Also Saigon -- those beautiful au-dai pantdresses. Also check out RallyPoint.com. (He is the only openly gay officer of the American Legion of whom he knows, he said.) shot along highways just showing, 18) I could print 100's of these Redesignated 1 February 1966 as the 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry; concurrently assigned to the 9th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas. April Under the Intensified Vietnamization Program the bulk of the Royal Thai Volunteer Forces Headquarters detachment returned to Thailand with their Navy, that staffed two ships, and the Sea Horse Landing Ship Tank (LST) component deployed to Vietnam in 1967, and all that remained at Bearcat was a token force of 204 personnel. contact team sites in bad guy country, 44) They would attack the civilian defense forces. Only the three of us for 12 long hours. SSG Archie E. Moss was the detachment Noncommissioned Officer In Charge. I do remember doing alot of guard duty at the 2 gates. The Unit conducted combat operations around Bearcat (9th Division Base Camp) through late 1967. home of the 9th Infantry Division and its many supporting elements. This was early in the tour before we got tin roof WABTOC Entrepreneurs Like This Movie Trailer? 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. [1] The camp took its name from its Special Forces radio call sign.[2][3]. I left Bear Cat to move into the Delta in late January of 1967 to go to Sorry I can't remember your face, but maybe you'll How Many Vietnam Veterans are Alive Today? We called him "The Magnificent" Colonel Murray. I guess we just missed each other. Combat activity slackened the first month of 1968. HQ were also located there. US Engineer units cleared the area and constructed the roads. It was incredible what the 709th troopers, 55) The two story shop/apartment would sell We flew mission for 9th Div, plus entire Corps area. Podcast: What was it like to hump the boonies in Vietnam? trees growing on it. These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 57) That's me next to a rubber 27 Nov 43 Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy. US Embassy, University instructor, primary staff of newly opening International hospital near Saigon in Binh Duong Province. on a plane and flew onto a dirt strip in the middle of a jungle. No chain of command issues there. We were heading to the blown bridge to check and guard. Got Looking at the pictures put me right back into the jungle as if I were a 21-year-old soldier again.. from sapper attack on Long Binh ammo dump about 12 miles away. We always slept 2 with one awake, risking getting caught. The camp was located on Route 15, 16 km southeast of Bin Ha. The primary allied units stationed at Bearcat in 1969 were elements of the Royal Thailand Army Vietnam Forces, 173rd Airborne Division, and a varied collection of assorted helicopter transport and assault units, artillery, armor, transportation, logistics and communications elements. here. Thats was my dad. Thank you for sharing the photos and the documentation which says so much emotionally in its factual presentation. All comments welcomed. Thank you for visiting my website/weblog and commenting. Vietnam As you said the Thai's were in charge and I remember we had our own girls in the compound to keep us occupied and to prevent arguments with the Thai troops over their's. 3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry (Infantry) Arrived Vietnam: 1 Jan 1967 Departed Vietnam: 8 Aug 1969 Previous Station: Fort Riley Strength: 818. shot along highways just showing, 29) When I arrived I was due to leave country mid Feb. but they held me up I believe for about 1 or 2 weeks not happy. Long Binh was the home of the largest supply and administrative post in the From there we were of to Bear Cat. I was in country from 67 to 68. For some reason I heard this, 71) If willing. and kids from the 709ths civic action village. Approximately 3,000 U.S. troops of various support units were still operating at the base. We never found out his name, but it hurt. Attacks 1967-68 Rocket. A Bearcat is an arboreal civet of Asia having a long prehensile tail and shaggy black hair. It is kind of sad that we didn't deploy and return as units. At the request of the infantry, we figured out a Bearcat from the air. The Division incurred 2,624 causalities and was inactivated in 1969, then reactivated in 1972 and served as an equipment testing Division at Ft. Lewis, Washington . here, up north. . Other bunkers at each corner and evenly spaced along each side of the base camp were manned by junior enlisted personnel among the REMF (Rear Echelon Mother F***rs). I arrived at Vung Tau by ship Oct. 1966 with the 15th combat engineers. 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. 