Some Memories of Vietnam (Part 1) Saturday, January 15, 2005

I recently received an e-mail from Corporal John Casper who was seriously wounded in the early days of moving our 3rd Amtrac Battalion to the Marble Mountains. At the time our battalion was located on Hill 327.. and our amphibian vehicles had no access to the water ..either for combat operations or training.. so it was necessary to make this move to an area with access to the South China Sea..

Corporal Casper asked if I remembered him and Corporal Jim Florzac also wounded at the same time in Sept 1967.. I replied to his e-mail that I did not recall his name but I do remember two Marines being wounded at the Marble Mountains either the day of or next day after I arrived in Vietnam ..why I remember the incident was due the fact that I was assigned to the job of S-4 (Logistics Officer) with the specific mission of doing the planning and executing the move of the battalion to the area known as the Marble Mountains. At that time we did not know what we would be facing us in terms of the Viet Cong or North Vietnamese Army personnel who would be occupying this area because it was in the Rocket Belt and outside the considered safe area of DaNang. It was fully expected that our move would be a dangerous one and that one our first missions (after building our camp or as it was known ..the 3rd Amtrac Contonment..) was to secure the area around the Marble Mountains for safe operations..and to ensure that the VC/NVA’s would not be able to set up their 122mm rockets and fire them into the Danang City and the many military installations in and around the city. ( the Rocket Belt was an area outlined on the map and was in the shape of a half moon around the west and north and some of the area south of Danang …which was where our battalion was located.. The Rocket belt contained some Marine regiments and infantry battalions and an unit of the Army of Republic of Vietnam known as the ARVN”s.. It was also the mission of the Amtrac Battalion to provide a platoon of Amtracs (10-12 vehicles) to each infantry battalion around the Rocket Belt..for infantry operations .. this meant that half of the battalion Marines were away from our contonment…and we were basically left with supporting headquarters personnel.. like supply and maintenance personnel..

Each day and night the entire rocket belt was under patrols to keep the rockets from being fired.. because it was so easy to employ the 122mm rockets by firing them from a small pile made of dirt.. There was virtually no way that they could be totally stopped.. and although their accuracy was not very good, many reached the vicinity of their intended target.. especially the large DaNang air field used for air operations against North Vietnam.. or the air field used for bringing new troops into the I Corps area.

The Marble Mountain area was located close to several Vietnamese Villages with a population of about 6000 people.. including a Leper Colony.. inside our Area of Responsibility(AOR) of the battalion.. When we started to move in, the Vietnamese built what was called the New Life Hamlet.. for refugees ..with the assumption that they would be safe near our Marine Unit.. A Civic Action Platoon of Marines known as a CAP Unit was adjacent to the New Life Hamlet.. they were on their own..led by a Marine Sergeant with the mission to work with the Vietnamese villagers and provide some element of security..

Understanding this background for our move, I think it was the day after the two Marines were wounded that I made my first visit to the Marble Mountain area. I had relieved Major Rule Depoali as S-4 and he had been in on the initial planning of the battalions move.. and location.. A small group of Marines, less than 50, led by Gunny Sgt Bill Cobis and Gunny Sgt Bill Lohan were sent to get the perimeter of the camp set up .. and to work with and protect the Sea Bee Battalion personnel who would build the camp…in an area of about 20 acres..

The Sea Bee Battalion located about one mile north of our camp area and considered in a safe zone was commanded by a classmate of mine from the Naval Academy, Class of 1953, who was Commander Tom Mitchell. It was good fortune for me to have a classmate to lean on in building the camp and making necessary changes as we went along.. Tom was a wonderful leader and his Sea Bee’s loved him.. I say “was” because several years later, in 1974, Tom was killed by Muslim terrorists in Subic Bay.. I was at the time the Commanding Officer of the 1st Amtrac Battalion on Okinawa, and was in Subic Bay when he was killed. I was with him the day before when he took me on an inspection tour of the work he was doing in the ammunition depot at Subic Bay.. It was a stunning blow to me ..and the bitter memory of the tragedy and the news reaching me of his death ..remains with me to this day..

