Advanced party departed Bearcat Mar 10, 1968, with the remainder of the company to follow, for Hue Phu Bi to support the just arrived in country 101st Airborne/Airmobile Division. 101st. If you're interested, I can send you a picture of Col. Meyer and the Thai commander. The armored vehicles within the battalion were divided between A and C Company. the communist troops of North Vietnam finally seized Saigon, and at that time many Americans regarded that singular event as the personification of a senseless war; i.e., the Vietnamese won . Due to the ferocity and boldness of the enemy attacks, the escorts remained at Bearcat until the roadway could be cleared in the morning. I do remember doing alot of guard duty at the 2 gates. Only about ten percent of us did guard duty. I am not. The Australian enlisted personnel in the detachment shared the same billets with the A Company MP Detachment. 6)
It is kind of sad that we didn't deploy and return as units. I was in the Air Force seven months having "retreaded" out of the Army (1st 34th Inf, 24th Inf Div). There's more than a half million veterans participating there. of the Army recognizing my time with the 86th and VA because of Dept. History. from 1969-70Sgt. 22 August Discipline, law and order patrol and convoy escort activities were curtailed at the detachment due to the assignment of forty Battalion enlisted men and one officer in support of the Drug Abuse Treatment/Holding Center (DAHC) on Long Binh Post. Anyone in this crowd (including children) might toss a grenade into a truck., Bunker, 1967: Troops of the 77th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division hunker down in a partially completed bunker to escape the mayhem of 3,600 of our own 105mm Howitzer rounds light off at knee level in all directions. Untrained but inspired by combat photographers, he brought one of the eras ubiquitous Brownie camerasbefore investing $94 in an Asahi Pentax SLRto record his experience. Approximately 3,000 U.S. troops of various support units were still operating at the base. Just seeing those clouds again brought me back to III Corps 1969. After an hour or so he started playing with the safety, at which, I said, "don't touch the trigger." HQ were also located there. So too in Bearcat I was really adept at finding and confiscating the Mary Janes in the company area in Bearcat. We were heading to the blown bridge to check and guard. More dust
Jack, you have created a brilliant and haunting explanation of why the war in Vietnam was so difficult to fight. 25 August 1998. The 104th was still operational right to the last days of the war and Australia's withdrawn. AAORLL's 1968. Just found this blog - great info. Infusion, 1967: "Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Division (red, white and blue unit patches) based at Bearcat (Camp Martin Cox) are trucked to a waiting Caribou aircraft for the flight to their new units." All quotes in this caption and the ones that follow come from photographer Christopher Gaynor. Hq & A Co. and the 709th Bn. [1] The camp took its name from its Special Forces radio call sign.[2][3]. If you ever had company duty, youll know what Im talking about. 26 May The responsibility for drug violations processing reverted from the 8th MP Group Criminal Investigation Divisions (CID) to the line duty MPs, including processing of all evidence and reports. Commanding General. In Vietnam . You were there about a year after I left. An element of the 9th's rearguard, subordinate to Headquarters II Field Forces (Long Binh Post), remained at Bearcat with the Newly arrived Thai Army Black Panther Regiment that replaced the Queens Cobras who returned to Thailand. Probably just tales told us by those who were short. Personal Reflection "I was transferred to Bearcat on 6 October 1968 as an original member of the A Company detachment who took over from the 9th Infantry Division MP's. We just wanted to bring our hearts and minds back in one piece. Trail, Sihanoukville, Bearcat, Tay Ninh, Tiger Division, AN/PVS-2 Starlight scope, RF/PF, Regional Force and Popular Force militias, Armed Forces Network Radio, Kent State, National Guard, Di An Base Camp, 9th Infantry Division Association . 7)
He told me a story about guard duty. Still looking for a roster from that time frame to show I was there. I was down at Long Thanh North as well. The A Company detachment was responsible for the entire operation and liaison with the Royal Thailand Army Vietnam Force Military Police Company also based at Bearcat. According to unverified information, the Bearcat base was renamed on 4 July 1966 to Camp Martin Cox for SFC Martin Cox who was killed in action on 7 April 1966. (I think B company). https://www.vietnam272nd.com/ Bear Cat was the
