So as May 1968 ended I had been in Vietnam for 1 month! Finally I interrupted and said I would sleep in the Korean bunker on the broken cot that was in there, end of argument ! The Marines broke out in laughter. If you are able to extract the I read of your arrival in China Beach with a bit of a chuckle remembering how green we all were at that time. On February 10, 1970, SN Robert T. Sudduth, a sailor assigned to the camp, was traveling in truck from the Camp Tien Sha Annex to the Tien Sha Ramp when he accidently fell from the vehicle. Download this Camp Tien Sha photo now. of the guys took to securing a They were pissed off at him because they were sent out there that night when they had already done a day patrol, and they wanted to scare the crap out of him. It was a long miserable cold 12 hour night. Get those Fucking Gooks away from that Damn trailer". Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. delivering warm water was good I wanted to go back and see that little girl before she died but all that next week I was to busy to get off early ( or maybe I was just to scared and heart broken). once. With tears in my eyes I told the guard that I had been helping the doc at the children's clinic and he could take his fucking travel chit and shove it up his ass! "Supply" at Camp Fay heads all in an area I'd call around I was shocked when he told me she was only 15 years old! It was good for our working relation ship to do them favors so that I could count on them to perform for me when I really needed them. Yes, we would help them build new huts and we would patch up their children and pay compensation for the damages done. They had been covered with poncho liners but they had blown off. These positive relations were largely a reflection of the fact that black and white soldiers in combat were heavily dependent on one another. It wasn't a normally Long , long ago, far, far away on the other side of the Because of Da Nang's strategic location on rail, air, and highway routes, development of its . . Late in the day we had built them a nice hootch and had them moved in. Some As tired as I was I never got much sleep. The field had been filled with red dirt and rocks and had been compacted with heavy equipment. Don't go to Dog Patch at night and stay way from the prostitutes. My station when It was where the French first landed in the 19th Century in their quest to control the area and. [3]:8, In April 1972 all US Navy facilities in Danang were transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Navy.[4]. So what did I do for work uniforms ? We knew the helicopter was in trouble because of the trail of smoke and how fast it was flying. 4. When I look back it sure seems stupid but at the time what else could I do? Around back there was a Jeep with a utility trailer on behind. The Doc started by cutting the legs off. Nobody even knowing where from or if they had families. The villagers brought each one of us Seabees a Tiger Beer before we left for Camp Books. The map I sent you is how I remember that ACTOV addition Admiral Army assets assistance attack August base Beach beds began boats Bridge buildings Camp Tien Sha cargo Center changes Class closed combat Commander Communications. We went through the gate, down Main Street, took a left and stopped in front of a small building that looked like a hamburger stand. changes to : maintenance, and generally taking side was a area called Bridge Ramp which was where the Navy LSTs would pull in This is the Hoa Kahn clinic at the time I started working there. It was common for the Marines to sneak off base at night for a couple hours in the Village. But when shit happens to you and you are the victim, everything changed! It's a win-win, and it's why everything on iStock is only available royalty-free including all, Royalty-free licenses are the best option for anyone who needs to use stock images commercially, which is why every file on iStock whether its a, From social media ads to billboards, PowerPoint presentations to feature films, you're free to modify, resize and customize every asset on iStock including all. The memory of that little girl is as strong now as then and I can not think about her without getting choked up and teary eyed ! He had a little Vietnamese kid with him about 8 years old. I hated that phone, radio, air conditioning and black coffee! Every month she would send a large box of candy, cookies and other goodies. Some part of it was always listening to what was going on . We were supposed to protect our base generators and fuel tank from sappers. There was a bunker there. As time passed and I saw all of these kids sick and broken I realized that most of what this clinic was doing was trying to repair the damage done to these kids by the war itself. to develop this map. Military personnel learn some of the basics in other training, but this is the course for the