MACV Team 95 – Bien Hoa.
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MACV Teams
Military Assistance Command Teams Vietnam
MACV Teams 
Anyone from the 15th ARVN CAV Squadron? We went into Cambodia, I was the Radio Operator for a bunch of real hero’s. I hope some of you guys are still alive. Major Simmons and Lt. Masmouski, Sgt Moore and Sgt Spignardo and a Captain from the south.
Jim;
Lots to catch up on – I’ve searched for you and John in the past. John is still in Fresno and kicking I believe. Please write me at geominer114.gmail.com
Bill Cooper
Hey Charles,
I bet we knew each other, it’s hard after more than fifty years to put names and faces together. I have many memories of Train Compound, a year in my life that I turned 21, and all the things that changed after that time.
Be well my friend, Jim
Jim thanks
Got there in March at 19, April turned 20 then the next April turned 21 than sent to TM 70 to finish my time in Vietnam. Some good times and some not so good. The security group was great. Live in Arkansas now.
Charles
Jim;
I knew you wouldn’t be far from Mother Lode country; I last saw you in Long Barn when we went on a fantastic day-trip across Sonora Pass in a rather altered but great state of mind. Correction on the email…its @gmail.com. Jim and I and John went thru radio operator school at Fort Ord, we graduated at the top of our class so we got to go to Nam. With the cavoite that it was with MACV. As you all know, MACV was a REMF job…….for most. I was assigned to an Advisory Team that literally spearheaded the incursion into Cambodia with the 15th ARVN Armored Squadron. After Kent State though, I had it pretty good and got to visit my buddies at Train Compound….loved those cheeseburgers.
Wow, great to hear from you Bill! I have done searches for you and John Boland to no avail.
Is John still with us? I spend 8 months out of the year at my home in Mexico, the rest in Arnold, CA.
For the rest of you, I was at Train from April 70 until April 71, in Security for a couple months then at CORDS/ OPC headquarters for the remainder.
Bill, John, and I took R&R together to Taipei along with Cal Mehlert, who was then head head of the political section at the embassy. A lot of memories now that we’re in our seventies!
Jim Russell
Jim,
I was in security from Mar 70 to April 71 and was sent to TM 70 until Oct 71. Spent a lot of time in the 65 foot tower as well as the 35 foot towers. I am just trying to remember names now.
Charles Wilson
I was on an Advisory Team- with the ARVN’s 15 Armored Cav- we went to Cambodia in 70- Major Simons, Lieutenant Masmouski and a bunch of old lifer sergeants who were in their 40s- Sargent Moore and Spinardo all went to Cambodia- I was a kid radio operator, Bill Cooper- they called me Junior- the hippie from California, cause we were all hippies from California. We had our own compound and would visit Train Compound for mail and the PX and tasty grill. I had buddies there, John Boland and James Russell.
Bill; From May 69 to May 70 I was the Deputy Engr Advisor for Team 95, and I flew one of the pre-Cambodian invasion recons. I rotated back to the world just as the invasion started. Glad you made it back.
Andy Wofford
Thanks Andrew, same here.
I’m looking for anyone who knew Maj. Art Marple, in Team 95 from late ’69 through April ’70.
I was stationed at Train from 8/68 to 8/69. Does anyone remember LTC Norman Heatherly?
Was diagnosed in 2012. Waldonstrums something..it’s a long name. Was there 69 _ 70.
Original orders were with MACV (3909/3910th Special Activities Squadron) Air Force as an X-ray tech at TSN 1970. Was wondering if a TSgt by the name of Vern Priesling who arrived with me in August as was sent to Bien Hoa is a familiar name for those who were stationed at the Train compound.
I was stationed there, in the security platoon, after Tet, probably latter 68. Later I went to Team 100 with the ARVN Rangers. Train compound was ok.
I was at Train Compound from July ‘65 to July 66. My MOS was 71M20 (chaplain assistant). Constantly traveled by chopper throughout III Corps with my boss, Chaplain Mulligan. Had some interesting flying situations. Train Compound was a privileged place to live compared to many outposts we frequented.
Hey Mick (Jim) – we had some chats, at times. I was in Security but, on quite a few Sudays, I used to go out with the Protestant Chaplain, and assist him with services. Saw lots of VN from the air. You’re right, of course, that it was a privilege to be at Train – I often tell people that I saw lots of Combat – on Thursday nights (or was it Wednesdays?) – as well as both episodes of Batman (I think that was after you’d left – I was there for two years). nice to see your name pop up – cuz I certainly remember you!! Bob Dye
I’m wondering if you knew my father, SFC Thomas H Botts. He was killed there on Sept 4 1965.
Hi Marc – Sorry, can’t help you. I have no memories of your father, although the name seems slightly familiar. — Bob Dye
Hi Bob this Mike Barnes how are you doing I was at Train Compound in security force with you in May 65 – May 66 how are you doing?
Sorry that I don’t remember you, Bob. But, so many years have passed since then I’ve forgotten a lot now
that I’m only a few months from turning 80.
looking for anyone who knew ssgt gordon richard wittman oct 65/kia jan 66 macv 95
Ho – Just watched a DVD of ‘The Housemaid’. It takes place during the French rule, just before they lose the war. Although it’s in Vietnamese, it has subtitles. The credits indicate that it was filmed in Bien Hoa and I suspect that the villa used in the movie was on the paper factory campus. If you view it, be sure to look closely at the final credits.
On another note, years after my days at Train, I met and married a Vietnamese woman. Her family had been prominent in the south and her family mansion is featured in the movie, ‘The Lover’ – now a national museum.
Yours, Bob Dye
Is anyone on here that was at T-Mobile 95 in 70-71 that worked in security I left there to Tm 70 first part of 71 lost all my pictures of the compound getting old and memory going
Charles, I was there from June 70 until March 1971. My email is don_zivitz@bellsouth.net . If you send me your email, I will scrounge up some old photos and send to you. Regards, Don Zivitz
It is always great to hear from anyone from Bien Hoa or Lia khe spent some time in An Loc and Tay Ninh try to find pictures of TM 95 think x-wife threw them away. Fighting al the crap that comes with AO. But doing ok if you have any pictures here is my email dswilson17@gmail.com
Charles
Greetings to all fellow Team 95 brothers and sisters. I haven’t read stuff about 95 and Train Compound quite a while and was just catching up today. I was sorry to learn that so many of you are suffering from the after effects of AO. I was at Train 1968-69. Several guys that were there at the same time are also disabled because of AO. I have peripheral nueropathy to the extent that I have no feeling except needles and fire below my knees. I have to use a walker as my feet and legs can’t keep me balanced. I have lost the feeling in my hands and fingers as well. But …… the VA says eventhough I am disabled and that I was exposed to Agent Orange , I do not qualify for a service connected disability because of insufficient documentation of first onset of nueropathy after my discharge from service. I don’t have diabetes, so that’s another disqualifier.
Have any of you had similar experiences with the VA?? Or have any of you qualified for disability on the
basis of nueropathy??? I’m beginning to feel like I’m fighting windmills. Any feedback or advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! George
Try contacting your local American Legion – free. Legions in some states (NY) have offices set up to help veterans process their cases. You can always resubmit and the VA has changed criteria in some instances. Good luck brother.
Train Compound all of 1967!
Eugene,
I hope all is well! I was curious if you happen to know my dad Tim Fahey from Syracuse NY. He left Vietnam in November 1967. Thanks!
Sean
Sorry, I don’t. I was at Bien Hoa (Train Compound) all of ‘67
I had luck going to DAV for my problems. I got everything you can get from AO. I was 100 percent for 7 years and now I just came down with ALS. I was at Train in 67 and 68. I was with the Air Force. Don’t give up keep going.
Try the DAV or VFW I have diabetes from AO and have neuropathy of both legs both hands both feet and hands I have more but not at 100%
George
I am at 90% now but the VA math sucks. You add all my service connected it is 180% but the VA gives half that. Yes I do have diabetes sprayed directly from planes flying over and being on patrol in areas they sprayed
Charles
Talk to the DAV. They will help
Bill Born Adv Team 95 G2 January 1970 to January 1971. I have had contact with several of my buddies from my time at Train over the years. George Kamon, Steve Fuhrken, Geoff Huntting, Mike Goober Schulman, Cpt Valentine come to mind. As we all have, I have known of Vets who have had serious health issues and died from exposure to Agent Orange, which from what I understand was all over and around Train Compound. And that the VA, I believe, has acknowledged that we all were “exposed” as a result of living or working there. I won’t mention names for their privacy sake, but at least two of my closest friends (and I think a 3rd friend) have been diagnosed with Parkinsons and/or diabetes and maybe other health issues as well. One of them, after several years, was finally deemed 100% disabled as a result of exposure to AO. Another with parkinsons has been denied by the VA. I find it very odd that possibly 3 of my 4 closest friends have been diagnosed with recognized AO related diseases. Which brings me to the purpose of this post. How many of you that lived, worked, visited or otherwise were based on Train Compound have been diagnosed with AO related illnesses (parkinsons, diabetes, prostate, erc) or know someone that has or was ??? For those that haven’t been diagnosed so far, like myself, or those that might be in the process, this info might be very helpful in fighting the VA and getting the help and care all Vets deserve. Thanks and God Bless
Was in security and the towers when they flew over, worked on the wire around the compound and even on patrols in the area the sprayed. Yes I do have related problems being exposed to AO
Bill – read your comment with great interest. I had a complete prostatectomy 2 years ago. Recovering OK thanks to excellent surgeon and 2X yearly Lupron injections. Blood draws show no ruther spread of cancer. PSA levels virtually nil. Fingers crossed.
Hope all you warriors on this site and keep well and safe; and that 2020 will be a great year all round. Bill Stoner
Hi Billy Born. Joe Potts, Tm 95, Jan70 – Apr70. I worked in the CIC . Was just thinking about the pyramid of command poster on the wall by your desk a few days ago. You were the world’s fastest two-fingered typist.
None of the usual AO problems for me. Had atrial fibrillation for a few years and was lucky to get it fixed. VA said didn’t consider AF to be associated with AO.
Sorry about your friends’ problems. I remember that a lot of AO was used around the Michelin rubber plantation.Being sick and disabled is bad enough with the hassle of fighting the VA.
I remember George Kamon well and Captain V. Lost contact with my friends from the CIC, Paul Duplessis and Doug Caudill.
Take care Bill.
Hey Joe ! Good to hear from you. Where do you live? I am glad to hear you haven’t had any AO issues, keeping my fingers crossed for myself. But it is disturbing to me all the people I have had contact with from Train that do have AO issues. George, Goober, and a couple of others that I don’t have first hand knowledge of. A friend who was married to a close cousin of mine died from prostate cancer due to AO.
Hope you are well. Oh, I’m up to 4 fingers and sometimes 5. Not that fast though.
Bill
I was in Bien Hoa 11/69 to 11/70 and according to Google the 10 most concentrated hits with AO, BH was #2. Danang #1. I was there 71-72. I have severe lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, massive spinal and joint arthritis, stage 3 COPD. I walk and move like a drunk man. I am 100 % disabled serv conn (150% medically) thanx to a good head of VA PC who knew it was AO. AO doesn’t disappear just because they stopped spraying. It gets into everything. If you believe the generals stuck to DOW chemicals max safe to humans max mixture (parts per mil) then I have some items for sale you should consider. It is best to research what damage dioxin does to humans in inflated mixtures rather than what the VA covers. I kept myself in top physical condition all my life and now I am reduced to an embarrasing state. Good luck!
And good fortune to you, too!
Greg Hoover Train: 4/70-03/71
Zivits….your name sounds familiar. I think we served together at the Team 95 compound.
I was there in that timeframe
Alan
Was at TM 95 in security from 03/71 left there in 71 went to TM 70 until 10/71
Charles Wilison
Your name is familiar. Hope you are well.
Alan
Doing well in Arkansas still fighting agent orange and I saw the mistake I arrived 3/70
Charles
I arrived in June 1970 and worked initially in G-4 for Col Corliss
Hey, Greg!…you good?
Yes, good! 73 sucks but I’m walking my dog in the woods and enjoying my new lady, who loves me. Hope the upcoming holiday times are happy!
I too am rated 100% because of AO. For years I didn’t think any of my health issues were AO related, didn’t go to the VA. Then a friend told me about the AO concentration at Bien Hoa (Train Compound). Had the VA do an AO exam… I’m now at the point where I’m in pain everyday, can’t walk without a cane, have a walker, and yesterday was better than today but tomorrow will be worse. I’m on more meds than I thought humanly possible. It’s hard to explain that I have no feeling below the knees (I’ve broken toes, black and blue, but no pain) yet my feet feel like I’m soaking them in acid. If I step on a grout line on the tile floor it feels like a razor blade. I’ve done all I can. It is what it is.
I was with Team 87 in Xuan Loc next door, 68/69. AO really bad JuJu……I had a complete prostatectomy 3 years ago. 100% it was Orange related. Sorry to hear others are having such terrible problems. Best to everyone, Bill
And don’t forget to vote tomorrow, if you’ve not done so already.
Bill, Greg, Robert, Eugene, It makes me very sad to hear of the troubles/pain you and others have endured from exposure to AO. I am sure there are many others that we aren’t aware of that are suffering or died. The damage and harm to our generation caused by AO will probably never be fully known or worse, being covered up by the VA and government. I wish the best to all. Bill Born Adv Team 95 Jan 1970 to Jan 1971
At Team 95 Mar 70 to Mar 71 than went to Team 70 until Oct. AO has defiantly affected me
Charles David
William, Add me to your list—Stage 4 prostate cancer. Was photographer from Sept. 68 to March 69. Major Luketina, Captain Kempf (sic?), Larry Carmody, John Hysler, Frank Carta, and Christpher Brow (KIA February 26, 1969) some of the names… Ed Worman
I was there from Mar of 70 to Mar 71 in Tm 95 was in security looking for pictures of the compound if anyone has some. Dswilson17@gmail.com
I was there Oct 1968 to 6/71. Prostate ca and diabetes
Wow. Are these recent maladies? Mine was diagnosed last August 2020. Ed Worman
Morning Ed….hope you’re getting through it OK. I’m coming up on 3 years since radical removal and so far regular blood checks are clean.
Keep well and safe, Bill
Hi Bill glad to hear you are doing well after your surgery. I had radical prostatectomy in 1995 as well as weeks of radiation still doing fine. Stay well and happy!
It is real a hard fight I am at 90% but if you add all the services connected it at 180% still fighting.
Charles
Was diagnosed in 2012. Waldonstrums something..it’s a long name. Was there 69 _ 70.
I’m looking for anyone associated with Team 99 duc hoa. My Dad was in advisory team.
I don’t remember if I posted that Donnie Gifford past away last year. He had cancer that spread to his knee. They amputated his leg. He passed away about 3 weeks later. Donnie & were childhood friends in Northern Calif. when he was about 10 his family moved to Oklahoma. The next time I saw him was in Saigon. I was standing in line lookin around & noticed Donnie & I yelled NOSE!!. If you knew Gifford you know what we called him nose😂 We rotated back from Vietnam & went to Fort Polk. Donnie re-enlisted & went back to Vietnam. I didn’t see Donnie until about three years ago. I went to Oklahoma for my niece’s wedding & tracked him down. He lived about 5 miles from my niece. We reconnected, he was just diagnosed with cancer. I went a couple time to see him. Each time he was worse. Cancer took him in about one year. I Miss my great friend😥
Hey Mike,
Our numbers are dwindling – due to this or that. Yes, I remember Gifford – On a similar thought, I was playing with the idea of assembling a little ‘roster’ of the squads for the two years that I was there, I’d be interested in who you can name, where they lodged in the building, and who the squad leaders and platoon sergeants were. I wonder if any us of remember the names of our maids, too…
Yours,
Bob Dye
Hi Bob I’m in touch with Bruce Lund he’s in Florida & Stan Czerniak he’s in Oregon
& Francis Hall is in California. How are you doing? I live in Central Texas near Fort Hood been hear since 1987. I retired from the Army 1994. Doing great still waking up morning. My # is 254/681-7366 give me a call when you get a chance
I was at Team 95 from Mar 70 – about Apr 71 was sent to TM 70 in Lai Khe until Oct 71. My memory does not produce names the compound and the towers and some of the patrols do
Charles
Hi Mike – I remember those guys, I was wondering – you got to Train a week or (maybe more) before I did. If I remember right, your team was in a tent next to the Mess Hall (later the location of the PX)? And we later arrivals had tents in the area near the ‘Gym’. Then some temporary hooches, which had just been built, then moved into the building, a few weeks later. Did you guys replace anybody? Who did the ‘SG’ thing before you??
I don’t think it was any Americans guards probably ARVN’s. Hope you & family are doing well & have a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Bob
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you Mike, Robert, and the rest of the AT 95 Security Platoon.
Francis Christopher Hall
Hi Mike – The one person that I would really like to get it touch with would be Nolan (It’s a shame that I can’t recall his first name it might have been Mike). We became good friends in my second year and I regret not keeping in touch with him. I’ve often wondered if he made it back…
Bob it might of been Mike it’s sounds to me his first name
Hi Mike – I checked the newspaper obituaries, this morning – I was listed so I’m still around. I’m in St. Louis. They have two seasons here, summer and not0summer. today is not-summer. After 2 years, 3 days, and 23 minutes in ‘Nam, I went back to college (‘back’, because I’d flunked out, twice, before), earned a couple degrees and taught/worked in various places. Finally married and settled down. Life has been god to me.
Hi Bob hope your doing I’m doing great just getting old my email address is redhotchilipepper4@yahoo.com I would enjoy hearing from you Mike Barnes
I was there in July 66 they had me on a Huey delivering
P’s to the camps. Tri B, Song Be, hauling yards around to different compounds even Nui Ba Din . Only there a month. Go sent back to 173rd became a gunner on a Huey went home in Nov . Was in 7th at Bragg.
Former SP4 Lund here. (Retired as SFC)
I served in Tm 95 from Apr 65 to Jul 66 with the security platon at Train Compound. SSG McDonough was our Platoon Sgt and SSG Dyer was his assistant. We worked 8 hrs on and 16 hrs off There were 4 squads so we routinely changed from first tour (8 AM to 4 PM) to second tour (4 PM to midnight) and then to last tour (midnight to 8 AM) every three days and then had 3 days off. Regularly working 9 days and getting 3 days off was good duty.
I remember the EM club and met Martha Rae, John Wayne and some other USO entertainers there in the compound. The chow hall had good food served by Vietnamese waitresses. There were movies in the dining facility some evenings.
I extended my tour for another year and transfered to Tm 99 to be the RTO of the advisory team attached to the 51st ARVN Ranger Bn.
My Name Is Larry Reid I Was And Bien Hoe The Sametime You Was I Work Mostly On The Gate As SG I Too Met John Wayne At Train Compound ,At The Swimming Pool He Was With The Colonel, He Also Came To The Enlisted Club Had A Few Drinks With Us He Setup The House,He Also Ate With Us And Dining Room
Good to know you’re still around. I got there just after you but before Stone. Left in April 1966 up to Tay Ninh. Ended up doing 9 years active duty.
Hall
I was at Train when you were but did not know the security people. Probably walked past you dozens of times to catch a Lambretta into town, or drove to III Corp. Hq. where I worked when I wasn’t at the airbase. I was 246th. PSYOPS Company and lived in a large tent between Oct.65 to Oct.66. I met John Wayne too, and had a few beers with Bob Mitchum one night at Train. Saw Joey Heatherton (Wow!) at the Bob Hope USO show in Bien Hoa. I remember the pool and the volleyball courts. Played pool and slot machines in the EM club.
Speaking of the pool, here is a transcript of part of a tape I sent to my wife.
Today is Saturday 10 February 1968 I’m feeling a little bit depressed. This afternoon a fellow drowned in our swimming pool. I was sitting in the club talking to a couple of guys. Some little fellow came running in and said, is there anybody here who knows how to swim? My buddy, he’s been down about five minutes.
A couple of other guys and I dashed off to the pool and dove in the water. So murky. You can’t see a thing in there. Hold your hand out and open your eyes. You can’t see past the end of your hands at all, just no way. After about half dozen dives, I went down and was just about ready to give up on that particular dive, I started to come up and I hit something, turned out to be his foot and I grabbed a hold of it under the surface. A couple of the other guys came over and helped me haul him out of the pool and they went to work. Mouth to mouth artificial resuscitation. They worked — gosh, I don’t know. It must’ve been from just a few minutes before five to almost a quarter to six. And we had a heartbeat at first when he, when he came out of the water, or we think he did. We don’t know for sure really. But anyway, he died there.
It just seems such, such a pity for a fellow to come all the way over here fighting this damn war and to die on a day off in a swimming pool.
That was really sad. I can’t remember his name off hand but I talked to him several times. He was from California and he told me he went to college somewhere down there and actually got a swimming scholarship to go to school. So ironic.
Sorry, I don’t recall his name either. I think he had been on the swim team at UCLA. I was hoping the medical people would do at least a preliminary investigation of the cause of death because drowning wasn’t the cause.
Hey Karl. The airmans name that drowned was Roger Leadbetter. He was from Visalia California
Thank you, Kim! Not sure I ever knew it, but I am glad to know it now — and where he was from too.
I was with RF/PF from April 67 to July 68. I live in Utah during the summer and Arizona in the winter. How about you Karl.
I was the G-2 Air Advisor from Jan to Sep 1968. Had G-2 Advisor LTC Kizerian (sp?) stayed, I probably would have stayed longer, but he was replaced by a dunderhead. My tour was shorter than most because we were expect our first kid. I applied for 60 day delay, expecting 30. Got 90!
My wife and live in Great Falls, VA outside Washington, DC and are doing well in this strange time. Hope you are yours are too.
Karl, I was with III Corps G2 Advisor in 68-69. Was the replacement LTC Keys? Yes, he was an embarrassment to everybody – finally they sent him up to some little office in Saigon where he couldn’t hurt anything until his rotation time. He was replaced by LTC Robbins, hell of a good guy, spoke fluent French and so he and his counterpart could communicate easily.
Jack — thanks for the response. It may very well have been LTC Keys. Glad to hear he was moved where he could do less damage and that he was replaced by a top notch officer.
I hit the enter key before I intended. I was in the junior officer’s hooch along with a Korean officer, Brousard, Kjoslrud, Costa, and several others. I don’t recall your name, so if we overlapped, you were probably in with the main G-2 team and not in the expansible van shared by the G-2 and G-3 Air Advisors.
Karl, I was in (as I recall – it’s only been half a century) a concrete building that we were pretty sure was once box stalls for horses, right next to the pool, with company-grade G2 and G3 guys – A few of the names I recall are Hugh Hagan (G3), Mario Ventura, Al Glick, Jim Rose, Mike Shanahan, Billy Ray, (G2). Maj. (Ted?) Smith was the G2 advisor team segundo. If you saw the movie “Casino”, Al is portrayed as “Mr. Green”.
Jack — half century? Yup! And you are doing better with names from way back then than I am! Mike’s was the only name I recognized.
