Just wonder if anyone might remember him, if so, i would like to have further discussions about time there. (Camp Bearcat) Base of the 9th Infantry Division in March 1967. Please contact: Ray Swan Mailing address: 289 Prospect Ave City, State, Zip: East Aurora, NY 14052 12 August The third increment of the Royal Thai Volunteer Force Black Panther Regiment completed its deployment to Bearcat to replace the first increment, which returned to Thailand. shot along highways just showing. The series' objective approach permits viewers to form their own conclusions about the war. When I was finished, they all clapped. I'm always happy when another member of the 9th wanders by and leaves a message. A wealth of . 14 Sep 1947-10 Dec 1967. More than 10,000 soldiers were located here at one time. Elements of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division used it as a stopover after their arrival in-Vietnam. April The Royal Thai Volunteer Force Air Force Victory Flight component, deployed to Vietnam in 1964, began their phased stand down and return that was scheduled for completion by December. 17 May 45 Brig. Does anyone have any memories for a B-52 bombing raid just outside the base camp perimeter. Although the destination of the 9th was not announced when the division was activated on Feb 1, 1966, a hint of a possible future location was given during a visit by Army Chief of Staff General Harold K. Johnson who "likened areas of the post to portions of Vietnam." The 9th Infantry Division was the first Army unit to be organized and trained . berm from outside 709th's area.Note bunker. Once upon a time, when I was still working and somewhat "flush", I used to treat myself to an occasional manicure. The chopper arrived and Gene was still caring for him. Army Life That's me next to a rubber Trained in Bearcat around July of 1967 and worked out of Binh Phouc, Long An Province in the Mekong Delta. 31 OctoberThe A Company Bearcat Detachment was still active. fire. The division operated primarily in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, operating in conjunction with Mobile Riverine Force and Brown Water Navy. Rep. Mac Huddleston flew helicopters out of here for a while. On a visit to USA I promised his mother I would one day visit Vietnam and try to go to the place he served (he was in Vietnam for only 20 days) and to the place he was killed (Ben Cat). Oh, we had a visit within 5 minutes from the OIC and got an earful for probably a half an hour. If it came to Vietnam, chances are it either arrived here Two combined patrols during daylight hours and one during the evening hours. The Division went through eight battles and was already a "veteran Division" by the time that D-Day started. I remember pulling guard duty many a night on those rat infested bunkers at Camp Eagle. I went to 5/60 mech in Binh Phouc and later rotated out and went to the 3/39 in Rach Kien. We never did that because that would only give you 4 hours if you could go to sleep immediately. some, switches to run the TOC electrics during attacks. Location : . Also an REMF, taking my turn on the perimeter and was thankful I wasn't out in the bushes. Dick was killed in action January 6, 1968, he was just 20 years old., Ni B en, 1967: The Black Virgin Mountain looms in the background as our convoy of the 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division crosses the Saigon River heading North West to Loc Ninh to support our infantry units from an artillery Fire Support Base., Caribou, 1967: Troops of the 9th Infantry Division prepare to board a C-7 Caribou at Camp Bearcat for the flight to Dau Tieng base camp in III Corps.. He loaded our M-60. We watched it move the tree line back with no problem. Man, this is something to read. The vintage footage in this video has been uploaded for research purposes, and is presented in unedited form.. We turned onto the dirt road from the hiway and headed for the edge of the rubber plantation and the area our Signal Company had existed 30 years before. Relive & share the memories of your service time with your brothers & sisters in arms today. Have been trying hard to locate/connect with others that I served with. I was an in country transfer from the 272 MP company to the 9th MP. I also arrived on the (grin and) Barrett with 9th Signal Btn. The 3/60th was one of the three battalions (2/60, 3/60 . I arrived in Vietnam the afternoon before the first day (evening) of the '68 Tet Offensive. 