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as usual–leave it to grunts, no 1 i talked to knew what the 1:30 pm short service at the WALL was all about. getting there at 1:30, jan and I never did see the “short service”. was good talking with the grunts there and even a few F-TROOPERS. they had their best brigade turn out ever. somehow “doc” mc knight got there-in his motorized mini APC .he also wore a neck brace from recent surgery to hopefully return proper movement to his neck and hands.
we got used fatigues on 3 feb of 70-why i don`t know. what i do know was other circumstances that added to a grunt being a qualified grunt, besides being shot at and booby trapped, was having fatigues that were rotted out at the crotch. added achievement was picking off leeches and other critters from nearby body parts. brown stains on the rear side, due to drinking bad water also enhanced the grunt experience. AHHHHH–the grunt memories.
I want to thank Terry Roberts for a contribution for the web site. It was great to see you and your wonderful wife, brother!
The time in DC was really great! In attendance were myself , Larry Harper, Bill Connell, Pancho, Doof, SR, Ray Johnson, Ben Buehler, Gary Gibson. Most of the spouses attended. Lurch I am saddened that we didn’t get to spend more time with you and I will add I thought you looked good. Maybe it was the beard or something! We are working on a plan to let Bill Porath aka Doof hold a reunion in Escanaba MI maybe in SEP of 2014. Any thoughts or input you may have are welcomed!
Well, the son is married and all went well. Told the bride no returns. We gained 3 more grand kids so I am going to have to come out of retirement to support the 5 we have as you want to be a grand kid of my wife’s.
Glad all went well at the reunion & hope I live to see the next one.
Back from DC safe and sound…….Nice to see everyone happy and healthy…..Short Round…We missed ya! …….Hey Bill Beckum….. How was the wedding?…I thought I had a cool 196th hat….I was outgunned on that deal….Many fancy hats and shirts etc…..Regarding BC and other Brass coming to the field, it does ring a bell that we were told to get squared away even if they were just flying over.
I remember one incident of a BC coming to the field. And it was complete BS. We were sent out Shaving gear and stuff so we would be clean shaven when he arrived. I was not always with Charlie (90mm assigned to any company temporarily at first) so it might not have been with Charlie but does it ring any bells with anyone else?
It didn’t involve a BC, but we were once sent clean fatigues to change into before we CA’d out of the bush and back to Danang. A single bird landed in the LZ first and kicked out some boxes of jungle fatigues. We had to change right there before the lift came to get us so we’d look sharp when we got back to the rear.
LT–beautiful folks ??????? huh ??? i agree many of the wives are still beautiful, but in my wildest flashbacks, i`ve never seen a beautiful grunt,specially after 30 or more straight days in the bush..think most grunts would be offended to be referred to as beautiful. i sure would. couthfull-yes–beautiful-no. dare i ask if you smoked some unusual stuff while in a rear area ?
Hi guys ….My wife and I will be arriving on Friday afternoon and will be staying at the Embassy Suites at 1250 22nd Street NW…..because they have smoking rooms ! Any body else staying there?……Gary…..I think I am pretty normal….except for drinking, smoking, and bad language…….God forgives…. the wife, not so much.
Boy, I wish I were coming. If I were, I’d be at the Embassy too. Screw the smoke-Nazi’s!
But, not this time. 4 trips to Oklahoma City and 2 trips to Colorado Springs in about 6 weeks has just about busted my travel budget for awhile.
Ben,
If the capitol visit is after Thursday Tai is interested!
Just got off the phone with Gary Gibson (RTO with 3rd Platoon) and he plans to join us.
Ben, sign us up!
SR,
When are you arriving and where are you staying. Larry, Ben, Terry, Bill Porath and I are staying at the Hyatt so it would be natural for us to meet up at the hospitality room. I will be in on Thursday afternoon. If you want my cell number to link up, let me know and I will email it to you. You know what it gave us something we will always have, a brotherhood of beautiful folks we might never have known!
where and when will some be meeting in D.C. ?
Jim, it must of changed! The closest mine came to being shot was when they ordered a shot at the “Officers” or “EM” clubs.
Gary, what I am not normal? Just because I sleep with a hand gun under my pillow and a shot gun under my bed doesn’t make me normal. I agree with you Gary.
Can I say something just between us?
Fuck Vietnam and what it did to us all. None of are normal because of that place.
Bill: That may have been another difference between the early and later days.
Colonel Weddle and SGM Black were often on the ground and quite nearby the line companies during Attleboro, Junction City, Gadsden and Cedar Falls, etc.
A few times I was under fire with both of them.
I’ll admit that their fatigues were usually somewhat cleaner than mine.
Jim,
One man’s opinion batallion commanders & SM getting CIB when what I witness was them flying out to the field in their press field fatigues, dragging out a map, pointing at a distant hill, get back on the copper in their starch fatigues, flying away & we started humping. They may have earned the first two the old fashion way but I question the last CIB.
The only time I ever saw the BC in the field was when he dropped in by chopper to “consult” with our CO. I only saw the Brigade Commander in the bush once, when we went directly from an operation in Antenna Valley to one near Thien Phouc.
It was a “warm” LZ, with a lot of outgoing fire but only a little sporadic incoming from some snipers or something. The Brigade Commander (Hathaway, I think) was standing upright shouting something as the Battalion Commander, Hank Watson, crawled up next to him like an obedient puppy. Hathaway leaned over and said something stern to Watson, whereupon he stood up too.
I know all this because I was sitting there on the edge of the LZ enjoying a casual meal of C-rats and watching the whole thing.
My Congressman can line up a tour for us of the Capital. If anyone is interested I need to know how many.
There were quite a few batallion commanders and Sergeants-major in the early days to have earned CIBs in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
2/1’s initial commander, LTC Charles Weddle, and first SGM, John Black, were two of these.
I wonder if that number diminished later on
Thanks Lt! One is enough for me.
Bill,
You get them by being in various conflicts such as WWII,
Korea and Vietnam. They have award designs for up to 8 awards but by law at this time you can only have 3 awards.
I want to thank Bill Connell for a generous donation for the web site expenses. See you in DC in just a few days, brother.
LT,
How do you earn three? I understand how to get the first one but number two and three I do not.
Thanks LT. Looks like I got the wrong one. It’s coming off.
Jim,
The CIB CAN BE AWARDED UP TO THREE TIMES ONLY. THE FIRST AWARD HAS NO STAR, THE SECOND HAS ONE 5 POINTED STAR AND THE THIRD AWARD HAS TWO 5 POINTED STARS, I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE COLORING OF THE ONE YOU HAVE BUT IT SHOULD BE A BLUE BACKGROUND WITH A SILVER RIFLE OR TOTALLY BLACK FOR A SUBDUED ONE.
CIB question. I’ve bought CIB decals on line and have them on the window and rear windshield of my car. I put one on recently and then noticed a few days later that it is not blue, more like silver gray. And has a star in the middle of it on top. I will probably remove it and replace it with a regular one but I’m wondering what it is? I assume I ordered the wrong thing. I don’t want someone thinking I earned a silver star or, worse, was a one-star general!
I know I can look it up, but it’s more fun talking here and maybe others would like to get stuff like this. Easy enough to google. I also have a 196th LIB “patch” decal on one of my windows.
Infantry
I don’t know if it has to do with the sequster business or what: I need to see the audiology people at the VA to see about a hearing aid (90mm and a booby trap did a job on my ears). I dialed the audiology extension about 30 times over three weeks before I got through. No ans. machine, no voice mail. Young lady who I finally reached said she gets 100 calls a day and can’t do any better.
Jim, do you have a primary care doctor with the v.a. If so, let the doc set up an appointment for you. If you don’t, you should set up an appointment with the v.a. to get a primary.Tooch
Right. The VA is a clinic-based system, much like Army medicine, and a patient can’t make an appointment with a specialty clinic on his own unless he has an “open” file for some continuing problem. And, just because you’ve been to the audiology clinic at some point in the past does not automatically mean your file is open. Your primary care provider can refer you to the clinic much easier and faster than you can force your way in.
To make the system work for you, you’ve got to know how the system works.
Terry: Beats a mop and a tooth brush to clean 5 ton trucks!
Ater returning home to “The World” while stationed @ Ft Lewis they gave me a military drivers license, a 5 ton truck and said ” go fight forest fires in eastern Washington”. Ended up being the most worthwhile time spent in the Army. Big respect for what those people do. Stay safe Larry, see you next week.
Is it better than what I did when I got back to The World? I just started to college and stayed drunk and/or dope up for a year. 🙂
Good for you! Nice to be in a situation to help others.