I played some volleyball with a couple guys from Hawaii and Bob Withers, an enlisted who played for USC and was much the best around. I saw Bob and his wife in the LA area a year or so after we got home. I exchanged Christmas cards with them and one or two others for a couple of years, but lost track of all in the early ’70s.
My senior NCO, Romero Iral was terrific! I like to think that the best thing I did for the Army was writing a strong justification that allowed LTC Kizerian to get him promoted from E-7 to E-8 earlier than was expected.
Hi Kim ..
Which RF/PF unit were you with??
I was with Adv. Team 95 from late 67 until July 68.
I was with the the 57th RF/PF right there in Bien Hoa.
Our base camp was just west of Bien Hoa runway.
Before the Dong Nai River … we also had a company on that Island ..
I served under Capt. T. Evans…
Don’t remember the officers at Dong Nai Control…
Capt. Evans was Stoney Patron NINER … and I was NINER- ALPHA
Hi Jlaflam. I was with RF/PF at III Corp Headquarters. My commanding officer was C.J. Evangelos
I was there that day. If I remember correctly the game was who could stay under water the longest. He won and lost.
Do you remember SP/4 Emmett King? He was with PhyOps we drank a lot beer together when we were in the tents by the Officers Club. He was a lot older than the rest of us
No, I did not know him. I have a list of over 40 names I worked with, both US, ARVN, and civilians. When I get a chance I will digitize them and post them here. All will be from the 10/65 to 10/66 timeframe and includes time spent on a troop ship getting there.
Dave Kolchuk
Hi Dave hope your doing well & had a good Xmas & New Year. Have you had a chance to get the list you have compiled? I would like to see it I’m looking for Steven Riddle we called home Babysan he looked about 12 or 13 I think he was from West Virginia Thanks, Melzar Barnes 95 Adv Team 95 May 65-66 Security Guard Platoon
Hi Mike,
Thanks for writing. I have the list written, based on photos and my letters which my late mother saved. I have yet to put them into digital form – been very busy in retirement. Let me get through the Holiday stuff and I will get to it and post them for all to see. Thanks for being patient.
Dave K.
Mike, I don’t know what possessed me but I sat down tonight.and typed up those names. The list is quite long and some info is missing. Rank, state, first names, etc. I will have to look through my photos and letters to fill in the gaps. I have heard from only one person so far – Lt. Richard Sincerbeaux. I have his email and another person (Armand LaTour) who may be able to help. If you want a preliminary copy, send me your email. I will send you and the other two a PDF file.
dkolchuk@rochester.rr.com
Hi Dave, I’m trying to locate Steve Riddle he was from West Virginia we called him Babysan he looked about 14-15 a short guy maybe 5’ people would ask him where he was from he always said west by God Virginia I appear your help, Mike
Hi Dave. My name is Jim, I lived on Train compound from July 65 to July 66. I was one of two Chaplain Assistants who worked out of there. I logged 367 Huey flights that year in support of my chaplain boss as we traveled to locations scattered throughout the III Corps zone. Some of those flights were a bit nerve wracking. Witnessed some sad situations during that year. Had some good laughs along with the tough times, though.
Hi Jim,
I remember you – I was a guard and seem to remember some conversations (or maybe they were just ‘Hello’s’) with you. After you left, I made a couple Sunday flights with the Chaplain until your replacement came.
Hi Jim,
I was there when you were – living in the large PSYOP tent most of the time. Left in Oct. 66. Probably walked by you a few times…………..
Hi Dave. I’m just curious if you recall anything about the fatal shooting of Sergeant Thomas Botts. It occurred on Train Compound in the first week of September of 65. Army categorized his death as an “accidental homicide”. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.
Sorry Jim, but I didn’t arrive at Train until October of ’65. I don’t recall hearing anything of it.
There were two deaths in our group about a week after I left Train. I do not know the circumstances. One of them I knew and worked with (Terwilliger), the other may have been a new replacement, perhaps even mine.
I seem to agree with Francis. I remember an incident when, after the evenings movie (a Western, perhaps?), two sergeants drew on each other, wounding at least one. Whether that’s the right incident, or not, can’t remember – much too long ago.
It is, Bob. The shooter was a ranger advisor who was laying on his bunk. Botts came up to him and, as far as I can tell, the advisor (can’t recall his name at present) made it apparent he wanted Botts to leave by grabbing an M1 rifle and pointing it at Botts. Botts responded by saying “Don’t pull that ranger shit on me” after which time the advisor pulled the trigger, shooting Botts in the abdominal area. The advisor then left the building just behind the front gate, stood at the corner with the M1 still in his hand, looked at me and said “Medic”. I used the phone in the guard shack to report what happened. Botts died later that evening.
The advisor was later convicted by courts martial of murder in some degree and sentenced to prison. Somehow he got a smart attorney and about two years later had the conviction overturned. He was reinstated back into the Army, restored in rank, and received all back pay and allowances.
Sgt Botts was my father. I have been trying for at least 30 years to find soldiers who knew him. Did you know him personally?
I only had anything to do with him afterward when I testified during the Article 32 investigation. After that I remember going, with two other security guards to the Ton Son Nhut Security Police station and seeing him placed in a holding cell there. I wish I could tell you what kind of person was, but the only impression I have of him is his small physical appearance. Very little conversation during the trip from the hearing room to the cell,
Francis
Sgt Botts was my father. Did you know him personally?
Marc:
I’m so sorry for what happened. I remember what he looked like. I probably said hello to him on more than one occasion. I definitely remember the whole compound was saddened by his death.
Francis
That was my father. He was killed Sept. 4, 1965. Did you know him?
“Accidental homicide..”?
I did not know him Bill. I didn’t arrive at Train until early October 65, a month after he passed. My sympathies to you.
Jim,I was with 6th Psyop Bn.(Nov 68-Sept 69) at Honour Smith Compound on Cong Ly Street,Bien HOA.We traveled to Train Compound for Chow,but I can’t remember the location of your Compound.was it by the Air Base or ?
Hi Mike, I too was with the 6th Psyop, earlier called the 246 Psyop Co 67-68. We started with HQ in Bien Hoa while “living” at Train Compound, later moving to Honor Smith. Until coming back to III Corp, I was assigned to the Big Red One in Lai Khe for psyop missions out of either Lai Khe or Bien Hoa. After coming in from the field I had an office at III Corp where we produced the leaflets for the team leaders.. I just discovered this site tonight and am fascinated by reading all the comments. Best of luck and health to you. If you feel so inclined, respond to wboggess1@gmail.com. Bill Boggess, Ohio
Hi Dave
You knew me as Lt Sincerbeaux and in June I966 was assigned to The Australian Task Force with Sgt Alvin Bentley after. leaving The Propaganda Section where I served with you I would like to get in touch with you and others in the 246th. Email. rmscapital@earthlink.net. Richard M Sincerbeaux Sr 917 324 1603
Hello Richard,
Yes, I remember you. You presented me with my SP4 patch when I got promoted. I was so proud – no longer a private! I’ve been monitoring this blog and the VVA’s National magazine for years and you are the first person I found from our unit. Great to hear from you. I will write after the Holidays.
Dave Kolchuk
dkolchuk@rochester.rr.com.
Hi Dave did you know SP/4 Emit King he was a older guy we used to drink together in the club
Good morning and Happy New Year Mike. The name Emit King is not familiar to me. Perhaps it will come up as I review and update my naming list from 10/65 – 10/66.
Okinawa
SP/ Emmitt King was with Psyops from Okinawa they were in a Tent by the Club. When we first got there we were in the tents near him. He was an older man & SP/4. Train Compound Team 95 Bien Hoa May 1965-66
I remember Dean, Czerniak, Pancrazio, Dye, Nolan, Riddle (Baby San was his nickname), Gifford, and Barnes. I vaguely recall Hall and Dye.
ANY BODY REMEMBER SSGT CAMBELL AND SECURITY
I remember Dyer as a Corporal who took care of the platoon’s affairs. He, like me, was from Minnesota and we were mandatory volunteers at VP Mondale’s birthday lunch, when he was there. Two more names come to mind – SSGT Peters and Sanders. Bruce, where was your squad bunked?
Bob do you remember Donnie Gifford ( Nose)? He passed away a couple of years ago. Cancer, they amputated his leg, about 3 weeks later he past. I had seen him a couple times the last couple of years. How are you doing? I’m good, I retired from the State of Texas in 2010. My wife & I traveled in our RV for a couple of years, then got sick & passed away in 2013. I still have the RV but don’t travel. My number is 254/681-7366 call me anytime, would like to hear from you, Mike
Bruce do you remember Baby San first name? Was it Steven?
Yes. SP4 Steven (maybe Stephen) Riddle was in the Security Guard Platoon with us and then transferred to Advisory Team 99 where he served as the Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) of the 5 man advisory team attached to the 51st ARVN Ranger Battalion with Sergeant Stanley Czerniak and Captain Walbaum (and then later CPT Goodpasture) 1LT Duncan and SSG Lemke.
I was Riddle’s replacement as RTO after he left the 51st Ranger Bn and I was with the 51st Rangers with Goodpasture, Duncan, Lemke and Czerniak for about ten months until both Czerniak and I DEROSed in Apr 67.
In fact, both Czerniak and I flew back to the USA in the same plane (which stopped for refuel in Hawaii where we both had our first stateside beer in a long time) and both of us ETSed through the Oakland Army Terminal.
was assigned to BHTAC WHICH FOLDED INTO TEAM 95 IN LATE 69 OR EARLY 70. Was s-2 advisor./..m,essed with the sensor fields flew every type misson…fire fly, red haze,first and last light vr, search and seize,etc as liason with ARVNS. Trained and turned over sensors to ARVN
before leaving. My boss was Maj. Robt C Coyne…(teddy bear)… I remember a SSG Waters, the swimming pool, and the Shell Oil tower,etc.
My name is Charlie Jones…I was a CPT at the time…wounded 1/5/70. Can’t remember many of the team.
Does anyone know SSgt Gordon Richard Wittman grom New York? In country Oct.65 KIA Jan 66. He was attached to 95.
I was there from Jul 69 to Jul 70 I worked in the message center and flew most every day as the IIII Corps Courier with Air America and every Wednesday flew to an Eng Det and Saigon, Remember CPT Wes Stanley well, in fact ran into to him in middle 70s in Macon, Ga. I have Parkinson’s and have gone through different stages of severe disability for six years then it two years for the VA to finally grant me 100%.I had an outstanding neurologist that diagnosed me and Parkinson’s is on the VA list. So if anyone needs any help call me I am here to help you, would love to hear from anyone.
Would y’all believe I retired from the SC National Guard Fulltime as a LTC, who would have thunk it,
Love you guys, Goober!! 803-687-7463
Mike, seems like I just talked with you a couple of days ago, Oh I did ! Hopefully our two posts will stir up some action. Yep I believe you were an LTC.
I arrived at Train in June of 1970. I wish I had gotten to know you.
Fred T. Murphy
I was an Instructor at Ft Monmouth, 1966 to 1969. I do not have a’Nam service ribbon. But I have experience working with AO Vets. I worked at the local VA clinic. My marine was exposed to AO, at Paris Island, in 1967. He had deveolped an aggresive form of cancer. He literaly was living month to month, a day at a time. I sent him to the VA ombudsman. That started the process.
Get diagnosed for the smallest disability you have
Get a copy of your DD214, Check it to see if your copy is a match. They had a fire at St Louis. They put slicks in everyone’s file.
I met a guy working as a bell ringer, for Salvation Army. VA put a slick in his file. If he was never there, How does he have a vietnamese wife? Because he had a slick, he got nothing he is still looking for his ETS copy.. The Marine got a full settlement retroactive to the date of the incident.
I met a guy in the parking lot, at the clinic. He was on the way to full benefits:
He has his DD214 showing service in Vietnam
He got a diagnosis for a minor service related problem.
Then he started working down the list of issues related to AO
He wrote a letter to his states senator, in congress along with attached copies of his paper work
Keep working on your claim. push it to the highest level, if need be.
I can’t say any more directly. I will get trouble up to my eyebrows because of HIPA.
I worked the Flu Shot clinic, so I saw it all.
My cousin’s name is on the wall. He was KIA during TET.
SP5 Murph, 34C20H
I was with BHTAC , then unit redesig to Long Bien Spec Zone, then sent to Team 95 all from 11/69 to 10/70 as a 13E20 (awarded OJT). I remember when CPT Jones got wounded, Booby Trap (500 lb bomb we were told, and apparently he lost an arm in 1/70). Hello to LT St. John’s and SP4 Larry Garner. Anyone else still above ground? God bless; Bob Moore
I was at Train Compound from May 69 to May 70 as Deputy III Corps Engineer Advisor. I remember CPT Stanley quite well.
Andy
Tom Drewitz here. It’s been a while but I remember only good times and hope the years have been good to you.
I was at Train from March 1969 to February 1970. Engineer Advisor III Corps. Observed under LTC. S. Oliver
I was there at Train from Jan 70 to Jan 71 Was in G2. We have been trying to locate anybody there during that time to get a reunion together. I am been in contact with George Kamon, Steve Fuhrken, Mike “Goober” Schulman over the years. Can’t remember all the names but a few were Tom Karch, Harry Troutman, Cpt ? Stanley, ?? Campbell,, Cpt Dickinson, Major Harrison. If anybody can provide contact info please do. Also, I am on the AO registry but no apparent symptoms.
Arrived end of Feb early March 70 worked security till sometime in 71 went to Lai Khe Tm 70 came home in Oct 71
Greg Hoover here. I arrived in March 1970 until March 1971, working as morning report clerk under CWO Raines in a small room next to the much larger area of Major Sullivan and his staff. Gerald Ely was a typist partner. I’m in occasional contact with Darryl ‘Gus’ Gostisha who was stationed with Team 95, also. Kent McCord is a name I remember, as well as the funeral procession of Lieutenant General Đỗ Cao Trí, who was buried at Bien Hoa Military cemetery, and the visit of General Abrams, accompanied by General Julian Ewell, which caused quite a stir of clean-up.
I was at Train Compound, in G-4 from June 70 until March 71. I too remember the day General Abrams visited III Corps Headquarters and also remember CWO Howard Raines. My best friends were Howard Moody and Marty McClelland, also in G-4. My counterpart was in ARVN G-4. Good people and good times.
Riddle time what was the name on the sign above the entrance of the two story Officers Club??
Armand, I cannot recall what it said. Of course, I remember the O Club very well. There was a pool table straight ahead as you entered, and the bar was off the entry foyer to the left. I lived in the wood frame structure directly across from its entrance. By the way, we spoke on the phone a couple of years ago, and I had to break off. I owe you a call back. I still have your cell number.
I was at Train from October 70-about March or April 71, then went on the air base. I worked at III DASC while at Train, then Tay Ninh East for several months, then Rustic Facs.
Chris weber . Harvey you got there just after I left. September 69 October 70. Worked out of III DASC. Afsc29350. Tsgt Everson was my NCOIC.
I was with Team 95 from Mar 70 to April 71. Worked in security in April they moved me to Lai Kh as TM 70 until Oct 71 went home. Live in AR. It’s always nice to see someone from the same time period.
Charles
The large sign said THE LAST RESORT!
Thank You Armand. I was scorching my small brain trying to recall the sign. I was about to break out some old photos to search for the sign. Good memories. I slept in that building for a brief time. It had “screw you” lizards (and I cleaned up that name) climbing all over the walls. The slot machine seemed to never pay dividends. I later moved across the driveway to the wooden quarters where I resided until we were moved to Honor Smith Compound. Big beautiful tress on that compound along with the swimming pool and tennis courts. I was back in 2014 to tour III Corp. Train Compound appears to be a boy’s school now and the pool had been filled in years earlier.
Greg Hoover here…I worked for CWO Raines in his small (always brutally HOT) office as our morning report clerk. There was another Specialist. Gerald Ely, from Maine, as my fellow clerk and two Vietnamese women helping file papers.
Hi Don, I that Howard Moody you discussed here I believe is my grandfather.
As I recall, Howard was from Ohio. Is that correct?
How can I get in touch with Howard?
Hey, Greg!…where are ya?
I was at Train from June 70 until March of 71. I remember Howard Raines, a really good guy.
Hello Don, 50 plus years from Train. What the hell will we be like in another 50?
I was ther from March of 70 to Mar of 71 than was sent to TM 70 until Oct 71 always good to hear about others there the same time. Does anyone have pictures during that time
I’m heading to Colorado to spend time with my daughter. Still feeling fine enough to make the rounds. Hope to get to Texas later this summer where I have a sister and brother. No serious health issues other than mental collapse, but that’s been with me forever. You?
Hi Greg..My brother in law Darryl Gostisha, packed it in 10/3/23….5 year .battle with cancer
It was a body blow and very sad to learn of Gus dying; his sister, Cheryl, texted me the news last week. Thanks for alerting our Team 95 community!!
I was stationed at Train Compound from May 69 to May 70, and was assigned as the Deputy III Corps Engineer Advisor. My CO was LTC George Oliver and addition to myself (1LT), 1LT Tom Drewitz and SFC Summers made up the “Engineer Shop”. CPT Stanley was the Aide to BG McAuliff, the Advisory Team 95 Commanding General.
My father, then Maj George Green, I believe joined MACV team 95 in October of 1968 and was there until February of 1969. He received a plaque from the “officers and men” of Team 95 when he left Vietnam and returned home. He also served as DSA for MACV team 91 from April 1968 until approximately September of the same year. He passed away two years ago this month at the age of 84. I’m hoping someone on this thread remembers him. Thank you.
I have a photo of all General Dunlop’s (?) staff at #95 at the time you spoke of. This photo was taken by me sometime from October 68 to February 69. Perhaps your father is in it? Not sure how to use this site to get it to you and all others interested, however. Ed Worman
I would love to see the picture. My Dad was there from February 68 to about October 69. My email is bklynff@verizon.net. Thank you in advance. I look forward to the picture.
Dan Ciccosanti
Hi Ed. Thank you for sharing your picture with me. I have a couple of my father around the base. I thought you might be interested to see them. If you’d like me to share them send me your email address.
Dan Ciccosanti
Hi, I am inquiring if anyone remembers my father, SFC Calvin Brown. He was a medic with the team from Feb 1970- Feb 1971. Any memories or information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
I was there during that time, but do not remember names. I am sorry I could not help. I know I went to the medics while I was there. I can remember the command and every bunker and tower.
Charles
Just missed you. I arrived in mid June 1970, just in time for the heavy rain/monsoon season. I lived in the structure just opposite the O Club, in a stall, just like Mr. Ed.
I arrived TM 95 early 70 went to TM 79 early 71. Was with the security team.
Team 70 not 79 early 71
Bien HOA had one of the highest concentrations of AO. You need to go back to the VA and bring any info you have concerning your earlier disapproval. They may make it retro active…may not too. Good luck.
Charlie; you are right. Bien Hoa bad for AO, espec. along perimeter. Dying from AO related peripherial neuropathy and diabetes. VA as you said, they hope you die before they continue to pay. Currently 150%. Now severe chest congestion (possibly cancer) (as well as throat cancer-public hospital). Pray for me!!
Does anyone remember the C123 flying over and spraying crap
Pretty much a regular event around Bien Hoa.
Thanks I was there early 70’s to early 71 than finished late 71 in Tm 70 Lai Khe
I was with Team 87 at Xuan Loc/Long Khanh, next door….which is now the HQ of one of the country’s Agent Orange victims’ centers. Just had a prostectomy to try and stop spread of cancer. Fingers crossed.
Prayers are with you trying to get the VA to say the areas I was in was sprayed, even remember we were even spraying around the wiring. Being in that 65’ tower those planes were really close. Took a poncho to cover up when they sprayed. I also went to Tay Ninh on a mission and one other when they went into Cambodia. Around April 71 went to TM 70 until I left country.
That’s strange, Charles. There is plenty of official documentation showing that III Corps, and especially the Bien Hoa area, was heavily dosed with AO.
When I first went to the VA the person I saw could not read a 214 guess she was New, the reason I went have been having problems that are systems of agent orange.
Thanks they did approve everything wish I remembered more see the faces but not the names, lost all my pictures was there from March of 70 to April of 71 than went to Lai Khe tm 70 came home in Oct 71. If someone has pictures of the compound my email is dswilson17@gmail.com.
Damn right! I am 69 yrs old, 100% SC, medically 150% (if you can believe that freaking crap). 120% of the medical is damage from AO poisoning living in a hootch on the Bien Hoa Army base (where we could see them spraying out along the perimeter), clearing artillery fire (13E20) in the TOC at III Corps, as well as boogying out thru the rubber pantation to FSB Concord (6 gun 155’s) plus moving around the province now and then. I’m sure it was in the dirt and the potable water (and everywhere else). Hell, we didn’t know what it could do. Facing the draft and then being poisoned by our own government that knew it would damage us. Am I angry, you bet your ass. I’d give them back their freaking 100% money in a heartbeat to have my legs working and my health restored. Anyway, this a reply to Wilson’s comment on the Bien Hoa area getting hammered with AO, hopefully it will show up right as that reply. Take care
Thanks it make me angry also. I am at 60% still have dreams of the C-123 coming at the 65’ tower and being on patrols in the same area they they sprayed
That was a quick reply. I don’t check my email regular, was still in it when you replied. Anyway, welcome home, Brother, hope your AO damage isn’t too extensive. I wobble around on a canadian cane or two when I force myself to get up. Still standing and refuse to go down without a fight. Take care
I’m sorry to hear all the health issues you guys are having. I wish you all the best in getting them resolved. I guess I was lucky. I, my children, and my grandchildren so far have shown no indication of effects of AO. Maybe its because I was there 65- 66, a few years before you and they didn’t spray as much, I lived in Train compound a short distance from Bien Hoa and worked at III Corps Hq. However my job required flying out of BH airbase on leaflet drops and loudspeaker operations so spent a lot of time there. We covered most of the country by air, had the doors off the aircraft, and were breathing God knows what in the air. I have had various health and anxiety issues over the years but dealt with them so today I am blessed with a good life. Again, I hope all of you can improve and enjoy what you have. God bless you all.
Did you know SFC Thomas Botts? He was killed Sept. 1965.
No I did not. I didn’t arrive until October 65 and left a year later.
Hey fellow Team 95 Brothers… Have been reading all of your correspondence regarding AO and the problems you are having with the VA. I’m in the same boat. I was at Train 68-69. I’m now 76 years old and have been turned down for my claim. I have peripheral nueropathy in my feet, legs, and hands. Can’t walk without a cane, numbness and lack of feeling in my legs and hands, and my feet are completely gone…. kinda hard to walk right when you don’t know where your feet are. 🤪The VA had me examined by one of their Drs. and they then informed me that their Dr. CONFIRMED that I was disabled due to peripheral nueropathy as stated in my original claim. Ok great!! BUT!! In the next sentence they stated that even though I have a disability, my claim was denied because I failed to document symptoms within a year of my exposure. In other words, since my records don’t indicate that I was suffering from this malady during the period 68,69,70 ….. 50 years ago … my claim doesn’t meet the standards for qualification of a disability due to my active duty. Did any of the rest of you run up against similar stuff??? I’m a little confused since I’ve requested copies of my files and have been told that they were destroyed in a fire at the records depository. Did any of the rest of you have trouble documenting first symptoms? How did you do it. I’m not diabetic so I don’t qualify on those grounds. Any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! George
Sent from my iPhone
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George- You may want to contact your local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America. They are usually pretty good about helping people cut through the AO claims bureaucracy
Or contact the DAV also
Thanks Charles😀
To Marc Botts…I do remember SFC Botts
You no longer have to prove you were sprayed. You just have to prove you were in country between the war dates. It’s been that way for years. I was in the registry for years, nothin g happened even though I had overlays from the Registry that showed Spray areas and dates that I was there , matched. Then Congress pushed through the change in requiring anything but being there. I was approved within 90 days, and am still at 100% 10 years later.