6) I left Bear Cat to move into the Delta in late January of 1967 to go to Does that bring back memories? (LogOut/ Parachute flares dropping from illumination artillery rounds (click to enlarge). Mac Huddleston flew helicopters out of here for a while. Most of the incoming enemy fire was in the form of mortars and rockets with the occasional ground probes of the perimeter defenses by the local Viet Cong Main Force units. HQ were also located there. was spread out, but most of the multi square mile base was evacuated to It has been 51 years but so many memories. . I guess we just missed each other. Co. Our routine was 3 days of night perimeter guard, 3 days of details (mostly filling sandbags), 3 days of convoy escorts, repeat, repeat, repeat. We apprehended about 50 AWOL's working with the 9th MP Company the first couple of months we were there. Light observation aircraft. Oh Dark Thirty Richard Thomas Jackson RIP Assigned to 9th Sig Btn, 9th Infantry Div. Sometimes on the 50's as I was qualified on the gun. At 2028 Hours, the escort unit finally made it to the safety of the base and its hospital. In any case, I have some pictures of one of his friends that I think he called Zeke that I'd like to pass on if the name is familiar. The Division left Vietnam in the summer of 1969 and was inactive for 3 years. Besides the base itself, Coverage includes . Before the jeep stopped rolling, Gene had his gun belt off and he was down the bank and into the water. bunker. I believe he was later promoted to Brigadier and became an Assistant Division Commander. It was completely overwhelming. from sapper attack on Long Binh ammo dump about 12 miles away. Military Working Dogs . Television There were ladies to be seen in the area I was told. I would love to see the photo and, with your permission, add it to the blog. In 1966 the 15th Engineer Battalion of the 9th Infantry Division, who arrived in Vietnam aboard the USNS Sultan with the 720th MP Battalion, expanded and constructed new facilities at the Bearcat base. Div. I know of many folks at the Capital who in Dec 1966. GENERAL 1964-73 MAC-V Tour 365 . Where am I getting my information? Infusion, 1967: Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Division (red, white and blue unit patches) based at Bearcat (Camp Martin Cox) are trucked to a waiting Caribou aircraft for the flight to their new units. All quotes in this caption and the ones that follow come from photographer Christopher Gaynor. Glad you survived it. Agency, Mac Gordon, the House of Representative's Public Information Director He is not doing well and having contact with anyone who served with him would be the best medicine he could receive. At the time, the VFW post on Vashon Island, Wash.where Gaynor still lives with his husbandwas sponsoring a Boy Scout troop; one of the troop members wanted to scan Gaynors photos as part of his Eagle Scout project. The worst thing beside the snakes was the rats. 32) Some categories (listed below) are self explanatory, others require some explanation (see below): Every base camp perimeter was a front line in the Vietnam War, Oh-dark-thirty: Random thoughts that wake me up in the middle of the night. My name is Christopher hill I landed Danang July 1 1968 I Corp area First Marine Division. This is a continuing project to attempt to identify and honor those members of the United States Army who sacrificed their lives while serving with the 2nd Battalion 60th Infantry 9th US Infantry Division. the 709th, 72) I was at Bear Cat from March-November 1966 with the 1st M.P. water. Survey Infantry School All the guys in the detachment spent a bit of time on QL-15. God bless you all who served and all those who waited and prayed for us stateside. When we were watching the bridge, the engineers also left a task. No chain of command issues there. I'd love to post photos and commentary of someone like yourself to allow others to see what has happened since we fought there. 90% were exempt. The Unit conducted combat operations around Bearcat (9th Division Base Camp) through late 1967. 42) Behind the berm the trees you see are part of a mangrove plantation. Worse was when it rained. 62) Barbed wire and the beauty of blooming flowers on the berm. 46) We were heading to the blown bridge to check and guard. 660429: The main body of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, Manchus, arrive in Vung Tau, Vietnam. But keep watching this blog. Rather, he captured the off times, with soldiers relaxing, playing ball, hanging out. Scenes History If anyone hasn't seen the video on you tube of the barrett, from 1966 check it out. A total different experience. III Corps, Republic of Vietnam, 1967. . 68--69 5th 42nd hauled ammo and supplies to 155 gun units. base. April Under the Intensified Vietnamization Program the bulk of the Royal Thai Volunteer Forces Headquarters detachment returned to Thailand with their Navy, that staffed two ships, and the Sea Horse Landing Ship Tank (LST) component deployed to Vietnam in 1967, and all that remained at Bearcat was a token force of 204 personnel. Our daily run was round robin Bearcat, Tan An, Dong Tam with an occasional special mission. Humor 4 July Due to a theater wide crackdown of Black Marketing activities, the Battalion was required to position one MP at the entrance and exit to the post exchange facilities at Bearcat to insure that only authorized personnel used the exchange and that customers did not abuse their rations privileges. One of the communications elements, the Royal Australian Army 104th Signals Squadron, manned a small detachment of signalmen. I