End of Part One

              SOME VIETNAM MEMORIES .... PART TWO               

Memories of Vietnam (Part 2   Colonel Frank "Stub" Chace, USMC (Ret))

I almost didn’t get to South Vietnam as scheduled.. and, in order to do so, I had to do something dishonest to leave Camp Pendleton, California, with the staging group of Marines being sent to Vietnam via Okinawa.

The Marine group assembled at Camp Pendleton for the flight to Okinawa and from there to South Vietnam was made up of officers and enlisted Marines. The group, in terms of numbers, was enough Marines to fill a 707 aircraft..

The training at Camp Pendleton involved an introduction of what to expect in a combat surroundings in Vietnam. We attacked and went through a mock Vietnamese village and was introduced to the world of booby traps….which I later found out was quite realistic training...

During this training week, we had to go to Sick Bay for shots and it was there my troubles started. Once before, at Marine Barracks in Yorktown, Virginia, I had received a TBT shot for evidence of tuberculosis. As a result, my upper arm swelled up to twice the size and was very red.. I underwent a thorough examination of chest x-rays and for three days I did not know if I had TB or not. It included a trip to the Naval Hospital in Norfolk where I had the feeling of being treated as if I were a dangerous human being.. ready to infect the nearest person with tuberculosis…. After the examination, it was concluded that I had probably been exposed to TB during my tour in Korea and there were some remnants left in my body to react to the shot.. but I was in no danger of an unhealthy condition.. or to exposing others...

As we went through the shot line, I was unaware that I had been given the TB shot again.. however, later that night I became aware of the fact that I did get the shot that had bothered me so much before.. and the results were the same...

We had three days before reporting back to Sick Bay for inspection of shot reactions. I knew that if I went, I would miss the trip to El Toro the next day.. because no one would let me pass with my arm the way it was.. and having been through the reaction of medical personnel when they saw my arm.. I knew I would be at Camp Pendleton for sometime until my heath status was determined...

One the officers going overseas with me was my roommate in the BOQ and a classmate from the Naval Academy, class of 1953, Major Doug Binney. He understood my problem and without my asking him to do so, he said he would show up at the inspection and use my name. For his own inspection, he went to Sick Bay early in the morning and showed his arm…It was to a Corpsman sitting at a desk and checking names off as concerns the reaction.. Later that same day, he went back and showed the arm of Major Chace.. fortunately I passed and I was on the plane the next day.. thanks to my classmate, Doug, and for years to come, a close personal friend..

The flight to the DaNang Airfield proved to be very exciting; especially at the end and was a welcome to the world of war. We were on a Continental Airlines 707 and I had a window seat in the front of the aircraft. As we made our approach for the landing, all lights in and out of the plane were turned off. Just as we were about to land, there were yellow flashes all around us.. easily recognized as some sort of explosives going off. Immediately, the pilot went full throttle and we were pushed back into our seats as we made a steep climb away from the airport. Soon he come up on the intercom and said the DaNang Airfield was under rocket attack. He said we would fly out over the South China Sea until the airfield was inspected for a safe landing.. As you might expect, you could have heard a pin drop inside the passenger cabin...

After the landing, around 10:00 P.M., I was met at the airport by a good friend, Lt. Col Jack Rowley, whose tour was just about up.. He had been Commanding Officer of the 3rd Amtrac Battalion, and Commanding Officer of the !st Battalion, Seventh Marines, known as Chesty Puller’s Battalion. At the time of my arrival, he had had his change of command and was on a special inspection detail investigating why the M-16 was not performing properly.. the malfunction included the jamming of rounds in the chamber as it was fired...

Jack had disturbing news for me. I had received a letter from the Division Adjutant before I left the States saying that my assignment would be Commanding Officer of the 1st Armored Amtrac Company.. and I was very excited about that. I was to relieve Lt. Col Darrell Howarth, also a long time friend.. Jack said I was going to the 3rd Amtrac Battalion to be the S-4 and to relieve Major Rule Depoali. Lt. Col. Bob Shuford, Co of 3rd Amtracs, had requested the reassignment based on his need for a S-4 Officer to move the Amtrac Battalion to a new camp location known as the Marble Mountains. I was not expecting a battalion staff billet and knew that given the chance to be a Commanding Officer of a unit in a combat zone would have been a big boost for my career….

But, that’s how I ended up in 3rd Amtracs...