big boys. Unfortunately when we got there it was closed for one hour for lunch and Coate did not have the time to hang around. During the first half of his in-country tour, Norton made the best of a boring and life- consuming job as a Tien Sha Peninsula Security Division guard. New customers can download this image at no cost with a risk-free trial. (The Doc had a black medical bag that was exactly like the one Doc Holiday on Gunsmoke carried around. He got in line and they loaded his truck with beds, lots of beds. He's shooting from a long way out and hasn't hit anyone yet. It It might be inaccurate in some details, suffice to say, I Well I never did hear from Barbee. I have absolutely no recollection of She giggled a bit (talk It was an opportunity to get off the Hospital ships and see a little bit of the real Vietnam. Whatever, I was very I have 'issues' from that crap hole as well.I don't want to put my email address in here publicly so how can I get in touch with you?Ernie Hodge, is this the Ernie hodge that was with the fuel crew in 1966-1967. my name is larry Kirby and my twin brother is gary Kirby if this is the same Earnie Hoge please email me at lwk472000@yahoo.vom. I started building my hooch on Wednesday May 8th at just before noon. The official report was small arms fire on the perimeter. I didn't know it then but that was my last good meal for a long time! My work hours were 0600 to 1800 which made it impossible to use any of the base services! say I rarely ventured onto the left with her work. Travis, Hawaii, Subic Bay (and shore patrol in Olongapo), then to First came the steps and as soon as that was finished I helped the Navy doctor and Vietnamese nurse move in a big grey office desk and an open book shelf unit. any old charts, photos or drawings of the PTF She wanted to send care packages and letters to me as part of a High School project. Well it scared the crap out of me and probably took a few months off my life ! I wish I would have known about it then! He seemed totally comfortable and relaxed. Some where along the line the nurse had done an IV drip. The other time was that day in boot Naval Support Facility DaNang (1970-1972), and the Detachments. I held that little girl until it started to get dark and I had no choice but to give her to the nurse and walk back to the base. Suddenly dozens of tracer rounds started ricocheting off the wall about 20 feet in front of the truck! We got danger close rockets in that area often. Camp Haskins, Da Nang, Vietnam, served as headquarters of the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, who exercised operational control of Seabee units deployed to Vietnam. For that action, we were awarded the Naval Unit Commendation, the highest Naval or Marine award issued without action by the President. who manned the PTF base at night used for transportation to and from The causeway was a floating pier that extended about a 100 yards into Da Nang bay and was used to off load ammunition and bombs. Driving around on the perimeter of the base checking for burned out security lights could also be very hazardous . Book cover type. Some guys were able to go through their whole tour in Vietnam in John Wayne mode. John Wayne mode is when you still think you are invincible, nothing can hurt you because you are the good guy with the white hat and shit only happens to some one else. Very often our flares would land in Hoa Kahn or Dog Patch burning down many Vietnamese huts providing more damaged children for the clinic. May 1. It was very clear that they did not want a FNG getting in their way. When he was all loaded he told them one of the other drivers had the paper work and while they were trying to hunt down the papers he just drove away. So I took a trip in September 2016 back On Sunday May 19 I was dropped off alone ( The Vietnamese got Sundays off) and my job was to build steps and a door for the building. It was no problem during the day because either the XO or Chief were there or the secretary,interpreter (miss Nguyen). Our office was up stairs. That is the only time I had to get clothing issue. My Vietnamese workers were hunkered down by the lumber pile about 30 ft from me.Then I noticed little puffs of dirt kicking up several feet away from me towards the north. Work started at 0700 hr and we got off at 1700 hr. After the farmer passed out and the legs were cut off the nurse was able to stop holding the farmer down and assist the Doc by handing him the clamps and other tools as he needed them. Surprisingly, I never step foot on a ship, I was always stationed in Navy hospitals. Alan on Haircuts We visited Chu Laiu, Hue, and our My Vietnamese works didn't want to hang around waiting for the truck to take them back to the shop. The MPs had used their white belts as tourniquets just above the knees. C Chi tunnels. We could sleep but we had to report in every hour on the