night rain and when I looked ouside the hooch in the morning someone in the hooch next door did a high dive into a foxhole next to the hooch full of water.
At the time it just looked outrageous.  Also remember having to swim to get to the E-club at 5th com. because of the rain.
 
Did I tell you I"m glad you folks are here.
Updated 5/24/2003
 
Nickname Bob
Name Bob Potts
Rank(s) Cpl
Platloon/Co RR & Const
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
Entered the Corps in 6/63 going to MCRD Parris Island, Plt 238. From there went to Camp Lejuene for 27 months with 2nd Shore Pty Bn. Went on several cruise in the Caribbean and ending up in Santo Domingo 4/28/65 making a wet landing on Red Beach. This ended up being a joke because we landed on a hot beach with blank ammunition. We finally got ammunition about 0200 and shortly after got hit. After returning to Lejuene went on a couple more cruises I thought I was short but got orders to RVN with only 13 months left.  Got to RVN in June 66 assign to 5th Comm.  The first few months I was assigned to I Corp HQ working on the switchboard and finally getting promoted to Cpl. Trf to RR & Cons and went on the construction changing field wire to cable. After a while got a crew that was responsible to repair and replace telescopic poles that the ARVNs shot up.  We had a SSgt promote 2nd Lt who became our CO but I can't remember his name.  If anyone knows his name send an email with his name. Please !! Does anyone remember Dunn or Ashby.  They where bunked in my home.  Left RVN 5/28/67 and left active duty 6/10/67.
Updated 7/26/2003
 
Nickname JimmyD
Name James DeYoung, Jr.
Rank(s) PFC, LCPL, CPL
Platloon/Co Radio Relay (2532), RR&C
E-mail [email protected]
Comments
Was first in 7th Comm HQ Bn and the went to base on beach when changed to 5th Comm Bn.  Arrived Nam Oct. 65 and rotated to states in Nov. 66.
Updated 8/17/2003