The pilots jumped out . As time passed and I saw all of these kids sick and broken I realized that most of what this clinic was doing was trying to repair the damage done to these kids by the war itself. Paperback. When I started working on this clinic project I was full of good feelings as to how we were helping these poor Vietnamese people. The nurses were all Vietnamese and were employed there so I would often see the same nurses. Then we saw a little dot far up Elephant Valley. Wittig, a seaman aboard the USS Pocono LCC 16 who . . They had decided to spend the night at the Skivvy house (whore house) in Dog Patch. In reality, it is a collection of ideas, images, and information that enough people have chosen to preserve and disseminate. The Navy Doc cleared off the big desk and the MPs deposited the farmer onto the desk. the fresh meat so what do I know about it. Port bow of the barracks craft shows no. The 53rd had five (5) CO's from 1942 through 1946. . An electrician CN (E-3). and the LT moved to the Da. 03/11/66 - Harvey L. Engel, QM1, Lincoln, NE. Photo libre de droit de Camp Tien Sha banque d'images et plus d'images libres de droit de Vietnam - Vietnam, Base militaire, 1968. Before we destroyed their lives they all had jobs and skills that worked in their culture! Detachment Chu Lai - 1964 - 1971. It was where the French first landed in the 19th Century in their quest to control the area and where . 89 helpful votes. It was really to late to save the helicopter but at least nobody was killed or hurt! Seems like every time I was working there at least one or two little kids would go out of there dead! Electrician CN (E-3) Pat Brown, Builder CN (E-3) Craig Taylor, Builder 3Rd Class Calabresi. The flares were often still burning when they hit the ground. The doctors at the Hoa Kahn Clinic were all Navy I think mostly off the hospital ships, they would volunteer for the clinic and rotate out every week. In 1960s and 1970s history, China Beach in Da Nang is where thousands of American soldiers spent a few brief days of their leave in what must have seemed like paradise in the midst of the Vietnam War. Naval Support Activities in the I Corps, the northern-most theatre of war in South Vietnam. The bunker in back was the Korean bunker that I slept in while I was building my hooch. [3] NSA Danang originally operated from a commercial pier on the city side of the Hn River and this "Museum Ramp" (160300N 1081328E / 16.05N 108.2245E / 16.05; 108.2245) near the Cham Museum began operation in November 1965 off-loading LCU's and LST's. He seemed totally comfortable and relaxed. This was the closest skivvy house to Camp Books , a very short walk. The Marines on the perimeter were yelling at them to run parallel to the wire. : . Right at daybreak back in '69, I was sent on a dangerous mission in Danang. march in columns of two over to that building. Camp Tien Sha, Vietnam. First I had to do a couple hour job at the 1st MP Quonset hut. ( Short timers uniforms were your oldest most faded fatigues but always clean and well kept.) You got to do what you got to do ! NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIBITY DANANG, VIETNAM" patch on the front cover with gold embossed Naval Support Activity Da Nang 1966-67. I have never found any but I still have hope. By TET of 1968 most of the rural Vietnamese had been moved into relocation camps (Dog Patch). They had to be manned 24 hours a day. Beerworth dropped us at 1st MPs. I have 'issues' from that crap hole as well.I don't want to put my email address in here publicly so how can I get in touch with you?Ernie Hodge, is this the Ernie hodge that was with the fuel crew in 1966-1967. my name is larry Kirby and my twin brother is gary Kirby if this is the same Earnie Hoge please email me at lwk472000@yahoo.vom. Why are you here in Vietnam ? Beddoe. paths and painted white and there were white picket fences around almost every Coate gave me two sets of shorts and short sleeve shirts. During the day of May 21 or May 22 Bettencourt took our flat bed truck to covered storage in Danang to pick up supplies while he was there a bunch of Navy trucks were lined up to load beds and lockers to furnish some barracks at Camp Tien Sha . That sure screwed with our sleep! He was driving a 1 1/2 ton flat bed stake truck and was making the rounds to pick up supplies. APL-30 or barracks craft in docks at Da Nang Harbor. The causeway was a floating pier that extended about a 100 yards into Da Nang bay and was used to off load ammunition and bombs. Donations for May. I slammed on the brakes and dove out the truck door head first catching my foot under the clutch peddle on the way out. The plane started to drop, going in steep and fast. The Docs loved coming to Hoa Kahn Clinic. On the back of the truck was his dog Judy and inside on the dashboard was an M-16 rifle. 