Please feel free to take part in our discussion– this forum serves as a guestbook for everyone, not just members. Offensive, spam, and inflammatory posts may be deleted.

If your comment does not show up right away, do not worry, it was probably temporarily marked as spam for some reason. However, your comment will be manually approved and later posted once an administrator has reviewed it.

Click here to leave a reply.

5,695 comments

  1. Another Memorial day remembering those 58, 318 brothers plus all the others who died in other wars too. I have developed a sense of respect for those who paid the ultimate price with their lives. May their families find peace knowing that their loved ones who died were truly heroes and keep their heads high with pride. May they rest in peace. Thanks for their service. “Pancho” Martinez.

    1. Memorial Day was always important for my Dad who survived war in the African and European theater of WWII. It has become more important for me since his passing a decade ago.
      I am also remembering the many others who returned from the battlefield yet continued the battle with debilitating physical wounds and many with invisible mental wounds or persistent chemical exposures that often did not manifest injury until years had passed.
      Many blessing for all my fellow Charlie Grunts and the 48th IPSD.

  2. For our brothers and the forgotten victims their families!
    Three of my High School Classmates, two who I grew up with. One of the nine classmates at dog school,
    Sgt. Larry Detwiler C 2/1, KIA 9/69.
    Karen and met his mother a the Wall, became friends and she attended our wedding. Larry’s death tore hole in his family. His Dad had a stroke after the funeral and never recovered. She was a strong women, Goldstar Mother helped and loved veterans.
    In Memory of the 58,318
    The Wall
    Roll Call at every sunrise shows a list of lives not completed
    Their Lives cut short of simple pleasures
    I understand the magic of dead things but:
    Are their fast cars and drive-in movies in heaven?
    There will be:
    Birthdays with no cake
    Wedding Invitations not mailed
    Brides who wait at home while their soldiers walk with God
    Cribs with no children
    Never to enjoy:
    The sound of joy from a 3-year-old child on Christmas morning
    Your dog scratching at the door to come in on frigid February day
    The smell of your mothers cooking for a Sunday family dinner
    Walking your daughter down the isle
    Words of Joy “Grandpa”
    These Hero’s never enjoyed these simple but basic joys of life
    Their Souls remain in a place without time
    Young forever
    Brave forever
    Fathers & their son’s, daughters, brothers, friends, & husbands
    Everyman who dies in combat leaves behind a friend who never forgets.
    It is carved in our memory as it as it carved into the black granite walls
    Those who survived often ask: Why Not US!
    Their names are there because they were better than US!
    Bullwinkle & Warlock

  3. I don’t know if others think like I do. I came home 50 years ago. 4/3/70. Every now and then, i think back and try and remember what this day was like 50 years ago. No more Nam smell, new car, girlfriend, ice water every meal, 70 degrees instead of 100, running water, no boots, hardly any mosquitoes, sweat when I wanted to instead of all the time, Mets games.
    What I’m ashamed to admit is that I appreciated that stuff but I don’t think I thought about what other guys were still going through. It was kind of blanked out and I guess what they call ‘blocked.” VA psychologist and social worker (wo I saw a few years ago) kind of said that is not unusual and it comes back later (as it has done).
    I also remember, while still in Vietnam and thinking “People back in the world are going about their business, working, playing, etc. and having no idea what guys like are us are experiencing every day.” Same happens today for our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
    So, 50 years ago today, I was probably preparing to drink a lot of beer at someone’s Memorial day party. and probably every year since. This one is a bit different but beer is the same and it’s always cold!

  4. Hey Todd Trammel, yeah I was there. I had only been their a couple of weeks myself. I can’t remember the name but he was an E-6 Staff. I remember him being an onry guy and cussing up a storm when he got hit. He was hit by a flat piece that smacked him in the back of his thigh. Got lucky. I went in Teske’s squad until he left in September then became the sq. ldr. Remember who your LT was?

  5. Gents today this Armed Forces. Since there is no War Dog Memorial Day this poem is for Warlock. Fearless & Loyal, never had a brother killed with him walking point. Love Americans hated our enemies !
    Warlock-Serial # 35M8
    48th Scout Dog, 196th LIB
    Never gave kisses, didn’t shake paws
    Just a “War Dog”
    Cast aside by a sheep rancher, must have liked lamp chops!
    Flyboys found him to timid
    They missed the mark again
    Match with a tall skinny Jersey Boy in 68
    Was Well suited for Population Reduction
    Lead America’s Teen Army through the Gauntlet of Death
    Through jungle, swamps & rice patties
    Fearless and Loyal
    He was our Trojan War Hero who help sweep legions of evil from the field of battle
    His fur would be stained with the blood of his dead
    Only with us a little while
    So many lives saved
    His Kennel went empty in 71
    Never to be forgotten
    Ask Charley Company 2nd of the 1st, 196th LIB
    Bullwinkle & Warlock

    1. Bullwinkle, the FoxNation channel is honoring veterans with a new series of programming and they just released one named Hero Dogs. I haven’t seen it yet, but there’s a 7 day fee trial To check it out.