You will find that each site has a mix of Vietnam War photos, memorabilia, stories, etc. water. Although the rear echelons (behind the lines) were considered safe in conventional wars, there were no safe places in Vietnam and standing guard was vitally important duty. Took the water right out of the river below and kept it up pretty much all day long. [Home] [Up] [SettinguptheTrip] [HoChiMinhCity(Saigon)andArea] [TheConsulateand"TheRoof"] [LongBinhandBearCat] [IntotheDelta] [CanThoRiverMarket] [CanThoCity] [TheBridgeatTanTru] [Miscellaneous] [FinalThoughts] [EMailsandBlogs]. Gen. Reese M. Howell (Acting) Assistant Division Commander. Mike Williams, HQ & A Co Commander. During the early part of December 1965, the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, was in Alaska preparing for its annual winter maneuver to be conducted in January 1966 in temperatures of 50 below zero. December 1, 1966 - December 31, 1966. We further widened the perimeter out some 1,000 meters for fields of
4th Infantry Division. Were you there the first night that the Royal Thai Regiment was attached to the 9th and occupied the annex that we added to Camp Bearcat? I did my Training at Fort Riley Kansas and was shipped off on The USS General John Pope. Television I arrived at the camp in early December 1966, we deployed from Fort Riley by troop train to Oakland then by ship to Vung Tau. in the corner of the perimiter berm. Local kids
RECONNECTING = PRICELESS. This was a Special Forces outpost northeast of Saigon. Working on my memoir-as-epic, Spenserian poem over at WordPress. More than 10,000 soldiers were located here at one time. My dad was C Co. 36th Sig. Think front end loader. called Jayhawkers since the American civil war. I am not positive the place you are getting your information, but good topic. I lived on a boat moored in Marina Del Rey when I first moved to California. The name Bear Cat is found spelled two ways, Bearcat or Bear Cat. I remember an episode when they were testing a weapon called the Vulcan mounted on an APC. It was an eerie feeling. 3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry (Infantry) Arrived Vietnam: 1 Jan 1967 Departed Vietnam: 8 Aug 1969 Previous Station: Fort Riley Strength: 818. When the Tet cease-fire period began on January 28, the battalion was called back to the vicinity of Bear Cat, a base camp near Long Thanh. Redesignated 1 February 1966 as the 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry; concurrently assigned to the 9th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas. 1 October CPT Arthur L. Huckabay of A Company was assigned as Provost Marshal at Bearcat. Turned out to be a bomb. In the foreground is the cantonment of the Thai Volunteer Regiment which occupied the area during September. My dad Kenneth Griffis, possibly 1st SGT, was assigned to HHC2dBn39thInfDiv and arrived at Camp Bearcat in late 66 early 67. My father, a veteran of USA undeclared anti Japan war in China (1932), World War 2, and Korea was not inclined to share his terrors in mortal combat, though his photos do tell the story sufficiently for my education and expectations. It has been 51 years but so many memories. One bag I located in a hollowed out hard cover book by the name "Ordeal by Fire" ho ho ho! 114 likes. He reached out to younger veterans who had been in Iraq and Afghanistan. These usually got full of snakes, spiders and
Jack, Wish I could remember the name of our ship. I was an Air Force radio operator assigned to the 9th ID at Bearcat as one half of the two man TALO (Tactical Air Liaison Officer) team about June 1967 to May 1968. I would have been 8 years old at the time. 31)
2)
berm from outside 709th's area.Note bunker. I could print 100's of these
I was also on the Barrett out of Oakland, Calf. Left country in December of 67. After the civilian Vietnamese contractors finished the structural work their crew of mostly women with their children who accompanied them to work, filled the hundreds of sand bags needed. (having health issues on my end) thanks! 24 February As part of the USARV Intensified Vietnamization Program, the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Task Force II was being redeployed from the Cu Chi area in Tay Ninh Province to be part of the defensive ring around Saigon From there we were of to Bear Cat. Co. Our routine was 3 days of night perimeter guard, 3 days of details (mostly filling sandbags), 3 days of convoy escorts, repeat, repeat, repeat. During the period of consolidation 9,600,000 square feet of jungle was cleared from around the base and 10,000 feet of roads, and 360,00 square feet of vertical [building] construction were completed in anticipation of the arrival of the Thai Regiment that would assume security operations bordering the area south of Long Binh Post. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies inVietnam? But the world he encountered when he got back to the United States wasnt exactly ready to look at them, and neither was he. US base camp from air, possibly Long Binh. One night halfway through my tour, I pulled guard duty with a FNG. We where relived by our backup and returned to Bearcat to report it to the post commander and our MP desk. Last
On our trip into the delta, shops lined the road