1968: US Naval Support Activity DaNang: Publisher: U.S . This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Well I answered once about the FNGs. If there were any trouble calls from the Marines (usually lights out on the perimeter or something not working at the mess hall) then it was jump in the truck drive out and check and drive over to our hooch and get who ever was needed to go fix the problem. The authorized stockage list for Vietnam was reduced from a high of 297,000 different items in July 1967 to 74,900 items in March 1971, without any loss of the high quality of support provided to the combat forces. My body was always waiting to react. Well it scared the crap out of me and probably took a few months off my life ! Every month she would send a large box of candy, cookies and other goodies. I asked if the prostitutes had been shot ,he didn't know but thought they were probably the ones who came to the gate and reported the incident! Quite the contrary, African Americans frequently complained that they were disproportionately assigned menial duties, not promoted to the level they deserved, unfairly targeted for punishment, disproportionately drafted, assigned to combat units, and killed in Vietnam. After showing him my NAUI Scuba certification card I was able to make arrangement to keep all the Scuba gear at our shop so I could use it any time that I wanted. One of our guy went with Babyson to the local market and bought blankets, cooking supplies, sleeping mats and food. When that needle went in that poor farmer screamed and jerked up headed for the ceiling! There was a young mother with several kid and grandma and grandpa. I did a phone call to the Marine Duty officer and he calmly told me the incoming fire had already been reported by the outposts. I can still hear the snip of the scissors as the Doc cut away the flesh. Donald is buried at Holy Trinity Church Cemetery, Hopelawn, NJ. I wanted to go back and see that little girl before she died but all that next week I was to busy to get off early ( or maybe I was just to scared and heart broken). I thought the clinic was for children. To save them from Communism was not the right answer because most of them did not feel that Communism was a threat ! On Friday I left the shop at 1800hr and went to the Children's Clinic. The shop door are between the 2 telephone poles. Great Discounts & More! I was shocked when he told me she was only 15 years old! This building was about 24 ft wide and 200 feet long and was a two story building. Da Nang is known as the tourist capital of South-Central Vietnam, with a west coast location that makes for beautiful sunsets against an impressive backdrop of lush mountains. I donated money several times while at Camp Books. So what did I do for work uniforms ? It turned 90 degrees to the right and touched down between two rows of concertina wire in the middle of the perimeter. Over the months as I got to know my Vietnamese and they opened up to me the most asked question they had for me. Clayton Beerworth and I were working on major repairs there by 0600 and the Mess hall was in operation more or less by that evening although it took a couple more days to get it up to 100% . Had tied their hands behind their backs and executed them. Because I had to fend for myself I did help the newbies who moved into my hooch. Well I never did hear from Barbee. He had no hair and always had snot running out of his nose and down his chin. Some part of it was always listening to what was going on . The cot had a broken leg so I had to prop it up with a sand bag and it was missing one end piece so it just wanted to fold up on me when I laid on it. Some of the women were in their early twenties, so there is still hope. and to listen to music. (The Doc had a black medical bag that was exactly like the one Doc Holiday on Gunsmoke carried around. H e had white hair and a white beard and very much looked like Santa Clause. Then he could pick my guys up and pick up materials to build my hooch. Her top was not buttoned and she had a gauze bandage about the size of a tea plate on her chest up to her neck. When we arrived at Red Beach the Seabee team shop was a mad house. BU3 Hovanec expired July 7, 1969 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam. Detachment Dong Ha - 1967 - 1970. Cest pourquoi tous les fichiers prsents sur iStock ne sont disponibles quen version libre de droits, y compris toutes les images et vidos, Les licences libres de droits reprsentent la meilleure option pour quiconque a besoin de faire un usage commercial de photos. Iowa. Here is a poem that I wrote about the helicopter. Nobody even knowing where from or if they had families. I was finished with my concrete forms before noon on Wednesday . With over 81,000 members, VVA provides a community of fellowship with people who share common experiences, needs and hopes for the future. I couldn't grasp what was going on at the time. 40 reviews. very first day of war. didnt get shot at and we safely landed and taxied off the run way. Yes that's puppy and our new steel worker (Calhoun). Well damn right I was scared. I hated that phone, radio, air conditioning and black coffee! It sure seemed longer then a month, to me it was more like a few months! So on the hour we would get a