It was the second or third day that I made my first trip to the new camp site at the Marble Mountains. From Hill 327, you could see the Marble Mountains, about 5 miles as the crow flies, to the south east. By road it was about 8 miles. I went there in a ¾ ton truck with some needed supplies for the few Marines already there and I had two Marines riding shot gun in the back of the truck.. .

The area around Hill 327, was occupied by the 11th Marines Artillery Regiment. (there were two classmates in the 11th Marines, Lt. Col John Cocky and Bruce Ogden); the tank battalion was commanded by Lt. Colonel “Rough House” Taylor and the armored amtrac company was led by Darrell Howarth….

Driving through the south side of the City of DaNang, (Highway 1) one had to pass by the large military airfield.. used by the Air Force and Marines for fighter type aircraft being flown over North Vietnam. The jets were all parked in abutments for protection against the rocket attacks.. I never knew how many planes were there, but would have guessed at about 75.. There was a squadron of C-147’s also using the airfield. They were used for supplying troops all over I Corps. Supplies that came from Red Beach, a huge supply depot on the northern boundry of DaNang…There was usually a 707 Pan Am or other civilian aircraft having just landed or waiting to fly Marines back to Okinawa. There was also a large fuel dump and ammo storage area near the airport and they were cause for concern of sabotage as well as rockets attacks,..

Still driving to the south-east, there was a landing beach for LST’s. It was always very busy and it was the beach where we picked up the arrival of new replacement LVT’s (Amtracs) or put aboard the ships those LVT’s returning to the States for major repairs due to enemy mine damage. .

The next landmark was the Cam-Le Bridge over the Cau Do River. This bridge was guarded by the 1st Military Police Battalion. The MP’s were armed with M-16’s and spent the day and night firing at clumps of vegetation floating down the river and under the bridge. The VC and NVA’s had used the floating vegetation as a means for getting into the area while swimming under water. From time to time, the enemy forces actually tried to take control of the bridge and at one time, they had control of the south end of the bridge with the MP’s at the other end. It did not last long before the MP’s drove them off..

On the left passed the bridge was the III Marine Amphibious Force Area (III MAF). It was located at the base of Monkey Mountain, the largest land mark in the DaNang area. Monkey Mountain served no military value to the area although there was a Hawk Unit on the top of it..

The Commanding General of III MAF was Lew Walt, later relieved by Lt. General Cushman, whose Chief of Staff was Major General Anderson. General Walt had a very plush set of Quarters on the beach near the III MAF compound. I was aware of this because a good friend, Lt. Colonel Bob Finney (then a Major) was assigned to Headquarters Company in III MAF and was responsible for the maintenance of Gen. Walt’s Quarters. Bob latter became the S-4 of the tank battalion near the Cau Viet..

Turning due south, on the Main Supply Route (MSR), there was China Beach, made famous after the war by a TV series of the same name. Near China Beach and quite visible was an area filled with aluminum coffins. I assumed that the area belonged to the Naval Hospital Facility, the largest in I Corps…which was on the right and backed up to the Cau Do River. In the same area was the Sea Bee Battalion,128...

On the China Sea side was the Marble Mountain Marine Air Facility, the home of Marine helicopter operations. Next to that and to the south was the Prisoner of War Compound.. quite a large facility.. I never knew the population but it was sizeable including a large number of VC women. Even though it was not in the Amtrac AOR, the battalion was charged to protect the POW Camp or act as a reactionary force in the event of any problems there...

Next, also on the beach side was the Green Beret Nung Camp known a FOB-4. It was a recon unit, part of the Military Assistance Command’s Studies and Observations Group (MAC-SOG). Nungs were mercenary forces from various countries in Far East.... There was also a large contingent of Montagnard troops. They had their own helicopters for transporting the observation insert teams to many places in Vietnam, including the Ho Chi Minh trail… Laos and Cambodia. They also had four Cobras which I used from time to time. On one of my trips to the Goi Noi Island, with a warrant officer pilot..we took a couple of rounds in the fuselage.. The sound was easily recognized. The warrant officer, on the way home, flew to Red Beach, the huge supply depot, where he simply picked up another Cobra and we flew home to the Marble Mountains.. I often think what would have happened if I had been with a Marine pilot.. we would probably have had an investigation and official inquiry as to why the helicopter was damaged...

