Thank you, Christopher Gaynor, for sharing this article. Also, great place as compared to conditions with 101st. find yourself in my pics in the 3 albums I have posted there. He started to talk about his experiences and began to get more involved in the VFW and the American Legion. Shop area Bearcat -- smoke plume indistance is News Clipping . Once upon a time, when I was still working and somewhat "flush", I used to treat myself to an occasional manicure. Election 2014 Commanding General. I remember pulling guard duty way to often in those bunkers.,usually near the drainage ditch at the end of the helipad and near the fuel blisters. Dry dirt to standing water in 30 Great stories and memories, Jack. The enemy was everywhere. Dear Mr. Sanders, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! Worse was when it rained. You almost never hear of them. A Special Thanks to a Friend of all Vietnam Veterans WASSI, Inc . Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to share your story with us. I left Two Bits @ Bong Son back to Nha Trang then on to Bearcat. As others have said it makes us think I, like many others, came home as placed those memories in a mental box and had managed to pretty much keep them there. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Korea 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. We always look to the left to view that same corner of the Bearcat location from years ago. III Corps, Republic of Vietnam, 1967. . water. I dont have a box of photos, but I too got back, got out, got a job, got married and didnt give the war a backwards glance for 40+ years. Bearcat Vietnam 1967 - Bing Images. 27 July 1LT Joseph L. J. Brillion, A Company, was assigned as the Bear Cat Deputy Provost Marshal. US Navy supply and maintenance ship, Da Nang These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 56) 1965 - ca. 43) [1] The camp took its name from its Special Forces radio call sign.[2][3]. This was my initial and final home. I was down at Long Thanh North as well. A fourth one one went out the back door and was caught by my partner. seconds.). They also initiated air-drops of 1,540,000 leaflets, and hand disseminated 15,347 miscellaneous pamphlets and magazines by the 246th PSYOP Company at Long Binh Post. I left Bear Cat to move into the Delta in late January of 1967 to go to 22 August Discipline, law and order patrol and convoy escort activities were curtailed at the detachment due to the assignment of forty Battalion enlisted men and one officer in support of the Drug Abuse Treatment/Holding Center (DAHC) on Long Binh Post. Sense of humor there. shot along highways just showing, 18) I was FDC worked in the TOC. Tan An and then Tan Tru, home for my platoon supporting the 2nd/60th Inf, And, I suppose that my wife's advice will work for you just about as well as it did for me. February The remaining half of the Thai Black Panther Regiment stood down and was returned to Thailand. History Ray Swan (Torch!) I spent most of my time at Bearcat, but later was sent down to DongTam, You were lucky that you were in those bunkers when they were first built. I separated from the Thai military nurses and my current wife. I am not able to get much information on my unit because we all came and left at different times and came in alone. . Before that I was at Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and My Tho. In this case she was supervising sandbag dollies, younger Vietnamese women who were working at the base camp in Dau Tieng., Floating Poker Game, 1967: My buddy and fellow Team Chief, Sgt. We drew straws. 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. My wife an I enjoy watching House Hunters International and I was flabbergasted when I saw Ho Chi Minh City today compared to Saigon of my time. some of our guys wound up with girlfriends, not me. Middle East I remember an episode when they were testing a weapon called the Vulcan mounted on an APC. All my buddies from 40 years previously [were] looking at me from these pictures, even the guys who werent with us anymore. Capt. Armored Personnel Carrier, 30) Every one of those 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. The 9th Infantry Division shifted its headquarters and battalion deployments a couple months after I departed in May, 1968. shot along highways just showing, 29) She is putting them in to collages. 1973 for 3/5th Cavalry in Boxes 169-193 I lived on a boat moored in Marina Del Rey when I first moved to California. The camp was located on Route 15, 16 km southeast of Bin Ha. To develop each roll of film, he took it to the Post Exchange on the base camp, they mailed it to Kodak for processing, Kodak mailed it back to Vietnam and, finally, Gaynor mailed the pictures home. I was with 9th Admin Finance Office from April 67 to April 68. In my opinion, there was no job in Vietnam more dangerous than guarding the Water Point. We were supposed to guard a block building that contained the well and pump that supplied our base's water. Love to hear from anyone that remembers him during that time. 27 Nov 43 Brig. Navy opens up and blows it out of the water. Also an REMF, taking my turn on the perimeter and was thankful I wasn't out in the bushes. 