Thank you in advance! I always found them. When Christopher Gaynor returned home from the Vietnam War, on Feb. 6, 1968, he didnt leave with memories alone. Since my 19 straight months in the Vietnam conflict, my newest wife and I have spent an additional 6 1/2 years working in Vietnam. We never did that because that would only give you 4 hours if you could go to sleep immediately. One bag I located in a hollowed out hard cover book by the name "Ordeal by Fire" ho ho ho! I pulled guard on the South Eastern corner by the 5/42. laborers, office workers, professional worked here. 25 August 1998. 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. I'm sure everyone is happy to see that you too survived the experience. for $1 million USD in Saigon. in the corner of the perimiter berm. Bearcat from the air. Combat activity slackened the first month of 1968. No chain of command issues there. I was at Bearcat May 68 till June of 69 with the 39th/36th Signal, we were generator mechanics. An element of the 9th's rearguard, subordinate to Headquarters II Field Forces (Long Binh Post), remained at Bearcat with the Newly arrived Thai Army Black Panther Regiment that replaced the Queens Cobras who returned to Thailand. 20 August An engineer company of the Royal Thai Army Voluntary Forces (RTAVF) Regiment of the Queens Cobras arrived at Bearcat from the U.S. Army Newport Terminal, and it began work on at the base camp preparing facilities for the arrival of the main party. Working on my memoir-as-epic, Spenserian poem over at WordPress. Mike Williams, HQ & A Co Commander. Arrived bungee tau approximately New Year's Day 67. There were only empty bags when we I was an in country transfer from the 272 MP company to the 9th MP. the, white hospital ship. One additional clerk had to be added to the A Company Bearcat PMO to handle the additional workload. US base camp from air, possibly Long Binh. Two battalions of the Mobile Riverine Force, working with the Vietnamese Marines, eliminated 250 VC in day-long fighting along the Rach Ruong Canal 6 miles southwest of Saigon. 9th Infantry Division, Old Reliables, Vietnam War. As we drew closer we could see that something was wrong. These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 57) Buy 9th infantry division Vietnam veteran T-Shirt: Shop top fashion brands T-Shirts at Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY and Returns possible on eligible purchases bunker. If you haven't already, check out the MP site http://9thmpcompany.webs.com/ As I review these photos, I cannot express adequately my feelings of gratitude for these brave and courageous soldiers. 3/39th Inf. He had been AWOL for 8 months and was a member of the 1st Infantry Division. Thanks for the memories. This was early in the tour before we got tin roof WABTOC A Special Thanks to a Friend of all Vietnam Veterans WASSI, Inc . What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? We apprehended about 50 AWOL's working with the 9th MP Company the first couple of months we were there. Writing. Since then we have travelled 6 times by bus and car to Vung Thau on that same Long Thanh hiway. Looking at the pictures put me right back into the jungle as if I were a 21-year-old soldier again.. of the Army recognizing my time with the 86th and VA because of Dept. We just wanted to bring our hearts and minds back in one piece. We were with the 9th M I detachment as interrogators. for the 9th Inf Division during 1967. Today, Bear Cat is an Army Officer's School for the Vietnamese Army, a After the civilian Vietnamese contractors finished the structural work their crew of mostly women with their children who accompanied them to work, filled the hundreds of sand bags needed. When I was finished, they all clapped. AAORLL's 1969. compound, 11) Scenes Inactivated 13 October 1970 at Fort Lewis, Washington. This was my initial and final home. SP/4 William H. Antila, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, August 1968-November 1969. I was down at Long Thanh North as well. How they can make money with so many We always look to the left to view that same corner of the Bearcat location from years ago. The enemy was watching all this, but could not attack us., The Odd Couple, 1967: My buddies Lynch and Cork share a morning ritual at Camp Bearcat (Camp Martin Cox)., LZ, 1967: Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey Slick) helicopter makes a quick troop drop at a Fire Support Base near the Cambodian border without touching down., Operation, 1967: 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division assembles at the Dau Tieng airfield in preparation for a major combat operation near the Cambodian border., The Wasteland, 1967: 9th Infantry Division soldier burns the remaining twigs after our Bearcat Base Camp was sprayed heavily with Agent Orange to kill the jungle vegetation and then bulldozed into a desert wasteland., Triple Deuce, 1967: Troops of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment (mechanized) get squared away to move on a Search and Destroy mission into The Rubber (the Michelin Plantation)., Richard Thomas Jackson, 1967: My brother, my buddy, my friend. I lived it. Thats was my dad. 1 talking about this. On 20 April 1967 she suffered a gun mount explosion, injuring six and killing one crew. 31 October At the end of the month Battalion was operating the following remote detachments in III & IV Corps Tactical Zones: A Company- Vung Tau, Phu Loi and Bearcat; B Company- Dong Tam, Can Tho and Soc Trang; C Company- Xuan Loc, Cu Chi-Tay Ninh and Lai Khe; 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog)- Long Than (North), Newport Docks, Vinh Long and Soc Trang; 22nd Provost Marshal Detachment- Can Tho and Vung Tau. 4th Infantry Division. I will be adding pages dedicated to the distinguished service of the men who served with the 2/47th Infantry, Vietnam. Our unit had unofficial hookers. We did have an incident of one of our daily sand bag fillers trying to sneak in one night. HQ & A Co orderly room at Bearcat, 17) Scenes We later flew to Lai Khe for his court martial. 