radio to our parent command at PWC China Beach. The U.S. Navy established the MST-1 detachment to train Vietnamese crews and maintain PTFs in February 1964. roof. There was to much noise from the generators and air conditioner to hear the rockets explode or the warning siren go off . To save them from Communism was not the right answer because most of them did not feel that Communism was a threat ! The were riding shotgun on truck convoys to and from Danang to Quang Tri Province. The rest of my tour I did what every good Seabee team would do, I stole them ! You forget the bad things and you remember the good Naval Support Activity (NSA) Danang was officially established on 15 October 1965. not leaving a big enough tip. Camp Horn is a former United States Marine Corps and United States Army base located in Danang, Vietnam. These truck convoys would run from Danang to Quang Tri Marine base every few days and would spend nights or off time either at Quang Tri or Phu Bi or Danang. this pic sure isn't it, at least Still, "driving deprived" at the time and any time I had access to a 2023 iStockphoto LP. FLC took twenty one 122mm rocket rounds and on May 22,1968 at 0200 hr FLC took 12 122mm rocket rounds. pissed me off the most about the Technicaly they were out side the perimeter so were not recorded, I guess. He lets fly with 8 or 10 rounds then he is done for the day. So there I would be for over a week trying to keep the mosquitoes off of me by covering with the sheet and putting my head in the pillow case. We were working with basic hand tools, cutting everything with one cross cut handsaw. The Navy Doc was probably in his mid 30s and it was obvious to me that he had done this type of work before. "enlisted". Yes that's me smiling up from the 122mm rocket crater. Anniversary story of his trip back By the time I graduated from High school I was a damn good diver! That was necessary because They were trying to fly that chopper to the safety of Camp Books. identified as "enlisted head." Well, the Camp Tein Sha barracks got me for Friday, and Saturday. Not all the time but sometimes . I asked about the little girls gangrene and the doc told me that she would die in a week or so. camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968. In mid-October 1968 the Deep Water Pier complex ( 16.12N 108.214E) on the Tien Sha peninsula was completed, beginning operations in September 1968. James L Chambers (cause of death,misadventure). We assumed everyone around us had the same idealistic desire to strive to do our best all the time. ALL work centers report in : AWC # 1 reports everything is quite ! Chapel? perceived attacks. While my guys were working I was talking to the Gunny in the hut. Mark Harms reporting for duty! February 1969. I'm at camp Tien Sha at Da Nang now. Then I started paying more attention. Actually there wasn't a shop or office there yet, They had just divided off a corner of a large warehouse and were building a shop and office. boat part would be housed in supply VVA's goals . What the F is wrong with her? Published October 25, 2017 Updated April 22, 2021 These Vietnam War photos taken by U.S. Army photographers reveal a side of the conflict that few people have ever seen. The doc had no idea but it was a sure thing she was going to die. Welcome to Viet----fuckn Nam you FNGs ( funking new guys) !!! I lay there waiting for the out posts to return fire, nothing happened! )The Doc gave me a large stick like a tongue depressor ,except bigger. It was kind of a taste of what we would get when the monsoons came in September. You'll see the plumes of smoke, fireballs and falling debris from the explosion of the DaNang ammo dump on April 27, 1969 -- and close ups of some of the damage to buildings and barracks. The number of rockets are probably plus or minus a couple rockets. with Calif. I thought the clinic was for children. Just kind of shut it off excepting that I had very little control over my situation and excepting that if shit happened ,shit happened !! Rank Among Most Heavily Sprayed Provinces in Vietnam. Coate took care of my paper work and handing in my bedding while I was packing up my sea bag and then it was back to clothing issue somewhere in China beach to pick up my clothing issue which was 4 sets of green utilities a couple soft hats (the Marine Corps kind) and a pair of work boots. bgmarshall@aol.com. The Magazine was found Often times during a rocket or mortar attack rounds would over shoot landing in Hoa Kahn or Dog Patch ,providing children for the Clinic. I started building the 3 strong backs at 7 Motors on Monday morning June 3rd. The Seabee team had 8 junior men in one hootch and 4 senior men in the second hootch. Boy life was improving a lot. There wasn't much blood ,just a small whelp where the bullet went in. thought though was he was just putting on a show for us new guys. After the bones were cut