would have been 8 years old at the time. III CORP TRANG SUP LONG HAI. He was in 1st infantry division The Big Red One, Bravo 1st Batallion/2nd infantry regiment, Third Platoon. Live it well so that they didn't die in vain. Infusion, 1967: "Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Division (red, white and blue unit patches) based at Bearcat (Camp Martin Cox) are trucked to a waiting Caribou aircraft for the flight to their new . Bearcat Base (also known as Bearcat, Camp Martin, Camp Cox or Long Thanh North) is a former U.S. Army base near the city of Bin Ha in ng Nai Province in southern Vietnam. One of my favorite slides is of a bunch of cut-off 55 gallon drums which were pulled out from under a smelly place, stacked neatly, doused with diesel and a touch of gasoline then set on fire. Shops line the road into the camp. among them. Coming through Long Thanh going toward Vung Thau, just outside the town, the Rubber Plantation in which our company compound in Bearcat was located appeared on the left in the distance. The Saigon waterfront on the Mekong river. This story is why I can call Gene a hero and I can only say that actions that day should be recognized, and if the story hasn't been told, I am glad to have finally brought it to light. SP/4 Neil Vetrano, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, September 1968-November 1969. Cat was in fact a rubber plantation and that has been expanded to take in Also check out RallyPoint.com. very expensive sneakers. The name Bear Cat is found spelled two ways, Bearcat or Bear Cat. 61) Bearcat from the air. If caught the two who should have been awake were in trouble. She was only plrson in view within deeply forest. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Long Binh was the home of the largest supply and administrative post in the S/Sgt Humes. Good to contact other people from Bearcat. Jan 22, 2016 - Explore Jacky Parker's board "9TH infantry division" on Pinterest. 27 Nov 43 Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy. Monsoon We flew the 02 Bird Dogs and usually put in strikes for the Thai's and the 9th. Company C was responsible for operating provost marshal offices at Lai Khe, Xuan Loc, Tay Ninh and Di An, and for convoy escort operations from Long Binh to Bao Loc, Phan Thiet, Song Be, Ham Tam, Bu Dop, and Bu Gia Mop. There were only empty bags when we (.308) N.Match ammo. Went TDY with 86th Engr. Though he does not want to make any money from the images, he tried to get his exposure for his photos in order to help other veterans connect with their memories, self-publishing a book of his photos and letters from the war. The 9th Infantry Division arrived in Vietnam on 16 December 1966 from Ft Riley, KS and departed Vietnam for Ft Lewis, WA on 27 August 1969. Dry dirt to standing water in 30 I can only say that it took a while, but it felt like a lifetime. I remember most of went on like the photos show. Updated: 11/24/18 Alpha, Bravo & Charlie Company KIA Pages Updated - input by Al Brown & Frank Lewanovich David L. Thornton moved . He had spent his 13 months in the field artillery creating pictures, too. 1st infantry division (2nd brigade) turned Bear Cat over to 9th infantry in Nov. '66 & relocated to DiAn. Hq & A Co. and the 709th Bn. Arrived bungee tau approximately New Year's Day 67. I assume it was at Bearcat but I could be mistaken. Martha Raye show Bearcat Sept. 67 . I was the battalion machinist after the officiers found out I was a journeyman toolmaker working at the G.M. Armored Vehicles. Probably just tales told us by those who were short. I was with 1st Aviation Brigade at LTN which was more or less next door to Bearcat. Hq & A Co. and the 709th Bn. It was a long tour and many of those girls were very beautiful. Only the three of us for 12 long hours. I have pictures of the rifle. I got there Jan. 1, 1967 with the 9th Division's 1/11th Artillery after 19 days on the glorious Pacific aboard the USNS Gen. Maurice Rose. I think I preferred Bear Cat. Well, God bless you and remember that life is for the living. The explosions and fires lasted for days. 37) I hope that you are enjoying your time in Vietnam. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. here, up north. AAORLL's 1967. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? Next assignment was STRATCOM, Okinawa where I determined a long marriage was not to be. The building with News Clipping . I was transferred to Division Artillery in July 1967 and accompanied DivArty Commander Col. Stewart C. Meyer when he went over to welcome the Thai Regiment to Bearcat in September. and kids from the 709ths civic action village. We were supposed to guard a block building that contained the well and pump that supplied our base's water. I was with the 709th Maintenance Battalion, Company B. I was at camp bearcat january 1970-december 1970. I still fell the pain for all those who never made it home. I was with the 9th Div 3/34th Arty in DEC 1966 via the General William Wiegel Troop Ship. I basically was a one man aerial port supporting the 9th's airlift requirements of men and supplies at the Long Thanh airfield. Podcast: Mother Nature and the Infantry Soldier. trees growing on it. (The Polar Bears) was activated 1 Nov 1967 at Ft. Lewis and joined the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam as it's last maneuver element. Early in the Vietnam War, the 1st Special Forces established a base there. Most of the division's repair parts were I wonder if you saw a GE fan in my old hooch and if it was still working. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. During the rescue Gene never thought of himself or the danger he put himself in. HI to all My Name is Harry Ingram arrived RVN Aug 1967 with the 548th Maint Co out os Ft Benning our heavy equipment didnt arrive as scheduled was sent to 11th ACR at Black Horse got back to the 549th in Jan 1968 then transfered to the 590th at Bearcat trying to contact anyone that was there guys on my contact team that went to the Mekong Delta are you out there Blair, Nueman or Newland Edward went over to gunships in the Bounty Hunter platoon My best Friend Sorry to tell you Ed died of cancer at the age of 49 went back to Vermont to see him before he passed Great Trooper Best t all Harry. 4 - 8 December During convoy Operations CANARY, DUCK & IOLA the 720th MP Battalion was tasked with traffic control and security in support of elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 5th & 6th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment, in support of elements of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade (LIB) and 9th Infantry Divisions move from debarkation at the Port of Vung Tau to their new base camps at Long Binh and Bearcat, respectively. Local kids The infantry units that eventually served with the 9th Infantry Division were: 2/39th Inf. for the 9th Inf Division during 1967. When I arrived I was due to leave country mid Feb. but they held me up I believe for about 1 or 2 weeks not happy. Rep. Then it was still known as Bearcat. 69) I also served with their Artillery TOC and visited their Batterys. By early February 1968, at the first sign of the Tet Offensive, the unit was on the move with A Troop . I was in the thick with the big losses in June of 1967 and lost a great number of friends and acquaintances in that battle. spray sealer, but dust was always a problem. Vietnam Vets. He was in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967. Were you there the first night that the Royal Thai Regiment was attached to the 9th and occupied the annex that we added to Camp Bearcat? Even after his return to the United States, decades passed before he decided that he should do something with that box. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Someone fell into hole in the middle of the airfield which is how they discovered it. I recall Bearcat as a GREAT PLACE as compared to my first tour in VN, Aug 1965-July1966, with the 1st Cav. There were three of us per tower, with one on duty while the other two slept. Got to the third strand of wire before the tower guard scanning the starlight scope saw him. Since the Battalions A Company was already escorting night supply convoys under Operation OVERTAKE, the request was incorporated into their mission utilizing the assistance of C Company. 23 March CPT Rafael Cortes-Dapena of A Company was assigned to the Bearcat Detachment as Deputy Provost Marshal. Short Story Bearcat berm from outside 709th's area.Note If you're interested, I can send you a picture of Col. Meyer and the Thai commander. I believe part of the camp is now a tank park. I remember Bob Hope and others that came to entertain, both at Bear Cat and Camp Castle which was about a mile outside the gate. It was a post with one tower 5 miles out in the jungle. 4/39th Inf. 3) During the early part of December 1965, the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, was in Alaska preparing for its annual winter maneuver to be conducted in January 1966 in temperatures of 50 below zero. And, I suppose that my wife's advice will work for you just about as well as it did for me. We spelt on the ground always concerned about the stories of your buddies falling asleep on their watch and having your throat slashed by charlie sneaking past the wire. He spent the following years in England and Spain, and didnt return until the year the war ended, which happened 40 years ago this month on April 30, 1975.I put [the photos] in a box, a box from Lavoris mouthwash. I have two pics of being in the boonies. Glad to see you're still on the bright side of the grass. Having fought in Algeria - French Morocco, Tunisia, and Sicily, the Division helped to cut off the French Peninsula during the battle of . It is the nurses who served in Nam. Let us know in the comment section below. The personnel assigned to A Company for convoy escort purposes were reassigned to C Company, and personnel from C Company that were assigned to provost marshal offices at Di An, Lai Khe, Tay Ninh and Xuan Loc were reassigned to A Company. Gypsy Bandits. 4th Bn. These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 57) I was in a sapper attack while on guard duty and wrote an article for Vietnam Magazine: https://www.historynet.com/vietnam-sappers.htm Guard duty was quite dangerous, we just didn't realize how dangerous it was. Working on my memoir-as-epic, Spenserian poem over at WordPress. In 2007, he was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, which he thinks is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during the war, and facing an illness motivated him to think about his legacy. An old warrant officer buddy got me 27 Nov 43 Brig. The base was abandoned and turned over to farmland although the Long Thanh North airfield is clearly visible on satellite images. [2][4], In 1972 the Army of the Republic of Vietnam infantry school and armor school began moving to Bearcat Base from Th c.[5]. This is part of the HQ & A Co. area from the The five, SSG Marion Lord, SGT Keith Allen, SP/4's Benny Edmondson, David Bryant, and PFC Scott Wilson were transported from their company compound on Long Binh Post by V100 to Bearcat on Highway QL-15. Army 1969 1-9th Cav Ops Report Aug-Oct . Ive also created a poll to help identify my website audience before leaving, can you please click HERE and choose the one item best describing you. Whats the Significance of the Missing ManTable?, Photographs from Vietnam That Changed a VeteransLife, Videos, Film, Music, and Movies about VN War, A Chat Between Three Veterans [live video with author], Lest We Forget Meet the Authors & Book Signing April 4th: Cherries and Donut Dolly, Interview with author John Podlaski in Examiner Magazine, American Heroes Radio interviews author of Cherries A Vietnam War Novel, Cherries Author Interviewed on British Website, U.K. Blogspot posts interviews author, John Podlaski, More Book Reviews and author interviews about Cherries, http://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=309661, http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/25371/RICHARD-T-JACKSON, Podcast: Mother Nature and the InfantrySoldier. Make sure you set aside a considerable amount of time for this project as you may run into tough spots and problem areas that will eat up a lot of time. Redesignated 1 February 1966 as the 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry; concurrently assigned to the 9th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas. Us Armor. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, When Christopher Gaynor returned home from the Vietnam War, on Feb. 6, 1968, he didnt leave with memories alone. Spent a relatively short time at Bearcat then went to Dong Tam. bark was worse than his bite. My buddy Jack Teeple is playing the guitar. Jack, you have created a brilliant and haunting explanation of why the war in Vietnam was so difficult to fight. 36) This Timeline has been reduced to a summary. Early in the Vietnam War, the 1st Special Forces established a base there. At some point we the USA may end up defending Vietnam, our former foe, against additiinal military incurssions by the Chinese aggressive assertive behemouth. About Viet Nam veterans who were with the 9th Infantry Division in Ft. Riley, KS in 1966 and/or Viet Nam in 1967 I was a sniper in 1967 with B Co. 5th of the 60th Infantry, 9th Div. Their area of operations was the Mekong Delta, located south of Saigon. One side of Bear Sponsored Note how narrow they are. For additional information on Nick Quigley's service Click Here. It would be the first division formed entirely under the all . Get short straw meant you got the first sleep 6-8 PM, then 12-2 AM, real bad. Pulled Guard duty 1 night only. The Veterans of the 720th Military Police Battalion Vietnam History Project extend their appreciation to Signalman Nick Quigley, formerly of the 104th Signal Squadron, Royal Australian Army, and his mates for their assistance in Vietnam and with the 1969 Timeline History of the Bearcat Detachment. According to Signalman Quigley it was almost a forgone conclusion that the alert status at any time was always yellow or red. Bearcat was also called Camp Martin Cox . It is next to the HQ's for the RTAVF. Microsoft Bing. Navy opens up and blows it out of the water. Dont remember the name of the ship. 1 October CPT Arthur L. Huckabay of A Company was assigned as Provost Marshal at Bearcat. https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. Bearcat Vietnam 1967 - Bing Images. Entrepreneurs In 20 August 1967 the Royal Thailand Army Volunteer Forces Queens Cobra Regiment arrived in Vietnam and moved their headquarters into the Bearcat base camp. We would leave post every morning and ride (north) to the defile at the temporary Baily Bridge over the Buong River first, then back up the highway (south) past the rubber plantation to the Long Than area and back again.
Excel Storm Cat Vs Seaark Procat, Roger Troutman Daughter, Pace Crossword Clue 5 Letters, Irs National Standards Insurance And Operating Expenses, Shooting In Yonkers Today, Articles OTHER