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. Their entire perimeter opened up. It was a long tour and many of those girls were very beautiful. We got ambushed the next day on the way to Bear Cat, then mortared about an hour after reaching the camp. As you said the Thai's were in charge and I remember we had our own girls in the compound to keep us occupied and to prevent arguments with the Thai troops over their's. Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your memories. Bearcat Vietnam 1967 - Bing Images. I had a few hundred slides but they all disappeared when my ex left, so nothing to share except the feeling of brotherhood which I shall never, ever forget! Go to https://www.militaryvideo.com/ to purchase the entire 70-minute video, or to see movie trailers of over 700 other military vid. Middle East You were there about a year after I left. 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 arrived at Bear Cat in Nov. of 1967. Army Vehicles. In 1969, I was a USAF radio operator with a FAC unit attached to the Thai Army at Bearcat, my last six months in country. I recall the ground attacks and the cobra firing red lines with the tracers. I was trained as a 52B40 Generator Operator/Mechanic. We did kill 2 monkeys found in the next day sweep. in for repair at the HQ & A Co shops at Bearcat. The US had stayed out of this area until 1967 when they had to sent in a division. 50) Bearcat, our remembrences, We were in Bangkok abiut 8 years ago. Coordinates: 105006N 1065736E / 10.835N 106.96E / 10.835; 106.96, http://720mpreunion.org/history/project_vietnam/212th/detachments/Long_Thanh/long-thanh-north.html, "United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam 1972-1973 Command History Annex C", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bearcat_Base&oldid=1060558495, Installations of the United States Army in South Vietnam, Military installations established in the 1940s, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 December 2021, at 07:23. I fondly remember Bob Hope putting on a show. shops in Saigon and environs. clouds -- the rain is coming, 19) Scenes My husband was with the Bear Cats during the move from Phu Bai to Delta in 69. The camp was located on Route 15, 16 km southeast of Bin Ha. If memory serves me correctly, the 2/60th was part of the 3rd Brigade, commanded by Col Murray while I was there. The Unit conducted combat operations around Bearcat (9th Division Base Camp) through late 1967. So too in Bearcat I was really adept at finding and confiscating the Mary Janes in the company area in Bearcat. Pulled Guard duty 1 night only. Hopefully you'll meet up with some other 9th Inf Div MPs. Documents By AD Number. Bearcat was originally a French airfield, later used by the Japanese during World War II. I left Two Bits @ Bong Son back to Nha Trang then on to Bearcat. No one was hurt as it Another time it was a cobra, 39) The 9th Div set up home here in 1966. I could sleep on my shift of guard with 5/42 artillery firing! I was a pilot (Major) with the 200th Assault Support Helicopter (ASH) Company Jan. 15 to Mar 10, 1968, at Bearcat. Glad you are still around to share the memory. Then it was still known as Bearcat. Land Clearing Team from Bearcat in Nov 67 and stayed with them until deros in Oct 68 (330 days). Vietnam History. When the name changed back to Bearcat is unknown, but probably after it became the new home of the 3rd Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division Old Reliable's in December 1966. I often wondered if they were really asking: "Are you my daddy?" It was completely overwhelming. When we were watching the bridge, the engineers also left a task. Now at 64 I feel their loss more then ever before. I separated from the Thai military nurses and my current wife. On January 6, 1967 we loaded on a train and headed for Oakland, California where we then boarded a troop ship and headed for Vietnam on January 10th. 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.. 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. for hours. I served in Rach Kien from December 67 to December 1968. Sense of humor there. It is the nurses who served in Nam. Even after his return to the United States, decades passed before he decided that he should do something with that box. When the Tet cease-fire period began on January 28, the battalion was called back to the vicinity of Bear Cat, a base camp near Long Thanh. base. At 2028 Hours, the escort unit finally made it to the safety of the base and its hospital. Not long after because of the rotational hump I was transferred to Long Binh. 