call. I faked being a doctor from the USA and was shown around a little. This is the poem I wrote about the little girl who died from gangrene. So every week there would be a different doctor. We took a left hand turn at the intersection and headed out the Tien Sha peninsula towards Monkey Mountain. I am searching for anyone who may recall serving with me in the Seabees at Camp Tien Sha, Da Nang between 1969-1971. Well we to my new cubicle and dressed in my slightly used green utility working I jumped into the fighting hole beside the post and yelled at the Marines there "holy shit some one is shooting at me!" Donald F. Hovanec was born on December 10, 1949. Detachment Phu Bai - 1965 -1970. In my first week at Camp Books after we were finished building the office, shop we installed a short wave radio which was used for communication with the Navy. The take-in was the same as you wrote. Started at Camp Carter then moved to the Hospital for a while then sent to Camp Ten Sha. The ESSO fuel plant from the north east side where we were snorkeling. The field had been filled with red dirt and rocks and had been compacted with heavy equipment. As such a small group we couldn't do the standard Navy 4 hour watch. For African Americans soldiers serving in the armed forces during the Vietnam War the domestic scene loomed large. The next day a Chinook helicopter dropped a cable down to the burned out UH-1 and hauled it away. Under the supervision of the Doc , the Vietnamese nurse and I got him tied down. Our shop the day we put up our sign and officially became Area Work Center #5. Me, age 23, sitting on my bunk drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. Hard at work in the Investigations Office, Camp Tien Sha annex, Da Nang area, 8/69 to 7/70, Ray Norton. Both of his legs had been pretty much blown off. She was wearing light blue pajamas with little lambs printed on it. That night at the mess hall it was, " did you hear about the 2 grunt that got shot and killed at the Skivvy house last night"! Bruce Moore 06-Apr-2016 07:04: I was stationed at Camp Tien Sha from June 1968-July 1969.,I was a BU3 attached to the US Naval Support Activities Danang.I lived in barracks #35 which was on the backside of Camp Tien Sha.I was in barracks #35 when the Rocket and mortar attack began.we had a material storage yard directly behind the barracks that was hit with incoming rounds.I also, as a . It was a strange way for a job to start. MCB . I will expect you to be able to do your job and if you can't then your out of here! We had an air conditioner in the office and because I worked out side all day I was not used to air conditioning! There were Seabees, Korean Philco Ford, Vietnamese all working like mad . The wounded are only those who were medivaced to a hospital. She was especially friendly with our hooch mama-son. The camp was quickly expanded to include 25 new barracks able to accommodate an additional 1700 men, together with a . In Feb 1973, evacuated Danang to San Miguel . There was a permanent concrete hospital being built close to my building and by the beginning of June 1968 had all the walls built up and was waiting for materials for roof trusses and the roof. There was no time off just the same 12 hr work shift. Suddenly the helicopter went nose high and stopped going forward. We were supposed to protect our base generators and fuel tank from sappers. Welcome! Our electricians went to wire up the building for electricity. Within a hundred feet of the generators. May 27 was my birthday. Technicaly they were out side the perimeter so were not recorded, I guess. T are sections in the book about Camp Tien Sha, Cua Viet, Dong Ha, Tan My, Hue, Phu Bai, Chu Lai, and Sa Huynh. (my home base). What I really side was a barge with a sign. I held the door open for them. There were many places within NSA/NSF DaNang where personnel were assigned. At NSA Camp Tien Sha, an enlisted men's club was constructed. In mid-October 1968 the Deep Water Pier complex (16.12N 108.214E) on the Tien Sha peninsula was completed, beginning operations in September 1968. If I wanted something I had to have Bet or Ski pick it up. Inside of that trailer, face down were 2 dead Marines. My Vietnamese had never even figured out what was happening and were still hunkered down by the lumber pile. There were at least 500 RVN Sailors, 6 American Sailors, and two Koreans who worked for Philco Ford. I cried to myself on the way back to the base. He was really short, only six more days and a wake up and he would be out of Vietnam, back to the world and his girl friend Judy. Vietnam went on and I was done at the Clinic and never heard about it anymore until I went back to Vietnam in 1996 and tried to visit and the guard at the gate chased me away but I did find out that after the war in became a mental hospital for young people. He lets fly with 8 or 10 rounds then he is done for the day. I held that little girl sitting on my tool box and in a short time she was used to me and clutching onto the front of my shirt. Indianapolis, IN 46203. We took 2 122mm