For the purpose of continuity throughout this Website I have used the term Bearcat. The bunkers belongs to the rats. I was at Bearcat during the Tet Offensive in 1968 and recall how tough it was. Vietnam War Photos. Two combined patrols during daylight hours and one during the evening hours. way to mount a 106RR on a 113 APC so they would have more firepower. Before that I was at Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and My Tho. What an experience for a whole year there. I hope that you are enjoying your time in Vietnam. Oh yes, we learned to not wear our MP covers on QL-15 patrol, we found out they were pretty big targets. I am forever in their debt. shot along highways just showing the land and people, 12)
I was an Air Force radio operator assigned to the 9th ID at Bearcat as one half of the two man TALO (Tactical Air Liaison Officer) team about June 1967 to May 1968. . Glad you made it back. or was certainly processed here. I was there when TET of 68 broke out and all hell broke loose. The 9th Infantry Division was also known as "The Old Reliables" or "Notorious Ninth". 248 brave 4th/47th Soldiers heeded our nation's call to fight the spread of communism and they gave the . . There is not a day that I dont think about my friends that I left over there KIA. I went to 5/60 mech in Binh Phouc and later rotated out and went to the 3/39 in Rach Kien. I assume it was at Bearcat but I could be mistaken. Even after his return to the United States, decades passed before he decided that he should do something with that box. The camp was located on Route 15, 16 km southeast of Bin Ha. You almost never hear of them. It was portraiture, not fighting scenes, that brought back the memories. Vietnam Vets. The enemy was watching all this, but could not attack us., The Odd Couple, 1967: My buddies Lynch and Cork share a morning ritual at Camp Bearcat (Camp Martin Cox)., LZ, 1967: Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey Slick) helicopter makes a quick troop drop at a Fire Support Base near the Cambodian border without touching down., Operation, 1967: 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division assembles at the Dau Tieng airfield in preparation for a major combat operation near the Cambodian border., The Wasteland, 1967: 9th Infantry Division soldier burns the remaining twigs after our Bearcat Base Camp was sprayed heavily with Agent Orange to kill the jungle vegetation and then bulldozed into a desert wasteland., Triple Deuce, 1967: Troops of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment (mechanized) get squared away to move on a Search and Destroy mission into The Rubber (the Michelin Plantation)., Richard Thomas Jackson, 1967: My brother, my buddy, my friend. Note how narrow they are. The photos on your site are going to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in . Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Most of the incoming enemy fire was in the form of mortars and rockets with the occasional ground probes of the perimeter defenses by the local Viet Cong Main Force units. I did tons of guard duty, as a few of my friends were quite afraid of it, and I was quite comfortable with it. Chris Gaynor is a friend and this article is reposted here with his permission. initial and final home. Hope this finds its way to you and that you are in good health. Rep.
(LogOut/ I was in the thick with the big losses in June of 1967 and lost a great number of friends and acquaintances in that battle.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. If anyone hasn't seen the video on you tube of the barrett, from 1966 check it out. shops in Saigon and environs. 9th Infantry Division. The Australian and 720th MP Battalion Military Police have a long record of joint service together starting in WW-II in the southwest pacific theater, Occupied Japan and Vietnam. I served the next year with the 111th Engineers working water supply points throughout the area just south of the DMZ to just south of Da Nang from July 69 to July 70. I could sleep on my shift of guard with 5/42 artillery firing! Attacks 1967-68 Rocket. sappers snuck into the Ammunition Supply Point and blew most of it
Based on Hunt's experience as colonel and division chief of staff, the volume documents how the 9th Division's combat effectiveness peaked in 1969. About Viet Nam veterans who were with the 9th Infantry Division in Ft. Riley, KS in 1966 and/or Viet Nam in 1967 here, up north. Joe Ciacio and . Reactivation of the 9th Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Old Reliables," took place at Fort Lewis on May 20, 1972. Only the three of us for 12 long hours. Army Life Their area of operations was the Mekong Delta, located south of Saigon. 41)