Hi Jerry. What do you mean you are at 100%? Just being around AO doesn’t mean you get compensation does it? I was at Train Compound from April 67 to July 68. Thanks for the info
No,just being around it doesn’t do anything for you. You must have one of the listed diseases or conditions they list. In my case it was cancer. Prostate Cancer. That gives you a %100 rating automatically. You only need to Prove in country dates of service. Just be aware they play a game with the rating. For somethings its 100% and there’s no problems with the VA coverage. Other things that 100% rated people get you will not get because while one department rates you Total and Permanent, the Other rates you Total, but not permanent. You havwe 6 months from the date of successful treatment to continue at 100% then will be reduced most likely to 10%. If it is not successfully treated, then after ten years you are considered Total and Permanent. After 20 years, the Disability Rate cannot be reduced.
early in Feb. of 68 I left the compound to go up to Hue – Phu Bai. I got a ride around to the Air Base and as I left I could see my 35mm Yashica Electra hanging on the bumper of that 5 ton. Now I never really cared about the camera, though it was brand new, but I had a roll of film still inside, from the Tet attack on the Compound. In particular, I had a shot, I believe, from the Tower at the wall, of a building right outside the gate that I clicked just as an overhead chopper fired a rocket into it. I just know that picture took. Anyone find a Yashica with some really great photo’s inside of a building being blasted all I ask is that you post the pictures. I want to thank Chris Christopherson for taking me under his wing and keeping my fool green head from being blown away in the wind.
yOU ARE RIGHT, BABY!! Bien Hoa saturatred with AO. My time is limited, it was everywhere.
You don’t have to prove you were sprayed. Just dates of Service will qualify you if you have one of the 7 or 8 listed illnesses or conditions. I have the overlay and was on the registry for years, they don’t even look at it. It’s all about the service dates and being incountry.
Yes remember the almost every night now in me dream they flew over us seemed to be every day may not be that much than we would go out on patrol where they sprayed. AO for the rest of my life
CHOPPERS NEAR US…..HAMLETS
my email has been changed
4-3-18
Hello All,
From March through July of 1970, I was a member of MACV Team 95 and was G3-Air Advisor for III Corps. I had come over from 1/16th Inf Bn (Mech), 1st Infantry Division, with my Battalion Commander, LTC David C. Martin and good friend, CPT Gary Smith. The ARVN officer I reported to was LTC Sy.
I spent very little time in Bien Hoa as we launched Operation Toan Tong 42 into Cambodia out of Hau Nghia and Tay Ninh.
I would very much like to find contact points for LTC Martin, LTC Sy and CPT Gary Smith (hometown Atlanta, GA), David Cordeiro
Do you happen to remember Capt Theodore (Ted) Makrokanis?
Was with the 246th Psy. Ops. at Xa Train Compound and also Honour Smith Compound in 67 and 68. We shared Xa Train Compound with MACV Advisory Team 95 until we moved to Honour Smith Compound and became the 6th pay Ops. Bn. I was a young SSG and attached to the 11th ACR, and the 25th Inf. Div. Have often wondered what happened to my interpreter SSG Tien? Also what happened to Co Diep who worked at the NCO club on Xa Train?
Do you remember an ARVN Lieutenant named Lam? He was a real “wheeler dealer,” a real entrepreneur. Always trying to buy things from us that were available through the PX. I had no dealings with him, but I know he was always trying to make a fast buck.
Who was the first sergeant in 67 office next to the chow hall
Are you talking about the mess Sergeant? If so, his name was Sergeant Hall. He got killed during TET
I was at Train Compound from Sept 1967 – March 68. SGT Hall was killed the morning of Tet. I Believe he was the only person we lost during Tet
I was at Train Compound from Jan — Sept 68. I thought we lost 3 or 4 during several days around Tet. If I recall correctly, at least a couple were in places they were not supposed to be — like on the water tower.
I and a ARVN was on the tower in the paper mill the night of tet. It was a guard post across from the compound. When the ammo dump went up i watched the hudge mushroom cloud and then the shock wave. When the shock wave got over head i thought a atomic bomb went off the tower swade back and forth i tought it was going down… we were up there all night and a day. We did catch one running out of the mill by the front gate which i called on the radio. Alot more happened while i was up there.
Thanks for your note, Jack. I remember that explosion too! Broke a few windows in Train, but in our hooch that had none. But the lizards were knocked out of business for a few days. 😉 I wonder where I got that idea that a couple of our KIA were on the tower. Glad to hear other memories of your time in Nam. Best, Karl
Hello Jack
Just saw your post. I hope you are doing well. I was a security guard there May 67 to April 68. I definitely remember the explosion. Everything shook and the sky turned red. I climbed the tower many times and stayed there for the night. Climbing the tower made me nervous carrying up all the gear.
Tony Jolly
I certainly remember the explosion on the first night of Tet. The flash lit up our hooch and the BOOM knocked all the lizards off the screens. Didn’t see any for a week or 10 days. I think the VC blew the LB ammo dump again in May ’68. The FNGs didn’t know what that flash was, but the rest of us did.
The May ’67 blast happened at night. Train Compound was showing a movie in the mess hall when the
“flash” of light filled the room. Then the sound of the explosion caught up. Us “old timers” were already headed towards the door. Similar to when “Charles” set off the napalm storage at Bien Hoa airbase – also in ’67.
I didn’t get to Train until Jan ’68, but it seems to me we had similar events.
Hello Karl,
Great to hear from a fellow soldier at the compound. It seems we had similar duties. I had guard assignments around the compound. Also went on patrols on occasion. In regard to the explosion I was out in the compound at the time. Some of the guys I was with were Patrick, Jones, Morlock, Strunk, Davis, Reid, and Duetsche. I remember Strunk has trouble staying awake on the guard post and was eventually assigned as a life guard at the pool. I remember the little sandwich shop I think close to the PX I believe. Also several VC rocks laying on the ground that did not go off.
Tony Jolly
I was there during Tet, having just arrived in country on Jan. 5, 1968. As I remember it they were calling for volunteers to go out on a search patrol of some sort. The Sgt, who was a lifer, volunteered his service. We saw him at breakfast and sometime around noon the ward came that he was killed.
SFC Hall was the cook but he had been an infantryman during Korea. He volunteered to go with a group from Train to III Corp headquarters. He was killed and two were wounded.
I remember we lost at least one KIA and a couple of wounded on the team that went from Train to III Corps HQ. I think LTC Kizerian (sp?) lead the group and made it despite the casualties. Those of us who went to III Corps from Train later in the day did not come under fire then, but did later when the VC/NVA tried to capture Bien Hoa. The 11th ACR took car of that threat!
I was with Advisory Team 95 from late 67 til july 1968 … was at TC alot …
I was with the 246th all of ’67 at Train Compound. I have a copy (PDF) of a booklet that SSGT Alvin Bentley made called “The History of PSYOPS”. Anyone that wants me to e-mail it to them, contact me at sparky746@msn.com.
I AM BOB WITHERS AND I WAS IN BIEN HOA AT THE TRAIN COMPOUND FROM OCT. 1967 THROUGH SEPT. 1968. I WAS WITH MACV ADVISORY TTEAM 95 AND RAN THE RADIO TEAM AT 3 CORP HEADQUARTERS. PLEASE SEND HISTORY OF PSYOPS . I WAS A MEMBER OF THE VOLLEYBALL TEAM THAT KNOCKED OFF THE HIGHLY TOUTED VIETNAMESE TEAM .
I remember the Train Compound for the big swimming pool. I was in country 3/67-3/68 Camp Camelot.
Shortly after you left, one of the troopers who had survived the Tet Offensive drowned in that pool. They were having a contest to see who could hold their breadth longest. Unfortunately, he won.
I was with G5 from October 67 to October 68 and, of course, lived at Train Compound
Bob, please e-mail me at sparky746@msn.com and I can send you the stuff I have, including a photo or 2 of volleyball at train compound.
Hi Bob …
My name is Art LaFlam and I was with Adv. Tm 95 Dec 67 thru July 68…
I was an Advisor out at the 57th Camp . My call sign was Stoney Patron niner alpha …
Let me send my email and home address …. any pictures that I could get a copy of … would do an old heart a lot of good!!!!
jlaflam@shentel.net 1256 OX Rd. Woodstock, Va. 22664
My dad was there. Did you know him? Bob Sartain
Bob, I need an email or regular mailing address and will get the info to you. Have photos of several of us playing volleyball (shorts and combat boots).
Gene Simmons
Season’s Greetings to all Team 95ers and to all of our brothers and sisters who were in Nam. Every year at this time I find myself spending lots of time thinking about Nam and Train Compound. Lots of faces, lots of memories. I got back to the world in 69……almost 50 years ago, but in a lot of ways it seems like yesterday. Thinking of all of you and hoping this finds you happy and well.
The Merriest to all of Tm 95..I arrived late 1970 as a volunteer door gunner to Nam out of Germany…MACV thought I should do what they wanted and I ended up at Train Compound and G3 Tactical Operations..After complaining about my need to be in aviation General Hyman thought I would probably be better off at Tay Ninh forward command post …Yep…that was lots of fun also and eventually I got my way and served with A Troop 3/17th Air Cav and F troop 4th Cav. I loved the country, the people and the choppers..The folks I worked with at Team 95 were second to none….we all knew how to party under adverse conditions…G-d Bless You All….
That was a fun time was there from Feb-Mar of 70 until they decided to send me to TM 70 in Lai Khe. I do not remember the names that were there when I was, must be getting old. Remember being in the tower when they sprayed. God bless you all
My dad, Msgt John W. Hansen, was with the 98 in 1967 to 1968, did you know him or can you provide me any information.
Bob Withers (or anyone who might help): I’ve been trying for some years to identify a group of Army Communications men who were quartered on the West Side at Bien Hoa Air Base, 1968-1969 (they were probably there both before and after; that was just my time over there). I lived in the hut next door to them; mine was #351, so guess they were probably in 350 or 352, depending on how the huts were numbered. All I remember is that they were Army Communications men, quartered in the midst of Air Force huts just above the West Side Base Theater. I keep thinking someone must know who they were, that is, what unit, etc.
Joseph Moore
hitemor@aol.com
Hi Bob — I think I played some volleyball with you. Seems to me you guys would let me serve and set, but that was about it!
Best to you and yours.
Karl
kcbroom@cox.net
wHAT YEAR AND WHEN?
Hi Bob — I had intended my comment to go to Bob Withers who had played volleyball at USC. A couple of other players had played in college, but had not. I was on Train Compound from early Jan — Sep 1968, where I was the G-2 Air Advisor for most of that time.
Bob — I think I played on your volleyball team in ’68 (in country Jan – Sept 68) and then saw you and your wife in So CA in ’69 or maybe early ’70 before I came east. If I recall correctly, you all let me serve because I had a sort of knuckle-ball and also you would have me set, but I couldn’t jump the way you or a couple of the other collegiate VB players could so I was never one to spike. If I recall correctly, the Vietnamese team was one with great finesse and accuracy, but couldn’t overpower your team.
We are now fully retired and doing well. Hope this finds you and your family happy and well too.
Best regards,
Karl
Hi Eugene. Could you email that booklet to met at GetWealthyWithKim@gmail.com. My name is Kim Petersen and I was at Train Compound from April 1967 to July 1968, working at the RF/PF at III Corps Headquarters. Thank you
Hi Sparky, I was on team 95 at Train Compound May 1965 to May 1966 assigned to the security platoon. I would like to have the list,
Hi Eugene, I was with the security platoon on Train Compound May 1965-66. Please e-mail me a copy of the pamphlet PHYOPS I drank a lot of Bier-33 with them. I remember one PHYOPS SP/4, I think his name was Emmett King. My email is redhotchilipepper4@yahoo.com Thanks, SFC/RETIRED Melzar(Mike) Barnes 254/681-7366
I just found this site advertised in the April 2017 issue of VVA Veteran magazine. For decades I have wondered what became of the guys I served with so long ago, so now I must write in hopes someone here will read this and remember.
I lived in Train Compound from October 65 to October 66. I was an Army Illustrator, working at III Corps with RVN personnel. My job was to design, draw, and help translate leaflets, posters, etc. After printing, I participated in air ops out of Bien Hoa airbase in C47’s on leaflet drops and loudspeaker operations. I was a big litterbug, covering most of South Vietnam.
I have many names and hundreds of photos from those days and would like to hear from anyone familiar with the area around that time.
David M. Kolchuk
US Army SP4-E4
246th. Psywar Co.
6th. Psyops Btn.
MACV Advisory Team 95
Good to see you on this sight. I have made phone contact with some of the men. 412 487 6935
So what is the read on the PBS white wash on the Viet Nam War. As I figured it is leftist leaning and slanted so.
Hi….caught bits and pieces, but struck me as a blatant PBS MEA CULPA for the leftist crowd. I was with Team 87 68-69, in Xuan Loc just next door to Team 95. Anyhow……
This may be an odd request, but I was just found to have prostate cancer and underwent complete prostatectomy. Highly probable that it is Agent Orange related, so girding to present case to VA for disability consideration. Being assured that AO was “safe” we didn’t hesitate to collect rainwater in empty barrels for drinking and washing. BIG MISTAKE! That’s not to mention other wide use of AO, spraying it with hand pumps to keep perimeter wire clear of vegegation. Anyhow, if anyone else has an AO related case or can remember using AO I’d appreciate hearing from them. My email: bstoner3@yahoo.com
I was on Train Compound 67 and part of 68. Your problem is one of the 14 covered problems by the VA. Should be easy to get approved. I was in the Air Force and got some of the damage caused by ao . I had good luck filing thru the DAV .Hope you have the same luck as I did. Contact. me if you want to ask questions.
Thanks a million for your kind reply. Hope you got thru your episode OK..Keep well, safe and all best, Bill
You don’t have to prove they sprayed AO at train compound just show you were there dd214 and that you had a related disease they will meet with you and have VA Dr’s examine you takes months but you will receive compensation
Thanks much. All best, Bill
Late in 67 I was in a jeep on the road which ran from the air base main gate to the center of Bien Hoa a huey flew by spraying AO on the mine field next to the road we were in traffic and nothing to do but keep on driving. I even have a slide of it. Later in 68 larger blevets were barged to Bien Hoa and trucked to the air base
Can you send me a list of names/email etc?
Do you remember Lt. Ski?
I was at Cu Xa Train from June 1965 until February 1966. I do remember your unit. I also remember some members of your unit had seen action at Dong Xi.
Francis
Hello Francis,
I have a list of over 40 names of guys I served with at Train, but don’t remember a Lt. Ski. What is his full name? Over the years I have tried to find out what happened to those guys. I even have the names of a dozen ARVNs I used to work with. So far I have not come across any familiar names on this blog either. Some day I will have to place an ad in the Locater section of the VVA magazine. Maybe then I will hear from somebody. I have photos of most of them too.
Dave
I would like to say Sygelski but I could be wrong. He was originally from Russia and served a prior tour in VietNam with Special Forces in II Corps. He was jump qualified and served as an enlisted man in the 82nd Airborne, as a clerk. I remember him leading a group of his men down to the “corner houses” one night. Real super great guy.
I knew a Larry Kowalski, but he was a EM. SP4 I believe. Doesn’t sound like the same guy.
Definitely not……
HI, Dave. I came to Train Compound, January 1968, in a casual status while awaiting orders to be sent God knows where. My MOS was Tank Crewman but the HQ Detachment clerk had gone stateside three days before my arrival and, with paperwork in a mess and accumulating, I was asked if I could type. I said yes and typed my ass off. I became so damn good behind a typewriter that after three weeks the Commander cut orders so that’s where I stayed. I was at Train Compound from January 1968 until February 1969. I think I know the Lieutenant you are talking about because I was the company clerk during that time and I remember having extensive conversations with him in our orderly room. He was a real cool guy and definitely had a different personality than the rest of the officers. His last name sounded Polish, with “ski” as the last syllable. I’m wracking my brain, but I can’t remember any more of it.
Dave:
I went on RnR to Thailand with him but can’t recall his full name. He was a super-nice guy with a Russian accent. He had done a previous VN tour with Special Forces in II Corps ans was an EM in the 82nd. I believe he had seen action at Dong Xoi. Ring any bells ? I was in the Security Platoon from June 1965 to April 1966.
Hi Francis, do you remember me, my name is Melzar Barnes ? I was with the security guards from May 65-May 66. E-mail me at redhotchilipepper4@yahoo.com I would enjoy talking to you, Melzar (Mike) Barnes, phone
Of course I remember you. Last spoke with you at least 18 months ago.
P.S. to the message above. I believe the Lieutenants first name was Stanislav or Stanislaw. It might have even been Stanislaus. I don’t think that was his last name, but it came to me after I sent you my first message. Hopefully somebody will remember more.
I was in the G-2 Air shop from Jan 68 to Sep 68 and served as the G-2 Air Advisor for almost all of that time. On Train Compound, I was in the hooch with the other junior officer, across from the officers club. We were probably acquainted back then. I’ve lost track of the guys I served with.
Hi Francis, I was at Train Compound from May 1965-May 1966. I would enjoy hearing from you, my # is 254/681-7366
Mike Barnes
Hey Dave, my name is Thomas Brandt…and l followed in your footsteps as one of the prime psyop illustrators of. .the 246th psyop Co..at III Corps….and. .billed at MACV Train Compound. Adisory….Team 95. From Nov 66 through. .Aug 67. Reading your psyop history hear at this blog site. I felt a sense of De java ‘..cause my movements mirrored yours. .accept that I became one of the prime illustrators under the toutlidge of Staff Sgt. .Bently. ln the recent past l,ve displayed , .publicly many of my “Nam” and Bien Hoa .photographs. including the MACV Train. .Compound. Several of us 246th guys got. ..35 mil cameras and sort of competed. .on many occasions. You name it and we .photographed it. What I remember the most, are some of the photo op occasions .that I missed due to my duties, time, and. .locations of operations. Let’s talk, share …photos, and past memoried. I’m at my Vietnanlmages@yahoo.com
All my photos disappeared after my first marriage I sent an email but came back undeliverable
Tom, Sorry for this late reply. I had a rough year in 2018 – many health problems. When you wrote in June 2018 I was in the hospital. Now it’s April 2019 and i’m finally getting put back together and in good shape once again. It sounds like you followed me right after I left VN. I bet you knew some of the guys that stayed after me and some of the locals that provided food/housekeeping/translation services for us. Too much to write here. I have names and photos of many people. Where are you? i’m in a suburb of Rochester NY. Write if you wish. Perhaps a little at a time we can put those times together again. dkolchuk@rochester.rr.com.
0:05 weds. 4/24/2019. Great to hear from you Dave ! E/5 Brandt reporting in….!@€@#!! Fantastic to hear from you. Sorry to hear of your trials , tribulations, and recent health problems…thank God .we survived Vietnam where we spent part of our innocent, youth, and frivolity at Bien Hoa.”Train”..Basecamp…the lll Corps work area, the Bien Hoa Airport….up in the air on those C-47s,…..etc….etc…..as you may have surmized by my unique e-mail Handle Vietnam Images@yahoo.com….I may have…and in fact …DID…..took many….many…many photos ….and lets.say…but not addmit, or confess in any manor of speaking… (possibly sent home some souvineers goodies). Ever since the Chicago Vietnam Parade. .?? 1986?? ..I have 93% of everything in plastic display cases, and transported “The” stuff. on numerous por gratis ….SHOW-AND-TELLS. On several ocasions l have morphed my collections with WW2, Korea, Greneada,Afganistan,, etc, etc,….all of these are focused around large National Geographic maps. Uniquely l managed to acquire actual corresponding leaflets, and some PSY OP connection to those war campaigns. Invited to show-and-tell on a Memorial Day, once upon a time, set in motion further research, acqusition, of STUFF other than my Vietnam memorbilia…so began plowing through older Nat. Geo. Graphics, V.F.W, D.A.V., American Leigon…etc, etc. magazines. So in the short version…….l now am morphing more acqisions for more display cases of C-howrations.MREs, WW2 eating utencils, etc, etc….Now Dave, you can get the gist of how my how past military and exerience in Vietnam has influence my life. My desire and passion is to show-and-tell the PUBLIC and PASS-AND-VIEW to us veterans a little bit of what we saw, touched and.endured. T.D.B.
Hi, David. I was the Headquarters Detachment Clerk at Train Compound from January 5, 1968 until February 9, 1969. I worked in the Orderly Room and handled the processing of a lot of paperwork, so some names and faces became imprinted in my mind. I remember a Psyops. Btn.
attached to Train Compound. Were you there then? Years later in the 70’s, I was a student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I went to see a play, “The Time of Your Life” by William Saroyan, performed by students from the Juilliard school, directed by John Houseman. I saw in the program that one of the actors was named Nicholas Surovy. It took half way through the play for me to recognize it as a name I had seen re: Psyops at Train Compound. After the performance I finally got up enough nerve to wait for the actors as they left the stage door. I asked if he was who I thought he was, and it was he. Although I didn’t know the guy, it was my first real reconnection with a time in my life that I didn’t want to have anything to do with when I was discharged. Now I have moments of nostalgia for so many things left behind. Small world.
Charles, I was at Train Compound from Oct 65 to Oct 66, before you. Do you live in MI? I have family there.
Hi Dave, I was at Train June 65 – June 67 – a total of 2 years, 3 days, 7 hours, and 23 minutes in ‘Nam. I often worked the gate as an SG. Yours, Bob Dye
Bob, I probably walked by you dozens of times. Either to work at III Corp or catch a Lambretta into town for a night out.
Bob, I probably walked by you countless times going to work at III Corp, BH Airbase, or looking for a Lambretta to take me to town for an evening out.
Hi Bob, hope your doing well. I was reading some old posts & seen yours. Thought I would see how your doing. I’m doing great & enjoying my only Grandchild, she’s 5 yrs old. I’m not as young as I once was. Take care, my email isredhotchilipepper4@yahoo.com Would enjoy hearing from you Mike Barnes
Hi David, I was at Train Compound from May 1965-May 1966. I was with the security guards. When I first arrived we live in huts near the basketball court. We later moved to a two storied building near the front gate. Over the past few years I have made contact with Stan Czerniak, Bruce Lund & Donnie Gifford. Donnie died a little over a year ago. Donnie & I were child hood friends, raised in Northern California. I would like have a my pictures or information you have about Train Compound. Thank You
I was with 246th PSYOP group. We lived in one large tent from Oct 65 until around Sept 1966, then moved into stucco barracks building nearby. I left in Oct 66. Two of my buddies were killed a week or so after I left. Don’t know the circumstances. Trying to find out. When I can find some time I will digitize my 550+ photos and make them available.. Many pix of TC and all around the area. Hope to soon post a list of over 40 names I once knew.
