I served in Vietnam with the United States in-country Naval forces from October 1969-September 1970. I was assigned to the Naval detachment in Nha Trang for about eight months and then I was transfered to Operation Seafloat in the Mekong delta for the remaining four months of my tour. I think that any organization that can help both the veteran of that war and the Vietnamese people is to be commended and honored for their work and dedication. If there are any of my former shipmates who remember me in either duty station please contact me preferably by handwrirren mail.

your site helped me in ways more than one:i understood the aspects,i learnt aboout the past,i found out what they went through and i just want to say thank you. i hope that one day you are read by many so the world understands the details and the truth. i hope and pray that those who fought are either at peace or have justice to their name.
by the way i'm using this foran article oone topic i want to cover is the Menzies Scandal if you have any info send it to me in the next few days, last date is wednesday this week. yoours sincerly deanne..

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tHIS WAS THE BEST SITE EVER ON PICS!!!

Duty Aboard The Command Ship By YNC David M. Brown Joining the service on 8 December 1972 and after 12 weeks of boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, I found myself 10,000 miles away on the USS Blue Ridge LCC 19, moored pier side in White Beach, Okinawa after requesting to be stationed on the east coast of the United States. It was 29 March 1973. I left her 28 December 1976. March/April 1975 Serving in the ships? print shop, in the role of Lithographer and having advanced to Third Class Petty Officer, I soon found myself sleeping in a helicopter on the main deck during the evacuation. I had volunteered as a ?searcher? on the main deck of the ship. This luck was preceded by my active involvement in creating the book of photos for use by the rescue pilots in Vung Tau, which was cancelled, and another one for the city of Saigon. Over 100 photos were turned into halftones, plated, printed on the 36? Miller, and then GBC bound. Both publications were Top Secret. The purpose was to provide the rescue helicopter pilots with a reference point to land their craft in order to evacuate personnel. The photos had landing ?bulls eyes? superimposed on each photo. After the pleasant experience of almost 24-hour days to complete the second of two OPORDERS, requiring many hours of prep, plating and printing of 300 page manuals for fleet operations, we printed large placards of instructions for the Vietnamese refugees to read upon embarking on the ships. One example, which was printed in English and in the Vietnamese language was, ?Do Not Defecate On The Deck?. These were delivered to all the ships in the area. Our ship received the evacuees, US military /government civilians and their families, while the other ships took on the refugees. During the time spent on the main deck as part of the inspection/search team, I saw things that are not so easily forgotten. The amount of weapons, gold, silver and paper money I saw was staggering. One evacuee was troubled that he couldn?t keep his unopened bottle of whiskey, so he walked to the handrail of the ship, opened the bottle, drank half, lifted it to observe the amount left, closed it and threw it overboard. On another occasion, at night with the helo pad lights off (not expecting any inbound flights), a helo sound was heard over the side of the ship near the water. Running lights were seen but not the shape of the helo. All of a sudden, after hovering over the water, the helo rose and landed right on the proper spot for a landing. This took place in the dark. All the people leaving the helo had wet legs from the knees down. Apparently, the helo was taking on water; and was about to sink. It was reported the pilot said he couldn?t see, was on fumes but he prayed to God for help. The next thing he knew the helo lifted up and plopped on the deck just in the right spot. On another occasion, while one helo was unloading passengers, another helo landed. This was a single landing pad. Needless to say, the rotors clashed, spewing chunks of metal everywhere. No one was injured. The pilot stated he was out of gas and was worried about crashing into the sea, killing all aboard. He gambled and won. I saw many weapons thrown overboard, along with two helos. Tossing the helicopters overboard stopped once it was realized two of the ships? antennae were broken off. We are a communications ship and couldn?t be without them. As a result, one helo operator volunteered to fly each subsequent machine, on its last trip to the ship with evacuees, off the ship, over the sea, set the controls and jump out then to be picked up by the ship?s motor whale boat. One such ?helo-dump? attempt ended with the helo flying on its own around the bow of the ship to its starboard side where it crashed, its rotor slashing a three-foot gash in the side of the ship just above the waterline. At that time, ?hit the deck, hit the deck? was announced over the 1MC and as I looked around to see what was happening, I observed a Vietnamese lady and her young child sobbing, crouched under one of the inspection tables. I crawled to her, putting my arm around both her and the child to try to reassure their safety. Many nights I remember seeing multiple rockets coming through the high clouds from the north, arching very, very high in the sky then down through the clouds in the south, but never hearing the explosions. CBS, NBC, ABC and a girl from Rolling Stone magazine were on board for both operations Eagle Pull and Frequent Wind. Being the command ship and evacuating all the dignitaries from South Vietnam must have been the reason for their visit to our ship. Twenty-five years after the event, I saw the evacuation documentary on TV for the very first time. I saw myself crouching next to the Vietnamese Mother and her child. It seems like only yesterday, but it was twenty-eight years ago April 2003.

serviced with americal div. 26th engs.C co.home base DUC PHO july 1970 to july 1971 would like to hear form vets who serviced on DUC PHO

After being there in 68-69, I've still got the pain. But thanks its alittle easier now when knowing others have it too.

I went to vietnam in June 66 and left June 67. I served in 1st batillion and 73rd artillery 1st air tav. artillery. I am looking for a friend named Thomas Long. If you know him please have him e-mail me.

Gene ( corporal Irwin)

Was stationed at Tuy Hoa, Vietnam from Dec. 68 to Dec. 69. The men I served with were the best I have been around. Not a day goes by and I don/t think about those days. Every day I hope and pray that Col. Whittford and Capt. Carrol will be brought back home. I try each day to live up to those who were not able to come home and to those who served before, during and after my time.

thank you for providing such enlightening information. i am a student who know next to nothing about the vietnam war, so i read a lot of the information that was on your website and i have a much better understanding of what occured during our battle with vietnam.

I Been Trying toTo get hold of any body who was
D TROOP 17TH 1ST AVIATON Da Nang
My email [email protected] Nighthawk Team

Hello, I would like to be able to volunteer with your team to serve and educate the people of Vietnam. I hope to be of some help with my medical background. Please contact me of any araising opportunties to volunteer.

Fox 2/1 Nam 69 - No name Island ring a bell?

My tour of duty August 68 to July 69,,,9 Inf Div,,Mekong Delta,,Mobile Riverine Forces,,Long Range Recon Patrol[LRRP] Intel Spec,,Little Eye Radar,,Dong Tam,,Ben Tre,,Phong Dien,,Mytho3/60....God, please have mercy with the soldier that have to kill to protect his friends,,as i did,,, hp

i am a student doing a priject on the vietnam war because we had to pick a war for our project and i chose the vietnam war.my grandpa served in the vietnam war.so i have always been real interseted in this war and thought i would do my project on this war.

God be with all of us for we know nothing of what we do other than what we are shown and told. Thank you for giving me a glimpse of your lives. You are all fine Marines, Soldiers, Airmen and Corpmen. From the bottom of my heart I wish I could have sacrificed my life for all those who were lost in flesh and spirit, I'm sorry I couldn't do that ... I truly am.