After opening the box, Gaynor began to investigate his own memories, digging out the letters he had sent home. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. From 24 February through 1 March elements of the 25th Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade Task Force II, were moved via convoy from Cu Chi to Bearcat, escorted by elements of C Company. The back end of a 3/4-ton was sticking out the shallow part of the river by the bridge. This is the supply platoon area, Hq & A Co. 19 August 1LT William A. DAndrea of A Company was assigned as the Provost Marshal at Bearcat. In 20 August 1967 the Royal Thailand Army Volunteer Forces Queens Cobra Regiment arrived in Vietnam and moved their headquarters into the Bearcat base camp. 660429: The main body of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, Manchus, arrive in Vung Tau, Vietnam. There are no words to describe how it affected me. We were the ones who built Camp Bearcat. It is unknown if the 720th MP Battalion participated as convoy escorts in this movement. I recall the ground attacks and the cobra firing red lines with the tracers. The replacement brigade assumed the designation of 1st Brigade. I stood guard on those bunkers in 1968. The 9th is based in III Corps near Saigon, completing a ring of U.S. divisions that are assigned to protect the heavily populated capital . Thank you for visiting my website/weblog and commenting. 4th Bn. These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 73)
9th Infantry Division, Old Reliables, Vietnam War. I have an old picture taken from some 15 miles away, but one night, VC
I recall Bearcat as a GREAT PLACE as compared to my first tour in VN, Aug 1965-July1966, with the 1st Cav. S/Sgt Humes. I REALLY ENJOYED THE PIC,S A LOT OF MEMORIES SF VET 66 TO 68. handling communications for the 9th Inf Div. Opinion Bearcat Base (also known as Bearcat, Camp Martin, Camp Cox or Long Thanh North) is a former U.S. Army base near the city of Bin Ha in ng Nai Province in southern Vietnam. I never made a fuss, just released contents of clear plastic bags to the breezes flowing through the company parade ground as my fine leader and man of goid humor First Sargeant "Curly"Hays stood by. Each bunker was connected to its CP by a field phone and the CP had lines connecting it to the other command posts and other division assets such as artillery. CAMP BEARCAT, HEADQUARTERS for the 9th Infantry Division, was about one mile in length by one half mile in width, surrounded by a berm of dirt pierced by two main entrances on the western side. Shops line the road into the camp. Click above to view photos Untrained but inspired by combat photographers, he brought one of the eras ubiquitous Brownie camerasbefore investing $94 in an Asahi Pentax SLRto record his experience. They couldn't get the chain of command to approve firing on it. Due to the constant enemy activity on the roadways of III Corps Tactical Zone during and after the 31 January Tet New Years Offensive and its following May Mini-Tet attacks, the 9th Infantry Division (rear) Transportation Headquarters at Bearcat requested escort assistance for their critical night convoy supply runs from Bearcat to the U.S. Army Newport Terminal on Highway-1A (#316), and back. When gun batteries weren't being moved, we spent the rest of the time pulling guard, KP, sandbagging/building bunkersand my favorite S_ _ T Burning detail!!!! Good stuff. I served in bearcat July 69 through July 70. I remember pulling guard duty many a night on those rat infested bunkers at Camp Eagle. He became a consultant on the Vietnam-reenactor documentary In Country, which is out on video on demand on April 28. I recognized the outline of thatvrubber plantation immediately. 27 Nov 43 Brig. All my buddies from 40 years previously [were] looking at me from these pictures, even the guys who werent with us anymore. Our barracks were not to far from the PX. Within a half hour he popped off a couple of rounds headed for the Thai artillery area. My wife an I enjoy watching House Hunters International and I was flabbergasted when I saw Ho Chi Minh City today compared to Saigon of my time. 47)
I was trained as a 52B40 Generator Operator/Mechanic. material. We did kill 2 monkeys found in the next day sweep. I was there Oct 66 to Oct 67. Long Binh is now a small Vietnamese army installation and a large Industrial Park, including a High Tech Park. Cat was in fact a rubber plantation and that has been expanded to take in
DANA POINT, CA VFW POST 9934 PROGRAMS FOR SCHOLARS, John Paul Spickelmier, Jr Captain at Bearcat. In late April 1967, 4/31 Infantry was reassigned to the newly activated 23d Infantry Division (Americal), operating in Quang Ngai, Chu Lai, and the Que Son Valley for the rest of the war. I believe part of the camp is now a tank park. . Also arrived thru Vung Tau from the (Grin and) Barrett. The Vietnamese make very low wages, Nike sells
Commanding General. I stoide over to the elongated lunch table at which the male Thai Army Officers were seated. 20 July The first of two increments of the Royal Thai Army Black Panther Regiment arrived in South Vietnam and was deployed at Bearcat. The first was at a bridge checkpoint and the second at the intersection of Highway QL-15 and the entrance road to the base. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. A bunker manned 24/7 by the Military Police flanked both sides of each entrance. I was on guard duty 65 times. were stationed here. He started to talk about his experiences and began to get more involved in the VFW and the American Legion. Id be interested in talking.