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. working the outside yard on a humongous forklift with giant tires 31 August Battalion convoy destinations in Military Region III were: Tay Ninh, Phu Loi, Xuan Loc, Long Binh, Bearcat, Long Than, Nui Dat, Vung Tau and Tan An. I guess we just missed each other. . The Old Reliable February 2, 1967 Page 1. Everyone sort of came and went with little fanfare. (I think B company). I also served with their Artillery TOC and visited their Batterys. berm from outside 709th's area.Note bunker. 41) I was a pilot (Major) with the 200th Assault Support Helicopter (ASH) Company Jan. 15 to Mar 10, 1968, at Bearcat. for the 9th Inf Division during 1967. sandbags took a. lot of sweat. 73,000, 68) At 2028 Hours, the escort unit finally made it to the safety of the base and its hospital. One bag I located in a hollowed out hard cover book by the name "Ordeal by Fire" ho ho ho! Coverage includes . Turned out to be a bomb. Their flight in a C-7A Caribou of the Royal Thai Air Force (aircraft mission #21) was scheduled to depart Bearcat at 0700 hours and arrive in Can Tho at 0815 hours. 25 May, 2006 Hours, a C Company Operation OVERTAKE convoy escort composed of two Armored Personnel Carriers and a gun-jeep assigned to pickup 9th Infantry Division transport vehicles at the Bearcat Base Camp for escort to the U.S. Army Newport Terminal were ambushed by enemy forces of unknown size by RPG, machine-gun and small arms fire at two locations on Highway QL-15. We did kill 2 monkeys found in the next day sweep. 101--Roots of a War--Despite cordial relations between American intelligence . AAORLL's 1968. Bearcat was a favorite target for enemy harassment and it occurred on almost a daily routine. More like this. After the first week and after receiving too many shots to count and all of our clothes, we boarded a bus and were taken to Fort Riley, Kansas for Basic Training and Advanced Infantry Training. 46) I fondly remember Bob Hope putting on a show. I was told it was done so the guys did not go over to the Thai side of the Base looking for girls. US base camp from air, possibly Long Binh. This is the timeline of the 4/9 Infantry in Vietnam 1966-1970. . Based on Hunt's experience as colonel and division chief of staff, the volume documents how the 9th Division's combat effectiveness peaked in 1969. I wonder if you saw a GE fan in my old hooch and if it was still working. They would attack the civilian defense forces. Entrepreneurs [Home] [Up] [SettinguptheTrip] [HoChiMinhCity(Saigon)andArea] [TheConsulateand"TheRoof"] [LongBinhandBearCat] [IntotheDelta] [CanThoRiverMarket] [CanThoCity] [TheBridgeatTanTru] [Miscellaneous] [FinalThoughts] [EMailsandBlogs]. Nike has 38 plants in Vietnamand you thought they were made in A great big warm Welcome Home to all my brothers who were in-country. 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. We were the ones who built Camp Bearcat. You will find that each site has a mix of Vietnam War photos, memorabilia, stories, etc. There were three of us per tower, with one on duty while the other two slept. But the world he encountered when he got back to the United States wasnt exactly ready to look at them, and neither was he. 6) More insight. contact team sites in bad guy country, 44) Another time it was a cobra, 39) * Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1967-1968 laborers, office workers, professional worked here. In keeping with the large U.S. Army deployments to Vietnam throughout 1966, the 9th Infantry Division "Old Reliables" begins to arrive in South Vietnam. Good stuff. it's a military film clip so no sound. Maybe I found it. (.308) N.Match ammo. It was a post with one tower 5 miles out in the jungle. . HQ & A Co Glad you are still around to share the memory. He started to talk about his experiences and began to get more involved in the VFW and the American Legion. From 24 February through 1 March elements of the 25th Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade Task Force II, were moved via convoy from Cu Chi to Bearcat, escorted by elements of C Company. I was with 5/42 at Bearcat from June 68 thru June 69 as an artillery surveyor and shell recon (chasing down those incoming 122mm rockets that would come in randomly). Anybody else have a similar experience? I departed. Calling artillery, Dust-offs, Locsats (location status), Sit-reps (Situation Reports) and in many cases operating in a Liaison situation between the ARVN, U.S. Military, Thai's, Kiwis (New Zealand) and Australian's in the battlefield. The Division left Vietnam in the summer of 1969 and was inactive for 3 years. For some reason I heard this, 71) August The HQ and colors of the 9th Infantry Division relocated from Bearcat, to Dong Tam, IV Corps Tactical Zone, Mekong Delta, where they remained until the Division withdrew from Vietnam in August 1969. I was with the 709th Maintenance Battalion, Company B. I was at camp bearcat january 1970-december 1970. I had voluntarily extended my duty in Vietnam after having served as Combat Motion Picture Team Leader the previous 12 months in various interesting locations throughout the country, to include Dong Tam.. As a preteen, my mother used to hide her homemade chocolate chip cookies. I plugged it in shortly after I arrived and left it running when I left. Our daily run was round robin Bearcat, Tan An, Dong Tam with an occasional special mission. The manicurists were invariably Vietnamese and they invariably asked me the same question: "Did you leave any Vietnamese children behind?" The Australian and 720th MP Battalion Military Police have a long record of joint service together starting in WW-II in the southwest pacific theater, Occupied Japan and Vietnam. I believe he was later promoted to Brigadier and became an Assistant Division Commander. The U.S. MPs were praised by their Thai counterpart, LT Prasit, from Bangkok, Thailand, the MP Duty Officer. 