The officers (most of whom were West Pointers) and enlisted soldiers were highly trained special forces.. When our camp was finally built, we frequently had some of the officers over to our officer club for Sunday night cook out of steaks..

Across the MSR from the Green Beret Nung Camp was an unfortunate dump site named by Marines as the “Junk Yard.” It was the DaNang Dump.. very large.. about 10 acres. All the refuge from military installations in the Da Nang area was dumped there. Some Vietnamese civilian refuge was also included..

The trucks carrying the trash were lined up from 9:00 AM until 7:00 PM. It was a very busy place with 6 or 7 bull dozers moving the trash around and covering it as best they could with sand. There was also a section of nothing but destroyed trucks, jeeps, cars and other vehicle destroyed ( mostly by mines) and was the reason for the nickname, “Junk Yard.” .

Around the perimeter of the dump was a fence, not well constructed. There were signs posted in Vietnamese saying to keep out and included the words that anyone caught inside the dump could be shot..

I used the words of the dump being there as “unfortunate” because it was not under anyone’s control. It was outside of the Amtrac Battalion AOR. The Marines on one of the Marble Mountains known as Alpha 6, could look down on the dump but to shoot at anyone inside the dump was too long a shot…..plus Marines would not shoot children.. and children were the principle violators of going inside of the dump..

Every morning at first light and for the next couple of hours, the Vietnamese from local villages would go to the general area around the dump and “relieve” themselves in the sand.. Their houses did not have indoor plumbing and few had an out door one. They, therefore, used the area next to the dump as their outdoor toilet. At the same time, large numbers of children, up to about the age of 16, would make their way under the wire and rummage through the trash looking for M-16 ammunition. As I previously wrote, (in 1967and before) there was a problem with the M-16 rounds jamming in the chamber.. if there was any residue on the cartridge.. Marines, after patrols, were directed to remove the rounds from their magazines and wipe them off to make sure there was no dirt, or sand on them. However, this was not done. Most Marines would discard the rounds and use new ones .. throwing the old ones in the trash.. Many of these rounds wound up in the dump .. and the Vietnamese discovered this.. Only the children went in after the rounds .. and they did so before the bull dozers showed up. .

The powder eventually ended up in mines and booby traps. In order to make the problem known, Lt. Col Shuford, Haebel and eventually myself, made the problem known to the Commanding General at the weekly commanders briefing.. but it was to know avail .. and as I said, it was not expected that an Amtrac patrol, should they have been in the dump area (which was outside our AOR) would fire and kill the children inside the wire fence..

The last landmark before going into the immediate area of the Marble Mountains and the village of Nui Kim Son and the area where the Amtrac Camp was being built was the “Check Point” which marked the end of the so called “ safe area.” The check point was manned by Marines from 3/1, whose regimental headquarters was about 4 miles down the road to the south. The check point was manned from 7:00 Am until 6 PM….and once closed, no vehicle could get by the wire gate..

This concludes Part 2.. The next part will be about the building of the camp and a description of the surrounding Marble Mountain area.

            SOME VIETNAM MEMORIES .. PART THREE             

Memories of Vietnam (Part 3    Colonel Frank "Stub" Chace, USMC (Ret) Friday, March 15, 2005)

I was on my way to visit the new Amtrac camp site being built in the area called the Marble Mountains. I was in a ¾ ton truck, with driver and two Marines riding shotgun in the back of the truck. The entire area was still a mystery as to what to expect from VC operations but two Marines had already been seriously wounded. They were Corporal Casper and Jim Florzac.

I had the driver stop just inside the Check Point which was on the Main Supply Route (MSR) (Rt. 538). I got out and spoke to the gate sentry who was from the 3rd Marines.. He told me the Check Point opened at 0700 and closed a 1730.

From there I moved slightly ahead and walked up to the Old French Fort on the right side of the road.. It was a white, cement building, devoid of all wooden parts. It was well marked by bullets strikes that had hit the structure over the entire area. The French Fort would be part of my daily conversation for the next year.. because it was such a prominent land mark to the Marble Mountain area and was always a potential ambush site that could be used by the VC/NVA’s. It commanded the MSR, now known as the Old French Road, once past the Checkpoint. It could easily be used to destroy any vehicles entering the Marble Mountain area or heading south to the 3rd Marines using either small arms or RPG’s. It was therefore patrolled almost constantly during every twenty four hour period.