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. Brennan.I am in Vietnam right now retracing his stepsAny pointers? Martha Raye show Bearcat Sept. 67 . I was on the perimeter the night the Thais opened up with tracers. working the outside yard on a humongous forklift with giant tires 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. 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. First one was killed in helicopter crash after leaving for a Battalion command position. Most LO Radio Operators worked 12 hour shifts and were ready at all times to move to another operating station. Oh, yeah, almost forgot. I also pulled a lot of guard duty facing the rubber plantation. 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. 31) My rifle was a National Match M-14, using 168 gr. For some reason I heard this, 71) Dry dirt to standing water in 30 I did manage to marry with a Vietnamese lady when stationed at Bearcat. PFC Flynn age 20, of Kings Park, NY, would die of his wounds within several hours. Jeep art -- Snoopy was popular back then. Vietnam Vets. My name is Christopher hill I landed Danang July 1 1968 I Corp area First Marine Division. Wish I could remember the name of our ship. 42) shot along highways just showing, 29) 17 May 45 Brig. Sleep was always a premium as you worked 7 days a week from 7AM to 9 PM plus travel and having to fill sand backs after work. I departed. I was OIC of that sector several times. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. AAORLL's 1968. 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. Since I had an engineer insignia they had me drive a rough terrain forklift. whom everyone respected. I got there a couple of months later and already the termites had eaten away a lot of the structure and the sandbags were rotting. It's on the endangered species list. I was at Bearcat with the 1st Cav. But the world he encountered when he got back to the United States wasnt exactly ready to look at them, and neither was he. Have Great Christmas!! Thank you brother Chris great photos WELCOME HOME BROTHER. We learned in the beginning to keep our heads down and be aware of our surroundings. We were considered the soldiers with the least important day time jobs. 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 . I remember all that you posted. Local kids It is kind of sad that we didn't deploy and return as units. But life on eagle was easy compared to the grunts out in the bush. were stationed here. Great stories and memories, Jack. Also, check out the 9th Inf Div website as well as the 9th Inf Div group on LinkedIn, Hi Phil Does anyone have any memories for a B-52 bombing raid just outside the base camp perimeter. 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. Like This Movie Trailer? The division stayed in German as an occupational force until 1947 when it was returned to the United States. Took the water right out of the river below and kept it up pretty much all day long. I worked for LTC Foley in hq hotch. Still have issues with the Dept. Served with the 590th from Oct 67 to Oct 68. GENERAL 1964-73 MAC-V Tour 365 . Click above to view photos My dad arrived at Bearcat during the Tet Offensive. shot along highways just showing, 18) Gen. Donald A. Stroh [Assumed command of 8th Infantry Division on 12 July 1944] Assistant Division Commander. Due to the constant enemy activity on the roadways of III Corps Tactical Zone during and after the 31 January Tet New Years Offensive and its following May Mini-Tet attacks, the 9th Infantry Division (rear) Transportation Headquarters at Bearcat requested escort assistance for their critical night convoy supply runs from Bearcat to the U.S. Army Newport Terminal on Highway-1A (#316), and back. 25) 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. Tan An and then Tan Tru, home for my platoon supporting the 2nd/60th Inf, 596k followers Vietnam Tank . The ancient language with which it was named is now extinct. Message is: Mike, If you get this drop me a line or an email. 1) S/Sgt Humes. Long Binh is now a small Vietnamese army installation and a large Industrial Rep. Mac Huddleston flew helicopters out of here for a while. But keep watching this blog. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. 46) The base camp was located three miles southeast of Long Binh Post in Long Than District of Bien Hoa Province and twenty miles northeast of Saigon on the eastern side of Highway QL-15 in Corps Tactical Zone-Military Region III was part of the Saigon defensive ring. Overall base camp was pretty quiet few rockets and morters made us jump into bunkers every now and then. More dust I think I preferred Bear Cat. As a second lieutenant, I was generally second in command of a sector and had the privilege of walking the perimeter to check on the guards while my superior slept. That would have been very nice in the night. Army Life Vietnam Time line 3/5 CAV Black Knights. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located series and file units in the Records of the U.S. Jan 22, 2016 - Explore Jacky Parker's board "9TH infantry division" on Pinterest. 660429: The main body of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, Manchus, arrive in Vung Tau, Vietnam. The 104th was attached to the 1st Australian Task Force Head Quarters in Nui Dat, III Corps Tactical Zone and its primary roll was to provide reliable communications, radio, cipher, operation drafting and telephony services to the complete task force at Nui Dat and communications to other services in Vietnam.
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