One thought on “Team 117”

1. I just found this site while trying to find my “old” team ldr. I arrived in Quang Ngai in Sep.70. 1st memory was landing at an airstrip with one other LT and nobody there. After many anxious minutes, a Jeep came roaring up and took us for “inprocessing”. I remember the Specialist saying he had two Asst Tm Ldr openings…Tra Bong (?)and Nghia Hanh. If my memory is correct, Tra Bong has been overrun a few weeks earlier, since I was 1st in line I immediately said I will go to Nghia Hanh. The LT behind me turned pale…really! My team Ldr there was CPT Tony Mamika who was short…only had 4-6 wks left. We had a “State Department” Guy as the District Senior Advisor…can’t remember his name. Shortly after the NVA hit the district compound on 10/13/70, he was replaced by Major Ben G. Crosby (West Pointer) and one helluva Guy! He was able to “motivate” our corrupt district Chief, MAJ Quy, into more aggressive operations along with units from the Americal. I became the acting TM Ldr when Tony left. I worked primarily with a tribe “company” of Montagnards in the WSW part of Nghia Hanh. In the Spring of 71, CPT John Cullen (West Pointer) came to us as the new TM LDR. I know that MAJ. Crosby is dead, I don’t know about CPT Cullen.

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