That was the tent just east of the Officer’s Club – you guys had a little dog, 33 (ba mi ba), right? The maids used to hang the laundry on the fence to dry.
Yes, we had a dog but I don’t remember that name. I think we just called it “Pooch”. We had to keep a close watch on it – never let it out of our sight. I think you know why. I believe I have a picture of it.
Hi David, I too was with the same units as you. I was in country 67-68. When I returned from the field, being assigned to the First Infantry Divison S-2 in Lai Khe, I was in an office in Bien Hoa producing leaflets as you described above.
I was there with security from June 1965 to March 1966. Left to go to Tay Ninh where I served on a Special Forces B team as an extra pair of hands.
I remember spending a few weeks in the field at Tay Ninh with the 246th. Saw some action there. Also went to Di An and the Mekong Delta. Don’t remember Dong Xi.
Dong Xoi happened around May 1965. It was before I got there too.
Francis
That’s before us too. We were in the DR in May-June ’65.
Hi Francis, I was at Train Compound from May 1965-1966. Would enjoy hearing from you. My e-mail is redhotchilipepper4@yahoo.com
Hi Terrance, hope your doing well😄 I’m doing great just getting older. Your post said 61 years ago, I’m old but not that old😜 It’s only been 51 years ago😂😂 Still a life time ago. I’m not doing much, just enjoying getting old & playing with my 2yr old granddaughter. Going to do some traveling this summer to Northern California. I all my family lives there, I’m the only one to escape, thank god😄😄Call me @ 254/681-7366
Would enjoy talking to you😄Better go for now, take care, Barnes
I would like a copy of your list. I was with Team 95 from May 65 to May 66, Thanks, Mike Barnes
Could I also get a copy PLEASE !!!
How you doing Quigley?
Ok Hears a memory lifted of a 3 inch real to real tape sent home. The night PSYOPS print team usually 5 worked until 3AM to rest and prepare for daily air missions. One night late 67 we had a close in B-52 drop Arkllight every thing shook and the airbase went on alert. After checking it out we just kept on working. About 3 AM we locked up and headed back to Train in our 3/4. Approaching the main gate we were told that they were on alert and we could not enter. We told them that the airbase had cleared some time ago. Several phone calls were exchanged and after 10 min. we were let in.
Hello an happy holidays to all!
First and foremost, thank you all for your service. I cam across this group while looking up some history related to my grandfather’s service. My grandfather’s name is Robert (Bob) Laflam, he began his assignment as Major Laflam and was promoted to Lt. Col Laflam before he left. He was a part of MACV 95 from 7/1967 to 8/1968, signal corps advisor IIId, and was stationed at a small rubber tree plantation owned by a Frenchman. I was showing him some of the posts last night on this page last night; it brought back a lot of memories, as he was awarded his Purple Heart for an injury sustained during the Tet offensive. I believe he served with the 1st Calvary, and I told him I would post on his behalf and ask if anyone remembered serving with him.
I apologize if my wording or description are innacuuate, I tried to describe his role as accurately as possible.
Please feel free to either respond directly to this post or email me at alaflam20@gmail.com, and I will forward responses to him directly.
Thank you!
Andrew Laflam
I was there during that time … I was a Light Weapons Adviser to the 57th RF-PF forces right there in Bien Hoa . I left in July 1968 … I didnot know your grandfather…. I also have a brother Robert (Bob) LaFlam. Hope you find your info. !!!
What a coincidence! I’ll send along this info to him, thank you so much for taking the time to reply!
Kim is correct about the flag pole incident. Google uh-1d 66-00845 for the details .
I didn’t know your Father, very sorry for loss. I was with 95th Advisory Team from May 1965-May 1966, Mike Barnes
Hi Everyone. People have been saying that they think it was SP4 Parker that was killed in the helicopter crash. I have searched all of the Parkers that were killed and I can’t find any SP4 Parker affiliated with MACV that was killed. I do know for a fact that there was a SP4 James Ward that was with MACV at Train Compound that was killed in a helicopter crash that hit a flag pole. There was a SP4 Parker that worked in the mail room but I don’t think he was killed. Everyone pull up The Wall and check it out then please post.
I was at train compound from Sept.68 until Aug.69. There was a soldier in my hooch that was killed in a helicopter crash that I was told hit a flagpole on a mail run down in Saigon I believe. I think this may be him; however don’t recall the name James Ward.
Hey MIKE
I SERVED WITH YOU IN EARLY 61
T.J.Quigley
Hi Terrance, how the hell are you? I lost your phone, give me a call at 254/681-7366. Would enjoy hearing from you, Melzar(Mike) Barnes
Me too Quigley. Hall at 650 278 0790.
Hi Quigley give me a call 254/681-7366
Mike Barnes
Terrance, give me call, I lost your number. My # 254/681-7366, hope to hear from you, Barnes
Did you know SFC Thomas Botts? He was killed Sept. 1965.
I have a plaque found in my fathers things, Feb 1970 Advisory Team 95 was not sure what it was “google” and came across this thread. Unfortunately he passed in 2009 PTSD, recall him saying he was exposed to Agent Orange as well.
I was with team 95 at Train Compound from Aug.69to Apr.70.Still have my plaque,only remember one name,last name Robinson. I was a security guard
I was there about the same time, and also in the Security Platoon. I can’t remember the CO but he was a chubby, tall Captain with glasses. Our PSG was an E6, first named Bill(?). Someone had a monkey that lived on the tree in the back and an AF wingnut pick up a pistol, at the front gate and fired a shot, in his drunken revelry. Let me know if any of this rings a bell.
MICHAEL COLLINS
I got assigned to MAT 95 in 1970 until it got deactivated in 1971, my tm in those days was in the IV Corps (Mekong Delta) area. I would like to hear from any of my former team members, especially SFC Smith and SFC Turbeville, or any of my team officers.
Jose, do you recall what advisory team number you were with in the IV Corps and the Province/Town you were in ? I am alittle bit of a IV Corps historian and was a helicopter crewchief from Vinh Long.
Brooks,
Sorry to learn of your PD…. Damn ORANGE!! Glad you qualified for disability. I’ve got peripheral neuropathy but VA says I had to report symptoms within one year of exposure. I don’t think any of us thought about any of this stuff when we first got back. I hope things are going well for you. I remember you told me you were going buy a sports car when you got back to the world.;;;;; did you get one?. What was it? Do you still,have it.. I bought a Toyota Land Cruiser and I still have it. Needs lots of body work etc but motor is ok. Take care of yourself and keep.smilin’…… Are you on Facebook ?.
George Ed D’ANGELO. Here the t.v. Show you did a parody of was mission impossible not the man from uncle
Hey Ed……. Great hearing from you!!! How have you been?? It’s been almost 50 years. After I got back to the world in 69 I heard that you decided to re-up go back to Nam. Never knew what happened to you until now. Welcome home bro!! Would love to hear from you and find out what you’ve been up to for the last 50 years. My email is gstarkovich@yahoo.com and my phone is 218-220-0630. Or this site…….. no matter what the means would love to hear from you!!
George
Hey stark yes I bought a 67 corvette and drove it into the ground in about two years. If you get help from DAV they can do almost anything they understand all the presumptive conditions and can make a case for you. Just a diagnosis of PD is 30%. Don’t give up that is what they want you to do. Rember it is you against the VA they are not you friends.
No… I never did get a copy…. If you get one e I would appreciate it if you could forward a copy to me……. Thanks
George
Hey Brooks,,,,,,,, You are right ,,,, we were in the same hootch and had bunks across from each other. We spent a lot of time BSing ……..never had the opportunity to have an assignment with you…..I hardly ever got to leave the compound as I was NCOIC of III Corps Special Services. If you remember, I worked out of a space above the EM club, the film exchange next to the security platoon, and had several Vietnamese workers assigned to me to maintain the pool etc. I also manned the day room, tape lab, and film lab until 2200 every nite so we spent most of our time together in the evening. It’s great hearing from you. Would love to hear about what you have been up to since you got back to the world. It’s almost 50 years since we were over there together. Your friendship and camaraderie meant a lot to me then and still does. Looking forward to hearing from you. If you would rather e-mail me rather than use the MACV site my e-mail is gstarkovich@yahoo.com, Catch ya later.
George
George, I am currently in Tucson AZ I am disabled due to PD. I guess all the time I spent off Site exposed me to a lot of Agent Orange. It was used to keep vegetation down around our perimeter and I watched some Spec4 with a Hudson Sprayer doing a fine job keeping the perimeter clear. Remember the Paper Mill across the street from us. I always was concerned about the possibility of a VC sniper in that Mill. The Shell oil tanks at the end of the pool area was an excellent target also.
Brooks
Thanks George for doing such a good job. I enjoyed using every aspect of your services. Especially the photo lab. B/W
1965-66, Security Guard Company, Train Compound. (April 1966 transferred to AT 90 (SF Detachment B-32))
Hey Francis!!!
Nice to see a name which I recognize!!!!!!!
I stayed with SG for another year, then left the army.
Now living in St. Louis and have a wife, bees, an orchard, a wonderful dog, and doing OK.
Where are you????
Yours,
Bob Dye – I roomed with Hartell and Shaw.
Bob:
Finally a name I recognize. I’m living in Daly City, California (a suburb of San Francisco) with my wife of 38 years, my daughter who finishes law school next year, and six cats. We have a vegetable garden which my wife and daughter maintain. I have a son living in Chicago so I’m usually back there a couple of times a year. We tried beekeeping for several months until someone sold us some Russian bees. Somehow the queen was separated from the hive. This got them upset and after a few neighbors complained of being stung we felt the prudent thing to do was suspend beekeeping for awhile..
I ended up spending 9 years in the Army, six of them in the MPs. After a less than illustrious career in law enforcement, I’m now retired and spend my time running, learning to play the guitar, reading Latin, and anything my wife tells me to do.
Say hello to Hartell and Shaw for me. I wish you guys well. I may be in Chicago at the end of April and have no problem stopping in St. Louis on the way home.
Happy Easter to you and yours.
Francis
MP’s and Law Enforcement??? I never would have guessed or predicted. After my time in Viet Nam (2 years, 3 days, 7 hours, and 23 minutes), I went back to college (I had flunked out, twice, before the Army, and got a teaching degree. Jobs were scarce in the U.S. and I went to Australia, for 3 years. Returning to the States, I taught a few more years and just got burnt out with 8th graders. Bummed around for a few jobs, taught at a Minnesota University, got a job seveal jobs- in St. Louis and finally retired. I’ve had bees for 8 years and got a nice honey harvest, last year. My wife (formerly from Viet Nam – we met in Minnesota) still works and has a beautiful garden. I last spoke tio Hartell, quite a few years ago, he was selling shoes, and never got in contact with Shaw. If you remember Mike Barnes (he arrived at Train before us and had a bunk downstairs), he’s also in the group.
rsdye@msn.com
You mean Baaarnes? (Melzar CG Barnes)
looking for any information on SSGT Gordon Richard Wittman. I am his son. He was in VN Oct.65 to Jan.8 66 when he was KIA with macv 95. I was 9 years old at the time of his death and would like to talk with anyone who may have known him.
Hi Lloyd…. good to hear from you. I could never get the hang of processing my pics. All of them are full of that crap that was in the water at the compound. Remember all those cute little green floaters??? It does lend a flair of authenticity. WELCOME HOME BROTHER!! .
Thank you, was there ’70/’71. You left everything in very good shape. Liked using the photo lab. My camera was stolen twice, but I bought it back for twenty dollars, each time.
I have tapes sent home an in Dec 67 the EM club was renovated and the lab was shut down with no water. Wonder if the Lucky Enlarger was still around and the Omaga. Made many 8X10s in the lab. You talk about little green floters in the water I had a roll scratched by sand and it was some of the last photos of Jane Mansfield. Luckly I shot color slides also that day
Mother-in-law died at the age of 95 and when my wife was clearing out the house, she discovered that her mom had kept ALL the letters I sent my wife (then girlfriend) in 1967 from Bien Hoa. Among the finds, a couple of copies of “The Psy Observer” newsletter, and some Army newspaper photos. If you know how to pass them along to the members of Advisory Team 95 still around, I can e-mail them to you or do dropbox. Need your new e-mail. Gene Simmons
I’d love to have copies … jlaflam@shentel.net
Looking for pictures of Train Compound – Main Gate at Bien Hoa AB with monument – 57th RF camp – I built a huge bunker at the 57th just before TET… would like any pictures of it … Thanks – Art LaFlam –
I served with a Capt. Thomas Evans … Dec 67 til July 68
I have a few pictures of Train Compound which I took, developed and printed while I was stationed there in 1968. More specifically, I have a shot of the main gate, the security tower, the enlisted mens club and a few others.
I’d love ANYTHING you could send …. jlaflam@shentel.net
I’d love anything you could send … Art LaFlam 1256 OX Rd. Woodstock, Va. 22664
Did you know Thomas Brandt who worked in the photo lab. Also is there any way I can get a copy of the photos you took? I was with RF/PF at the same time you were there.
Thomas Brandt..here to say to Mr Kim Petersen…”BINGO…WOW. .miracles do happen. It’s been some time since our parallel life’s crossed at the Train Compound..US MACV ….Advisory Team 95….Yes l do recall exchanging addresses….contact info…just before l had to “RUN” back to CONUS..for my DEROS date. Left there sick, drained out, emaciated, from a typhus shot compounded with a swimming pool double ear infection. Before leaving did get your Salt Lake City address and ?phone number? Recall some 10-15 years later l contacted you in Utah …around the time of the space shuttle explosion ..and learned of your company’s affiliation with the aerospace industry…..I’m very proud of that…..Since that time my helter-skelter ….bipolar. lifestyle has filled my life with countless number of adventures,to include exhibiting my Bien Hoa, Vietnam War souviners, ‘Nam maps, countless Vietnamese civilian tidbits, and finally ‘tons-of ‘ photographs of what my eyes saw,and I whitnessd, in order to tell the folks at home about the war…..but when lt all came down to the basics, ….no one could nor did relate…so I storaged..my war experiences ,memorbilia and stumbled through life..divorce….all the usual dumb stuff……So here we are now…senior citizens..by the grace of God…. T.D.Brandt
It was so damn nice to hear your voice 2 weeks ago after 49 years. I really need to take a trip to Chicago sometime to see you. God bless you Thomas Brandt.
I’d still really like any of those pictures same address – same email
Hi Charles. I wrote a while back about my dad. He was there with you in 68. I was wondering if you would share your pictures of the compound with me. My email is bklynff@verizon.net. Thank you.
Would you kindly share those pics with me also??? jlaflam@shentel.net
Hi, Art. I am not computer smart but I will see if I can send a few things.
I would REALLY like and enjoy that !!!!! THANKS !!!!! July 25 2017 1:11 PM, “MACV Teams” wrote:Charles S. Brown commented: “Hi, Art. I am not computer smart but I will see if I can send a few things.”
Hi, Dan. I am just now seeing this. These are mostly pictures of the buildings, etc. I’ll see what I can do.
Hi Charles. Is there any way you could email some of those pictures to me. I would really love to have them. My email is GetWealthyWithKim@gmail.com. Thanks so much.
Charles, I’d appreciate receiving copies of your Train Compound pictures if that’s possible. All of mine were lost during a move. My email is jimsharonmick1@msn.com. Thank you.
I lost all my picture still have them in my memory especially the towers and pool 70-71
Hi Charles. I wonder if you could send me those pictures. I would love to see them. I was at TC from April 67 to july 68. My email is 2019Profits@gmail.com. Thank you so much
I’d love the pics too. I was in the Security platoon from Apr 65 to Jul 66. Went to Tm 99 with the 51st ARVN Ranger Bn in Jul 66 and was with them until DEROS inApr 67.
Hi Bruce – Who was your Squad Leader and who else was in your Squad? I was in Shaw’s Squad (up the stairs and to the right) – along with Francis Hall, while you were there – stayed a while and became squad leader – Larry Reid was in my squad.
jlaflam@shentel.net
Was your boss Ltc Norman Buchman? He left not too long after I arrived in June 1970.
My CO was LTC George Oliver, the III Corps Engineer Advisor. I was his Deputy from May 1969 to May 1970. Our CG was BG MacAuliffe.
Hi Andrew. I think I remember LTC Oliver. Did he get killed while stationed at Train Compound?
LTC Oliver was not killed during my tour of duty (May 1969 to May 1970). When I left he had extended his tour, thinking it would help him become a full Colonel
Hi Thai……. This George Starkovich,,,, just stumbled on your post from last year…..SORRY…. I’m not aware of any Starkovichs in California……. but I do know some Starkovichs/Stars moved from Carbon County Utah to California. They were close cousins , I’d like to hear more. I think I’ve seen your name on facebook.
G
Hey George this is Brooks I was in the bunk across from you 68-69 Train compound. I was Cheif personnel specialist III Corps MACV Team 95. I spent a lot of the War between Saigon and Bien Hoa. I had a few assignments for Studies and Observation Group I think with you??
George,
Thanks for your reply, and I apologize for this late response to it. I believe the Starkovichs in my family originate from Colorado, with the majority I know of living in California.
I’m living in Tennessee now (14 years Army, spent the last seven at Fort Campbell), and now work on DoS and DoD contracts as they pop up.
Hope all is well and again, thank you for your response!
Does anyone remember when Team 95 leader, BG MacAuliffe left? He was leader when I arrived in June 1970. When I left the team in mid March 1971, Gen Hyman was just coming in, as I recall.
Don, I can send more if you would like them.
Sure thing! I would love to see them. I wish I had saved more shots from Train and III Corps. I have them packed away somewhere. Will look for them. I look forward to seeing your photos.
Corrected Posting (without typos): Hello Ken Bressler! I owe you a response to an earlier email you sent to me. Perhaps you are right about General Armstrong. I do remember when General Hyman replaced his predecessor in about March of 71, just before I left. It has been a long time. You sent me some photos of the III Corps Headquarters as I recall, maybe a little less than a year ago. I lived in a wooden structure directly across from what was the O Club. You also sent me a photo of that which I still have. Regards, Don Zivitz don_zivitz@bellsouth.net
Hello Ken Bressler! I owe you a response to an earlier email you sent to me. Perhaps you are right about General Armastrong. I do remember when General Hyman replaced his predecessor in about March of 71, just before I left. It has been a long time. You sent me some photos of the III Corps Headquarters as I recall, maybe a little less than a year ago. I lived in a wooded structure directly across from what was the O Club. You also sent me a photo of that which I still have. Regards, Don Zivitz don_zivitz@bellsouth.net
Don, I believe the Team Leader of Team 95 in 1971 was BG DeWitt Armstrong. He was succeeded by BG Arthur Hyman who had been the ADC at the 1st Calvalry Div. Hyman did not stay long because Team 95 was absorbed into the Third Regional Assistance Command.
I closed the office of G-1, in 1971. Disposed or forwarded all material. Was the very last one to leave. Had nothing but a chair left to sit on. Gen. Armstrong came into the trashed space, said “Soldier, get a hair cut and see me in my office, first thing in the morning”. Never seen him again. Remained MACV, went to III Field Force, TDY, as CFO of the open mess. I left the army upon return to the states and have put all memories on hold. Foggy, to say the least. My name is Lloyd Wills, SP-4
lawboxer55@yahoo.com
My name is Dan Ciccosanti. My father James Ciccosanti passed away this past week and I was going through some of his papers and found his military stuff. I have always wanted to know more about his time in Vietnam but he never spoke of it except for a few funny stories. If anyone remembers him, I would love to speak to you. He was an E-5 assigned to Adv Tm 95, III Corp. If anyone remembers him please contact me at bklynff@verizon.net . Welcome home Men and Thank you all for your service.
Dan, I sent what little I know to the email address you have provided. I hope it helps.
Bruce, do you recall the Team Number for the 51st ARVN Rangers ?
It was Team 99, I was their Light weapons Advisor from June, 1966-May 1977 (51st ARVN Rangers) with Bruce Lund, Captain Al Goodpasture, SSgt Lemke and Lt Duncan!
I was assigned to Team 95 in Apr of ’65 and did duty there as a member of the security platoon. We had 4 squads and pulled 8 hour shifts of guard duty on Train Compound. We rotated duty each three days from 1st to 2d to 3d shift and then had.3 days off shift.During off shift we built and reinforced the guard emplacements around the compound (sandbagged MG positions and reinforced bunkers). I served there until Jun ’66 when I got reassigned (I extended my tour for an additional year and volunteered for it) to Team 95, a 5 man advisory team attached to the 51st ARVN Ranger Bn, I served there as the radio telephone operator until Apr ’67 when I rotated back to The Land of The Big PX and was separated from active duty. I reenlisted in ’72 and retired as a SFC at the end of ‘*(.
Hi Bruce,
I was one of the team who arrived in mid-June (Westmoreland even shook my hand, in Saigon!). You guys had been in tents by the mess hall and we got tents closer to the ‘gymn’ then we all moved into the building. I and Bob Hartell shared a room with Sgt. Shaw and I think you were probably on the lower level? Who was your Squad Leader? I don’t remember your name/face, though. When you rotated, I took Cpl Dier’s job, then later as a Squad Leader, for a total time of 2 years, 3 days, 7 hours, and 23 minutes in Viet Nam. Mike Barnes is also in this group. Do you remember Nolan?? I would like to get in contact with him, if he’s still around but I can’t remember his first name. I remember a night when one of our patrol’s walked into an ambush by Special Forces, I could see the tracers while I was on guard at the generator. Nolan got a bullet hole in his canteen but that was the total extent of any damage from either side.
Could his ne
Be possibly Tom I’m looking for an name Tom Nolan who served as Mp in military is this name ? X
Bruce sounds as if you may have remembered Sgt Chris Elkinder Ranger who was advisor to ARVN Rangers and was hit by short rounds in 67 spent about a month in 3rd Field Hospital and was given another stripe and a desk at MACV II in Saigon as 3 Corps Air Leaason Would Love to be in touch.
My Dad is former Army CPT Theodore (Ted) Makrokanis, served in MACVSOG, Advisory Team 95 and III Special Services as well as other places from 1967-1969/1970ish in Vietnam. Does any one remember him? Know him? He is now is a nursing home and I’d like to know more about him back then. I’m currently still in the military as well, Navy Officer in similar career fields/specialty/designator. Thanks!!