Back in the truck, the road split off to the left through the village of Nui Kim Son.. Half was through the ville, I stopped and went to look at a small shop with marble artifacts on display on several shelves.. There were religious carvings of the Madonna, crosses, lions, with one paw on a perfectly round marble sphere. There were many desk plates that contained the names of sailors, soldiers and marines. I was awestruck of the details chiseled into the marble and the craftsmanship involved.. The Vietnamese owner spoke a little English and I told him that I was just looking and would someday return to buy something.

I then drove through the Main Gate and sought out Gunnery Sgt Cobis.. who was expecting me. I was, in fact, meeting an old Marine friend.. as Cobis and I had served together several times and I had the highest admiration and respect for him.. which I knew was mutual….and was to be proven more so during the forthcoming year of my Vietnam tour.

He took me to a makeshift shelter to meet with the Lieutenant SeaBee officer in charge of the camp construction. He showed me the drawing and plans of the camp and pointed out a couple of changes..one of which was moving the battalion staff hooches quite a bit to the east resulting in the move of the main road through camp also. The change was made after it was determined that the staff buildings were too close to the mountain called the Marble Mountain just west of the camp. Small arms fire could easily reach the buildings in their original places. I also suggested that the maintenance concrete ramp be enlarged to accommodate more room for LVT’s needing repairs. Since the entire area was soft white sand, it would be difficult working in that enviroment.

From there Cobis walked me around the entire perimeter. Five rows of concertina had already been placed around the camp site. After a quick C-Ration lunch, I walked down to the beach, passing through an LVT access gate. The sight was so peaceful. The waves of the blue/green China Sea were very inviting for a swim. I took off my boots and cammies and went in to enjoy some body surfing.

When I came out, I stood at the high water mark and surveyed the geographical area in front of me and to my right. I could see the four Marble Mountains that were to my immediate front and in a quadrangle. To the right and foremost was the mountain that was called Chin Strap. Half up the front and facing east was the beautiful Buddhist Pagoda..that during the French occupation was used as a Catholic temple. I could see the steps leading up the Pagoda.

Behind Chin Strap was the mountain called Alpha Six. I could barely make out a small outpost of the 3rd Marines that looked out over the entire area, but principally focused to the west into the ARVN Toar and overlooking the Song Can Bien and the S. Vinh Dien Rivers leading to the Song Han River that flowed past DaNang.

To the left of Alpha Six was the mountain called Crow’s Nest and forward of that was the Marble Mountain.

To my right I could see the fishing village of Xom Son Thuy. Strung out along the beach were a variety of fishing boats including a number of boats that took the form of a basket. They were round and about four feet wide..made out of some kind of a weaving material.

Past the fishing ville I could see part of FOB-4, the Green Beret contonment. Further down, the Prisoner of War Compound and the Marble Mountain Marine Air Facility. Huey helicopters were ever present..almost always flying the shore line for safety… a sound that never ceased to exist for the Amtrac Battalion.

I was, in fact, mesmerized by the sight. With the sound of the surf zone, the white sand, blue sky and the mountains for a backdrop, I had never seen a more beautiful, peaceful and picturesque sight. It was difficult to believe of the violence that would take place in this area during the next year.

I rushed back to the Battalion CP for a memorial service for Capt. Dutch Van Antwerp who was recently killed. It was very sobering as I had worked with Dutch at School’s Battalion and I was not yet ready for this face of the war. It was quite different from making the Casuality Calls for Marines killed and wounded in Vietnam when I was the Inspector/Instructor in West Palm Beach…I was now in the area where the dreadful news for folks back home originated…and I knew the day was not far off when I would be the originator of those dreadful letters home.

The next day I had lunch at the Ontos Battalion who was our next door neighbor..then I drove my jeep over to visit Darrell Howarth at Armored Amtrac Company. Darrell told me that it was rumored that PJ Saxton would relieve him as CO.

