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.

 

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.

M

RVN Dec67-Oct69

4thMarReg3rdMarDiv

Comm Section

Radio Relay

Radio

Stationed at Phu Bai,  also with the 7th Marines at LZ Baldy.   Took command of Radio Relay Site on Monkey Mountain until the 3rdMarines left then moved to MACS 4 on top of Monkey Mountain with Radio Relay shot to Chu Lai.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Orders out of ITR were to 8" guns 29 Palms Calif. Reported in Oct. 1965. In December 1965 I was transfered to 7th Comm, Radio Relay. The Platoonwas preparing to mount out to Nam to complete 5th Comm Bn. January 66 we boarded the USS THOMASTON (LSD) and shipped out to Nam. Landed at Tein Sha pier on a cold rainy day February 1966. Convoy to the 5th Comm base camp near  Marble Mnt. where the Salts commenced to scare the crap out of us with war stories.

About 2 months later I was reassigned to Service Co. Motor transport and remained there until I rotated in Sept..1967. Col. Kelly was the Bn. Co.

Some of the guys I remember ar Danny Milek (Missoula Montana), Carl Nutt ( Tenn. ) Mike Yslavia (Arizonia) Schollser ( louisana ).

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.

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)

Arrived in country abord the General Gordon in March 67 with 1500 Marines and they took us to some large grinder in Danang. So we're all sittingon our sea bags and they start calling out lists of names. Each list went to an awaiting cattle-car and off they went. Hours later they finished calling out names and 7of us were still sitting there like abandoned children in this enormous field. The NCO in charge yells out, "Who the hell are you? You're not suppose to be here!". That was fine with me but how was I going to get back to San Diego? Five days later they located our orders and I was on my way to the 5th Comm Bn at the beach paradise Camp Hoi Long, The Flower Garden.