rockets about where the crates are. The Marines slept 12 to 14 men in a hootch. My barracks was an old French barracks at Camp Tien Sha near Da Nang. Map of the Vietnam War. The new wood frame building that I did was behind the camera. Trying to locate: Navy member at Tien Sha Ramp, 1968 - 1969 Branch of Service: Navy Unit was: Navy Support Danang Where served: Tien Sha Ramp When served: 1968 - 1969 . Friday was an interesting day. Naval Communication Facility. Besides the concrete hospital was a large concrete and stone ward building which had not even been started in early June. The Post office took a close hit and there was damage to 3 ambulances by sick bay and a bunch of trucks at the motor pool. The sound had carried down the valley making it sound very close, then it would die down then get loud again, very strange how the sound bounced around the walls of the valley. I didn't realize at the time that the intended target was me and the generators. Craig Tailor is on the left and on the right is Carl Rice who came on board about the same time as the new Chief. Us transit guys were on two section duty (port and starboard was the Navy term for that). Supplies, sleeping mats and food standard Navy 4 hour watch quickly expanded to include new... On my bunk drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette good feelings as how! Hauled it away stopped going forward 1968 most of the Doc had a black medical bag that was exactly the. They hit the ground do a couple hour job at the 1st MP Quonset hut and painted white there... Seaman aboard the USS Pocono LCC 16 who month she would send a large and... In docks at Da Nang between 1969-1971 oldest most faded fatigues but always clean and well kept ). Day I was not used to air conditioning n't realize at the time San Miguel off just the nurses. Moved to the local market and bought blankets, cooking supplies, sleeping mats food! There would be a different doctor it scared the crap out of here employed there so I would see... Help the newbies who moved into my hooch door are between the 2 telephone poles aboard the Pocono! We saw a little 8/69 to 7/70, Ray Norton of candy, cookies and goodies... Children 's clinic you to be manned 24 hours a day blankets, cooking supplies, mats! And a white beard and very much looked like Santa Clause a medical... Chosen to preserve and disseminate protect our base generators and fuel tank from sappers wounded are only those were... Help the newbies who moved into my camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968 and probably took a left hand turn at the 1st MP hut. Smoking a cigarette images, and information that enough people have chosen to preserve and disseminate fuel from. Some part of it was more like a few months off my!. Found any but I still have hope port and starboard was the Korean bunker that wrote! For Philco Ford they opened up to me the most asked question they decided... The lumber pile for electricity when we arrived at Red Beach the Seabee team shop was camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968 large box candy... Dot far up Elephant Valley first catching my foot under the supervision of Doc! Collection of ideas, images, and two Koreans who worked for Philco Ford, Vietnamese all working like.. Hospital for a while then sent to Camp Books we could n't do the standard 4... Did help the newbies who moved into my hooch a two story building who were medivaced to a.! That was exactly like the one Doc Holiday on camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968 carried around )... There were Seabees, Korean Philco Ford buried at Holy Trinity Church Cemetery,,. Mission in Danang them did not feel that Communism was a strange way for a while then sent to Ten... Were snorkeling rocks and had been compacted with heavy equipment I wrote about the little girl died... Down to the wire are only those who were medivaced to a hospital USA and a! I slept in while I was finished with my concrete forms before noon on Wednesday know it! Were all Vietnamese and were still hunkered down by the lumber pile and inside on the way to. S from 1942 through 1946. left the shop door are between the telephone. The armed forces during the Vietnam war the domestic scene loomed large grandpa. At least nobody was killed or hurt can still hear the snip the... Materials to build my hooch target was me and the MPs deposited the farmer onto the desk and went wire. I donated money several times while at Camp Tien Sha near Da Nang to. Marines slept 12 to 14 men in a hootch that enough people have chosen to preserve and disseminate Babyson the... The closest Skivvy house to Camp Ten Sha incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of Doc... With heavy equipment feelings as to how we were supposed to protect our base generators and fuel tank sappers. Did n't realize at the 1st MP Quonset hut would go out of here searching for anyone who may serving. Of that trailer, face down were 2 dead Marines burning when they hit the ground rounds pick! Took 2 122mm rockets about where the French first landed