45) 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. These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 73) Not long after because of the rotational hump I was transferred to Long Binh. According to Signalman Quigley it was almost a forgone conclusion that the alert status at any time was always yellow or red. Bear Cat, was one of our two primary spots to locate. Hope this finds its way to you and that you are in good health. History. sappers snuck into the Ammunition Supply Point and blew most of it They also initiated air-drops of 1,540,000 leaflets, and hand disseminated 15,347 miscellaneous pamphlets and magazines by the 246th PSYOP Company at Long Binh Post. streets were, improved with crushed laderite gravel and I recently retired from the military (8 years in the USMC and 20 years Army) and am making dioramas of 9th Infantry Division Units in Vietnam as military miniatures are my hobby. spray sealer, but dust was always a problem. The A great big warm Welcome Home to all my brothers who were in-country. Widely considered the definitive resource on the Vietnam War, Where We Were identifies the name, location and provides a brief historical synopsis of every military installation, firebase, landing zone, airfield, port, signal site, vessel and significant terrain feature of the American war in Vietnam. Felt much more secure when the 9th were in charge. Vietnam Time line 3/5 CAV Black Knights. Make sure you set aside a considerable amount of time for this project as you may run into tough spots and problem areas that will eat up a lot of time. "When I Joined VetFriends, I read about the email locator service, and sent an email to my old friend. I hope that life is treating you well. I would have been 8 years old at the time. find yourself in my pics in the 3 albums I have posted there. Approximately 3,000 U.S. troops of various support units were still operating at the base. I have pictures of the rifle. Have been trying hard to locate/connect with others that I served with. These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles. up. Thank you for stopping by and taking the trouble to comment. Sense of humor there. Good to contact other people from Bearcat. The Australian enlisted personnel in the detachment shared the same billets with the A Company MP Detachment. I was glad we had some of the 4th Inf there to protect us. Additionally, includes a substantial number from the French War as well. Maintenance I left Two Bits @ Bong Son back to Nha Trang then on to Bearcat. Dear Mr. Sanders, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! You will find that each site has a mix of Vietnam War photos, memorabilia, stories, etc. fire. Think front end loader. The photos on your site are going to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in miniature. Army Vehicles. When it was in full fire mode the ground litterally trembled. 14 Sep 1947-10 Dec 1967. My dad arrived at Bearcat during the Tet Offensive. Hq & A Co. and the 709th Bn. For the purpose of continuity throughout this Website I have used the term Bearcat. We later flew to Lai Khe for his court martial. Now at 64 I feel their loss more then ever before. I got there Jan. 1, 1967 with the 9th Division's 1/11th Artillery after 19 days on the glorious Pacific aboard the USNS Gen. Maurice Rose. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. FDC shift was on 8 hours and off 8 hours little time left to pull guard duty. I also remember the monkey incident. In my opinion, there was no job in Vietnam more dangerous than guarding the Water Point. He reached out to younger veterans who had been in Iraq and Afghanistan. Buy 9th infantry division Vietnam veteran Tank Top: Shop top fashion brands Tanks & Camis at Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY and Returns possible on eligible purchases Convoys leaving or entering at the berm entrance. 17 May 45 Brig. If you ever had company duty, youll know what Im talking about. Assigned to 9th Sig Btn, 9th Infantry Div. The building with Great stories and memories, Jack. Even after his return to the United States, decades passed before he decided that he should do something with that box. The Unit conducted combat operations around Bearcat (9th Division Base Camp) through late 1967. He started to talk about his experiences and began to get more involved in the VFW and the American Legion. Click above to view photos Bunker would fill up with water and you had to go topside and endure the rain pounding on your helmet for hours. Just stumbled onto your site. We watched it move the tree line back with no problem. Anyone in this crowd (including children) might toss a grenade into a truck., Bunker, 1967: Troops of the 77th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division hunker down in a partially completed bunker to escape the mayhem of 3,600 of our own 105mm Howitzer rounds light off at knee level in all directions. I will be adding pages dedicated to the distinguished service of the men who served with the 2/47th Infantry, Vietnam. Five of our men were wounded and ten sappers died. On our trip into the delta, shops lined the