53 Area (CommCo(Rein), 1stMarDivFMF Mar65 depart Braodway Pier SDIEGO aboard LSD-3 Carter Hall.  Couple of months at Hague, then to Da Nangon the LST-1168 Wexford County.  Moved from airstrip (swamp side/tent city) near "Dogpatch" across the river (Marble Mountain).  Remember Restad, Denny Sargeant, Wise, Wuergler, Prendergast, Crutchlow, Foster, Giles, Santos, Dycus, Schiffers.........Harvest Moon, Prairie, Hastings, Starlight and R&R in Hong Kong.  Never left comm, been at it since the day I left the Corps, continued using hooks for 16 years (gets to be hard on the knees)

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.

Served July, 1968 to June, 1970 in Ground Radio Repair and Administration.

I was a regular on React Platoon when I wasn't at theE Club.

 

I'm interested in any documentation of 5th Comm. Bn. Awards and Citations,

and graphics, for any patches, logos, or memorabilia from 5th Comm.

 

I'd like to hear from anyone who served with me in Nam.

 

After 35 years i'm just now going through the old negatives that I have left

(many were lost) and will post some of the better ones of 5th Comm., DaNang, Marble Mtn., III MAF, Hoa Long, and whaterver I find.

 

Semper Fi

John Roach

MOS 2841

Ground Radio Repair

 

I was TAD to FLC from 1970-1971. At first I set up Tech Control, then Acting Telephone Officer and finally TTC-28 Mobil Dial Central Chief. We handled all of the comm for Danang North.

When I retired I taught electronics for United Electronics Institute. Over the years rose to Director/Dean of the college. When the school closed I moved on to Tampa College where I retired as Academic Dean 2 years ago.

Served with 5th  Comm BN. 3 Mar.Div. Const. Plt. from  Sept.68 to  Oct  69. 

arrived danang 27jun70 by bummpy airlines [with phantoms shadowing.found out later!!] arrived 5th comm.bn. worked with rr&c.plt assigned to line crew. i think cpl deal was driver ?got to climb poles found out quick that you get shot at [not in training!!!] in the mix of things got to meet herman[mascot]wonder what happend to him?e-club beach comber was great so was the movies till the screen took a hit.movies was on hold a bit.later transfer to comm supt.short time later sent on s&d with inf don't rember who as radio operator.that did'nt go well radio took hits but i did'nt thanks to radio &my turtle shell. thenback to rr&c to finish tour.went to okie in05oct70to mcas futima comm.supt only one that that comes to mind Gy.sgt blair.try to add more later.

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.

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.

Oct '65 to Dec '67.

Started out with Comm Spt.Co., HQ Bn., 3dMarDiv.Helped build Hoa Long. Served around Danang, then around Phu Bai and at Khe Sanh. Got to see so many of the scenic spots of sunny I Corps.

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.

I was at 5th Comm from Oct 1969-Sep 1970

Enlisted for Three.

Looking for any of the old guys from construction. Was in country from August 1968-February 1970.

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.

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.

 

 

I remember the raining days the most.  I also remember watching puff the magic dragon overhead spitting out death and watching the pink elephants in the trees while on guard duty and feeling the what it is like when a grenade bounches in your bunker.  I remember watching the clounds move accross the mountains like it was being poured from the other side. 

RVN 67-68; really glad I found this site;  SF