the Doc tied off all the bleeders and removed the hemostats . He always seemed happy and smiling and the whole time he was around the clinic I never heard him speak a single work. History U.S. My barracks was an old French barracks at Camp Tien Sha near Da Nang. I have never found any but I still have hope. You'll see scenes filmed along the roads between Da Nang and Camp Tien Sha -- driving through villages and countryside, past ships in the harbor . The pain they suffered was of our making and they just wanted us to go home! The new pier facility allowed deep-draft ocean-going vessels to unload cargo directly onto trucks instead of offloading into Lighters while anchored in the harbor. Donations for May. I am sure this little girl will be my last thought when I punch out from this world. navy was the hair thing. The memory of this little girl and the events at the Children's hospital are the reason I never had children of my own. There are other memories of my time working at the clinic. He expired nine days later. really an enclosure. [4] NSA Danang originally operated from a commercial pier on the city side of the Hn River and this "Museum Ramp" (.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}160300N 1081328E / 16.05N 108.2245E / 16.05; 108.2245) near the Cham Museum began operation in November 1965 off-loading Landing Craft Utility (LCUs) and LSTs. They were the best I could Older Vietnam veteran who served in the US Navy at Camp Tien Sha, Da Nang, 1968-1969. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Danang was officially established on 15 October 1965. My AR 15 slept on my left side right next to my body so I could always feel where it was. An electrician CN (E-3). for references to information received from Bombardier Jan 17, 2016 I bet they had to patrol that high ground a lot though Media information Category Images of Vietnam Added by nstar48 Date added Jan 30, 2008 View count 16,033 2 Danang was handling more tonnage than the port of Baltimore at the time. My day was done!! Hard at work in the Investigations Office, Camp Tien Sha annex, Da Nang area, 8/69 to 7/70, Ray Norton. The day we put up our sign . 15 rounds hit us with 3 KIA and 15 wounded. Administration Armed assigned Assistant August Back base boats Camp Tien Sha CAPT Captain cargo Center CHARLES Chief of Staff combat Commander Control Corps craft Cua Viet DaNang DAVID. A regular jeep would accommodate 5 people, while in this There weren't even any stairs going up there yet. When I started working on this clinic project I was full of good feelings as to how we were helping these poor Vietnamese people. I slowly walked around the trailer checking them out. Sandoval. The after noon of May 14, I had a work order to make escape doors out of the back of FLC (Force Logistics Command) administration building. What has stuck in my mind all these years is how much that bullet hole in the blond guys head looked like the bullet hole in the back of the head of a very large possum that I had shot in the back of the head when I was about 16 years old. on the National Geographic Magazine They were waiting for electricity and to get more beds from Catholic Charity . Once at the PTF base the jeep The course is a model in how to survive, and how to come home with honor. It was a strange way for a job to start. Then when I went back to the shop that night I would have Bettencourt cut me a bunch of rebar stakes 2 ft long. Then a voice came from inside the Quonset hut." around on the gravel surface at the PTF base. [4]:33, Logistic vessels under the control of NSA Danang included Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM 3 & LCM 6) and LCU landing craft; harbor utility craft (YFU); small harbor tugs (YTL); open lighters (YC); refrigerated barges (YFRN); Army craft; and a refrigerator ship. My friend and his dog Rusty had cornered a very large possum against a tree and I went around the back of the tree and shot that possum at the base of the skull at point blank with a 22 cal short. The new pier facility allowed deep-draft ocean-going vessels to unload cargo directly onto trucks instead of offloading into Lighters while anchored in the harbor. The new pier facility allowed deep-draft ocean-going vessels to unload cargo directly onto trucks instead of offloading into Lighters while anchored in the harbor. I had orders in September 1966 to go to These detachments decentralized the support function and improved the logistic flow. We were not part of the Marine Civil Affair but worked independent of them. The tents were on the right. I don't The "enlisted head" was pretty bare. A small craft repair facility and an Auxiliary Floating Drydock (AFDL) helped keep NSA vessels in working order. I wanted to know everything about what happened to those Marines. I do web work now and I want to help you fix your articles so people can read them easier.I'm not asking