During the next few days, I visited the Co of the 3rd Marines to become aware of his TOAR. Little did I know that my trip down and back on the Old French Road could easily have been interrupted by running over a VC mine.. It was a very dangerous road..and although swept twice daily by Marine Engineers, the VC had a habit of getting mines planted in the dirt road bed.

Back at the camp site, I watched as we moved two LVT Command Vehicles in the area near the planned for the staff buildings.. A trench was dug with a TD-18 and two LVTC’s were driven in bow to bow..with the ramps down.. For the next few weeks, until we could get our Combat Operation Center (COC) built.. the LVT’s would serve as our Command Post.

One of the first things you learn as a Marine in a combat situation like Vietnam, is that you can’t go anywhere and requisition buildings or structures for a camp site.

Being an expeditionary force, you travel with what you got..the largest structure being a tent. Thank Heavens for the mission of the SeaBee Battalion..as our camp site was progressing quite well.

              SOME VIETNAM MEMORIES .... PART FOUR               

Colonel Frank "Stub" Chace, USMC (Ret)      Monday March,28, 2005

This part of my Vietnam series concerns part of the history of the 3rd Amtrac Battalion and some of the officers and SNO’s who were Commanders, Staff Officers and Platoon Leaders over the years.

It is not my intention to leave out any of the many fine officers and men who served in 3rd Amtracs, but my writings are about those I was most familiar with as friends.

The month of October saw the 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion FMF of the 1st Marine Division, complete the move to the area called “The Marble Mountains.”

The Battalion had made its final move in Vietnam before returning to Camp Pendleton, Calif. in January 1970.

After leaving the States and arriving at Okinawa, ( at Camp Schwab) the first elements to depart for Vietnam took place on 5 March, 1966. The Battalion completed its move to Chu Lai on 3 April, 1966.

The Command element on Okinawa consisted of the following personnel:

CO. Lt Col. R E Cambell
XO. Major W J Dinse
S-1 1st Lt. J G Babcock
S-2 1st Lt. R E Dietmeier
S-3 Capt. R E Barker 1 Mar
       Capt. R C Albro 2-31 March
S-4 Capt. J C Greene 1 March
       Major L J Piantadosi 2-31 March

The first elements on arrival in Chu Lai were chopped to the 3rd MarDiv.

There were 4 organic platoons from 3rd Amtracs and 3 platoon from 1st Amtracs. On 29 March they were attached to the 1st Marine Div.

The early elements personnel were as follows:

CO Capt E M Blair
XO 1st LT. F W Gill
Maintenance Officer 1st Lt. N P Siaz
1st Plt. MSgt. W Finlan
2nd Plt. 1st Lt. Bangas
3rd Plt. 2nd Lt. J D Parks
4th Plt. 1st Lt. J M Turner
5th Plt. 1st Lt. D A Gressley
6th Plt. 1st Lt. D J Sconyers
7th Plt. 1st Lt. B B Spivey

MSgt Finlan was perfectly capable of assuming an officer’s role as one of the Platoon Leaders.. He could have easily assumed the rank of Major and above. MSgt Finlan was and remains one of the most knowledgeable Amphibian Vehicle SNCO’s that I had the pleasure to work with. He was one of my first Platoon Sgt’s that I had as a 2nd Lt. at 3rdAmtracs at Camp Pendleton. Later, he was my Platoon Sgt. in the move of the 1st Amtrac Battalion from Korea to Japan. ( I had been reassigned from the 1st Armored Amphibian Battalion.) From Japan, he went with us to Okinawa when that part of the 1st Marine Division moved there. He also attended the SNC0 Amtrac School, at Schools Battalion when I was the Chief, LVT Instructor.

The few days we were at Wolmi Do Island before leaving for Japan were some of the most miserable days I ever spent. Before leaving, we had to be inspected by a United Nations team. They was a Russian Officer, a Polish Officer and a French Officer. We assembled the Battalion and they trooped the line inspecting us.. then they went to inspect the equipment being sent to Japan. It was an all day affair. We were sleeping in tents with very high winds and –20 degree temperatures. Getting aboard the LST was like checking into a 5 star hotel. (Sgt Rudy Decker was one on the Amtrac Marines who was there with me and he e-mailed some of his memories to me.)

During our trip from Wolmi Do Island to Camp McGill near Yokosuka, Japan, ( in January 1955) we passed through the Straits of Japan. We were on an LST that had the top deck completely loaded with rolling stock, including two gasoline tankers. The tank deck was loaded with LVT.s

While in the Straits, we ran into a furious winter storm. Sgt Decker remembers the LST breaking a structural beam and having to slow to half speed.

All the rolling stock equipment on the top deck went over the side. There were 5T and 21/2 T trucks, a TD-18, several jeeps and generators and lots of cargo on pallets.. and all were lost. There were no life lines left standing.

The LVT’s on the tank deck broke lose and Sgt Finlan, ( Sgt Decker was on watch on the tank deck at the time) was unable to do anything about until the storm was over. (Sgt Finlan went through a similar incident on Okinawa on an LST in 1955 when 3 LVT’s broke loose during a typhoon. I was then the “B” Company Amtrac Maintenance Officer. The LST was breaking in two.. so the skipper turned off all engines and we went with the wind. Sgt Finlan got the LVT’s secured but in the process he severely injured his arm. I wish I knew where he was now.

Other friends who were in that early element to Camp Schwab and to Chu Lai included now LT. Colonel (Ret) Dick Dietmeier whose career was almost equally divided in Amtracs and flying in OV-10’s. As an Amtracker he had tours in School Battalion, two tours as I&I (In Gulfport with P-5’s and at Treasure Island in Armored Amphibians.. H-6’s. He was the last I&I with Armored Amtracs before they were they were removed from the roles.) He also served as S-3, 2nd Amtracs, in the Mobility and Logistics Division at Quantico and he retired from the billet as of Head, Amphibian Vehicle Test Branch, Marine Development Center at Camp Delmar in 1987. Dick will be remembered as a very colorful officer. He was a task master of enforcing the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Program and once nearly caused a mutiny when he suggested the cooks at Camp Delmar to get involved with the PFT. Not only did they not think kindly of his suggestion.. they went on strike and closed the mess hall down. Remember it well. He lives in San Clemente, Calif.

I also knew Ray Albro quite well.. and my close friend Lou Piantadosi who, even today, I enjoy meeting with as often as I can. Colonel Lou had an illustrious career as an Amtrac Battalion CO. (2nd and 3rd Amtracs), in addition to all the Battalion Staff positions. After retirement he was the #2 officer in the Marine Corps Association at Quantico. He still very active in Marine Corps affairs and lives in Woodbridge, Va.

I also followed the career of Colonel (Ret) Don Gressley who was all everything in LVT’s, including Battalion Commander of 3rd Amtracs.. He remains instrumental in the success of our Amphibian field today. He is currently the Administrative Officer for a law firm in San Diego and lives in Oceanside..

And finally, Dave Sconyers, who, on his second tour to Vietnam, was my “A” Company Commander at 3rd Amtracs. Dave has been very successful in the academic world.. and is currently the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences for the South Florida Community College. He recently had an interesting article published by the Marine Corps Gazzette entitled “Abandoned Amtracs: Operation Sussex Bay, 28August- 9 Semptember 1968” It includes some heroic action on his part and that of Lt. Steve Day, also of “A” Company on Goi Noi Island.

You can read about this account:
Click here to read about it by David Sconyers

Dave is undergoing radiation treatment at the moment and would appreciate your prayers.

I also wrote an account about the Goi Noi debacle and is available under that name at my web site:
Click here for Go Noi Island on my homepage

Colonel (Ret) Jack Rowley was XO and CO of 3rd Amtracs from Sept to March 66-67. Jack currently lives in Harbor, Oregon. Someday I intend to write a lengthy story about Jack and me..and the great times we had together in the Marine Corps. I will be an expose of two wayward Marine officers who are still the closest of friends.

Jack was relieved by Lt Col Fred Van Sant in March, 1966. (Jack took over as CO of 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. He would latter command the 5th Marines, at Camp Pendleton and the 9th Marines on Okinawa..)