V/r,
Darron Makrokanis
Hi Darron……….I worked with your dad Captain Makrokanis, and Master Sargeant Faust. Your dad was our CO and was the commanding officer of III Corps Special Services. We operated out of a small space above the EM club. He was a nice guy and very respectful. He never flaunted his rank and he was an officer that had us work WITH him and not FOR him. Part of his job required him to travel from our
compound in Bien Hoa to Special Services Headquarters in Saigon in a jeep driven by an ARVN soldier. One day as he was leaving for Saigon, he told me that he was going to go to the big PX in Saigon and asked me if he could pick anything up for me. I asked him to get me a combination radio/cassette recorder and he said no problem. He got it for me and I used the hell out of it. Your dad carried himself well and stood tall. I remember him as a gentleman, but when he said something I listened, The main thing I can say about your dad is that he was a good man and I was pleased to serve with him. I’m not sure of the date but he left during my tour. I don’t know if he was transferred to another assignment or if he was leaving Nam to go back to the world. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me. Time goes so fast…… I’m 72 now,,,,,,I don’t know how old your dad is. I REMEMBER HIM WELL….. there’s a movie entitled “We Were Soldiers”,……..at the beginning of the movie a narrator says “We were soldiers once, …. and young”…… That says a lot. Your dad and I served together almost 50 years ago. I’ll keep him in my thoughts and prayers.
GPS
Hi George,
Thanks so much fro your reply and kind words about my dad! Hope you had a good holiday and New Year. Overall my dad is not doing well, he did a total of 3 tours in Vietnam and had cancer (he survived). He has a 100% service related disability and is also blind, has congestive heart failure and dementia/Alzheimer’s. I live in northern Virginia, and my mom in Maryland, both of us just outside Washington, DC. My dad is in the Charlotte Hall Veteran’s Home in Charlotte Hall, MD. He lives there 100% of the time since spring 2014.
Please pass along anything else you can about my dad, his duties, what the groups did, etc., it all sounds very interesting to me. I would love to learn as much as possible about what he did during his time in Vietnam.
Where are you living these days?
Thanks again.
Very respectfully,
Darron Makrokanis
I was at train compound from may 1965 to
nov 1965 with 15th psyops detachment.
Do remember SP/4 Emitt King? He was with the phy-ops. We drank a lot of Bier -33 together!! I was with the security force May 65- May 66. I would like to hear from you. Melzar (Mike) Barnes. My e-mail is redhotchilipepper4@yahoo.com
Hey, Greg. I can’t take this stupid grin off my face. I got ripped off that night, right? It wasn’t quite the fantasy I expected. (oh well). Did you & I also do Hawaii together? (the words “jail bait” come to mind 🙂 That entire year was a “trip”. Hope we can hook up again before this dementia completely sets in. When my social security kicks in, I intend to RV around the place. What coast are you on? Enjoy the day, Brother…good vibes…peace.
Well, Alan King, lesson number one from Bangkok…never invite two ladies of the night into your hotel room when you’ll be the only man in attendance! Have fun!!!
Gregg Hoover….We’re ALIVE!!! It was great hearing from you. Bangkok. That was YOU!…HA! Any photos? 45 years later. Welcome Home, Brother! Bien Hoa to Saigon….Oh yeah. Peace.
Alan King…absolutely. Bangkok, Thailand R&R and fun, mostly:) Hot Train Compound and Team 95 hijinks. Of course I remember, lots of memories, lots of different faces coming and going, many hard days in Vietnam…Hope you are well!
I was in Team 95/98 at Train Compound III DASC Bien HOA 1970-71 and then Rustic FACs. Intel.
G-1 same time frame. Do we know each other? SP-4 lawboxer55@yahoo.com
I was a night shift printer with the 246th Psyops Company, arriving in country in early November, 1967 as a Spec 4. Armand Latour was the team leader. I was a Multilith 1250 press operator printing leaflets. For reasons I don’t remember I ended up being the team color man, printing unit letterhead and note paper. That was a trough job as the 1250 was not great at producing tight color registration. To do a color job the paper had to be run slowly through the 1250 as many times as there were colors in the job. We threw away many more papers than we finished.
I definitely remember the night of Tet. I remember the team going outdoors when all the commotion started to see what the heck was going on. Lots of noise and an equal amount of uncertainty. How serious was this? Were the VC coming over the walls into the III Corp compound? We had no idea at that time.
I remember very well a young Vietnamese army sergeant who would come to the print shop about three in the morning to take away all of our misprints. He and his family would then smooth out the papers and sell them to the market to wrap vegetables and fish. He did quite will supplementing his army salary with his entrepreneurial efforts. For a while he would bring his young girls with him to help gather the papers but eventually he had to stop bringing them as his neighbors began accusing him of prostituting his girls (they were about 8 and 10, if I remember correctly). Such a shame as it was nice to have the kids around. The oldest girl taught me to count in Vietnamese.
After six months as a printer I was promoted to buck sergeant and sent into the field as an adviser (read: dropping leaflets out of Hueys and Piper Cubs, and visiting villages with medical teams handing out magazines and soap) to the Big Red One in Dion and later to Old Reliable at Tan An.
I finished my Army tour at Fort Bliss, TX as the NCOIC of the audio tape production facility at the Vietnamese Language School at neighboring Biggs Field.
Wow nice to here from you how about a phone # or email. What memories…
Dean finally found your name on a set of orders I have you are really in the unit, some of the guys i an in touch with had some question as to who you were. all most a year. I still don’t have a face to match up sorry 50 years does start to cloud the mind. Armand
Hi, I’m looking for my grandfather. He was station cyan loc around 67-68 because my was born in 68. My grandma was too scared to leave the country and so she stayed behind with my mom. Now we’re currently living in San Jose, CA and trying to find him again. My grandmother mentioned his name was “Johnson” and he was an officer because he was saluted every where he went. My grandma name is Men Nguyen and she had one daughter with him. If you remember anything please email me. Thank you.
-Petty Officer 2nd Le
United States Navy CVN-76
does anyone remember sgt leadbetter dying in the pool. he was swimming laps and hit his head.
I was the HQ Detachment clerk and stationed at Train Compound from Jan. 5, 1968 to Feb. 6, 1969. I believe sometime towards the end of my tour an incident happened such as you describe. I don’t remember the victims name but I believe was a short timer with only days to go. Perhaps, you also remember how our mail clerk Sp.4 Parker died in a freak helicopter crash just three or four days before his DEROS. If any of this is familiar to you, please refresh my memory. All the best.
I was at train compound march 68 to Feb 69 Worked at III corps DASC . I ate breakfast with SP4 Parker the morning he was killed. I believe the huey hit a flag pole.
I was at Train Cmpd from August 68 to August 69. Was NCOIC of III Corps Special Services, and remember the Huey/flagpole incident. In 69 one of my hooch mates was KIA in a fire fight at Tam Hiep which was only a few clicks away. He was a combat photographer by the name of Chris Brow, He only had four days left in country so he thought he was good to go………but his section boss Major Lukatina told him he had go with him and Sgt Major Morris to get a few shots of the battle. Time and Newsweek magazines both carried a picture of the Major and Sgt Major half carrying a VC off the field out of harms way. Chris wasn’t so lucky…….he caught enemy fire while taking pictures and was killed. His body was taken back to the PIO darkroom, and some other buddies of mine were told to take the film out of Chris’s cameras and process the pics he had taken. After the processing was complete, his remains were taken care of properly. Lot of us were really pissed at how this whole thing went down, but the brass said 4 days left in country or not, he was still required to follow orders and do his job. Turns out that a few lousy pictures were more important than Spec 4 Chris Brow. I’m still pissed off………4 days……
George I was in the same hooch as you, I also remember both of those guys getting killed.. I was a photo interpreter and targeted B-52 strikes in III Corps. I am retired and living on the beach in Florida with a wonderful woman… I hope your life has been full of joys.
Hi Tom,
Nice to hear from you. I’m doing well. I live on the north shore of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota. It’s a little different climate than you are in, but it suits me fine. The name of the town is Silver Bay. I lost my wife Penny 12 years ago but two of my three kids, and three of my five grandchildren live in the same town as I do. I am truly blessed. Keep healthy and be happy my friend. Welcome home!!
Hi Lamar. I think you have the name wrong though. SP4 Jim Ward was killed on the huey when it hit a flag pole. Unless there was another of our friends killed after hitting a flag pole. It happened on 1 Feb 69. Does that date ring a bell to you? I do remember Parker though. I left on 15 July 68 so I wasn’t around but this is what I was told. Pull up SP4 James Ward on the wall and read what happened.to him.
Charles I been trying to remember the name of the first sergeant at train compound that would have been there in Jan 68. Heavy set and had been in country for approx. 5 years. Had a Vietnam wife? Would have had the same office space as you. Thanks in advance.
Lamar Timmons, I am so glad to know that somebody remembers the incident of Sp4 Parker’s tragic death in that helicopter accident. The weird thing is that I had met a Captain at the airport in Hong Kong on my way back from an R&R that same day. He was a friendly sort and had offered to give me a lift from Tan Son Nhut on that same chopper. I think he was with a transport company. Anyway, when I got my bag at the airport I looked for him where he had instructed me to find him. I never located him and was pissed that I had missed my lift back to Train Compound. I had to wait for (I think) a bus and a dusty ride back to Bien Hoa instead. When I got back to Train Compound there was a Sergeant in the mess hall who was the LONE SURVIVOR of that chopper crash to which you refer. He was white as a sheet as he described how Sp4 Parker and the chopper pilot were killed. He also named THE CAPTAIN who had offered me the lift! I almost shit my pants imagining what might have happened if I had been on that chopper. Does anyone remember the Sergeant’s name? Does anyone know the name of the Captain who was also killed? I think he was with some ATCO Company. Anyway, I am just grateful for life. All the best guys.
It wasn’t SP4 Parker that was killed in the chopper, but it was SP4 Jim Ward
All I remember is that the pool was so green with algae you couldn’t see bottom.
Yes, I remember Sgt Leadbetter. We became friends. He had a scholarship in swimming at one of the big universities down in California. I remember the day he died. He was 23 years old and tried to swim the length of the pool under water without coming up. He hit his head at the end and drowned. The water was so dirty you couldn’t see anything. I was with RF/PF from April 67 to July 68.
I was there too. Have always had him in my mind for years. Hard to forget things like that.
Yes, I became friends with Sgt Leadbetter. He was 23 years old and actually swam for a college down in California. He tried to swim the length of the pool under water, hit his head on the end and drowned. Very sad. The problem if you remember the water was that it was so very green that you couldn’t see anything. He was a good guy.
I think he was trying to swim the length of the pool several times. I remember finding him in the murky pool and pulling him to the side where one of the medics tried CPR. Sad indeed! I think he swam for UCLA.
kcbroom@cox.net
I’ve made a list of some former AT-95 Advisors. If any former AT-95 Advisor would like the list email me. junglecruiser335@gmail.com
Doug, … I’d like that list. as I was an adviser there with the 57th from Dec.67 til July 68.
Does anyone have any pictures of the 57th camp – just out side the Air Base. While I was there – we built a large command bunker – finished it just before “TET” in 68.
ALSO … I remember a huge “III Corp statue” right near III CORP HDQ. Does anyone know the exact location of that area?
There was a large III Corps stone monument at General Tri’s HQ. I have a picture of it but do not know how to send it via this message. if you send me your e-mail I will send it. Ken Bressler klbres@yahoo.com
Art, I would need your email address or you can email me junglecruiser335@gmail.com
That area called Bien Hoa.
Hi Doug….Just tripped over your post. I would love to have a copy of your Advisor list. I’ve lost track of a lot of folks ….. Thanks….GPS
George …. did you ever get a copy ??? I’m not even sure if my request ever got to Doug … Could I get a copy of yours???
Thanks Art
Doug; I would like a copy of that list. I was there from May 1969 to May 1970 as the Deputy II Corps Engineer Advisor.
Andrew, email me and I will send you the AT-95 list . junglecruiser335@gmail.com
Hi Doug, I was with ADV Team 95 from May 65 -May 66, I would like a copy of your list.Thanks, Melzar (Mike) Barnes
My email is, redhotchilipepper4@yahoo.com
Hi Doug, I’d like a copy of your AT-95 list if you don’t mind. I was there from July 65 to July 66. My email address is jimsharonmick1@msn.com. Thanks, Jim
You can e mail me at awwofford@fuse.net
Doug, … I’d like that list. as I was an adviser there with the 57th from Dec.67 til July 68.
Does anyone have any pictures of the 57th camp – just out side the Air Base. While I was there – we built a large command bunker – finished it just before “TET” in 68.
ALSO … I remember a huge “III Corp statue” right near III CORP HDQ. Does anyone know the exact location of that area?
jlaflam@shentel.net
An official memorandum letter dated .. 6July67….from……..HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT……U.S. ARMY ADVISORY GROUP, III CTZ……U.S.Military Assistance Comand, Vietnam …..APO 96227 …….USAAC, III CTZ…. ” SUBJECT: Attempted Sabotage….TO: Personnel Train Compound. 1. At approximately 06:30 July 1967 there was an attempted sabotage of the two fuel tanks located just to the West of the compound swimming pool. Luckily the attempt was a failure. The Vier Cong agent who was setting the charge on one of the tanks made a mistake which caused his charge to detonate thus killing him immediately . It is believed that there was more than one Viet Cong because a search of the area revealed a bloody bandage one hundred meters to the north of the tanks on a small trail. 2. The charges placed on the storage tanks were shaped charges with two chats of T.N.T. wrapped around it. The mines were to be detonated by a timing device made of a watch and batteries. The Viet Cong agent was caring two chicom hand grenades but no individual weapon was found. Their Avenue of approach to the tanks is unknown. signed by JOHN R.PIPKIN …..Major, Arty…..Commanding” ……. ( T.D.B. )
Are you Thomas Brandt from Chicago? Anyway a bunch of us went over the fence just before lunch because someone said there was a body in the weeds. I saw a headless torso, legs blown off and the torso was pretty well battered up. Poor son of a bitch didn’t know what hit him. Please respond back to me. If you are Thomas I have been trying to find you for nigh 50 years.
I have been corrected about the “annual” changing of MPC, but since I was only there a year and went through one, I made an erroneous assumption.
I think they reissued MPC every year. I remember going through it in 1967 where you had a short window to bring in your current MPC and exchange it for the new one, different color and design. I believe it was to thwart the black market. I arrived around TET 1966 and standard weapon was M-14, uniform was regular OD fatigues, and black leather boots. Could NOT get any jungle wear through supply so one of our NCO’s arranged a visit to the black market where I purchased a couple sets of jungle fatigues and jungle boots at a very reasonable price. Then made a visit to the POW compound up near the Michelin plantation, where I picked up a carbine with folding stock, couple of magazines, which were a lot easier to haul around on leaflet missions.
MPC was first issued in Nam January 6, 64. next issue was Aug. 31, 65, then Oct. 21 68 and Aug 11, 69. My memory failed me a bit on my statement below sorry.
i ARRIVED IN III corp advisory team 95 on jan 4 1964 and departed on 18 Dec 1964 . all that time we were paid incash (100.00$ )AND the remainder in check which we bought money orders NO SCRIPT
Gene I have one of those Chrismass cards in my collection.
Sorry, not me. I was an illustrator and did a Christmas card for the 246th, along with some other miscellaneous drawings, but not “pooch”. Could have been Sgt Bentley, or SP6 Arthur E. Martin. By the way, has anyone heard from Ural W. Raymond?
Tom Brandt …..Eugene….it is +/- 9:00 pm Chicago time right now and while writing this I’m staring right at my B&W ‘zerox’ enlargement of POOCH– snoopy–cartoon character from the “Charly Brown comic strip wearing a 3 stripe sergeant dog collar. ..and SNOOP-DOG is sitting on a black billiard ball …..labeled 8………and…off to the bottom right hand corner are the unmistakable ….initials E .W.S……..who is this..??????……T.D.B.
Tom you probably don’t remember me, but we kind of became friends. You showed me how you developed your pictures up in the photo lab. You gave me your address but I lost it and just found it. Doubt you still live at that address. Write me please.
Sorry Armond……I sort of used up one one of my monthly ” senior oops” moments………….right after that last message, went and took a good a look in my momentos….book shelf and got a good look at one of my many B&W 35mm film PROOF sheet booklet.s………lo…and…behold.#?!!#×?! …there it was …..your pic ….wearing those jungle fatigues..and boots ….camera hanging around your neck …..standing…next to..TWO.. ..ARVN…soldiers… one of which. was wearing a whole….RIGHT LEG …plaster casst…….sorry for that ….sin loi……….this event of this particular MIKE FORCES…..explosion took place in 1967. …l ..boogied..out of ‘ Nam’…in August of 1967……so l wasn’t around. for that big TET ….of ” 68 ” which you referee to ……l was told by letter correspondence with eiher…..a…mr..Ural Raymond….or a mr..PeterSON….and .that you guys took a pounding by the enemy forces at the end.of ..67 and 68,……….. don’t know if l should say …that l’m sorry that l missed all of that, but…….l was in no position to do anything about my DEROS date of 22 Aug 67…..and once arriving at Ft. Dix ..New Jersey to process out of the service…..got locked up in their Army hospital suffering with high fevers ++105….and ice baths……….eventually DEROS ed…..6 Sept 67..and got a free jet ride back home …..to live and further recuperate my strength back again,……l ..had wasted away down to some 100 lbs or so. Took 2 or more years to feel normal again………by the grace of the Almighty………T.D.B…..
I am that Mr. Petersen, Kim Petersen from Utah
To clarify train compound history…..first…yes ,I do indeed remember you,.” Mr ” Simmons, and even the exact day that you arrived at the 246 th………even got a pic of you standing ln front of hootch….67……Train compound…in..1967. .”Mr” Latour, you, as a SP/4 , came along in several sight seeing ventures…adventures walking along the dusty..dirty..garbage strewn roadway into the Bien Hoa village with your 35mm camera hanging around your neck. In my photo collections , is a ? color ? Slide or B&W pic of the three, or four of us just before one of these ” walkabouts. There we were… you..Latour, Duster, Wong, and me…..Brandt,…..standing just outside the front…” gate ” entrance of the ? MACV ………Train Compound . AND took. 3 and 4 rolls of..B&W 35mm film….36 pics per roll of the Mike Force ammo depot-warehouse burning and blowing up in ???? May ?? 1967…….these film rolls include pics of us as we walked amoung the still warm, and smoldering ammo debris , as we couriously-dangerously took souvineers pics. The debris field covered something-like a whole square city block area. Hey Lateur, . I even got a pic of you. standing with your camera hanging around your neck next to some poor ” ol ” ARVN who was wearing some sort of upper body plaster cast , that included his whole right arm……..after taking those pics and carrying away a few souvineers . We managed to find our way to the train compound , walking in the pitch black. darkness. Those were good times…young, naive, full of vim and vigor, with God’s guarding angels watching over our foolish war zone carelessness-s. p.s. I still got those ammo debris souviners…..and have shone them many times in my traveling display cases……………T.D.B.
My prize is an cromed 80mm morter sent home in pieces. The night of the explosion I was blowen back aginst the wall as the fire ball went up and all of the munitions went up in the thermal column then rained down on us and the ARVINs Many had small burn, and such emptied our first aid bag and later received a citation for that night. for rendering aid.
Brandt, how are you doing? My name is Simmons and I remember you. We drove together to HQ in Saigon a couple of times.
Eugene Simmons………Tom Brandt…wishes to know if you are the one who made a “cartoon” drawing of _our_…….the 246 th es..ezzz…unofficial….dog mascot POOCH ? ..you know the one!……snoopy…sitting on top of a black billiard ball with the number 8 inscribed on it. ????….I’m ..staring at my enlarged copy of it right now in front me !! …….T.D.B………….ps……have any idea who made that …245 th company’s unofficial…emblem…….snoopy sitting down on top of his cartoon’ed’….dog house…..holding onto an imaginary fighter airplane ‘jory stick’ with his long neck scarf trailing behind him in the wind…….245 th PSY OP Co….name clearly printed on the roof top just below snoopy …..and ….just below that is ..”posted”…some sort of ….?? vague.??….emblem ,….. possibly the 245 th……unofficial emblem, conjured up by some creative illustrator / artist..? ? ? ! ! !.
Eugene Simmons…..forgive my deliquent manners. To be proper and show some sort #?×₩@##?!! electronic gaget…prowess…knowledge……………good to see your name ‘pop-up’, and now be able to electronically communicate with you. Who would ever have guessed, that after 48 years have desolved away, our ghostly past….at..that …that old French war ..deluxe compound….”TRAIN CIMPOUND…US MACV”..and ..Advisory Team95; …long, lost, buried, forgotten,haunting memories .would come back . Buzz me at my e-mail ..VietnamImages@yahoo.com 24/7….
Armond Latour….it’s.been..over.some
.41..years.now..since..August..1967…at..the..Team..95…..246th..Co….lll.Corps…Train..Compound…..shortly…after..my.ear.infection..from.the.swimmig.pool..that.I..had..to.return.back.to.Conus…almost…in.a..panic..like..situation……my…DEROS…was..only…a..simple…+++.week.away…..seems.that..I..forgot…I…infact..left..Bragg…and..came.to..RSVN…a..bit….?..short..timer……..T.D.B.
Yes I remember you and we did explorer the mike force explosion site. I was only 200 yards from it and was blowen back against a wall when it blew. Were you our CQ the night of the Tet attack 68?
Served on MACV Team 95 w/ 58th RF Battalion at Bien Hoa in 1969-70.
Who was the E-6 at the 57th at that time?? He was my replacement – I think his name was Parker,, I was whith the 57th Dec 67 – July 68 …
Carlyle … did you know of a SSGT Parker who was in the 57th RF Batt. at the same time you were with the 58th?
Sorry, I don’t remember Parker.
Carlyle … do you have any pictures of the men you served with at that time or any pictures of the area???? I’d really enjoy copies …. my email is jlaflam@shentel.net and I’m on facebook…. snail mail is Art LaFlam 1256 OX Rd. Woodstock, Va. 22664
Does anyone remember in late 67 when the beer barge was run aground down in the Rung Sat Zone so beer was in short supply Bud was gone and it was down to drinking Balantine an Carlings in rusty cans? What a way to fight a war. Armand Latour
Thanks for the memories,,,,,,,,,funny how some of the raisins in raisin bread could be crawlin’ around too, Had some vietnamese workers on the compound who looked forward to helping me get stuff out of the conex containers by the tower because of the biggggg cockroaches that we’d always find. I couldn’t do it but they liked to eat them. Especially my top man “Sap”
All over Vietnam for 6 weeks last year and saw Biere Laru advertised everywhere, but only time I actually found it was a nice restaurant in Hanoi.
Yeah……. grubbies……. thought it was funny when I got back to the world and there was nothing floating around in the water etc….
I was attached with the 15th ARVN Armoured Cav (70-71) Team 95 – just in time to go to Cambodia with them and our team. Looking for any of the guys I served with. Most are probably long gone, I was a 19 year old radio operator and they were hard-core Army
I remember getting French baggetts in Saigon when we were hungery and could not make it back to Train in time for supper. Stop and get a French bread to munch on and find black mouse turds baked in. Even some in the mess hall bread occasionally.
Biere 33………with a big chunk of ice in the glass. Used to watch grubbies float down from the ice to bottom of glass.
Terrance – Your Vietnamese needs brushing up. The ’33’ beer was call “ba muoi ba” – that is: ‘three ten three”.
THE GOOD BREWERY WAS BLOWN UP BY THE VC IN APRIL PF 64
IT WAS CALLER ” LA VAI LARU ”
MUCH BETTER THAN BEER 33
I have a HAT pin with 33 BEER on it !!!!!
