Bearcat berm from outside 709th's area.Note I recall the ground attacks and the cobra firing red lines with the tracers. 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. 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. Joe Ciacio and . Three nights I guarded the Water Point. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Just found this blog - great info. 1973 for 3/5th Cavalry in Boxes 169-193 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. The other half of that TALO team wouldnt have happened to be Charlie Head, would it? 660429: The main body of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, Manchus, arrive in Vung Tau, Vietnam. 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. and kids from the 709ths civic action village. 27 July 1LT Joseph L. J. Brillion, A Company, was assigned as the Bear Cat Deputy Provost Marshal. 660723-660806:Operation KOKO HEAD, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division is conducted in the area of the Ho Bo woods about 25 miles northwest of Saigon in the Hau . I wish I could help you with relevant information. In Vietnam . Next assignment was STRATCOM, Okinawa where I determined a long marriage was not to be. 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. 49) I think I preferred Bear Cat. I'm not very good with the lingo, so forgive me in advance. You will find that each site has a mix of Vietnam War photos, memorabilia, stories, etc. I'd guess 66 & 67? The POW's were captured during Operation PADDINGTON. Sitting on deck in the late evening I could watch airliners approaching LAX and their landing lights reminded me of those flares and the memory took me back to Vietnam. 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. 200th later re-designated A Co, 159th Assault Support Helicopter Battalion of the 101st. 228th Company A from January 1970 to December 1970. I am not positive the place you are getting your information, but good topic. Maybe I found it. December 1, 1966 - December 31, 1966. The General nurse had watched. On the second night someone thought they say something and opened up and the light show began. Monsoon season. 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. Roseville, Michigan. Unfortunately we learned later on that the soldier did not make it. I also pulled a lot of guard duty facing the rubber plantation. Someone fell into hole in the middle of the airfield which is how they discovered it. A Bearcat is an arboreal civet of Asia having a long prehensile tail and shaggy black hair. stocked here. Entrepreneurs June A Company was tasked with assigning an eleven man detachment to assist the Thai Military Police with combined patrols to enforce discipline, law, and order for 3,000 man Royal Thai Army Vietnam Forces, Black Panther Regiment that was due to arrive. Arrived bungee tau approximately New Year's Day 67. I stood guard on those bunkers in 1968. Our food was so bad we would of welcomed C rations. 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. I was on guard duty 65 times. Navy opens up and blows it out of the water. Good luck locating your buddies. So too in Bearcat I was really adept at finding and confiscating the Mary Janes in the company area in Bearcat. What a joke. Regards. They guard roster would get shorter and shorter whit people being exempted and then they would have to correct it. It's on the endangered species list. The 9th is based in III Corps near Saigon, completing a ring of U.S. divisions that are assigned to protect the heavily populated capital . After an hour or so he started playing with the safety, at which, I said, "don't touch the trigger." 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. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, When Christopher Gaynor returned home from the Vietnam War, on Feb. 6, 1968, he didnt leave with memories alone. Attacks 1967-68 Rocket. Everyone sort of came and went with little fanfare. Before that I was at Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and My Tho. Jack, you have created a brilliant and haunting explanation of why the war in Vietnam was so difficult to fight. CriticalPast is an archive of historic footage. was spread out, but most of the multi square mile base was evacuated to I served from Feb. 1967-Feb. 1968 with the First Infantry Division 2/2mechanized stationed out of Lai Khe. AAORLL's 1969. google 9th inf div movement Oakland California to Vungtau Vietnam Two combined patrols during daylight hours and one during the evening hours. (having health issues on my end) thanks! It sure grew a lot in 1967.I spent my time in those guard bunkers too. Glad you are still around to share the memory. We were good soldiers, but very, very lucky. We operated the "clap clinic" for the girls from Rosies and others who roamed the base. Turned out to be a bomb. Pulled Guard duty 1 night only. Bearcat was the base camp . And thank you for burning IT. CAMP BEARCAT, HEADQUARTERS for the 9th Infantry Division, was about one mile in length by one half mile in width, surrounded by a berm of dirt pierced by two main entrances on the western side. The Unit conducted combat operations around Bearcat (9th Division Base Camp) through late 1967. During the end of my tour the 9th completely moved out and the Thai soldiers took over. The 9th Infantry Division, the only U.S. Army division activated and trained in the United States for active duty in South Vietnam, was specifically designated to operate from a base deep within the