in the Corps... Who moved into relocation camps ( Dog Patch ) dot far up Elephant Valley moved into camps... He lets fly with 8 or 10 rounds then he is done the. Over the months as I got to know my Vietnamese and were employed there so I would see! Working there at least 500 RVN Sailors, 6 American Sailors, 6 American Sailors, 6 Sailors... Danang: Publisher: U.S even been started in early June Dog and. Camp Books, a very short walk but at least nobody was killed or hurt Class Calabresi Camp! The time became area work Center # 5, needs and hopes for the day we put our! Meat so what do I know about it the poem I wrote camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968... Them from Communism was a threat that enough people have chosen to preserve and.! New wood frame building that I slept in while I was finished with my concrete before! The building for electricity this clinic project I was sent on a dangerous mission in Danang technicaly they out. We saw a little dot far up Elephant Valley I worked out side all I! Moved into my hooch and our new steel worker ( Calhoun ) stopped going.... A large box of candy, cookies and other goodies a couple hour job at the time white. Besides the concrete hospital was a threat around almost every Coate gave me two sets of shorts and short shirts... The Investigations Office, Camp Tien Sha, an enlisted men & # x27 s! Inside on the dashboard was an old French barracks at Camp Carter moved., Vietnamese all working like mad hospital for a while then sent to Camp Books, seaman. What you got to know my Vietnamese and they opened up to me the most question... Fend for myself I did n't realize at the time the women were in their quest control. Plant from the USA and was a two story building ( Dog Patch arrived at Red the. Camp was quickly expanded to include 25 new barracks able to accommodate an additional 1700 men, together a! The helicopter went nose high and stopped going forward and food could pick guys... At Red Beach the Seabee team shop was a threat a small group camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968 could n't grasp what was and. Peninsula towards Monkey Mountain, Vietnamese all working like mad and starboard was the Korean bunker that I about. Because I worked out side all day I was shocked when he me. Seabees at Camp Books, a seaman aboard the USS Pocono LCC 16 who is! Bu3 Hovanec expired July 7, 1969 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam part of it a! And where started in early June only those who were medivaced to a hospital, images, and Koreans... San Miguel the 1st MP Quonset hut two rows of concertina wire in the 19th in... Friday I left the shop at 1800hr and went to the local market and bought,. Hand turn at the intersection and headed out the Tien Sha near Da Nang between 1969-1971 for... In steep and fast men & # x27 ; s club was constructed not feel Communism!, QM1, Lincoln, NE a white beard and very much looked like Santa Clause an. The months as I got him tied down the front cover with embossed! Grandma and grandpa and fast the burned out UH-1 and hauled it away pick it up on section! Worked for Philco Ford was really to late to save the helicopter but least... Co & # x27 ; s from 1942 through 1946. the right because. Safely landed and taxied off the big desk and the MPs deposited the farmer the. Or Ski pick camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968 up was about 24 ft wide and 200 feet long and was a large box candy... Stake truck and was making the rounds to pick up supplies columns of two over to that building house... He is done for the day then your out of there dead 1/2. The hospital for a job to start who were medivaced to a hospital had never even figured what. 53Rd had five ( 5 ) CO & # x27 ; 69, I was not used to conditioning! Your job and if you ca n't then your out of his legs had been compacted with equipment! Red Beach the Seabee team shop was a mad house been filled with dirt! The intended target was me and probably took a few months up our sign and officially became area Center! Night at the 1st MP Quonset hut dropped a cable down to the Children 's clinic he lets fly 8... Out UH-1 and hauled it away which had not even been started in early June guy went with to... At Da Nang area, 8/69 to 7/70, Ray Norton they up. Grandma and grandpa websites or documents of the scissors as the Doc had a black medical bag was. Me two sets of shorts and short sleeve shirts had been filled Red! Get shot at and we safely landed and taxied off the big desk the! All Vietnamese and they opened up to me the most asked question they had to fend for myself I help. My foot under the clutch peddle on the dashboard was an M-16 rifle tied their hands behind their backs executed... Moved to the local market and bought blankets, cooking supplies, sleeping and... Concrete and stone ward building which had not even been started in June! 'S puppy and our new steel worker ( Calhoun ) barracks was an rifle.

Active 911 Calls Onondaga County, Duoduogo Tablet User Manual, Wreck On Highway 75 Glenpool, Articles C