I actually bought a six-pack of Bier 33 at Total Wine here in Fort Lauderdale a couple of years ago. I believe it was about $9. It vaguely reminded me of the stuff from almost 50 years ago. Hell, it might have been the same stuff from 50 years ago!
I have one of those “ba-moui-ba” pins…
I was at Train Compound from January 1971 until Team 95 closed in the Spring of 1971. I then went to Plantation which had been II Field Force HQ until it was renamed Third Regional Assistance Command. At one point the O-club at TRAC was selling Miller’s for 5 cents a can. Someone had stored it outside in Conex boxes for months in the 100 degree heat.
you were not there when the VC blew up the good brewing in april of 64
muck bettr than beer 33 ( bai mui bai )
Lloyd Wills here, was clerk, G1. One of the last to leave, went TDY to III Field Force Long Bien (open mess). Have not thought about nor reminisced since. Can’t remember names. I think, for the first time ever, someone thanked me for my service. I found this site and for what it is worth. I’m still kick’n.
Lloyd Wills, was there 70/71. G-1
e-mail, lawboxer55@yahoo.com
I was at Train Compound in 1970, and I seem to recall about $.25 for a beer. Does that sound right?
I used to get cigarettes for free out of sundry packs. Remember those? 1970 to 71. Anybody remember LRP’s?
I remember LRP’s and sundry packs with cigarettes, toilet paper, even Tropical Chocolate that didn’t melt, not even after you ate it unfortunately. I remember the Ice Cream Factory that would fly loads of ice cream cups from a chopper net to the dam nest places in the middle of nowhere. Blocks of Ice for 5 MPC and rolling cans of God awful Hamm’s Beer in on the ice block to chill it faster. . C rations and P38’s crap burning details with half barrels of diesel or kerosene. I remember when the Long Binh Ammo Dump went off, and when Train took mortars . I was one of five , “volunteers” I was told to call it, that came TDY to drive some supply runs to outer perimeter camps to free up a few LRRP’s from being used for that. I was in country about a week while I was in processing, I got in a scrap with another in processing guy while watching a movie in a hooch in Long Binh. A Colonel stepped in to break us up and in the dark room one of us decked him and he was one PO’d Colonel in the morning. That’s when I was Volunteered to go do that and I don’t know what the other guy volunteered for. I was 18, naïve, green as a granny smith, scared , and found my self in a peculiar place for a kid in my position. Well , it was the best 10 weeks or so of my tour. We ran small convoys of from 1 to 5 or 6 trucks depending on where we were going. I met some really nice Guy’s like a guy named “Chris Christopherson ” though I may have the spelling wrong. All I can say for sure is he didn’t spell it like the Singer/Actor Kris Kristofferson . A great guy who helped me adapt quicker. During Tet, we climbed up that tower one night because I wanted some pictures with this camera I had just purchased from the air strip Just as we got to the top a chopper flew over the tower and fired at a building right across from the tower. AT that moment I thought I could see a NVA helmet run by a window, I aimed the camera to get a picture , when that chopper fired a rocket right into it. I could swear I snapped it just as the chopper fired, but I never found out. I had to ship up to Phu Bai the next day and when my plane was ready, I ran from the truck to the plane, looked back, and saw my camera dangling from the bumper of the deuce and a half that brought me to the airport. I have a few more memories if anyone is interested. Not good at remembering names anymore. only 67 but was retired with Prst. Cancer about ten years ago and developed coronary problems while treating the cancer so the brains pretty well toasted with all the meds since then. It was great serving there with you guy’s and it helped me to go on to other things. I had a private agenda of my own and stupid enough to think I could pull it off. God that was half a century ago. Well , welcome home everybody. Hope life has been kind and rewarding to you. My name is J. Rowe and I once or twice had the pleasure of sharing a beer with a nice guy a couple of years older than I was, and I mean only a couple, Dick, ( don’t call me Shirley) Davis. Left us in June of 68 like the soldier that he was . I didn’t know him well, but it was well that I knew him. Chris, Hope you made it home my friend, I owe you big.
A carton of smokes was .90cents
Re: Pete…..may 20,2015 . ?? Are you the one and the same Vern Petersen one of the former 19 th PSY OP company guys who got reassigned to the 246 as soon as we entered the RSVN .? The same 246 th company orderly room clerk, that took over from SP/4 Brandt ….who was swiftly ” redeployed..across the hallway, to work in the supply room, with SGT Gillmer, Stan Bode.and Sgt Elmer??……because he had little to no typing skills and couldn’t type a single company MORNING REPORT….without multiple erasure and scratch outs ??? ..or….are you the other PeterSON ….the Mormon guy from Salt City, Utah????….that we communicated with, some few years after the war was over…….and you mr. PeterSON said that the Utah company you were employed at ……manufactured the the same, ..exact ” O ” rings that were involved in the ill . fated NASA shuttle explosion as it lifted off from the the ?? “Cape” launch pad?????………which “Pete” are you ??????……….sincerly….T.D.B…….formerly AKA ……sp/5 Brandt.
Hi Tom, I am the Utah Petersen from Brigham City, Utah and I indeed did work at the plant that manufactured the Space Shuttle rocket motors. I am thrilled you remember me
15 to 20 cents for a beer, but the best part was you could “charge” it by using chit books at the “club”. Then you paid your bill off when you got paid – once a month and in cash. Bottle of scotch was anywhere from $1.35 to $2.00.
PBR was 10 cents a can that was usually rusted on the out side.
I remember buy beer by the case(Pabst blue ribbion) for 10 cent a can. We drink many of cases at the pool! I have pictures of Quigley at the pool!
i loved every minute of you buying beer
i might have bought a bottle or two myself
thanks Mike
Right – back then, there was a bar which the ARVN would lower. Things change. You used to have a little mustache, didn’t you?
There was an outer gate manned by ARVN’s with the bar type blocking devise.
In 1964 we used american money
in 1966 we used script
how much did a beer cost at the club ?
my memory is failing
Three Corps Mess and Clubs used a cupon book which I still have a few left in the cover in my memory book. I think beer was 20 cents as I rember in 66-68.
thank you Terry Latour
The MPC in 66 was used until October 25 1968 when it was called in and was reissued as I made port call on the 28th. I was one of the first to get the new issue. Had to go over to finance office at the 173rd or to some 101 AB across the Air Base.
is a picuture of the front gate.
It ddn’t look that way in 1966
My Name is Larry Reid It Didn’t Look Like That And 1966
Security with Maxwell and Pierson?
Yes And A Guy Name Decaster,Ford,Robert Campbell
Hi Larry,
I seem to remember his name might have ben DeCosta. Anyway, wasn’t Mallard a member of our squad, too? Did you know Nolan? What was his first name and do you know anything about what happened to him? Where are you living, now? what did you do after ‘Nam? I’m in St. Louis – retired from several job types. Of the guys in the squad, I remember you, Pierson, and Maxwell, the most. Drop me an email, Bob
I Was at Team 95 from 70 until they started moving us to different teams from here went to Team 70 Lai Khe. Worked in Security.
George Starkovich:
Could you please help me get a fix on some things about the III Corps Headquarters area next to the air base? Contact address below.
Joseph Moore
hitemor@aol.com
Yes, the Train compound generated many stories from the men that lived there. I was assiged to Xuan Loc Nov 68 then moved to III Corps HQ and lived at Train and MACV HQ in Siagon. I almost got sent to Japan after getting really sick and spent a week at the hospital in Long Binh. I can only remember being carried out of Train compound by two medics and driven to The hospital In the middle of the night.
Harold… you and I were in the same hootch at Train…… if you are the same Harold Brooks whose new camera went for a swim when you were on R&R in Hawaii We had some good BS sessions and I really enjoyed you company. If your the same Harold Brooks I was with at Train Cmpd…. your dad was an Air Force pilot. It was great seeing your name and hope to hear more from you. If you’re not the same guy I’m talking about, it was great hearing from you anyway!!!! George Starkovich – former NCOIC III Corps Special Services 68-69
Hey stark this is the one and only Brooks by the way it was a yawshika Electra 35 that took a the bath.
Hey you didn’t by any chance get that camera off the bumper of a deuce and a half or 3/4 ton did you? a Yashica Electra 35 is the camera I left behind as I just finished posting. I was catching a flight from a chopper out of Bein Hoa and I got a ride over from train, I left the camera dangling from the bumper while we waited for the chopper. When it came in I made a bee line for it and forgot the camera. I could see the truck pulling away with the camera still dangling from the bumper. I may have a fantastic pic on the film that I took from the tower just as a chopper fired a rocket into the window of the building across from the tower and the gate early evening just as the light was fading, There was a bunker with an ARVN and a BAR in the empty lot where they parked the trailers for the supply trucks to watch that corner. I was there TDY from DEC 67 to about mid Feb..68 when I shipped up to Phu Bai . Lol, I know the P.X. sold a lot of those Yashica 35mm Electra’s. I was one of 5 TDY drivers for the support runs to the outer camps in III corp. for the 5th Sf camps.
I don’t remember his name I was think that you would know.
Charles Brown, ….Charlie if I may …..I can’t tell you how much your reply regarding the grotto meant to me. When remembering those days, times, and experiences I often wonder if any one else is still around that has the same or similar memories that I have. Your description of the grotto was perfect and its obvious that you watched its progress as I did. Did you live on the compound? I was NCOIC of III Corps Special Services and worked out of a space above the EM club where the day room, pool table, tape lab , and photo lab were located. I’m sure we probably knew each other by sight or bumped into each other in the mess hall. In any case, I want to thank you for writing and brightening my Christmas by rekindling the magic of Christmas Eve 1968. Wishing you and yours a happy and prosperous New Year. Thanks for writing Charlie!!
I was assigned to Advisory Team 95 as the Headquarters Detachment Clerk at Train Compound, Bien Hoa from sometime early in January, 1968 until my ETS on February 9, 1969. I arrived in country at Tan Son Nhut on January 5, the same “day” I’d flown from McGuire Air Base in New Jersey, almost 24 hours earlier. That was weird, to say the least. If you ever had to come to the dayroom for any reason you probably saw me, a black guy wearing glasses and smoking constantly. When I got to Train Compound the First Sergeant told me “Our Company Clerk just went home three days ago. Can you type?” I immediately said “Yes”, which was a half truth, but I got it together real fast and after about three weeks the First Sergeant said “The Major likes your work. Would you like him to cut orders to keep you here?” I answered enthusiastically, “Yes” and was happy as hell! Having just arrived in country from Fort Knox, KY with an MOS of Tank Crewman, I was not eager to be the driver of a track vehicle or a gunner in a chopper. I made myself useful in any way that I could, including helping Sgt. Gendron as his assistant projectionist when he showed triple features on movie nights. I’d even go over to the Chieu Hoi camp and show movies to the VC prisoners as part of their “reeducation”. They loved American cowboy movies. I often wondered what they were saying, chattering away as the cowboys and Indians chased each other across the deserts and plains of the American Southwest. Boy, do I have memories! Peace, guys. Happy New Year and be well.
I think you were my replacement. What was the first sergeants name?
George Starkovich, I am so glad that somebody else is able to bear witness to what was one of the most remarkable Christmas Eves I have ever experienced. I wrote about it in my journal; how for days before Christmas, the Vietnamese gathered cigarette butts, cardboard, and stuff that we threw away as trash. They fashioned newspapers into papier mache that resembled the rocky surfaces of a grotto or a cave. As it took shape, it looked like a stage set but it was, in fact, a creche as one often sees this time of year in Catholic churchyards. In the center they placed the figures of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus with the Three Wise Men and the animals in the stable. I also remember how they had strung up a large brightly lit star from which strings of christmas lights simulated rays of light streaming from the star to the scene below. They also prominently displayed the flags of the allied countries that fought with the U.S. forces. At that time I was the Headquarters Detachment clerk and was on friendly terms with the Lieutenant who was the Commander of the ARVN Unit to which you refer. He spoke little English and was most comfortable with French. My French was only Intermediate level, but we communicated very well. It was he who more or less “designed” and supervised the work. I took some color pictures of the scene in the daylight, but nothing compares to the real, awesome “magic” of seeing it for the first time on that Christmas Eve in 1968.
As I posted earlier, I was at Train Compound from around 5 January, 1968 until February 9, 1969. I remember a huge explosion at the Long Binh ammo dump during my tour. After a lot of burn-off, there was a huge fireball, followed seconds later by a sonic impact that was like nothing I had felt before. Maybe this is something that has happened on more than one occasion. I took pictures of Train Compound which I developed and printed, some of which I have since had professionally reprinted to 11 x 14 size, matted and framed. They decorate the walls of my apartment. I remember the water tower, the mill that stood behind the compound, the swimming pool, and the art school in Bien Hoa where they made world class ceramics. I later met and became friends with a Vietnamese guy who was a paraplegic as result of injuries he received at the Air Base during, I believe, Tet ’68. He became a writer and was at the University of Missouri. His name was Huynh Quang Nhuong. I have lots of memories of those days.
Merry Christmas to all fellow Team 95 members. I was sitting in my recliner tonight, Christmas Eve, having a cup of coffee and listening to some Christmas carols and started to think of Christmas Eve in 1968 at Train Compound. The ARVNS that lived on the compound and some of their dependents as well as some of the Vietnamese workers on the compound started building something between their hootches and some of the trees just inside the fence in late October. They attached pieces of chicken wire and other stuff to the trees…..just about any kind of scrap they could get their hands on. Then they covered it with something that looked like paper mache. It was quite a project, but to my surprise, when it was finished it turned out to be the Nativity. They built it for Christmas. On Christmas Eve we were invited to share in their celebration and the food that they had prepared. At about 2100 hrs everything went quiet……QUIET!!…. No small arms fire… no artillery…. no rockets, no choppers, no noise from the air base……just completely quiet. Unbelievable….. for the first time since I got in country, there was SILENCE. To this day I don’t know if there was a cease fire or if everyone just decided to stop fighting for a few hours on their own. All I know is that Christmas Eve 1968 was one of the most meaningful Christmas Eves I’ve ever had. The chaplain said mass in front of the nativity and I’ll never forget the Vietnamese sharing with us GIs what little they had. As a tribute to that experience I put a nativity scene in my front yard every year. This is the 45th year I’ve put up my nativity scene and it has become a family tradition. Merry Christmas to all Team 95ers. I think of all of you and my time at Train Compound often. I hope you all have the greatest of New Years!George
George,
I am curious to know if we are directly related. My grandfather was Tony Starkovich, lived in Los Angeles County and was the adoptive parent of my father, Martin Starkovich.
Thank you in advance,
Thai Starkovich
The attack in 1967 was the ammo dump at Long Binh going up. I was watching the movie in the “dining hall” when everything turned yellow/red. Then the sound wave reached us a couple of seconds later. A similar event happened when the napalm dump at Bien Hoa AFB went up one night.
My Name Is Larry Reid, I Was and The Dining Room 1967 When Ammo Dumped Was Hit, Old Did I Remember
I think you’ll find that there was a sapper attack in February ’67 and a another blow-up during TET of ’68.
It’s been some time since that incident. It could have been when you said but I thought it was earlier in 67.
Pete, if you give me the name of the First Sergeant when you left Train I would remember if he is the same one who “hired” me. I remember that after him came First Sergeant Quintana. Some names escape me for the moment.
I remember new year’s eve 1970. Was tired that night and went to bed early, way before midnight.
Don Zivitz
Oh yeah, I remember the snack bar. I used to order the hamburger there, a little structure with a walk-up window. As I recall, a sergeant ran the place. I remember my first or second day there, mid June 1970 ,I was standing at the snack bar window and the rains started. The rain was so heavy that I thought it going to pound through me like a bullet. I couldn’t get inside fast enough. I guess it was the monsoon season there. I was smart, as “I had enough sense to come in out of the rain.” Don Zivitz
I was at Train Compound from June 70 until March 71. I seem to remember a Captain named Erhrich, sort of a stocky guy, maybe with a mustache. I don’t recall what duty he performed. I shot pool with him my first night there at the O Club. After that we talked a few times. He may have rotated home not long after I arrived. He was friendly with another Captain, tall guy, maybe from Georgia. Don Zivitz
Lived at Train Compound (named after Robert Train, a American soldier killed long before I got there) all of 1970. Worked with Perez Ehrich, Sid Foster, Bob Magnuson, many others at III Corps HQs. I was an information specialist and also helped put together our newspaper called the III Corps Advisor. I have one copy of each issue for the year 1970. About 300 Americans lived there; we had a pool and three bars, but it was not very secure. We had a razor wire fence, three feet wide, six feet wide, as our protective perimeter. We also had 30 US infantrymen in our little compound for security. Our little snack bar made the best ham and cheese sandwiches I have ever had. Had movies in the cafeteria, several Asian bands come through, and a pool table. Spec 5 Jay Falls
I worked out of Train Compound and also III Corps Advisor during some of the time you were there. Others included Robert Hawker, Stephen Stennis. Eventually was transfered to Long Binh for my last months in country. I still am in contact with Hawker.
Did you ever go to the Le Plage’ restaurant on the river bank in Bien Hoa?
Do you remember New Year’s eve 1970/71. Had to go under cover. Too many tracers going up. They had to come down somewhere.
I went to the La Plage restaurant by the river in 1966!
Hi Stan – Although we didn’t have much contact, I remember your name and face from the Security guards – you were on the main floor, just of the shower and I was upstairs with Shaw and Hartell.
Do you remember Nolan? I’ve been unsuccessfully remembering his first name – we, too, used to go the river restaurant during our second year of duty.
Hi Robert hope your doing well was Nolan’s name Mike
Jay I was one of the printing press operators in PSYOPS that printed the 3 corps advisor from 66-68 I only have one from after Tet 68. It sure would be nice to showcase them in a website or something. a lot of information in them and info. The one I have has a memorium to eight; SFC Paul F Charnetzki
MAJ Eugene J Conner
SFC Charles E Hall
SSGT Istvan Molnar
SP4 Donald M Radics
MAJ Floyd B Spencer Jr.
1LT Arthur R Timboe
SGT Robert J Williamson
It was of 15 February 1968, SP4 Mike Parker Photographer saw his name in here, SSGT Leon Pollard was listed as editor. The APO was 96227 and phone was Army 2963.
Armand Latour
My father was 1LT Arthur Timboe. Advisory Team 70. KIA Feb 1, 1968. Can you post a picture of the memorial that was printed? Thanks Brian Timboe
SSGT Latour, I am the other son of 1LT Timboe. My name is Mike, could you also send me that info. I know this was 3 years ago and hope it can still be done. Thank you.
Hi, I am from Bien Hoa, Vietnam. There was an apartment name Franzblau located in Bien Hoa for all americans lived and worked in Bien Hoa during the Vietnam war. Would you happen to know who would lived there, and what kinda work they did?
Thanks
Any one who was on team95 in Saigon and moved to Bien Hoa in 1964 please contact me
at silverfox585@hotmail.com
ould love to hear from any one that was there
My father was Thomas Botts and he was killed in Bien Hoa while serving with team 95 in 1965. I’ve been looking for anyone who might have served with him for years. Any help?
I was in Bien Hoa from Sept 1965 until June 1966
I am sorry but I do not remember anyone named Botts
Sorry I could not be of help
Sergent Thomas Botts served on my team in 1965 at Trang Bang and at Bnn Hoa air base . I have some info and photos.happy to share. I can be reached at. Clarkg726@aol.com
Gordon, your e-mail link bounced. I would love to talk to you about my father. Please feel free to call me at 502-299-9046. Thanks for reaching out.
Hi Terrance, my grandfather was Capt Donald Ray Blair. He was part of the HQS unit for MACV…..so I’ve read; he was killed Jan 8, 1966. From Canyon, Texas. ANY information, stories, pictures you or anyone who knew him/knew of him could give me would be sincerely appreciated! Even if you didn’t like him 🙂 I’d just like to know about him, learn about him.
My name is Rachel Blair Bush, and I can be reached at Rblair2684@yahoo.com, or call/text me at 817-832-7725.
I remember you Terrance, I have a picture you getting out of the pool & maybe a couple more. How the hell have you been? I would enjoy talking to you. You can call me a 264/681-7366 anytime. I live in Salado, Tx near FT Hood. SFC (ret) Melzar (Mike) Barnes
I tried to call you but phone is disconnected
my phone number 7084784533
I live just outside Chicago
give me a call any time
my email silverfox585@hotmail.com
drop me a line or call would love to hear from you
I was with ADV. Team 95 from Dec 67 til July 68. Assigned with the 57th RF/PF forces just outside Bien Hoa Airbase. Anyone out there that served with Team 95 during that time period? I’d enjoy hearing from you.
SSGT LaFlam
SSGT LaFlam,
My father, LTC Charley R. Weaver was assigned to Team 95 approximately the same time you were there. He had a plaque “from the officers and men of Team 95.” The crest that was on the right top corner of the plaque is missing. Can you tell me what that crerst was and if you have such a plaque can you take a picture of that crest and send it to me?
I would like to restore the plaque for my son who is currently in the Air Force.
Please respond to taw_ii@yahoo.com.
I took pictures of my plaque – sent them via your email. Hope all is OK ! If you have any pictures of your dad – during that era – I’d like to see them.
I was with team 95 from 4 Jan 64 to 18 Dec 64
we started in Saigon but moved to Bien Hoa in july of 64
we worked in all of iii corp area
would love to hear from any one from that time period
Could that have been the 58th RF Battalion? I was on a team with Capt. Fukashima in 69-70. The Bn Hdqt was located on the edge of the air base perimeter.
Could that have been the 58th RF Battalion? I served on Team 95 at the 58th RF compound located right on the perimeter of the airbase. I was there from May 69-70.
Arthur,
Sorry, I did not receive the photo of the plaque. Please send me your email address and I will send you time period photos of my father. Maybe you can identify the people in the photographs.
taw_ii@hotmail.com
taw (underscore) eye eye @Hotmail.com
Lynford P. Garland,
14 October 1965 to 16 October 1966
I was a E-5 Sergeant working for the MP Advisor who was a Major and the Train Compound commander when assigned. There was an SFC Ray, and another E-5 assigned at the same time I was. The III Corps QC personnel we dealt with were mostly CPTs but i don’t recall any names. In the spring of 1966 CPT Jim Reichel assumed the duties of the MP advisor and kept it until he rotated. He was promoted to MAJ sometime during that assignment. I got promoted to SSG in January, ’66. About that time is when they built the POW enclave and we got a CPT and three more EM as advisors to that unit. They reported to MAJ Reichel. Just before I got there the SF A team (maybe B Team) at Dong Xai got overrun and 1LT Charlie Mitchell was awarded the Medal for his action there. They pulled the team back to Train and one of the guys bunked in the same building as i. We were right inside the wire near the main gate.
I returned to RVN in June 1971 assigned to Song Be and while I was in and out of Bien Hoa AB I never visited Train Compound. I do have some pictures of my first “visit” but don’t know if any are of any value. Retired as a 971 in 1976.
Lyn Garland
I was stationed at Train compound in Sept 65 to June 66
I remember the MAJOR IN COMMAND OF THE COMPOUND and not fondly
It was my second tour in NAM and he had no use for former advisors
Sorry but I do not remember if you want to chat my email
silverfox585@hotmail.com
Terrance Quigley ( ZERO )
Hey Mike – I remember Gifford, and Czerniak, and most of the other guys. As I said before, I’m really looking for Nolan…
Hi Bob, did you ever get any information about Nolan? I remember him but have no pictures. Would like to hear from you. My email redhotchilipepper4@yahoo.com Phone# 254/681-7366
Mike Barnes SFC (Ret)
Hi Bob, I remember a guy named Nolan. He was a black guy , a couple of us visited him in the hospital. Do you remember a guy named Gifford or Czerniak ? Mike
Mike, by any chance were you a policeman in Texas before joining the army? I was at Train in 1967 and think you might have been there at the same time.
Hi Eugene, I joined the Army 22 days after I turned 17 took basic & ait at Fort Ord, Ca in1964, then to Fort Lewis,WA. The end of April 1965 got orders for Vietnam, arrived in Vietnam May 10, 1965 and assigned to advisory team 95, Train Compound. Left Vietnam May 9, 1966, assigned to Fort Polk,La, Tigerland . I was in the first Drill
Sergeant class for AIT (Infantry). Assigned to A-6-3 Tigerland ,
Discharged July 1967. I have a lot memories of Train compound. Have been in contact with 4 guys who were with me. Contact me anytime glad to here from you. SFC(Ret) Melzar C. Barnes
Hi Mike – I never was Cpl – a Spec4, later a Sgt. I think you are remembering Cpl Dier (I think that’s the correct spelling). His was in your ‘group’, I joined the team in mid-June, ’64. I’m really looking for Nolan. Thanks, Bob
Jim Storey and I ( Terrance Qiugley ( zero ) worked as e team at train compound from june 64 till Dec 64
We lived in the house just left of the main gate
Hi Bob, I remember you, Cpl Dye. I remember Nolan I think. Give me a call, be glad to hear from you. My #(254)681-7366 call any time. Mike Barnes
Hey Barnes, I was a member of the same Security Team, from June 65 to June 67 and I do remember you. I was wondering, though, if you remember Nolan. We were buddies in my second year and I was just wondering what his first name was – I seem to remember Phil, but the years change the memories. —- Bob Dye
My Name Is Larry Reid Security Train Compound 66,67, Mostly Work Front Gate,Also Point Man On Many Reconnaissance Patrol
Hi Thomas, so sorry to hear about your Dad. Sorry to say I didn’t know him. We had a number of teams that were based at Train Compound under the team 95 mainly as a mailing address. Hopefully someone reads your post and knew him and can give you information about your Dad. Again so sorry you lost your Dad. SFC (ret) Melzar (Mike) Barnes
I am interested in communicating with anyone who may have served with my father, SFC Thomas Botts. He was killed in Vietnam on Sept. 4, 1965 while serving with Advisory Team 95. Prior to arriving, he was stationed at Fort Knox, Ky. and Fort Benning, Ga.
I need some help from you IV Corps (Mekong Delta) Advisory Team vets.
I am trying to piece together my brother’s experiences in Vietnam (June 65 to June 66) for the benefit of his boys and the rest of the family.
A2C Tom Toussaint was a USAF reciprocating engine mechanic. For part of his time he was on Advisory Team 53 at Long Xuyen or Can Tho. He spent time at Soc Trang and Chi Lang. And he had been in both Thailand and Laos.
I think he was a crew chief on a Forward Air Control 1-E Bird Dog. He had hundreds of slides taken from the rear seat of the FAC plane of air strikes in the forests below. But the few pictures I have of him show only Bird Dogs with US Army markings, not USAF.
How were these Advisory Teams organized? Who did the members report to?
Could he have been working on an Army plane?
He talked about having an M60 mounted on the door of the O1-E. The FAC’s I have talked to said that the Army O1-E’s did this, but not the Air Force.
What was the role of these USAF people on these Advisory Teams in the Delta?
Thanks,
Ed Toussaint
Potomac, MD
Etoussaint44@yahoo.com
You are correct, the cafeteria (mess hall) was where they showed movies and they did have to turn on the lights to change reels. I remember one night when I was there watching a movie and all of a sudden there was a very bright yellow glow that filled the room. It was the ammo/napalm dump at Long Binh going up. Memories!
I was there that night when long binh ammo dump went up.. It looked like an atomic explosion. Sometime in 1967. E 4 Peter Johns. Company Clerk.
I’m wondering if you could be talking about the same incident i witnessed late one night, except I was Headquarters Detachment Clerk from shortly after my arrival in country, Jan. 5, 1968 until my DEROS, Feb. 9 1969. It was, indeed, like an atomic explosion. Maybe it happened more than once.
George and Eugene, thank you both for your memories of Train Compound. As to the first Americans who died in Nam, like everything else about that war, there is some controversy. TSgt Richard B. Fitzgibbon, Jr., who died 8 June 1956, has been listed as the first American casualty; this was done when The Wall authorities moved the date back for the beginning of the war. It had been 1961, but was changed to 1955. Fitzgibbon’s son was also killed in Nam and they are one of only three father-son pairs who died in the war. The problem is that TSgt. Fitzgibbon was not killed by enemy action, but was shot by a fellow American crew-member on a Saigon street. This crew-member was later killed when he attempted to escape from US authorities, but his name is not on the wall. (At least for now.)
The first American death in Nam is given now as Major A. Peter Dewey, who was killed in action near Hanoi, 26 September 1945 (Military.com Community at http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4870010221001/m/7900016552001). I would consider this an action connected with the French resuming control of Indo-China immediately after World War II, and thus not directly connected to what we know as the Vietnam War. The US strongly supported the French, in opposition to the Vietnamese Nationalist movement, and that is how we got embroiled in Nam.
James T. Davis is given now as the first American who died in ground battlefield action, 22 December 1961 (Military.com as above). All honor to him.
So where does that leave Major Dale Buis and MSgt. Chester Ovnand, who were killed in a Viet Minh (VC) attack on the Train Compound on 8 July 1959? As far as I’m concerned, they are still the first American casualties of what we know as the Vietnam War. This is not to take anything from Major Dewey, or from TSgt. Fitzgibbon either. But Viet Minh/VC soldiers aimed weapons, through windows, at American advisors while a film reel was being changed in the cafeteria of the Train Compound, the lights being turned on for that purpose, which gave the attackers full view of the Americans, and opened fire without warning. This was a deliberate act. Apparently Major Buis was killed first, then MSgt. Ovnand immediately after, probably within so short a time that it could not be counted. This event is supposed to have occurred in Building 57 of the compound. If that is where the cafeteria was located in 1959, some of you can verify the building, which I understand now contains a small museum.
When you remember the VC attack on Bien Hoa Air Base on 1 November 1964, the first ground attack following the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of 4 August 1964 (although LBJ waited for the following attack at Pleiku before taking action), with ground fighting and some five or six American deaths, you see how much of the war had its beginnings at Bien Hoa.
All the men mentioned above can be found on Wikipedia and on other sites.
I sincerely hope all of you who have memories of Nam will find some way to write them down or record them. They are immensely valuable to history, not only war history, but human history as well. First-hand experiences are invaluable, even vital, to the historian. Our numbers are dwindling and our stories need to be preserved. There is not a man who set foot in Nam whose story doesn’t deserve to be preserved.
Great writing. Both Eugene and I were there and keep in touch by email. I have been writing about my experieces and have written over 55 pages of what went on and many of it was at Train and 3 Corps. It was 28 months of my life some good some bad. But I remember it.
Maybe you can help me with some questions about the III Corps compound. Please contact me at hitemor@aol.com.
Jesse Flowers was at Traincompound in Bien Hoa during the Nov 1964 attack. I was with the 232nd Sig Co.
I remember the attack very well. I would love to know if John P. Wiley made it home to Chicago. I can be reached at
jesseflowers935@yahoo.com
Dear Joseph, My parents Bill and Marni were CMA missionaries in Bien Hoa 61-63. Dad served as volunteer protestant Chaplin for MAAG and Air Base personnel. We lived in Bien Hoa across from big Viet movie theater. 2 names I remember Sgt Beard and a Capt Bishop. Remember movies and steak nites at MAAG base or I guess called Train Center? Saw John Wayne in The Alamo.
I looked at the map and Train Compound wasn’t all that big. The building with “36” on it was outside Train. If you notice the 3 small red circles (tanks) at grid 0125 x 1105, those were fuel storage tanks. A VC tried to blow them in 1967 when I was there. He laid 1 explosive package (C4 with watch timer) on a tank, and as he was setting the other one, he must have jiggled the timer… BOOM! I have photos. If you notice the pool near the 3 tanks. that’s pretty much the east end of Train. Not much north of the pool, just a small road that went by the compound.
Wow Eugene! I remember the incident you are talking about. I was part of the security team for the compound. I had to go out and look around the area. Small bits and pieces were all over. I remember a fellow who had been there picking up a small part and asking if I wanted to send it home, an offer I declined. I was there April 1967 until April 1968. Glad you got back home.
Do you remember the tower post outside the gate that were near the tanks? They put me out there once and closed the doors to the compound. I remember seeing the torso and nothing else. They told me his head was about one hundred feet away.
Glad it helped Joe….. I think those two advisors in 59 were our first casualties in Nam. Would like to see the results of your research and project. Good luck.
G
Hi Joe…… just checked out the map from your last entry and found the location of Train Compound. It’s just north and east of the intersection of VERTICAL GRIDLINE 01 and HORIZONTAL GRIDLINE 11. It is all there. The factory I mentioned turns out to be a paper plant. The dead giveaway is the tower in the southwest corner of the compound. The pool is on the east side. The 3 tanks are shown just a little outside of the southeast perimeter not far from the pool, The compound straddles VERTICAL GRIDLINE 01 a little. The tower is on the west side of the line. The factory has the number 36 on it. The compound is small so I couldn’t find it right away………… but there it is.
George
That’s great, George! I appreciate knowing where the compound was. It seems like some of us lived and worked in Nam like mules with blinders on—we saw and knew very little outside of our own particular duty, and the long hours and days kept it that way. Thanks for your very clear description of the compound. One reason I was interested was because of the attack there in 1959 that killed two of our advisors. All the accounts I’ve seen only said it happened at Bien Hoa. Now I know where at Bien Hoa. Thanks again.
The Plant beside Train Compound was Con-Ty Paper plant. I was in it many times Psyops used the paper cutter at night so we had a two man paper cutting detail in the plant most nights in late 67 then we got our own large 42 inch cutter. I had to drive over from 3 Corps to check on the guys to see if they were still alive. The Oil tanks were a target of the VC when a team snuck in and set a schell charge on the piping. The charge went off prematurely killing one and a blood trail lead away into the paddies. The tanks only had a foot or two of bunker oil in them so no fire occurred but a large dent formed in one from the vacuume created I went over and photographed the cleanup.
Hi guys I’ve tried to find it on a map as well. I can’t clearly. Remember the way to the airbase because ARVNs were always driving THIER jeeps and I was a passenger. Train Cmpnd wasn’t too far from the Dong Nai river…. The river was to the back of us. On the other side the was a series of large deserted buildings…… Maybe some kind of processing plant as there were several LARGE bulk oil tanks outside of the wire as well. I think they had a shell oil insignia on them. As you left the compound you would drive straight for a few clicks (west?) and then if you turned right (north?) another few clicks and you would be in Tam Hiep. Bien Hoa city was in the opposite direction. It seems to me that the Dong Nai was just east of the compound ……Bien Hoa city was west or west south west from the compound and the airbase was just west or west northwest of there. If you can find some arial photos you should be able to see the factory, oil tanks, the pool , the paddie between us and the river, then the river. The base wasn’t real far away cause we could hear the big birds when it was quiet and we could see freedom birds circling once in a while in that direction . Don’t know if this helped at all, or if it just sounds like a bunch of nonsense from an old GI…… Good luck on you projects guys!!
The best map I’ve found of Bien Hoa Air Base and environs, including Bien Hoa Village/Town/City, from the Song Dong Nai eastward to the ARVN prison camp on Hwy 1, is at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_cities/txu-pclmaps-bien_hoa-1968.jpg. It’s a big map and takes a moment to download, then you have to maneuver over it, but it’s a great map. Outside of the landmarks that I know myself, it’s legend isn’t much help to me because I don’t know about the places it lists. Aside from locating the Train Compound, I’d like to identify the sectons contained within the III Corps Headqquarters area. I know where MIBARS was, and their heli-pad, but don’t know anything else. CORDS was there, the CIA, Hdqtrs for USAID, MIBARS, 5th Special Forces C-Team, and others whose compounds in III Corps Headquarters I’d like to identify. Anybody ever hear of the Franzblau Aprarments in III Corps Compound?
I was at Bien Hoa 1968-69 and am doing some work on the history of the air base. Exactly where was Train Compound in relation to the base, or in relation to III Corps Hdqtrs next to the base? Is there an on-line map that shows the Train Compound?
Joe you need to email me. it is blow I too am writing about that time. Armand
I was there at the “III Corp Hdq next to the Bien Hoa Air Base from Dec 67 thru July 1968.
Any pictures or maps or info that you may have of that area …. I would most appreciate. Capt. Evans and myself were assigned to the 57th ARVN camp at the end of the air base.
We were there during “TET”… lost a lot of men.
Art, if you will send me your e-mail address I can send you a photo and some map data.
Thank you Joe …. any and everything you could send would be MOST appreciated!!!
jlaflam@shentel.net
For Bill Stoner- I recall a friendly fire incident (one of a few) in Jan/Feb 69 on an island in the river involving Willie Pete rockets from an O2 FAC aircraft near Bien Hoa. Was working as a III DASC NCO Controller Apr 68 to Apr 69 assigned to Team 95 living at Train. I recall that some of the guys involved showed up at the DASC early the following morning in a really bad mood (cant blame them one damn bit.) I seem to recall that the ground unit hit had been in a Free Fire Zone, but then again it was a long time ago.
Morning Joe – many thanks for ur note. I’m in Saigon right now and hotel wireless is a bit dicey. Tried to reply before, but don’t know if it got thru.
Anyhow, the incident you describe sounds about right. Do u recall if there were any KIAs amongst Rangers in boats? Don’t blame anyone for being pissed off. But, from what you describe it sounds like the strike was on ground troops, using only marking rounds.
Here’s my email if you’d like to communicate direct bstoner3@yaooo
Cheers Bill
Hi Joe…..been awhile so hope all’s OK with you. Anyhow, my Bravo, Mark Scully, who was on TOC night of that friendly fire incident would like to talk to you. Can you shoot him a message at
disgruntler99@gmail.com
Many thanks, Bill
Does anyone remember Tsgt Vern Priesing USAF that was an x-ray tech WITH MACV at Ben Hoa from Aug 1970-Aug 71? Was on the same plane over and assigned to the 3909th Special Activities Sq. as an advisor MILPHAP but orders were cut to send me to Cam Rahn Bay instead.
I was Senior Advisor to 4/48th Bn (18th Arvn Div – Xuan Loc), 68-69. I’m basically on a fishing expedition right now looking for anyone who might recall a friendly fire incident early in ’69. An ARVN Ranger unit in boats was on the Nha Be/Song Dong Nai River at night when they were hit by a couple of gun ships, probably out of Bien Hoa. A dozen or more Rangers were killed
Any info, leads or contacts are much appreciated Thanks, Bill
Should have mentioned that mine was Team 87
Am looking for contact with SGT. Kris Elkinder MACV was a ranger and was advisor to 3rd Viet rangers. He got hit in 67, spent several weeks in 3rd Field Hospital. He got a desk job in Saigon at MACV II as III Corps air leason NCO We had some good times at Team 95 Train Compound and in Saigon. Anyone with any contact please forward it. Kris was from Laguna Beach CA.
I was at Train Compound all of 1967 and will look through my albums to see if I have any photos. Worked for SSGT Alvin Bentley… we had a dog mascot named “Pooch” who hated Vietnamese… and a friend from Puerto Rico with a head so big he could wear his helmet without a liner (DeJesus Ayala). Still keep in touch with Armand Latour (PA), who usually fills me in on what’s going on regarding PSYOPS and the unit.
It’s hard to believe that 47 years have gone bye. I now feel really old!!
Remember “OLD age is something that “A LOT” of our boys NEVER got to experience…
So I’m just glad that I can say I’m 47 years older.
I was an advisor with the ARVN 57th RF , just off Bien Hoa Air Base.
Just looked at the date its Tet 46 years ago AL
Missed ‘TET’…Left Southeast Asia 26Oct67, Landed in CA at or about the same date and time as I when I Left the ‘Nam, 26Oct67…
Was it ‘Train Compound’ where the Infirmary was underground? If so, There was a Monkey in a cage near the entrance to the Infirmary. One day I came in, went by the Infirmary and that Monkey somehow got out of the cage, jumped on my back, scratched the hell out of my sweaty neck…Not only was I in the ‘nam, I literally had a ‘Monkey On My Back…
My father Sgt. James Ciccosanti had a picture of himself with a monkey on his shoulder. It looks like Team 95 was his last assignment. I wonder if this was the same monkey.
I found a web site about Train Compound about a year ago. A Witness to History Train Compound, It has many early photos and even Westmoreland lived their early on its worth a google I even learned things about Train. I have a collection of slides just of Tran. Must get busy and organize them. Armand Latour S.Sgt. 6th PSYOOS
Would you give me those sites that mention “Train Compound” ….
I’m NOT the right generation for computers ( know what I mean? )
just google search Train Compound Advisory Team 95 Bien Hoa Vietnam. Ijust did it and it is still there. You know it is the site of the very first KIA in Nam July 8 1959. Maj.Dale Buris and MSG. Chester Ovrand This was in building 57 or the EM club with special services upstairs.
My email is latbonorch@yahoo. com.
L was there and have quite a few photos of Jane and her entarauge in front of the EM club and down at the Officers club. Also remember Martha Ray at the clubs. Oh we were so lucky to have lived at Train, for me it was almost 2 years. Many of my photos were made in the special services lab up stairs. 6-66 to 10-68 Armand Latour 6th PSYOPS
I ran across, “Col. Maggie”, Martha Raye, in Long Khan Province, I think…. Initially, I was shocked to see a Mature Female sporting jungle fatigues, topped off with the infamous Green Beret w/5th SFG Flash and ‘Special Forces Tab”. Found out she was “Honorary Special Forces”. Oh, I especially enjoyed the Restaurant Atmosphere, ordering from a menu, in the Mess Hall on Train Compound.:-).
Did you take any pictures at Dong Nai Head Quarters III Corp – in Bien Hoa ???
I came to Advisory Team 95 at Train Compound from Advisory Team 94 in Xuan Loc, Jan ’67. Worked at TOC, Off Compound. I remember a few 5th SFG B-Team members, ROK Marines on the Compound AND of course, Downing Beers with Jane Mansfield on The Compound just before her demise…I got out of there Oct. 67…
I was connected to Train Compound – from 67 -68. Was with the 57th RF/PF forces, and their compound over looked Bien Hoa Air Base. I actually lived at the 57th compound. Was at the 57th during TET. Served with a Capt. Thomas Evans … just the two of us there.
Was at Train Compound from June 67-June 68. Worked at III Corp HQ in G2. Tet was tough until 11th Armored Cav came to town. We had so many captured VC at G2 we had to lock them up in a Conex. Train was a good place that the Army failed to screw up. Likewise, did not know that it is was shut down, so maybe Army did. Worked with lots of good guys at G2 and lived with at Train.
Glad you made home.
Steve Sims, SP/5
I was at the 57th RF as an advisor at that time ( TET & etc.) I lived with the ARVN at their camp just out side Bien Hoa Air Base. I built a HUGE bunker there – finished it just be for TET. Got all of our materials from a unit called “RED HORSE” on the Air Base. I never got to spend any (real) time at Train Compound. Do you have any pictures of during that time ???
I was at Train from Mar 67 to Feb 68 and worked in G2 III Corps ops. Steve Sims, I can’t put a face to the name or the name to a face, sorry. I know I should know you. I still remember some names etc but a lot of years have passed. I just discovered this sight the other day and saw your post. Hope you can fill me in. Thanks for your service and glad you returned safely.
Rich Bennett (SP/5)
It would be nice to see some pictures of that era …. then maybe we could put the names and faces together. WELCOME HOME !!!!
23 Mar 1967 I departed G-2 III Corps ops.( Worked in the documents cage)
to Tay Ninh for duty in Kheim Han district. We must have ran into each other
, you may have been my replacement,LOL .SSgt Tom Soles at the time. I also helped the LTC post the briefing map each morning. E-mail me.If you would like
I was at Train Compound from January 1971 until Advisory team 95 was deactivated and consolidated with II Field Force under the name Third Regional Assistance Command (TRAC) which occurred in March or April of 1971. I was assigned to the G-1 advisors to the Vietnamese III Corps HQ. General Tri was the III Corps commander until he was killed in a helicopter accident in February 1971.
Ken, I was at Train Compound from June 1970 until March 1971. Maybe we ate together in the mess hall. I was up in Tay Ninh the day General Tri died. I left to fly back to III Corp HQ just before his chopper crashed. I believe they crashed on take off. Fuel tanks ruptured and all were incinerated. Heard about it when I landed back in Bien Hoa. Had a lot of good friends and memories at Train. Would love to hear from you or anyone else who was there then. Former Army Captain, Don Zivitz. Don_zivitz@bellsouth.net
I was G2 Air Advisor at the time Gen Tri was killed and remember seeing the crash site.
I overlapped with you for a couple of months. I was at Train, Team 95 as an advisor until mid March of 1971. I was at III Corp HQ in the G-4 office, working under Ltc Johnson snd Maj. Bossio. Good days, good guys. My best friends were Captains Marty MacClelland and Howard Moody who were still there when I left.
Do you remember me? SP4 LloydWills G1. Were you the rank of capt.? I had a Vietnamese secretary CoTwit.[
Yes, Lloyd I remember you. At that time I was a newly promoted captain from Ft. Bragg. Do you remember the name of the Sargent at the G-1 advisors to III Corps. I think he was an E7. He had a very bad back and seemed to be in pain a lot. Do you remember Ong Tet our driver, Ltc Morris, Captain Forbes, Major Jolly, Lt Gray, or Major Gallop? Do you remember the funeral procession in front of III Corps HQ for General Tri after his chopper crashed in Feb.1971?
I was in TM 95 from Mar 70 – late Feb 71 in security having a hard time remembering names I was than sent to TM 70 until Oct 71
Charles, I arrived at Train Compound in early January 1971. I, also, was reassigned when Team 95 dissolved. I went to Third Regional Assistance Command which had been II Field Force. If I remember correctly Team 70 was at Lai Khe where the 5th ARVN Division was headquartered. I had a friend, Buzz Gray, who was reassigned to Team 70 when Team 95 was dissolved in the Spring of 1971. Nice to hear from you. Hope everything is well with you. Hard to believe it has been 50 years already.
Ken
It is always great to hear from others from that time my email is dswilson17@gmail.com
Charles
OK –all you young’uns. 😉
I say that because I was on Adv Team 95 and lived at Train Compound from Jan to Sep 1968. I was the G-2 Air Advisor for most of that time. If we have any who were there then, I would love to hear from you. I bunked in the junior officer’s hooch across from the O-Club.