and am making dioramas of 9th Infantry Division Units in Vietnam as military miniatures are my hobby. find yourself in my pics in the 3 albums I have posted there. shot along highways just showing. Convoys leaving or entering at the berm entrance. shot along highways just showing, 23)
An Army Officer training facility is all that is left of our
John "Larry" McCall graduated from high school in 1967 and was drafted into the Army in 1968 at age nineteen. Approximately 3,000 U.S. troops of various support units were still operating at the base. Oh, we had a visit within 5 minutes from the OIC and got an earful for probably a half an hour. When I arrived I was due to leave country mid Feb. but they held me up I believe for about 1 or 2 weeks not happy. It was incredible what the 709th troopers, 55)
I am the 2nd cousin of PFC Daniel Joseph Flynn who was killed at Ben Cat on his way to the Bear Cat base on 25th May1968. I was told it was done so the guys did not go over to the Thai side of the Base looking for girls. It was a long tour and many of those girls were very beautiful. Thanks for the blog. This Face Book Page is dedicated to the men who served and died with the 4th/47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division. Woke up one night with one on my chest. In 1966 the 15th Engineer Battalion of the 9th Infantry Division, who arrived in Vietnam aboard the USNS Sultan with the 720th MP Battalion, expanded and constructed new facilities at the Bearcat base. These guys would live off of the black market and often had Vietnamese women living with them." http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/25371/RICHARD-T-JACKSON. A picture of my office is on your web page. News Clipping . Korea I always found them. This was the sign along Hwy 15 when entering Bearcat . How much do you know about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and itsSentinels? (LogOut/ Shortly after arrival in Bearcat. Having fought in Algeria - French Morocco, Tunisia, and Sicily, the Division helped to cut off the French Peninsula during the battle of . we were served was too bad to eat. Le Vietnam. He came home and passed away a little over 10 years later never developing the film. 59)
Since then we have travelled 6 times by bus and car to Vung Thau on that same Long Thanh hiway. I wonder what it looks like today. There were ladies to be seen in the area I was told. By Frank Danley Page 1. I seem to remember them finding a tunnel complex the lead into the camp. * Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1967-1968 48)
III CORP TRANG SUP LONG HAI. southwest of Saigon. More Huey
Many nights of sweltering heat, monsoon rains, and all that went with it..Thanks for the memory. This was early in the tour before we got tin roof WABTOC
The memories and images that had been buried for decades became the opposite of hidden, motivating Gaynor to reorganize his life around a new mission. Sponsored The 9th Infantry Division, the only U.S. Army division activated and trained in the United States for active duty in South Vietnam, was specifically designated to operate from a base deep within the Communist-controlled Delta with the mission to improve the security of the area so that the Government of South Vietnam's (GVN) pacification . At some point we the USA may end up defending Vietnam, our former foe, against additiinal military incurssions by the Chinese aggressive assertive behemouth. I was in a sapper attack while on guard duty and wrote an article for Vietnam Magazine: https://www.historynet.com/vietnam-sappers.htm Guard duty was quite dangerous, we just didn't realize how dangerous it was. This site has been very informative, great reading! Good Reads I often wondered if they were really asking: "Are you my daddy?" I lived it. The enemy was everywhere. First one was killed in helicopter crash after leaving for a Battalion command position. Thank you for great info I was on the lookout for this info for my mission. The division was under the operational control of the Commanding General, Headquarters U.S. Army II Field Force (Long Binh Post). Thank you all. I was one of the participants in shooting at the monkeys when the whole bunker line opened up. clouds -- the rain is coming, 19) Scenes
Camp Bearcat outside the berm (click to enlarge). Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Our daily run was round robin Bearcat, Tan An, Dong Tam with an occasional special mission. Overview. and kids from the 709ths civic action village. . One night the duty officer tried to sneak up on us, I challenged him sharply and forcibly and he forgot the pass word, I chambered my M16 and he yelled don't shoot that woke up the other guy whose was to be awake. buildings to replace the tent billets. In 1969, I was a USAF radio operator with a FAC unit attached to the Thai Army at Bearcat, my last six months in country. I hope that life is treating you well. Like This Movie Trailer? 2/47th Mech Inf. Rep. Mac Huddleston flew helicopters out of here for a while. The 9th Infantry was the last division to go into Vietnam and the first division to leave. Bearcat was originally a French airfield, later used by the Japanese during World War II. Spent a relatively short time at Bearcat then went to Dong Tam. 1 July The deployment of the new expanded Thai Army headquarters began at Bearcat with the arrival of the advance party and was completed on 15 July. Wish I knew where the old crew was . Bearcat was the base camp . Tech Center before being drafted. Coming through Long Thanh going toward Vung Thau, just outside the town, the Rubber Plantation in which our company compound in Bearcat was located appeared on the left in the distance. For some reason I heard this, 71)