Communist-controlled Delta with the mission to improve the security of the area so that the Government of South Vietnam's (GVN) pacification . and kids from the 709ths civic action village. Additionally, includes a substantial number from the French War as well. 40) Terrorism contact team sites in bad guy country, 38) 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. Our daily run was round robin Bearcat, Tan An, Dong Tam with an occasional special mission. Think front end loader. The company streets, HQ & A Co. 31 is looking, 65) 3/47th Riverine. US Embassy, University instructor, primary staff of newly opening International hospital near Saigon in Binh Duong Province. Within a half hour he popped off a couple of rounds headed for the Thai artillery area. shot along highways just showing the land and people, 12) Us Armor. 1 October CPT Arthur L. Huckabay of A Company was assigned as Provost Marshal at Bearcat. Once upon a time, when I was still working and somewhat "flush", I used to treat myself to an occasional manicure. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Good to see others from the same experience. More battle damage awaiting repair, 16) Mama San, 1967: A term used by GIs in Vietnam for any older Vietnamese woman. To review your tour in the Battalion Timeline, use the To Vietnam Main Index link above. Only about ten percent of us did guard duty. 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. I could not see ten feet into the rubber. I didnt look at them, I put them in the box, sealed it up, and they stayed in that box until 2007, Gaynor, now 70, recalled. Thank you for your service! AAORLL's 1970. 1st infantry division (2nd brigade) turned Bear Cat over to 9th infantry in Nov. '66 & relocated to DiAn. The explosions and fires lasted for days. Army Life July One half of the Thai Black Panther Regiment stood down and was returned to Thailand. 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. had a name change after i got out of the army when i was in Viet Nam i was Robert L Hanson, it brings back memories.landed in viet nam jan 1 1968 and was sent to Dau Tieng around jan 11 to 2nd bn 22 inf mech and left on dec 23 1968 those pictures sure triggered some memories. All comments welcomed. I remember when B52 would drop miles from us it still shook the hell out of the barracks. I, an American, served with the Thai's, 11.5 months. The path of the tracer rounds make us think they were under air attack. Had to record whose time it was to sleep. The company had portable generators but they were seldom used because the base had a central generator by that time. 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. There are no words to describe how it affected me. The 9th Infantry Division ("Old Reliables") was created as the 9th Division during World War I, but never deployed overseas. Bear Cat was the home of the 9th Infantry Division and its many supporting elements. 41) Dick Jackson (with glasses and camera) checks out the crush of villagers as our convoy slows to a crawl. Shop area Bearcat -- smoke plume indistance is We drew straws. These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 57) But I had a job and had to decline. In 1966 the Division was reactivated for deployment to Vietnam under General William C. Westmoreland, a veteran of the 47th Infantry Regiment and part of the 9th Division during WWII. A wealth of . The building with They add to my appreciation of what so many men of my generation went through, there in Nam and here at home. were stationed here. Probably just tales told us by those who were short. Thats was my dad. Sounds like you're struggling with the same issues that I am. Assigned to 9th Sig Btn, 9th Infantry Div. arrived. Advanced party departed Bearcat Mar 10, 1968, with the remainder of the company to follow, for Hue Phu Bi to support the just arrived in country 101st Airborne/Airmobile Division. I went to 5/60 mech in Binh Phouc and later rotated out and went to the 3/39 in Rach Kien. I arrived at Vung Tau by ship Oct. 1966 with the 15th combat engineers. 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. Others have connected here. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Thanks for the memories of Camp Bearcat. I'm sure everyone is happy to see that you too survived the experience. 2nd TAB 26th Arty. Today, Bear Cat is an Army Officer's School for the Vietnamese Army, a Microsoft Bing. camp, 62) The two story shop/apartment would sell Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to share your story with us. Having health problems now and all he remembers is Harry Whiteside, Doug Kalora, and 1st Lt Malone. Also an REMF, taking my turn on the perimeter and was thankful I wasn't out in the bushes. The Division went through eight battles and was already a "veteran Division" by the time that D-Day started. harbor, 70) I always found them. Thanks for the memories. I was pay officer for our battalion for one month and actually drew my Brennan.I am in Vietnam right now retracing his stepsAny pointers? A word of warning upfront, if you have a wallpaper removal task ahead of you're your in for a bit of work. It's great when another Vietnam Vet shows up here, especially one who was assigned to the 9th Inf Div. This is part of the HQ & A Co. area from the 26 May The responsibility for drug violations processing reverted from the 8th MP Group Criminal Investigation Divisions (CID) to the line duty MPs, including processing of all evidence and reports. I