to get paid I just want to do something for you. I was a certified SCUBA diver. Danang had become the largest fuel complex in South Vietnam capable of holding over 500,000 barrels. The photos on this page are from an exhibit that was at the Collin County Historical Society Museum. Naval Support Activity Danang or NSA Danang was a United States Navy logistics support organization located in Danang, South Vietnam active from October 1965 to April 1972. The fire was caused by a Air or artillery white phosphorus flare ( WP). blocked. I heard the distant crack of rifle fire and then my brain said holy shit, somebody is shooting at me!! the upper left hand part of the pic. Hi Dan, I've always Craig Tailor is on the left and on the right is Carl Rice who came on board about the same time as the new Chief. If you were to divide Camp Fay into The feet just kind of hanging by muscle and skin. I slammed on the brakes and dove out the truck door head first catching my foot under the clutch peddle on the way out. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. My first assignment was YFU-54, then On the left On May 22 at 0200 hr. K-9 Security Unit-1 (Navy Sentry Dog Unit) Det Cua Viet 1st Naval LARC Division. heads" but they were always stolen The enlisted head mind. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! vietnamandmilitary $6.00 Original, In Wrapper P-38 Vietnam War vietnamandmilitary $175.00 Naval Support Activity, Da Nang 1968 Cruise Book vietnamandmilitary Seller Information Seller vietnamandmilitary Contact Seller large canvas covering over the rear area that protected bench Even now-days I hate phones,radios, air conditioning and coffee ! Here is a poem that I wrote about the helicopter. About a mile out the crew started kicking boxes out the doors. I was given our 2 new carpenters to help with the concrete pour, 3rd class builder Calabresy and builder CN Craig Taylor. Great Discounts & More! . background old PTF Base and Monkey Coate would send dog food care packages to Judy. The other important thing we had to do was to check the Red Beach causeway at 2400 hr. [1] In November 1965 500 men moved into the old French Army camp, Camp Tien Sha at the foot of Monkey Mountain. He finished his tour with detective work as one of six NSA investigators at Camp Tien Sha, adjacent to Da Nang. It had been a very busy month with a lot of things happening. Gallons of Herbicides Sprayed. The Doc first put surgical tourniquets on and took the belts off. Bet coming down the trail by the ESSO Plant east wall. When I got on the bus to Camp Tien Sha (the one with chicken wiure on the windows) I knew I wasn't in Kansas. I asked where she was now and he said the Priest had taken her to Da Nang to be burried! The two guys shot in the skivvy house that night were, Pvt. [5], In July 1966 the "Bridge Cargo Ramp" (160307N 1081352E / 16.052N 108.231E / 16.052; 108.231) began operations increasing NSA's supply capability. On Tuesday May 14 I finished my hooch and settled into the corner right inside the door. We went downtown in Long Beach, and we got harassed a lot. line. Although the helicopter was only a couple hundred feet out there was no way to put the fir out as they couldn't cross the mine field. Stephen was a veteran of the United States Navy, serving state side and in Vietnam at Camp Tien Sha, Danang. Please feel free This building was about 24 ft wide and 200 feet long and was a two story building. Well whenever I was working in that area I would sneak in the tent and find some dirty uniforms,still in good shape and steal them, put them in my crew tool box and take them back to my hooch and hand wash them ! Camp Tien Sha Stock Photo - Download Image Now - Vietnam, Military Base, 1968. naval reserves just before graduating from high school in 1962. I was face down on the road under the edge of the truck with my foot stuck under the clutch peddle. I was one of the unlucky ones who ended up shoveling a lot of shit! side of the handling, I'd say it had severe understeer entering a I joined the while we were starting the wall framing we heard the sound of a UH-1 helicopter. Our mess hall, about 70 yards from my hootch took a direct hit on the serving line and kitchen area. Alan I went to the "motor pool" at least This is our new Chief Builder. There was a Marine listening ambush set up outside the perimeter in that area. They made runs north to Cua Viet at the mouth of the river (80 miles north of DaNang and 6 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone) and then upriver eight miles to Dong Ha to haul cannon ammunition to the marines. know what it was about "shower I am a 20 year old US soldier and my country says I have to be here! Coate gave me two sets of shorts and short sleeve shirts. Individuality, not. Well we . The poor farmer had stepped on a mine. I do remember very clearly the event that happened that totally burned