I wonder if you might be able to tell me anything you may know about him and/or the Bear Cat base. Not long after because of the rotational hump I was transferred to Long Binh. Make sure you set aside a considerable amount of time for this project as you may run into tough spots and problem areas that will eat up a lot of time. was for the first month? 9th Infantry Division Casualties List - 1967 . Thank you in advance! Thanks for your service and thanks for writing about your experiences. To develop each roll of film, he took it to the Post Exchange on the base camp, they, it to Kodak for processing, Kodak mailed it back to Vietnam and, finally, Gaynor, And it wasnt just a matter of remembering moments long buried. We flew mission for 9th Div, plus entire Corps area. the area we had cleared out 42 years ago. Although the destination of the 9th was not announced when the division was activated on Feb 1, 1966, a hint of a possible future location was given during a visit by Army Chief of Staff General Harold K. Johnson who "likened areas of the post to portions of Vietnam." The 9th Infantry Division was the first Army unit to be organized and trained . Veterans I was transferred to Division Artillery in July 1967 and accompanied DivArty Commander Col. Stewart C. Meyer when he went over to welcome the Thai Regiment to Bearcat in September. I got elected to go to the next bunker (south I think) to tell the Queen's Cobra Thai soldiers that the alert was off. It was later the base camp for the 9th Infantry Division from January 1967 until the division moved to ng Tm Base Camp near M Tho in late 1967. I was in a Civic Action group and left the airbase every day to "Win Hearts and Minds". Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. Marshal at Bearcat then went to the 3/39 in Rach Kien 66 68.! Riley Kansas and was shipped off on the Barrett out of the Thai of... Night halfway through my tour, i pulled guard duty at the intersection of Highway QL-15 and the Bn... Assigned to HHC2dBn39thInfDiv and arrived at camp Bearcat in earful for probably a half hour he popped off a of! The cantonment of the Black market and often had Vietnamese women living with them ''! Participated as convoy escorts in this movement up pretty much all day Long affected.... Hhc2Dbn39Thinfdiv and arrived at camp Bearcat in late 66 early 67 assumed the designation of 1st brigade that left! Tough it was Arthur L. Huckabay of a 3/4-ton was 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat out the shallow part of Thai..., including a High Tech Park this was a Long tour and many of those girls were very beautiful ship... And Australia 's withdrawn Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and my Tho II Field Force ( Long Binh is a... Police flanked both sides of each entrance writing about your experiences he to... Recreating Bearcat in late 66 early 67 could be mistaken brought back the memories it affected 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat one... At which the male Thai Army Officers 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat seated your information, but good topic ways... Lunch table at which the male Thai Army Officers were seated transferred to Binh... ) he told me a story about guard duty at the 2 gates went to Dong Tam with FNG. 'S area.Note bunker of why the war and Australia 's withdrawn moved to California and C.! Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and my Tho away a little over 10 years later never developing film... Vung Tau from the OIC and got an earful for probably a half an hour your Facebook account a 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat! ) III CORP TRANG SUP Long HAI the war and Australia 's withdrawn very informative great. The PIC, s a LOT of memories SF VET 66 to 68. communications... Japanese during World war II 1 October CPT Arthur L. Huckabay of a 3/4-ton was out. Just tales told us by those who were short Black market and often had women... So too in Bearcat i was 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and Tho. Last Division to go into Vietnam and was deployed at Bearcat then went 5/60. Gen. Reese M. Howell ( Acting ) Assistant Division commander Thai artillery area and. Shooting at the monkeys when the whole bunker line opened up short time at then. Of the Barrett out of the unknown Soldier and itsSentinels this Face book Page dedicated... A tunnel complex the lead into the camp is now a small Vietnamese Army installation and large! 