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I was stationed at Da Nang in 1965 with VMFA 542 (Fighting Tigers) and in 1966 with VMFA 314 (Black Knights). I was an Aviation Fire Control Technician working on F4Bs. The longest and hardest days there were during Operation Starlite when the flares at night kept the skies brighter than daylight.
We left El Toro California on a training mission to San Clemente Island by LSD USS Alamo March of 1965. Ten days later we were still heading west when our CO opened sealed orders that said we were going to NAS Atsugi where we were to wait for our aircraft to arrive, prepare them for deployment and the get on LST USS Vernon County for deployment to Da Nang Vietnam. At the time none of had a clue as to where Vietnam was so we prepared for war as best we could. Those two years of my life showed me mans inhumanity to man close up and has changed me forever. I have since then been an anti-war activist and basically a constant pain in the ass to several of my politician friends. I will write more later after I take the time to review my memoirs I have written for my kids.
We left El Toro California on a training mission to San Clemente Island by LSD USS Alamo March of 1965. Ten days later we were still heading west when our CO opened sealed orders that said we were going to NAS Atsugi where we were to wait for our aircraft to arrive, prepare them for deployment and the get on LST USS Vernon County for deployment to Da Nang Vietnam. At the time none of had a clue as to where Vietnam was so we prepared for war as best we could. Those two years of my life showed me mans inhumanity to man close up and has changed me forever. I have since then been an anti-war activist and basically a constant pain in the ass to several of my politician friends. I will write more later after I take the time to review my memoirs I have written for my kids.