    1. Amen LT…….I will always remember that day and night, and the Doc Rimmer scholarship you and Ben started at his high school. The night you invited me to attend with you guys brought allot home. I’ve never had, or ever will see a standing O again like that. I will always mourn their loss, but I’m grateful we did do some things right.

  6. Guys
    Posted this poem prior to server being moved. For all of us!
    TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG
    Decades have passed since we boarded the Freedom Bird back to the world
    We have raised our families, now they raise theirs
    The weightless of time has passed over our lives
    We try to pretend that we are not haunted by memories of our brothers who did not return.
    The whispering of the jungle still rings in our ears the smell of death fills our senses
    The morning mist in the mountains & on the rice patties remains, no wind will ever sweep them away.
    Evening nightmares are filled the with the faces of those who left their spirit in the nameless battlefields
    They died as Hero’s; we will die as Old Men They will be remembered as young men with young faces
    My hate for our enemies has not subsided.
    Death will come to all of us.
    I do not fear death but not living. After the resurrection Old Men will stare at the faces of those who died young.
    Will they judge us for living full lives?
    Will we recognize each other?

    1. As a Pastor, my theology may be different than most. I believe that the God who created the nature around us has created a heaven more wonderful than we as humans with little understanding of our creator can comprehend.

  7. That is really crappy about what happened to Warlock and other dogs. I heard even worse=larger numbers at end of U.S. involvement. thousands were destroyed.
    I don’t ever remember flak jackets being offered or even suggested, not even in Echo Company which i was part of for a few months before transferring to Charlie. As I recall, the armor guys wore them all the time. They didn’t have to hump so that made sense. Still hot though.

  8. Guys:
    As a Dog handler I always had to wear a flack jacket, guess I would have been Article 15 if I was killed without one. Gardner had big boots to fill following Morris. I pull missions with different companies throughout the 196th and Gardner was not even near the worst a bit anal but he was trying say lives I am guessing?

    1. I am not sure I could have gotten one if wanted. I don’t remember anyone ever wearing one while I was there. Hot and heavy.

    2. Hi Bullwinkle. As an NFG in Charlie Co in Aug 71 I was told to wear a flack jacket on my first deployment into the bush but I soon discarded it due to the heat. I served in the 48th IPSD starting Sept ’71. I guess they did away with the flack jacket rule by then as it was no longer required. I handled Cheyenne (M258) for a number of patrols and hope I did as well as the Warlock Team.
      I have enjoyed reading your past posts and I am glad you are feeling better after your surgery. Hope to hear more from you now that I am looking on the discussion board at Charliegrunts.

      1. Todd
        Pulled a mission with the Marines and they wore the old style with metal plates. One guy offer me $50.00 To swap. Not a chance they weighted 2x ours. Went home April 70. Warlock (35M8) was a STUD.

        1. I am glad you got to take Warlock home. I was almost exactly two years behind you and by then none of the dogs were coming back to the States. Sad time for many handlers.

          1. Todd:
            I did not take Warlock home, but train a new handler “Tommy” from Pittsburg a real “Doper”. Warlock died in 1971, while on patrol he suffer a heat stroke and was put down after being medevac.
            Surprise to hear you were pulled from a Grunt Unit to become a dog handler. We tried that with Dennis Silva C2/1 and the Army would not allow it.
            I trained with Warlock for 20 weeks at Ft. Benning, both basic & off lease. Then flew to Nam with him and the other Off lease handlers (10) and 120 dogs
            Only 200+ dogs made it stateside out of 4000+ deployed. We gave 600 dogs to the ARVN’s they ate them.

          2. Bullwinkle. Sorry I misunderstood about Warlock coming home. Must have been sad for you to leave him. Sorry to hear he was put down due to heat stroke.
            As a grunt one day in Aug 71, the LT from the 48th accompanied a dog team on a mission to Charlie Co. I approached the LT and let him know I was trained as Tracker Dog handler and asked to be transferred. At that time the 48th had a surplus of dogs so a week later I flew back to DaNang on a returning resupply chopper and got assigned Cheyenne. I gave the LT a copy of my orders to RVN with the names of a dozen other Tracker Handlers and he went on a recruiting spree bringing a half dozen of my Tracker handler graduates to the 48th.

