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lt–next time go to bismark, n. dakota where weather there is warmer than AZ also. and you guys snicker when we tell you how rough winters are in the desert.
Hey you guys in AZ! We just finished our 9th day of record breaking or in one case tieing temperatures. We had a string of 8 80 degree plus days which has never happened in March before. One of the days was 87! We only had under 19″ of snow also. I have been working the last week to get all the yard debris ready for Spring pickup. I saw we were actually warmer than Phoenix today! PRAISE THE LORD!
I recall drinking with Hoang and him telling me about sneaking up on GI’s an having 4 chi com grenades between his fingers and pulling the string ignighters at one time and throwing them. He would laugh pretty hard when he would tell the story.. I confirm that Hoang was left to die with malaria.
I don’t remember the names of any of our KCS’s but one and he just disappeared one night. I won’t tell the story here about why and how that happened, so if you want to know, you’ll have to come to the next reunion. LOL
I do remember others though and often wonder what happened to them after we left. If they didn’t get out, you can bet it wasn’t pleasant. Their fate is a commentary on the whole war effort. We promised to protect them if they came over to our side, then ran off and left them holding the bag. We did the same thing in Iraq and are about to do it again in Afghanistan. When will we ever re-learn the lesson that smashing the living shit out of an enemy as quickly as possible is far better for the natives than trying to win their hearts and minds?
It’s depressing.
Maybe the malaria story was a standard fable. I also remember our KCS saying he never shot Americans, only ARVN’s. That makes me smile just as I did 42 years ago when he was telling that fable.
Yes SR and will reply soon.
LT, Sister Bay is on our calendar, but can’t say yes for sure at this time.
Saddens me to hear of the passing of Ron Staude. He was one of 10 in my original squad. They all lived to come home and Ron is the first to pass. I spent years looking for him. Come to find out I was passing his house by 3 miles when I went to see my daughter in Wisconsin.
I got this email this morning:
Hi Larry at this time i would like to inform you that my husband Ronald Staude passed away on March 10th,2012
Thank you
Vilma Staude
If I remember correctly, he was in Ben Buehler and Bill Clark’s squad. Rest in peace, brother.
SR
The malaria story was Hoang for sure but there may have been others! Hoang was found being left to die and was told by the Americans to bring back several weapons and they then provided him treatment.
if any of the kham duc of 1968 vets read this- i received a blog about doc hoe, the E 2/1 medic then. well done blog. mentions doc losing his son . send me an email and i will forward the blog, if you haven`t seen it.
ben–for what it`s worth, i heard that story, but it was about hoang being left to die, by the NVA. could have happened to both. i don`t remember the 3rd platoon scout.
ben–did you get the email i sent about george lathrop ?
Ben,
I remember a KCS named Coi.
Are you and Marilyn coming to Sister Bay?
Anyone remember the name of 3rd Platoon KCS – 1970? As I remember he was a VC Lt and fought against us in March 69 in Tein Phouc. His comrades left him behind with malaria so he went Chieu Hoi to us.
I have thought about this for days, so decided to post my question. This morning it came to me -Coi or Koi. Anyone agree or clarify?
Ben:
In March our Kit Carson Scouts were Hang, Khoi, and Kieu.
In April our Kit Carson Scouts were Ca, Hoang, Khoi, Lieu, and Minh.
bill–hate to correct you—of sorts—but we sure knew where they were in JAnuary of 70. they were all around us.
chuck –my answer machine don`t work–says it records, but it don`t–and when are you calling ?
glad to c everyone’s elec is back on–lol- howdy was wondering if any one else has input about the grunt that snapped on his FOURTH tour to the war zone. i have tryed to hide most of what went on that whole yr. –the pysces say that is the only to get over stress related events—did not work for me–some of them there memory’s are as vivid as the day it happened. i don’t know if what i stepped into in jan-’70 was rountine-or increased activity
The lousy thing about the infantry is that we never knew where Charlie was but they usually knew where we were. Especially after a re-supply…. all they had to do was look for the popped smoke and follow us from there. May God bless us all, living and dead.
I visit this date daily. It’s like groundhog day. Over and over again. 42 years times 365 days is a lot of visits. SR, I’m out in AZ. Will give you a call.
SR
I will never forget Hoang! I have to wonder if he is still alive! We will never forget specfic days of our Vietnam lives! Bless all you guys!
lt–mentally i doubt many of us have forgotten some events that day, while other events could still be clouded, since so much happened so fast.. you forgot hoang also lost a leg.. i know 2 of our medics still have problems from that day. since they were not offically grunts, their reports were not in our company reports. took me some years to find out more about them.
any 1 know if lou laparl got caught in any michigan tornados ? hope he had his hootch well tied down.
SR,
I was going to do my remembering of that tragic day 42 years ago tomorrow but since you prompted it, here goes. First off Thank God that I am here today and not a casualty of that day! I will always remember those who perished: SFC Walden, Sgt Wayne Peagler and Ga. My thoughts go out to all those wounded on that day such as Johnie Pearson, Mitch Kotula, Bill Connell, Eduardo Martinez, Top Silverman and all the others. I hope that the memories of that day are just that, memories and that your wounds have healed both physically and mentally. God bless you all and God bless C/2/1!
lt–am sure a few of us could be remembering what tomorrow is–and 16 march of 1970
Hey Guys!
What are we on, radio silence again? Starting to get excited about seeing a good bunch of brothers up in Sister Bay, WI. If you haven’t met these guys you should come on up to Door County to spend some time with this group. I was thinking of driving to Rapid City in Sep but decided it was too long a drive and opted to fly.
These guys know the guys that came late in my tour – lots of overlap in time. And some of these guys got into North Vietnam on patrols – AWESOME!
sry for yur loses Ben & Marailyn prayers for strenght from here to there.
Thanks Doc. Will plan on being there!
Reunion dates are Sept. 20-23 at Rapid City
SD. Deadwood gambline, Mount Rushmore
Crazy Horse and the Badlands should be a good
sightseeing event.
Doc
Dates for the reunion in SD are 20-23 Sep! Please make sure all our brothers get this word!
Doc,
What are the dates for Rapid City?
greg–our company was up on a hill. any chance it was some artillary guys that hit the claymore ? were you there when the sappers hit the arty guys ? otherwise, maybe A co. was on/near the airstrip. D co. was on a small hill at one end of the airstrip. was your outfit there the whole time ?
Short round, I remember an LZ getting hit at night that was in front of our perimeter. Maybe a click or two away. We were ordered to saddle up and were going to hump to the LZ but then told to stand down. Don’t remember sappers but remember being mortared every hour on the hour. My plt. sgt. who I’m in contact with says we were there for 33 days. I thought it was two weeks.
What are the dates for the reunion.
Ben & Marilyn Buehler
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Ben & Marilyn. Last week, Ben’s sister Gwen died suddenly and last night, Marilyn’s mother passed away. Keep them in your prayers.
Condolences are coming in and I am so sorry to not let you know before. I know there are many here that truly care about us and I did not let you know. Please understand my emotional resources are stretched a little thin. We came home when Marilyn’s mother was hospitalized. Got home just in time to spend 5 hours with my sister before she died, all her family was present except her youngest grandchildren. And now Marilyn’s mother.
Charlie Co. 2012 reunion
Americinn Inn, Rapid City, SD
tel: 800-634-3444
group block name: Charlie two one
$79.95 plus 8.5 % tax
$2.00 occupancy tax
$5.00 resort fee
per night