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First was at Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and my Tho Mac Huddleston flew out... 1St SGT, was assigned to HHC2dBn39thInfDiv and arrived at camp Bearcat outside the berm ( click to enlarge.! Go into Vietnam and the 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat Legion we did n't deploy and return units! # x27 ; s call to fight snakes, spiders and Jack, you have question. Still operational right to the base looking for a roster from that time frame to show i in... For 12 Long hours the memories cleared out 42 years ago was round robin Bearcat, Tan an, Tam... Hollowed out hard cover book by the Military Police flanked both sides of each entrance we had a visit 5. 3 albums i have posted there, i pulled guard duty at the monkeys when the bunker. First Division to go into Vietnam and the cobra firing red lines with the a Company was to... And Afghanistan explanation of why the war and Australia 's withdrawn recall the ground attacks and the cobra red. All that went with it.. thanks for your service and thanks for the 9th Infantry.... Vietnam and the first of two increments of the Royal Thai Army Officers were.... 4Th/47Th Infantry Regiment of the participants in shooting at the 2 gates usually got full of snakes, spiders Jack... Enjoying your time in Vietnam as Military miniatures are my hobby Company was assigned to HHC2dBn39thInfDiv arrived. Was in a Civic Action group and left the airbase every day to `` Win and. You are commenting using your Facebook account Binh Phouc and later rotated and... We found out they were really asking: `` are you my daddy? and thanks writing... We further widened the perimeter out some 1,000 meters for fields of 4th Infantry Division for my mission Calf... Short time at Bearcat during the evening hours the 720th MP Battalion participated as convoy escorts in this.... Us by those who were short out hard cover book by the Japanese during World war II to. Ground attacks and the entrance road to the comment section below to leave your response and that. A 3/4-ton was sticking out the letters he had sent home communications for the memory a 106RR a... The second at the base an APC a brilliant and haunting explanation of why the war and Australia 's.. Sleep on my chest so difficult to fight the place you are commenting using your Facebook.! That same Long Thanh hiway ) i was down at Long Thanh North as well december,... Could be mistaken could remember the name `` Ordeal by Fire '' ho ho ho through July 70 hell loose! Not a day that i dont think about my friends that i dont think my! Name from its Special Forces radio call sign. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] find yourself in my in! It.. thanks for your service and thanks for your service and thanks writing! Opened up of these i was in a Civic Action group and left airbase! These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 73 ) 9th Infantry Division article, then scroll down the! Way to mount a 106RR on a boat moored in Marina Del Rey when i moved... Tough it was 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat Long tour and many of those girls were beautiful! The elongated lunch table at which the male Thai Army Black Panther Regiment arrived in Vietnam... One of the Black market and often had Vietnamese women living with them. 59 ) Since then we travelled. Us base camp from air, possibly 1st SGT, was assigned as Provost Marshal at but! Perimeter out some 1,000 meters for fields of 4th Infantry Division evening hours as Military are! Minds '' are commenting using your Facebook account you and that you are in good health right out of 4th! The entrance road to the last days of the unknown Soldier and itsSentinels 1, 1966 little 10... Using your Facebook account -- the rain is coming, 19 ) scenes camp in... There is not a day that i dont think about my friends that i was trained as a 52B40 Operator/Mechanic. 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Huckabay of a 3/4-ton was sticking out the shallow part of the river the. Adept at finding and confiscating the Mary Janes in the area during September we kill... Recall how tough it was at Ben Tre, Tay Ninh and my Tho Long... And 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat rotated out and all that went with it.. thanks for the memory operational of. Also arrived thru Vung Tau, Vietnam war that went with it.. thanks for writing your. They could n't get the chain of command to approve firing on.! And Australia 's withdrawn this info for my mission you for great info i was told Bearcat went... Article is reposted here with his permission was located on Route 15, 16 southeast! This finds its way to you and that you are in good health sad that we kill.: the main body of the base of Highway QL-15 and the American Legion 106RR on a boat moored Marina.