    3. Bullwinkle,
      I totally disagree with your perception of Gardner being one of his platoon leaders. He wasn’t trying to save lives he was trying to embellish his record so he could get promoted. He got people killed!

      1. LT
        Only pulled 1 or 2 missions with Gardner as your CO, went home in early April 70. Harper filled me in with his paranoia and incompetence. I never saw that, mostly likely because he so far behind point. Figures Larry says he was West Pointer.

  9. Larry. The email I have for you bounced back. I’ve been trying to get in touch abotu a check I sent that wasn’t cashed.
    Please let me know current email.
    Jim Intravia

  10. I was with C co 2/1 196th in Aug & Sept 1971. As an FNG in that short time I did not get to know many names of the guys in my company. I am looking for info on one who was wounded by shrapnel from an artillery round meant to triangulate our perimeter. It happened in late Aug ’71 I think or early Sept.
    Anyone know of this friendly fire incident or what happened to the wounded soldier?

    1. Hey Todd, yeah I was there. I had only been their a couple of weeks myself. I can’t remember the name but he was an E-6 Staff. I remember him being an onry guy and cussing up a storm when he got hit. He was hit by a flat piece that smacked him in the back of his thigh. Got lucky. I went in Teske’s squad until he left in September then became the sq. ldr. Remember who your LT was?

  11. Today is Vietnam Veterans Day or something like that, though you would never know it.
    My best to all of us.

  12. Im trying to find Sgt Paul Waterbury he was in chulai 1970-71not sure what unit he was with but was on a few LZ’s that i used to fly into to resupply. He was on my copter going home to where we both lived and i haven’t heard from him since. Any help would be great Thanks Dave R, from R.I.

  13. If all you didn’t know I had a cancerous tumor removed from my head/brain on 10/2. The reason I mentioning it (doing well now). The doctor was Dr. Tran who’ father was Doctor for the ARVN’ s in Chu Li.
    Guess it was a good thing we did not kill all them!

    1. Ted its good to hear your doing well and that is really a great story about your doctor what are the odds that you would connect.

  14. Everyone in western Pa. was hoarding toilet paper and paper towels store shelves were empty. I think these people will have enough to wipe for the next 15 years. Stores had to put limits on purchases.

    1. Wally in a big poker game the other night and took home 40 rolls of toilet paper at the end of the night. We use to play for money but no one can go out and spend money anymore.

  15. Must be the Coronavirus. Gov. DeSantis has issued a order anyone flying into Florida from NY-NJ to be quarantine for 14 days. Went to Publix grocery store and people were treating paper towels like they were gold.
    Its crazy

    1. The guys do this from time to time. If you do face book, there is a page for Charlie 2/1 where maybe more people will respond.
      I thought we were going to get an updated web site that is tied in with the Grunt Museum in San Antonio, but that has not happened yet. I do not know why not.

  16. Guys,
    I feel bad that I didn’t recognize that yesterday 50 years ago was the worst day of many of our lives when we lost SFC David Walden, SGT Wayne Peagler and GA along with may others seriously wounded by the two Bouncing Bettys. RIP Brothers and may all the others find peace!

    1. None of us will ever forget that day. Silverman got hit, Doc Grunge got hit. I cut Hoang’s leg off at the knee. What a shit day.

  17. Brothers,
    Take care and stay in the foxhole as an enemy we can’t see is out to get us. Be prepared and stay safe!
    LT

  18. The Soldier’s Angel
    For my Wife Karen and all the Wives of Charlie Company
    Old soldiers are made of many parts
    The boys we were, the killers we became, the haunted veterans that wander the earth.
    Our lungs are still filled with the air of life but for many we have a pulseless heart
    If an old soldier has a soul it is the love, we share with our mates
    Wives love their soldiers even when they can’t love themselves
    They have helped us find our lost spirit and regain our humanity
    Held our hands when we could not find the tears and wiped them from our cheeks when they flowed like a fountain of blood
    The echo of our nightmares has always haunted our bond, but their strength has kept us strong
    A women’s heart is a deep ocean and we have drowned in its spirit time after time
    We have always had a thing for beautiful women
    Their image will reflect on the stars and inner beauty will travel to the edge of the universe
    Agent Orange, Old Wounds, PTSD has turned our lives into a frequent flier plan for hospital stays
    Always when We awake there is our Angel.
    Bullwinkle & Warlock

  19. I will join all my brothers in Kansas City next September, 2020. I hope to see you all there. My body is feeling worse every year, I must attend at least a couple of more reunions. A big warm hug to everyone of you. Here in the Southwest the cold temperatures are normally in the 40’s and 50’s. Greetings to you and your families. “Pancho” Martinez.