Karl, I probably arrived about the time you were leaving – Sept. or Oct. ’68. I worked for the G2 advisor LTC Keys I migrated to running the G2 shop in the TOC (the underground bunker on the air base) for LTC Phil Robbins, a super individual, later went to Xuan Loc for awhile as the G2 advisor to the 18th. ARVN. We were right next to FSB Husky and my hearing has never been good ever since then!
Thanks for the note, Jack. During most of the time I was in Adv Team 95, LTC Kizirian (sp?) was the G-2 Advisor. He was a top notch officer and a close confident of the ARVN G-2. when Keys came in, it was time to rotate. BTW, I visited a FSB briefly and my ears were ringing for a week. Hard to believe we didn’t recognize the need to protect hearing back then.
I was the clerk G1, at that time
I was at Train Compound from May 7, 1965- May 10,1966. I was part of the security force. I would like to hear from people who were there. Mike Barnes
My father, Thomas H Botts, was killed at Bien Hoa on Sept. 4, 1965. I am looking for anyone who may have served with him.
I was on my second tour in1965 served t train compound from sept 65 to jun 66 as
security force
I was at Train Compound April, May, June 1965 – I was attached to 173 Airborne at the base. Lived in the large GP Tent with the Pay Ops officers on cots. I remember the Rhesus monkeys who used to race all round – thru and on top of the tent….also 2 baboons – Num and Num Nuts (Num bit an electric power cable and got a bad shock and burn to the mount – hid on top of the python (Rocky the python) cage. Only time we ever saw Num Nuts showing kindness and caring. The monkeys loved to slide down the tin roofs of the permanent buildings then full of mud race thru our tent. Food was great at the contract mess in the main building – meal order forms, waitresses and great salad bar. First time thru the chow hall the attendance girl looked at your rations card for its number and how many meals you had scheduled – never had to look at it again – she knew you. Early one Sunday AM mid May was eating breakfast when there were explosions and huge clouds of smoke from the Air Base – drove over immediately to find out what was going on – that was when 27 airman were killed by a series of detonations on the flight line, each setting off another down the line. The swimming pool was great – nice to go out and float on a blow up mattress for a while after lunch.
What’s up Mike? haven’t heard from you in years!!!
Yes I’m still around. Living in Arizona. You still in Colorado?
Lanny, How many times did you re-up in country? Quite a few if my memory is correct.
I believe the last I saw you was at Long Binh. Later I think I had an invitation to your wedding down south but never made it.
I was at Train Compound from Aug 70 to May 71. Working as an Intelligence Analyst in G-2 and later worked at the interrogation center reading translated reports. Went home 3 months early because of Nixon’s troop cuts. Was there with Lanny Marshall.
Were you there for the “closing it down” party? Unit funds HAD to be spent, several bands every night, along with STEAKS. I don’t remember the date, spring of ’71. I too DEROSed early at the exact same time. Lloyd Wills (lawboxer55@yahoo.com)
I spent the first 7 months at MACV HQ in Saigon. I arrived at Train in June, 1970 and stayed until February, 1971. My job was acting as a Morning Report clerk (also worked on requests for R&R) for WO Raines in a small office to which I’d drive a jeep every morning, weaving in and out of traffic on those narrow roads…mamma sans, pappa sans and baby sans everywhere I looked. I remember a pipe smoking tall kid from California named Gostisha…Gerald Ely from Maine…Russel Chambers from Tennessee…Kent McCord with his blonde hair…the small helicopter pad, a basketball court, the pool, and the central flag pool…a tall watch tower…barbed wire…concrete bunkers…the guard shack at the entrance…food was okay. It was the Army without too much BS. I’m Greg Hoover and didn’t know this site existed until finding it tonight…didn’t know Team 95 was shut down and moved to Long Binh, either.
Greg Hoover!…Your name just jumped out at me. I think you cut orders for me to Penang. (twice). If you’re the same guy I remember, we hung out quite a bit back in 70/71. My Vietnamese lady & I had a hooch right outside the compound. I worked at the TOC & pulled guard duty at the tower. My name is Alan King (from New York)
Greg, I was at Train Compound from June 1970 until March 1971. I worked in G-4 with Marty Mac Clelland and Howard Moody. The head of G-4 when I arrived was Ltc. Corliss, and he was eventually replaced by Ltc George Johnson. As I recall, the Team 95 leader was General McAuliffe, and he was eventually replaced by General Hyman about the time I left. I remember the USO shows, drinking beer and spending a lot of time up in Tay Ninh. Was WO Raines first name Howard? By the way, you are right. The food was okay as well. Don Zivitz
I was a photographer assigned to the III Corps Public Information Office and stayed at Train from August 1967 – September 1968. I got there as a PFC and left as a Spec 5, working with LTC George Barrante (with whom I remain in contact), Major George Meany, SSG Wes Bell, SSG Leon Pollard and others whose names I have forgotten over the years. My worst memory of Train (aside from people trying to kill me) was the stench from the adjacent paper mill. Anyone who was there for Tet will never forget the battle for Bien Hoa and the mortars that came slamming into Train. One even ended up in the swimming pool! One of my favorite memories is the strip of brothels that lined the road leading into Train. War sure was hell.
I remember you. I was with 6 PSYOPS from 6-66 10-68 a printer and night printing crew leader. Talked about our Nikons and used the dark room above the EM club. Was on III corps with 6 other men night of tet 68.
Armand …. how can I email you ??? Do you post any pictures on line????
I was at Train Compound from May 1965 – May 1966. Do you remember a SP/4 Emmitt King, he was with the phy-ops. We drank a lot of beer at the pool. Would enjoy hearing from you. SFC (Ret) Melzar (Mike)Barnes
Do you remember taking any pictures at Dong Nai Head Quarters – between Dec 67 and july 68 ???
Most of my photos were on Train, 3 Corps, Bien Hoa AFB or Saigon or above all of these on PSYOPS missions. You need to Email me Gene Simmons and I are in contact.
Found the site, Mike. Thanks. It brings back memories. George Barrante 67 t0 June 68 PIO Adviser to III Corps.
Mike Parker, I guess I was your replacement in October 1968. I was “hired” by Major Meany. Stayed at Train until March 1969. My replacement, Chris Brow, was KIA on February 26, 1969, one of the defining worst days of my life. Never thought to google this before. Any chance you know where George Meany is today?
Wow. I knew Chris Brow from photo school at Fort Monmouth. I was in St. Louis in 1971 visiting a friend who had married a Vietnamese woman, Kim, who worked at III Corps PIO with me and we were swapping stories, when out of the blue, Cal asked me if I remembered Chris Brow. I said that I did. Cal then told me that he was my replacement and I asked how he was. Cal replied, “he was killed in January 1969.” That really shook me, as LTC George Barrante (with whom I’ve been in regular contact over the past 15-20 years) really wanted me to extend my TOD so we could work together until he DEROSED. He promised me he’d walk through my papers for a promotion to S/SGT and I gave it careful consideration, but decided that I’d used up most of my luck and it was about to reach empty. I left in September 1968 and ended up at Fort Lee, Virginia. Long story about that…
I got an early out to go to the University of Miami and ended up in television news as a photographer, editor, producer, operations manager and then freelance shooter for the alphabets in Los Angeles. Good, if unpredictable, life.
George and I are FB friends and talk every few months. Good guy. I have no idea whatever happened to George Meany. He hailed from Brookline, MA and I’ve noodled around for him but no joy. He was a bit standoffish but we got along well. He’d even come over to my hootch and we’d enjoy a drink or two together every now and then.
I’m now retired from TV news and do part-time legal video to keep my brain cells more-or-less active. Been doing it for around a dozen years. It’s one of the best kept secrets for doing video and getting well paid. I live in Fort Lauderdale and my phone number is 954.549.3442. Give me a shout if you get a chance. I look forward to hearing from you.
Allbest,
Mike
I lived at train compound from Apr 68 Until Apr 69 while working with FAC’s at III CORP Hq compound. At that time I was an Air Force TSgt NCO Controller at the DASC controlling air strikes, Arc Lights, Spookys an Moonshine assets. Feb 69 was an interesting time as we almost wiped out part of the village. I have spent a lot of time over the years thinking about that place. Drop an E-mail if you knew me, SMSgt Joe Shelton, USAF Retired, jshelton50@fuse.net
Seems like I should know you Joe … I left Adv Tm 95 III Corp in July of 68. Can you post a picture of that era … or send it email …. jlaflam@shentel.net
I was in the train compound from nov 67 till may 68 I was in the air force SSgt Kenneth Paxton would like to hear from some of the other FAC people left train to go to 25th us
SSgt Paxton did know a Lt Col Charley R. Weaver?
I moved into the team from SCAG (Saigon Civil Assistance Group, i.e., Intelligence Advisor to the Mayor of Saigon) in October or November. Don’t remember there being any General officers on the compound, just a couple of full-bulls and a light bird or two.
C Muller was senior advisor 3Corps. played many volley ball games with him on the tennis court. I even rode in his personal III Corps huey several times.
I left in August of 69. All of a sudden President Nixon signed an executive order for a 30,000 man troop withdrawal…..my name came down on the levy. I thought I would be in country for a while, but got my orders and a few days later was on the freedom bird and on my way home. Got to Oakland, California…. was issued a dress uniform and flew back home. It all happened so fast that I couldn’t really process it. One day in Nam, they next in the US. As I remember it was more of a jolt to my system than when I first got off the plane in Bien Hoa. It’s good connecting with somebody that was on Team 95 at Train Compound…. when you were there did General Preer still have quarters there??
Looks like you probably left about the time I moved in with the team.
Team 95, Bien Hoa, ’69-’70. G-2 advisory team. I’m the guy that stayed up all night writing the INTSUM’s! Loved that old French compound, still miss the swimming pool and photo lab! then they shut the team down and moved us all to Long Binh – not near as much fun!
L. R. Marshall, SSG
Thank you Lanny.
I was NCOIC of III Corps Special Services , Train Compound Team 95, Bien Hoa, 68-69. All R&R requests, films for other teams, rec supplies etc., pool, photo lab, recording lab, was under the section. Left Nam in fall of 69….didn’t know they shut team 95 down. Lived on compound for a year.
G.P. Starkovich, Sgt
Hi Joe………our time frame seems to coincide. I saw a lot of folks during that time and worked mostly solo. I had a space upstairs of the EM club where I processed requests and created orders for R&R. A lot of folks used the photo lab, tape library and center as well as the pool table room in the evenings. There were quite a few air force guys I hung around with during those times. Does any of this sound familiar to you?? I remember an AF MSGT Spangler who spent a lot of time in the photo lab helping other GIs with photo processing etc.
GPS
Loved the photo lab. Used it quite a bit. Thanks
Our time there overlapped. I was at Train from June 1970 to March 1971. I spent most of the last two months however up in Tay Ninh. I worked in G-4 for LTC George Johnson. I remember when General Hyman came in about late February or early March 1971. You are right. We had some great guys on Team 95. Maybe you were one of the Huey crew guys who took us back and forth between Train/III Corps and Tay Ninh. I don’t know if you had that kind of duty or not. I remember the day General Minh (I think that was his name) died in that chopper crash in Tay Ninh. My ride back to III Corps HQ left just minutes before his accident. As soon as I landed at III Corps, there was an officers’ call and they told us what had just happened. Long time ago. Your comments made me think of it again. Happy holidays to you and all the Team 95 guys.
I was at Train from June 1970 until February 1971 working for WO Raines as a morning report clerk (SP4); my office was next to Major Sullivan’s large space. From the photo lab, I still have my pictures of a visit by Generals Ewell and Abrams and more stuff, all black & white. And my co-worker was Gerald Ely (sp?), from Maine. Yes, Happy Holidays to you and all the Team 95 guys.
Was WO Raines first name “Howard?” I believe I remember him.
Well, Donald, honestly I have no recollection, sorry, but I remember his chiseled, elongated, almost stern face.
You just described him perfectly, like a face carved out of stone. He was a good guy.
When in ’69? I worked G2 there from around October ’68 until summer of ’69 (ran the G2 TOC) for LTC Phil Robbins, then went down to Xuan Loc to be fill-in G2 advisor for a few weeks.
70-71 when they shut down moved me to Tm 70 Lai Khe
I think it’s great you guys from the late 60’s to the early 70’s have found each other. But I have yet to see anyone on this blog who I know or knows me from the mid-60’s . I was at Train for a year between 65 – 66. (246th. PSYOP Co., 6th. PSYOP Bn.) I have names and lots of photos to prove it. Where the hell are those guys? We even had a Christmas tree on the second floor of the EM club in ’65, colored lights and all, right in front of the front window, next to the pool table.
Happy, Healthy, Holidays to you all!
dmk
I was at Train Compound spring 1965 until Jul 65. I came in with the 173rd/S2 and stayed in the Psy Ops large tent with the SF guys. Remember the baboons…Num and Num Nuts….they used to torment the local monkeys. One day Num got into a box of grenades and was sitting on top of an electric pole with a grenade playing with it. Some were hoping she would hold on to it while pulling the pin….but all took cover! Lots more recollections if you care to message back. Chow hall was great and pool was nice. Greg Lawson; gjlawson@midwestfirst.com
Remember Lt. Ski?
Dave, I was at Train from July 65 to July 66. I worked for the Chaplain, escorting him all around III Corp area so he could spend time with the troops. We flew 367 chopper flights that year, going into some outposts that made me appreciate being able to return to the comforts of Train Compound at the end of the day. I remember the EM club, the pool table, the great mess hall and swimming pool and the day we moved into the newly constructed “barracks”. For some reason I don’t remember the Christmas tree you write about nor do I remember knowing you. Anyway, I hope the past 50 years have been good to you after having lived in that part of the world for so many months. Best Wishes to you throughout the New Year. Jim Mick.
The Chaplain was a LTC and you were a SP5?
Again, I was there between Oct 65 to Oct 66. You came before me. We were both there between Oct 65 to July 66 but your name is not familiar to me. We were PSYOPS. I did not know those in security or other positions. We worked at III Corp Hq and also at Bien Hoa airbase on air operations. (Leaflet drops and loudspeaker operations). PSYOPS was the first group to move into the new “barracks”. Do you remember the tennis courts which we played volley ball on? I was there watching the new little chapel being built. The construction methods would never pass standards here. I wish I could post photos or drawings on this blog. I remember the layout of most of the buildings within Train. Has anyone tried to find Train on Google Maps? I did once without luck. I will try again.
I was there as an MP advisor from October 1965 to 1966. Worked with SFC Ray, a SGT (whose name escapes me) and Major Jim Reichel. I bunked in a large, old house not far from the main gate right next to the wire. During my tour they built the POW compound and had some US advisors there also. Pulled some additional duty overseeing the activities of the clubs until Major Reichel was able to get me out of it. Lyn Garland
I remember SFC Ray, a superior MP NCO and the MP Major you refer to as well as MP MAJ Marcus J HUMBLE, the Compound Commander. I was next door to you in the Security Platoon.
I seem to remember an old house that had a medical/first aid station on the first floor. I think it was a two floor house…………Does that sound familiar?
I don’t think remember it as being two stories and the aid station was located closer to the interior of the compound. The only other guy that I can remember staying there was a SSG Spl Forces C Team communicator named Sofia or something similar.
Hi Jim,
You were with the Catholic Chaplain, weren’t you? I often flew with the Protestant Chaplain, when I had time from Security Guard details.
Do you remember my Father, David Caron? SP5 in advisory team 95? Part of the Litterbugs? Leaflets? Your name sounds very familiar, I think I’ve read it in some of the writings he has. He’s still alive, just turned 76 in May, doing well. I’m his son, Ryan. I’m going to show him this site and have him reply!
I was a Litterbug for all of ’67 and remember Dave very well. We were in the same hooch. I was an illustrator and went on leaflet drops and loudspeaker flights. Some other names he may remember… Korchenko, Weissman, Latour, Bentley (ops sgt). I hope Dave is well.
Eugene Simmons
I was there a little before you – 10/65 to 10/66 and did the same stuff. I too was an illustrator and went on leaflet drops and loudspeaker flights. I created leaflets, book covers, flyers, etc. Earned my wings. I did know Sgt. Bentley but not the others you mention. Have a list of 40 names to post here sometime.
Our Varitype operator (can’t remember his name) was also the one that took care of our mascot, Pooch. I can find more names and some may have overlapped you and me.
I was in the security guard platoon t Train Compound from Aor 65 to sometime in mid 66 when I transferred to the 51st ARVN Ranger Battalion where I served as the team radio telephone operator on a 5 man advisory team.
In April and May ’65 I was in the DR on PSYOP Ops. Another fun time.
Hi Bruce – I, too, was in the SG – from June ’65 – June ’67. Started out in Shaw’s squad, – shared a room with Shaw and Hartel, at the top of the stairs. Other squad members were Hall and … gee, names fade. don’t ‘t they? (But the faces are still there) Who was your Squad Leader and who else was in you squad? Were you downstairs – next to the showers or in the big room???
I think I was downstairs. I don’t remember who was squad leader.
I remember “Pooch”. I think I have a photo of him. We kept a close watch on him – not many dogs over there. Varityper may have been Mark Forrest? I did some of that too, along with the Photo Typositor and Leroy lettering set. VN language was done by hand with accents. Learned that in school but worked with ARVN translators as well.
Hi Dave – I remember ‘Pooch’ and ‘BaMiBa’ and a few other dogs that were around during my 2 years, 3 days, 7 hours, and 23 minutes of time in VN. Sure wish there was an easy way to share photos through this site. Any one have realistic ideas???
Yes, Mark Forrest. Seems you and I must have had the same desk as I also did some Varityping and Leroy lettering. Our translators would add the accents. Also had a few female translators but can’t remember their names.
Here’s my email; sparky746@msn.com, I have a PSYOPS book that Bentley produced, probably while Dave was there. I scanned it into a PDF and can send it to you or Dave. Also have some photos from Train Compound. Also another name for him; DeJesus from Puerto Rico… drank Black Russians and his head was BIG, used to tease him that he didn’t need a helmet liner. Another name, Humphreys from West Virginia. I seem to remember your dad being from Montana? My wife and I did a winter photo trip to Yellowstone a couple years ago and flew into Bozeman. I wondered then how far we were from him. Which reminds me of another Litterbug, Ural Wayne Raymond was our clerk – mailman and he retired as a SGM and lives in Montana
Yes Eugene, I knew those ARVN translators. May have photos of them too. Haven’t looked lately. By the way. we used USAF C-47’s for leaflet drops and loudspeaker operations. Would you believe I am still flying in those today?! I am a volunteer at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, NY. We have a WWII vintage C47 which I have flown on several times in recent years. Brings back memories.Very different views from the windows. Where are you anyway?
Originally from Oswego but I was an army brat. My wife is also from there. We moved from southern Virginia to Springfield, MA 5 years ago. Yes, C-47’s mostly, but also U-10’s, Otter, Beaver and Caribou. My wings were also awarded in ’67. I worked as a civilian for DoD for 32 years; army and air force. I went to a training course at an AF base in Ohio – Air Force museum is there – and saw a U-10 that I flew in; 5th Air Commando Squadron. Perhaps we can meet up sometime as we get to NY a couple times a year.
FYI, in the 1970’s I worked for the Army Reserve in Mattydale, NY. Headquarters (98th Division) was in Webster, NY and the Division helicopters were near there. If we needed one for Mattydale, a 2 man crew would drive to Webster and fly the chopper to Mattydale. I took advantage of the 2 man rule to fly again. I wasn’t a pilot but had been trained on how to fly, land, and communicate in the event of an emergency. Today, my only flying is my photo drone.
I worked 32 years at Xerox in Webster. (Graphic Design, some CAD/CAM and Computer Graphics.)
I looked at the web site for the museum; do they sell photos? I have several that I’ve taken at air shows (Langley AFB and Barnes Air National Guard). I will donate the photo files if you think the museum gift shop can use them to raise funds. I’ve donated photos before to botanical gardens and other non profits. I could send photo cards to you to see if it’s something you could use, and if so, send a USB with the files on it for you to use.
Hey Eugene, Dean Kelley here. I was in the VN from November 1967 to November 1968. I was the color man on those creaky old Multilith 1250s. I remember doing a lot of stationary and note pads with unit logos for the nurse unit at Long Bihn. I also seem to remember tthat you went to Honolulu for your R&R. (I don’t know why I remember that detail, but I do.) After six months as a printer I was sent to Dion to drop leaflets for the Big Ren One and and three months later on to Tan An to accompamy medical teams to vilages and distribute magazines and soap to the villagers.
I don’t remember his name but do you remember the VN sergeant who used to come to the print shop in early mornings, often with his two young daughters. He would pick up our misprints, flatten them out, bundle them and sell them as wrapping paper for fish and vegetables to vendors at local markets. Made him somewhat wealthy in his village. It was really lovely to have his two little girls around the print shop…a breath of fresh air. One of them taught me to count in Vietnamese.
Sorry, I don’t remember you. The only printers I knew were Armand LaTour and a blonde kid named Whitley. Yes, I did go to Hawaii for R&R (December 7th) and Train Compound had some damage when I was gone. A few names pop up in my memory occasionally… Ron Hunt (California) went to Hawaii before me to meet up with his girlfriend. More names, Erwin Bunz – who I wound up working with in Syracuse, NY after we got out; Arthur E. Martin, SP6, tall, friendly black dude who did not like to fly; Strickland, a sergeant I believe. There were a bunch of us who used to play volleyball – I have a photo but can’t remember names; then a guy named Perez who used to toss a baseball around with me. Thanks for replying.
Ironically, i recently found that PSYOPS book in my fathers things.Quite the production. I’d love to see Photos, anything. He has some. My sister actually produced a DVD from his film slides while being there, you’d enjoy it I’m sure. Yes, my father was born in Butte, Montana, and raised my sister and I in Missoula Montana.He said he can’t recall you just by name but it’s obvious you know him. I will ask about the other names, you can email me whatever you’d like at caveofplaton@gmail.com. I’d love to pick your brain about your experience over there, seems like you remember quite a bit!. Thanks Eugene.
Think I probably got there after you left. Was in SCAG (Saigon Civil Assistan e Group) u told late July of 69.
Hi! Ken. I sure enough do remember. The staff sargent’s last name was Klein. You have better memory than I do. I remembered Major Jolly, Capt Forbes (who I believe handled the drug education), and who could forget the helicopter crash? You are the only person that I’ve had the pleasure communicating with since leaving Vietnam. Hope all is well. I’ve not suffered any malignancies and I’m in good health. Retired from the teamsters and living a leisurely life. Single, with a dog (boxer) for a companion. I have an E-mail address of lawboxer55@yahoo.com. Still residing in Illinois near St.Louis. If you don’t have anything better to do, tell me a little bit more of what you did in G1. I finished my tour of duty in Vietnam at Long Bien (TDY) with the open mess, furnishing them with a monthly financial statement. I truly enjoyed my time at Train Compound. Lt. Grey, why didn’t I promote him to captain? Just being in Vietnam qualified him for promotion. Good to hear from you. Thanks for the response.