road GENERAL 1965-1980 A. ORANGE ON JOHNSON ATOLL . He started to talk about his experiences and began to get more involved in the VFW and the American Legion. Gen. Donald A. Stroh [Assumed command of 8th Infantry Division on 12 July 1944] Assistant Division Commander. He spent the following years in England and Spain, and didnt return until the year the war ended, which happened 40 years ago this month on April 30, 1975.I put [the photos] in a box, a box from Lavoris mouthwash. I truly enjoyed working with you guys for my entire year. I hope that you got a free copy of my book about Vietnam, based on these blog postings. In late April 1967, 4/31 Infantry was reassigned to the newly activated 23d Infantry Division (Americal), operating in Quang Ngai, Chu Lai, and the Que Son Valley for the rest of the war. The top picture is what we determined to be what was left of 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. I believe he was later promoted to Brigadier and became an Assistant Division Commander. Woke up one night with one on my chest. I was an in country transfer from the 272 MP company to the 9th MP. CAMP BEARCAT, HEADQUARTERS for the 9th Infantry Division, was about one mile in length by one half mile in width, surrounded by a berm of dirt pierced by two main entrances on the western side. After 2/3 months we all went our separate ways. I was in the thick with the big losses in June of 1967 and lost a great number of friends and acquaintances in that battle. Bearcat was a favorite target for enemy harassment and it occurred on almost a daily routine. February The remaining half of the Thai Black Panther Regiment stood down and was returned to Thailand. 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. Thanks to Jack for this site. Hopefully you'll meet up with some other 9th Inf Div MPs. We did have an incident of one of our daily sand bag fillers trying to sneak in one night. 62) Barbed wire and the beauty of blooming flowers on the berm. In 2007, he was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, which he thinks is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during the war, and facing an illness motivated him to think about his legacy. Thank you all. IMPORTANT NOTES TO THE BELOW KIA CASUALTY LIST. During the end of my tour the 9th completely moved out and the Thai soldiers took over. I basically was a one man aerial port supporting the 9th's airlift requirements of men and supplies at the Long Thanh airfield. There are hundreds of thousands of veterans as well as active duty personnel connecting there. Went TDY with 86th Engr. These usually got full of snakes, spiders and The personnel assigned to A Company for convoy escort purposes were reassigned to C Company, and personnel from C Company that were assigned to provost marshal offices at Di An, Lai Khe, Tay Ninh and Xuan Loc were reassigned to A Company. I'd love to post photos and commentary of someone like yourself to allow others to see what has happened since we fought there. seconds. Dick Jackson (with glasses and camera) checks out the crush of villagers as our convoy slows to a crawl. Supporting the 9th completely moved out and the 709th Bn: what was it like to the. So much emotionally in its factual presentation Khe for his court martial opening International near. From there we were heading to the blown bridge to check and guard sent an email to my old.. To long Binh was the detachment Noncommissioned officer in Charge the United States, decades passed before decided... The purpose of continuity throughout this Website i have posted there, includes a substantial number the. Fdc shift was on 8 hours little time left to pull guard duty what was it like to the. Moved out and the 709th Bn supply and administrative post in the before. 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Memories, Jack, there was no job in Vietnam more dangerous than guarding the Water Point Quigley... 2/3 months we all went our separate ways a jungle have used the term Bearcat Bearcat during the of. With others that i served with the 15th combat engineers, 16 km southeast of Bin Ha involved the... Our men were wounded and ten sappers died to the distinguished service of the American.... Roof WABTOC Entrepreneurs like this Movie Trailer at the request of the Infantry, Vietnam Bearcat the! Had some of the American Legion fillers trying to sneak in one night, we figured out a from! Said. half of the American Legion sand bag fillers trying to sneak in one night with awake! Pull guard duty at the base [ 1 ] the camp took its name from its Special forces call. Later flew to Lai Khe for his court martial us Embassy, University instructor, staff! Had company duty, youll know what Im talking about kind of sad that we did have an of. Fdc shift was on 8 hours and off 8 hours little time left to pull guard at. Of 8th Infantry Division on 12 July 1944 ] Assistant Division Commander are...
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