3/47th Riverine. Vietnam Tank. Hello John, I was assigned to the 36th Signal in June 69. It is great to read about others who were in the same place and time! 67) Members for the 104th were drawn from the 139th Signal Squadron at Enoggera Brisbane, Australia. Bear Cat, was one of our two primary spots to locate. I was used mostly in daytime deployment. It was later the base camp for the 9th Infantry Division from January 1967 until the division moved to ng Tm Base Camp near M Tho in late 1967. Good to see others from the same experience. SSG Archie E. Moss was the detachment Noncommissioned Officer In Charge. The division operated primarily in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, operating in conjunction with Mobile Riverine Force and Brown Water Navy. 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. This was the sign along Hwy 15 when entering Bearcat . John Allison with the Banking and Consumer Finance 9 January Operation, CONDOR III The second increment of 5,704 troops and equipment of the Royal Thai Army Black Panther Regiment was deployed to Bearcat and completed the move on 25 February. Most LO Radio Operators worked 12 hour shifts and were ready at all times to move to another operating station. shot along highways just showing, 23) Bearcat was originally a French airfield, later used by the Japanese during World War II. Most of the division's repair parts were We operated the "clap clinic" for the girls from Rosies and others who roamed the base. the area we had cleared out 42 years ago. On our trip into the delta, shops lined the road FDC shift was on 8 hours and off 8 hours little time left to pull guard duty. The 86th Land Clearing Team had been in existence in South Vietnam from mid-1967 through December of 1968, while operations were initially based at Bearcat base camp until the 86th Engineer Battalion moved it's construction companies and base of operations south to the Mekong delta town of My Tho in mid-1968, to follow and maintain it's assigned support of the 9th Infantry Division . During the week the indirect artillery bunker situated just outside the A Company Detachment barracks was torn down and replaced. It is kind of sad that we didn't deploy and return as units. [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]. Trail, Sihanoukville, Bearcat, Tay Ninh, Tiger Division, AN/PVS-2 Starlight scope, RF/PF, Regional Force and Popular Force militias, Armed Forces Network Radio, Kent State, National Guard, Di An Base Camp, 9th Infantry Division Association . sappers snuck into the Ammunition Supply Point and blew most of it The ancient language with which it was named is now extinct. At some point we the USA may end up defending Vietnam, our former foe, against additiinal military incurssions by the Chinese aggressive assertive behemouth. Spent at least 1 night a week on guard duty in/on those great bunkers described. When I was finished, they all clapped. "When I Joined VetFriends, I read about the email locator service, and sent an email to my old friend. . I am forever in their debt. I could sleep on my shift of guard with 5/42 artillery firing! Good luck. More than 500 postings have accumulated since 2011. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. 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. During the rescue Gene never thought of himself or the danger he put himself in. 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. After spending 6 months state side iI put in orders to return to Vietnam. Theyve continued to reward me and live on.. After ceremonies, we moved to the military mess hall, There were a dozen Thai Army Officers sitting at a lunch table. Thank you for sharing the photos and the documentation which says so much emotionally in its factual presentation. The country is quite safe on personal security and poverty is greatly decreased. Photos of Bear Cat. My father, Charles O'Leary, arrived at Vung Tau in December 1966 aboard the SS John Pope and served at Bearcat in the Finance Section of the 9th Admin Company, so when I ran across your blog, it was something I just had to bookmark. 47) 32) It was completely overwhelming. Blessings to all. Later, the division was an important unit of the United States Army in World War II and the Vietnam War. 4/39th Inf. The division stayed in German as an occupational force until 1947 when it was returned to the United States. I was there for TET. We later flew to Lai Khe for his court martial. The only times it stopped were when the generator quit. Recon Platoon. Vietnam I was one of the participants in shooting at the monkeys when the whole bunker line opened up.
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