MACV Team 103 – ???
This Page is intended for the discussion of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Team 103 located in ???
MACV Teams
Military Assistance Command Teams Vietnam
MACV Team 103 – ???
This Page is intended for the discussion of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Team 103 located in ???
MACV Teams 
Hello Lt. Raleigh! Dai uy Fredericks here.
I can’t believe your memory about our experience together and all the names you are able to recall. I have googled Mat 103 over the years with no results. Thanks for the recap. I remember you as a nice guy, positive and very supportive of me during our assignment. My wife and I live in New York and worked for Xerox for most of my career. Would like to hear more about you. Please reply IF YOU GET THIS MESSAGE.
Mike Fredericks
I was in error in reporting that 1st. Lt. Fowler was KIA while on a night ambush patrol in 1969. In retrospect he was mot likely wounded and was ECAC’ed. We were never told any difference. He was KIA in May of 1970 – must have been on his 2nd. Tour of Duty.
MAT103 was formed in November of 1968 with Capt. Fredricks (CO), 1st. Lt. Ronald Raleigh (myself as XO), SFC Garett (Heavy Weapons), Sgt. Jones (Light Weapons), “Doc” (Medic), and Sgt. Trinh’ (RVN/RF/PF Interpreter). After 2 weeks training at the MACV School in Di An (Big Red One’s Base) the team was assigned to MACV Advisory Team 80, An Xuyen Province (now Camau Province), based in the Provincial Capital, Camau – the last Province in the Delta. MACV Advisory Team 80 had a total of 7 MATs under their control (for sure I remember MAT 103, MAT 109, & MAT115 in the mix – not sure about the other 4). I do remember that 1st. LT. Fowler, a Georgia boy from Winder, Georgia was one of the first KIA’s involved in the MAT program on one of the first ordered night ambush patrols (half of the RF/PF soldiers disappeared in the “Viet Cong” ambush of the patrol).
MAT 103 members headed to the Delta after training, I went to Cam Rahn Bay to pick up a “conex” filled with our equipment and was “held up” in a supply depot fro another 2 weeks. Finally, via C126 and Chinook, I rejoined the Team for deployment to our first Operation Base at the Provincial Village of Oro via boat (“Boston Whaler” our means of transportation, along with Vietnamese “sam pans”. As the next 9 months unfolded, our interpreter was replaced by Sgt. Tuan (RVN/RF/PF), SFC Garett (DEROS) was replaced by SFC Lingo, Sgt. Jones (DEROS) was replaced by SFC Elugardo, and Capt. Fredericks (DEROS) – I was moved to the CO slot. I served with MAT 103 from November 1968 to July 1969. Many of our operations involved treks into the U’Minh Forest (2000 square kilometers) – designated as a “free fire zone” as it was a known Viet Cong Base Camp area. The U’Minh Forest is now a National Park.
Mr. Raleigh- you may also want to post this on the Team 80 site.