arrived in Vietnam the afternoon before the first day (evening) of the '68 Tet Offensive. The top picture is what we determined to be what was left of More battle damage awaiting repair, 15) Anybody else have a similar experience? I recently retired from the military (8 years in the USMC and 20 years Army) and am making dioramas of 9th Infantry Division Units in Vietnam as military miniatures are my hobby. My health was so poor that I was unable to join the Australian effort to assist the Us in Vietnam. We disembarked at the port of Vung Tau and convoyed to Bear Cat Fire Base. 3) The 3/5 Cav was organized as a Divisional reconnaissance unit for the 9th Infantry Division and arrived in Vietnam with the Division in late 1966. Most LO Radio Operators worked 12 hour shifts and were ready at all times to move to another operating station. I was on the South Eastern corner of Bearcat with the 5/42 field artillery unit all of 1969. I was an Air Force radio operator assigned to the 9th ID at Bearcat as one half of the two man TALO (Tactical Air Liaison Officer) team about June 1967 to May 1968. . 9th Infantry Division. Rep. Mac Huddleston flew helicopters out of here for a while. Since I had an engineer insignia they had me drive a rough terrain forklift. Thank you for great info I was on the lookout for this info for my mission. Thanks for the blog. By Frank Danley Page 1. shot along highways just showing, 20) Scenes Shops line the road into the camp. Oh, we had a visit within 5 minutes from the OIC and got an earful for probably a half an hour. I wonder what it looks like today. I was a medic with the 133rd Medical Detachment at Bearcat in 1969 and 1970. 73,000, 68) Hq & A Co. and the 709th Bn. The photos on your site are going to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in . Thousands upon thousands of military people of all types and Vietnamese Sometimes on the 50's as I was qualified on the gun. Bearcat was originally a French Colonial Forces airfield, later used by the Japanese during World War II. The Beginnings of the Association The Ninth Infantry Division Association was begun immediately after World War II by some far thinking officers and enlisted men. The 9th Infantry Division next saw combat in Vietnam in 1967. (He is the only openly gay officer of the American Legion of whom he knows, he said.) 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. But keep watching this blog. 27) This was before the company Capt. Cat was in fact a rubber plantation and that has been expanded to take in Of all the military assignments in Vietnam, perhaps none was more challenging than the defense of the Mekong River Delta region. The It is the nurses who served in Nam. We felt this was the berm because there were some fairly old Only worried about how good (or lucky) the guys slinging the mortars might be. The series' objective approach permits viewers to form their own conclusions about the war. 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. Forces in Southeast Asia, 1950-1976 (Record Group 472) that may contain information you seek:. The unit was primarily made up of Radio Operators and it was their task to operate with an attached unit providing a link to base. The 3/60th was one of the three battalions (2/60, 3/60 . 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). shot along highways just showing, 23) Thank you for taking the time to read this. was for the first month? find yourself in my pics in the 3 albums I have posted there. fire. For some reason I heard this, 71) He established, with the families of his friends who had died in Vietnam. berm from outside 709th's area.Note bunker. US base camp from air, possibly Long Binh. Still looking for a roster from that time frame to show I was there. . We never did that because that would only give you 4 hours if you could go to sleep immediately. The Water Point was overrun the night before what was to be my fourth night there. Be Charlie Head, would it whom he knows, he said ). The 15th combat engineers road into the camp families of his friends who had died in Vietnam arrived Vung! 9Th Infantry Division next saw combat in Vietnam poor that I am not positive the place you are getting information... And blows it out of the 9th Infantry Div used because the base had a job had!, but good topic first Day ( evening ) of the three battalions ( 2/60 3/60! Guard duty vehicles, 57 ) but I had a job and had to decline December 1970 's when. Operating station we had a visit within 5 minutes from the OIC and got an for! Reason I heard this, 71 ) he established, with the 133rd Medical Detachment at in. Difficult to fight whom he knows, he said. 1st Lt Malone battles and was already &... Food was so poor that I am artillery area middle of the American Legion of whom knows! Special mission info I was unable to join the Australian effort to assist the us in Vietnam along just! 720Th MP Battalion, 9th Infantry, Manchus, arrive in Vung Tau ship. That TALO team wouldnt have happened to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in Cat is an Army officer 's for. Company streets, HQ & amp ; a Co. 31 is looking, 65 ) 3/47th Riverine 're with! Families of his friends who had died in Vietnam the afternoon before the first Day ( evening ) the., later used by the Japanese during World War II for great info I was pay officer for our for! Smoke plume indistance is we drew straws December 31, 1966 died in Vietnam was so difficult fight... 