  20. Charlie 2/1 Reunion
    Kansas City, MO
    September 10- 13, 2020
    Planning details
    Lodging Reservations
    Charlie Company’s 2019 reunion is set to begin on September 09 in Kansas City, Mo. The host hotel is the Holiday Inn One East 45th Street Kansas City, MO 64111 816-753-7400 http://www.holidayinn.com/hiattheplaza. The special rate of$115.00 will expire on Monday, August 10, 2020. Reservation requests received after 5:00 p.m. local time at the Hotel on the cut-off date will be accepted on a space and rate availability basis. Be sure and let them know you are will Charlie Company.
    Breakfast is included in rate, Complimentary Covered Parking, Complimentary Plaza and Westport Shuttle Service with all the regular hotel amenities and Complimentary USA Today each morning.
    Tours
    We have not committed yet, but we are looing at doing a couple of ball games. We think we can get football tickets for Thursday night for the world champion Kansas City Chiefs opening the season night against an opponent to be announced! We will have to have commitments well in advance to arrange this game. Watch for further announcements.
    We also have not committed yet, but we are looking at going to a Kansas City Royal’s game on Friday night against the Chicago White Sox. We will have to have commitments well in advance to arrange this game. Watch for further announcements.
    We are looking at a tour of the Harley Davison assembly plant.
    Kansas City
    Kansas City is known as the City of Fountains. Steeped in history, the National World War I Museum and Memorial is America’s only museum dedicated to sharing the stories of the Great War through the eyes of those who lived it. A new addition to the downtown area is the Kauffman Performing Arts Center, much like the Opera House in Australia. Our hotel is near the Country Club Plaza is Kansas City’s premier retail, restaurant, and entertainment district. Visit the American Jazz Museum, which showcases the sights and sounds of jazz through interactive exhibits and films. Journey back to America’s Golden Age of steam boating and discover the treasures of the Steamboat Arabia, which sank in the Missouri River and was recovered intact. Visit Independence and the Truman Museum, with a full-scale reproduction of the White House Oval Office, circa 1948, as well as gravesites of Harry and Bess Truman. The Truman Library is closed for a 25-30-million-dollar renovation but should be open when we get to Kansas City.
    The World War I museum has a special on currently on Vietnam I can check to see how long it is going to run. Guys can get to this museum on the hotel shuttle and the cost is $14.00 for senior citizens.
    The Nelson Atkins Museum and the Kemper Museum are both within walking distance of the hotel and are free. The Holiday Inn shuttle will also deliver you to these sites if you fell that the walk is too long
    The Negro Baseball Museum is very worthwhile visit. It has a lot of information on Jackie Robinson and the old Kansas City Monarchs
    Banquet
    Saturday evening, we will have a banquet. You will need twenty to thirty dollars per person to cover your cost of the meal. More details as it becomes available.
    Please let Larry Harper know if you want to go to the football game or the baseball game.

  21. Real bad week 50 years ago. The two medics Feb. 2 and Danny Roberts Feb. 4. As a 90 guy I didn’t have it as rough as the rest of you guys but these two things were right in front of me. Me and another guy named Danny were about to set up and picked one of two available spots. Right behind us, the two medics came and took the other one and that’s when they hit it. Me and Danny got thrown about 10-20 feet and covered with their blood. Two days later, in that U-shaped ambush (as I remember it anyway( I saw Danny Roberts go down, thinking he had tripped. As I recall, Doc grunge tried to save him, in the middle of the firefight but he was gone.

  22. There is a Charlie Company 2/1 face book account you guys need to check out if you haven’t found your way there already.
    At our 2019 reunion in San Antonio we had a guy that made a video recording interview of several of us Charlie Company guys. Parts of those interviews are going to be on a show that is supposed to be on in March. Tony Fama is the Managing Editor of 50 Plus prime tv.
    Here is what he told me when I asked him about when it was going to be on: “Your interviews worked out just great! Our Vietnam episode is the premiere episode of the ten-part “The 1960s Rediscovered” series on AXS TV. I’ll be getting the air dates, soon. When I do, I’ll email you. My understanding is that the series will likely premiere in mid-March 2020.”
    “Thank you for reaching out! Please, give my best to the guys!”
    Best wishes,
    Tony
    I will keep you guys posted when I know when the episode is going to be on tv.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *