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I served at Phan Rang AFB w/ the 35th AEMS
Armament & Electronics Squadron June 1968 to June of 69. We were working nights in the Auto Pilot Shop when the base got hit by mortor fire. Happened within 45 Minutes After the Midnight Shift Change. I can't remember what time that was but we had just had Midnight Chow at the Flight Line Chow Hall. I think ours closed after the Evening meal. A group of guys had breakfast before going into work and had made the walk (about a mile) on the street parallel to the revetment area to work at the Autopilot shop Bruce Feldman was left at the Chow Hall. He was one of the guys in the shop and short timing it. He said he was going to take a little more time with his meal and he was going to be late. (It was expected when your time left in country was less than a month.) He was right behind the Tower when the mortor hit. From where he was pick up and the location of the explosion it landed 6 to 8 ft away from him right in the middle of the street which parallels the flight line. At a briefing we were told that he was lucky because It was an old Chinese Mortor left over from WWII. or it would have blown him up. He got shrapnel and had his spleen injured from concussion. We was med-evac'd to Cam Rahn Bay. We had a chance to visit him a week or two Later and he looked jaundiced. I think that he died because I think I found his name on the War Memorial. Sgt Bruce Feldman. I never knew if it was him or not or not. I would like to hear if he did. He was a nice guy. Thanks for the opportunity to tell my story. It was a great experiance with a great bunch of young guys. Sorry the country didn't appreciate the effort or learn anything from it. We were put at risk by a system that didn't tell the truth.They lied to the American People we were given vests and helments in October and Remember receiving weekly security briefings at the chow hall and we were told that unprecidented incursions of North Vietnamese were coming into the country. At the same time people home were being told that we were winning. How could we win when our hands were tied behind our backs??? I now feel bad about the guys who went to Korea before and Desert Storm after. Still pissed at being spit on when I made it home. Sorry
Armament & Electronics Squadron June 1968 to June of 69. We were working nights in the Auto Pilot Shop when the base got hit by mortor fire. Happened within 45 Minutes After the Midnight Shift Change. I can't remember what time that was but we had just had Midnight Chow at the Flight Line Chow Hall. I think ours closed after the Evening meal. A group of guys had breakfast before going into work and had made the walk (about a mile) on the street parallel to the revetment area to work at the Autopilot shop Bruce Feldman was left at the Chow Hall. He was one of the guys in the shop and short timing it. He said he was going to take a little more time with his meal and he was going to be late. (It was expected when your time left in country was less than a month.) He was right behind the Tower when the mortor hit. From where he was pick up and the location of the explosion it landed 6 to 8 ft away from him right in the middle of the street which parallels the flight line. At a briefing we were told that he was lucky because It was an old Chinese Mortor left over from WWII. or it would have blown him up. He got shrapnel and had his spleen injured from concussion. We was med-evac'd to Cam Rahn Bay. We had a chance to visit him a week or two Later and he looked jaundiced. I think that he died because I think I found his name on the War Memorial. Sgt Bruce Feldman. I never knew if it was him or not or not. I would like to hear if he did. He was a nice guy. Thanks for the opportunity to tell my story. It was a great experiance with a great bunch of young guys. Sorry the country didn't appreciate the effort or learn anything from it. We were put at risk by a system that didn't tell the truth.They lied to the American People we were given vests and helments in October and Remember receiving weekly security briefings at the chow hall and we were told that unprecidented incursions of North Vietnamese were coming into the country. At the same time people home were being told that we were winning. How could we win when our hands were tied behind our backs??? I now feel bad about the guys who went to Korea before and Desert Storm after. Still pissed at being spit on when I made it home. Sorry