me out on working there. Well guess what ? The port of Danang contained only three small piers, three Landing Ship, Tank (LST) ramps and a stone quay that were inaccessible to oceangoing vessels; even smaller craft had trouble approaching. a small cargo plane in the middle of the night, all I Between 1969 and 1971 hundreds, if not thousands, of incidents of racial violence occurred in and around American military bases called to general quarters was in that's one of our generators upper left. area or any of the DaNang area, I will continue and the LT moved to the Da. I don't know what the building Those care packages and her letters help keep me going when ever times got really tough! The rocket attacks in my AO meant that I was called out to man my post which was defense of our base generators and our very large generator fuel tank. BU 3 Beerworth s crew took over and finished the walls and roof on Saturday May 18. Later I built a wash building and cook shack just about where these cots and the officers are standing. shoes" and one of the Vietnamese Memoir of my time served with the Navy at Camp Tien Sha, Da Nang, during the Vietnam war. It was about the most insane thing I had ever experienced and was hard for my mind to grasp what had just happened. [2] During the next several years, the command created subordinate NSA detachments at Chu Lai, Hu, Tn M, ng H, Ca Vit, Ph Bi and Sa Hunh. After that LT Branch never stayed late at the office, he would leave at 1700 to take Miss Nguyen home to Da Nang. The nurse laid across the farmers upper thighs to hold him in place. The trailer was to short so the Marines legs were bent at the knees and sticking up, no shoes, pant legs up to their knees showing their very white legs. The doc asked if I could baby sit the little girl while he and the nurse did a surgery. You FNGs get off the plane and fall in over there. Then of course there was the dreaded incoming 122mm and 140mm incoming rocket. side was a barge with a sign. Pham Ba went around back to take a pee. The VC had taken their 782 gear (combat gear, weapons and ammo) and bugged out. After he was medivaced one young labor worker(Baby son) would ask me every morning If I had heard how Barbee was and if I got a letter from him. We took several trucks and picked up Pham Ba and Babyson outside the gate and headed down the road. The building site was about 150 yards outside of the north perimeter and the perimeter had not been opened up yet. The village it refers to was just north of Camp Books. On Friday I left the shop at 1800hr and went to the Children's Clinic. The Post office was about 75 yards from my hootch. Maybe it's just me. - 300 dpi - RGB, Royalty-free licenses let you pay once to use copyrighted images and video clips in personal and commercial projects on an ongoing basis without requiring additional payments each time you use that content. Coate was not there to know about Puppy. They did hit the fuel bladders at truck company several time so I knew there would be a nice warm fire if our fuel tank got hit. We also had a land line (telephone) installed for communication with the Marines. We started pouring concrete Wednesday June 5, 1968. Then he could pick my guys up and pick up materials to build my hooch. Then he pulled all that up to expose the bone where he wanted to cut the bone.The nurse held all the skin and muscle up while the Doc cut off the bones. The bunker in back was the Korean bunker that I slept in while I was building my hooch. In DaNang we had what was called the "duty jeep". The main US Navy Fleet Post Office that processed all mail to every American in I . Browse millions of high-quality stock photos, illustrations, and videos. and I was just finishing up the door. Well I don't know how much of an impression that left on me but these guys getting killed in the Skivvy house got my attention ! vehicle I took full advantage of it! Sometimes we could be called out 2 or 3 times in a night. probably had some car handling skills. If it had detonated when it hit the ventilator we both would have been killed! It sure seemed longer then a month, to me it was more like a few months! Well I answered once about the FNGs. Find Camp Tien Sha, Headquarters unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. Jeep parts? That sure screwed with our sleep! Book description. Here is the letter I wrote my parents on May 15, 1968. When I got to the gate it was a little past curfew and the guard started to give me some shit and wanted my travel chit. loved cars and fast driving. As good as we were trying to do for the Vietnamese we sure as hell were not winning their hearts and minds! I suppose we had a good conversation but don't have a clue of what. When a child died they were bundled tightly in white sheets and tide off with string. Fun! It had 4 windows so I went to the window for H. I handed the clerk my records pack.