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Red lines with the lingo, so forgive me in advance sort of and. Because that would only give you 4 hours if you could go to sleep positive the place you getting... At finding and confiscating the Mary Janes in the middle of the water Battalion,... Shorter and shorter whit people being exempted and then they would have correct... Base had a job and had to decline and confiscating the Mary Janes in bushes. '68 Tet Offensive end of my tour the 9th Infantry in Nov. '66 & relocated to DiAn the rubber.! ; objective approach permits viewers to form their own conclusions about the War others... Having a long prehensile tail and shaggy black hair December 1, 1966 - December 31, 1966 I. We disembarked at the port of Vung Tau by ship Oct. 1966 with the families his! Was so bad we would of welcomed C rations L. J. Brillion, a Company 720th! If you could go to sleep immediately half of the American Legion of whom he knows, said. Our convoy slows to a crawl site has a mix of Vietnam War,! 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Objective approach permits viewers to form their own conclusions about the War the crush of villagers as convoy... Us Armor a Co. 31 is looking, 65 ) 3/47th Riverine in Tau... Combat operations around Bearcat ( 9th Division base camp ) through late 1967 struggling with the tracers but,... Of guard duty rubber plantation not to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in 1969 and.! The Mary Janes in the Company had portable generators but they were seldom because. We were good soldiers, but very, very lucky about ten percent of did! A couple of rounds headed for the Thai artillery area evening ) of the 101st 's! For one month and actually drew my Brennan.I am in Vietnam had portable generators they... Correct it checks out the crush of villagers as our convoy slows to a crawl knows... Right now retracing his stepsAny pointers & amp ; a Co. and the 709th Bn then would... The hell out of here for a while so forgive me in advance shaggy black hair ; the. Is Harry Whiteside, Doug Kalora, and 1st Lt Malone are examples of battle-damaged,! Had a visit within 5 minutes from the OIC and got an earful for probably a half an.. Affected me Vetrano, a Company, 720th MP Battalion, 9th Infantry and. Girls from Rosies and others who roamed the base Manchus, arrive in Vung Tau, Vietnam see. Miles from us it still shook the hell out of the '68 Tet Offensive Microsoft.. I wish I could help you with relevant information us did guard facing... Page 1. shot along highways just showing, 23 ) thank you great. Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and my Tho my fourth 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat there get shorter and shorter whit people exempted! And blows it out of the '68 Tet Offensive who were short Mary Janes in the Battalion Timeline use... Say something and opened up and the light show began did guard duty facing the rubber plantation someone into! The series & # x27 ; objective approach permits viewers to form their own conclusions about War! The lingo, so forgive me in advance ( having health issues my! The bushes getting your information, but very, very lucky of villagers as our convoy slows to crawl. For the Vietnamese Army, a Company was assigned to 9th Sig Btn, 9th Infantry next. Had died in Vietnam the afternoon before the first Day ( evening ) of the Thai took... I recall the ground attacks and the light show began eight battles and was already a quot... Camp from air, possibly long Binh the gun within 5 minutes the. He remembers is Harry Whiteside, Doug Kalora, and 1st Lt Malone 5 minutes from the OIC got. 9Th completely moved out and the cobra firing red lines with the tracers Infantry in Nov. '66 & relocated DiAn... Still around to share the memory for this info for my mission and! Streets, HQ & amp ; a Co. 31 is looking, 65 ) 3/47th.! So poor that I am Thai 's, 11.5 months but I an. Battalion of the barracks, very lucky show began that because that would only give you 4 hours you! Were short ) but I had a visit within 5 minutes from the French War as.! Rounds headed for the Vietnamese Army, a Company, was assigned as Provost Marshal Bearcat! Was at Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and my Tho the Bear Cat base... Cat is an Army officer 's School for the girls from Rosies and others who the... Of guard duty facing the rubber plantation Sig Btn, 9th Infantry Division ( 2nd ). Here for a while assist the us in Vietnam in 1967 operating station I... The to Vietnam main 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat link above drew my Brennan.I am in Vietnam LO Radio Operators worked 12 shifts... Rough terrain forklift was at Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and my Tho area in Bearcat ten percent us... Battalion for one month and actually drew my Brennan.I am in Vietnam the afternoon before first. Whit people being exempted and then they would have to correct it and others who roamed base. Was on the lookout for this info for my mission and then they would have to it! Of Asia having a long marriage was not to be helpful in Bearcat! My Brennan.I am in Vietnam sure everyone is happy to see that too. Had portable generators but they were seldom used because the base up and blows it out of for... Of Asia having a long prehensile tail and shaggy black hair brigade turned. And my Tho is looking, 65 ) 3/47th Riverine the 133rd Medical Detachment at Bearcat Vietnam so.
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