Fred moved the Battalion from Chu Lai to DaNang in April 1967

His officers included:

H&S Co. Capt. Gary D Solis 1-13 April
       1st Lt. Peter Van Jahnke 14-30 April
“A” CO. Capt Ruel Depoali
“B” CO. Major Jim Swab, 1-16 April
       Capt. William Van Antwerp (Dutch) 17-30 April
XO Major Guy Chaney
S-1 2nd Lt. Frank Lambert
S-2 2nd Lt. David Welborn
S-3 Major guy Chaney 1-16 April
       Major James Swab 17-30 April
S-4 Major Guy Chaney 1-13 April
       Capt. Terry Schipporeit

Fred Van Sant was a very well liked and professional Marine Officer. In addition to being CO of 3rd Amtracs, he spent many years as a test officer in the Amphibian Vehicle Test Branch.

Ruel Depoali, a very sincere and conscientious officer. He also was a Project Test Officer at the Amphibian Vehicle Test Branch and was involved with research and development of LVT’s..

Guy Chaney was a good guy to be around. He had a most pleasant personality and contributed to the 1800 field in many capacities.

Colonel (Ret) Jim Swab was the Walter Mitty of 3rd Amtracs. He was at one time or another, CO, XO, “B” Co. Commander and S-3 twice of 3rd Amtracs. He and Pat Galligan were my hooch mates at Marble Mountain.. Two great guys to work with!!!

I have long lost touch with Terry Schipporiet. I knew him when he was going through AWS and later he became I&I of the “C” Co. , 4th Amtrac Bn when it moved to Little Creek, Va. It was the same Company, I had as I&I in West Palm Beach. As an officer he was exemplary.

So at the time the Battalion moved to the Marble Mountains, in October 1967, the battalion organization was as follows:

CO. Lt Col Robert Shuford
H&S Co. Capt. Michael Cluff
“A” Co. Major Robert Dasch 1-28 Oct
       Capt Gary Solis 29-31 Oct
“B” Co. Capt. Peter Van Janke 1-14 Oct
       Capt. Charles R Smith 15-31 Oct
XO Major Raymond Berling
S-1 1st Lt. Bernard Bowyer
S-2 1st Lt. James Lynch
S-3 Major James Swab 1-3 Oct
       Major Pat Galligan 4-31 Oct S-4 Major Frank Chace
S-5 Capt. Charles Ross

No Commanding Officer was more of a delight than Bob Shuford.. from the first hand shake he became your friend forever. I first knew Bob when he and Jinx McCain were the Amtrac and Tank Officer instructors in the Supporting Arms Branch of the Education Center at Quantico. They were a hard act to follow and the students loved their presentations. Bob entered the Marine Corps when he knew he would never be the first string fullback for the Cleveland Browns..he was playing behind Marion Motley who did not intend to step down. However, no one looked more like a professional football player than he did, huge biceps and thighs that measured 30 inches around. A very personable troop leader who no one would fail to follow.

For whatever reason, I became very close to Bob and I know he depended on me for friendship as well as his S-4. We would sometimes meet in the officer’s shower and go at it as Suma Wrestlers (we were both about the same size.). At night we would sit outside his hooch in lawn chairs, facing the Marble Mountain and watch the flares and tracers going off in the Rocket Belt. And we would listen for any action our patrols might get into.

While I was I&I in West Palm Beach, I was listening to the radio one night…a talk call-in show. A young Marine from Lake Worth called in and said he was on his way to Vietnam. When asked what he was expected to be doing, he said he was an Military Policeman who trained war dogs. I called this Marine and introduced myself and told him a I would be joining him soon in Vietnam. When I did arrive in Sept 67, I looked him up and went to place he was training the war dogs. He asked me if I wanted a young, female Doberman who had broken her leg and was going to be put away. The leg had healed but she was determined to be not eligible for war dog activities. I took the dog back to camp at Hill 327 and gave her to Shufford. Her name was “Queenie.” As time went on she was passed from CO to CO.. We also bred her one night in the officer club with another Doberman war dog. She had a liter of seven puppies. She was a constant companion with her CO and never on a leash. When I was the CO and would walk through Nui Kim Son, all the Vietnamese would disappear. They were generally familiar with war dogs and didn’t care to get close to one. I always felt safe with her with me ..including riding in my jeep.

Bob left the Battalion when Lt Col Bob Haebel took over. He was assigned to the G-3 Office at Division Hdqts. Around the month of April, I was called by Hal Chase, the Div. G-1 and told I was being reassigned to Okinawa ..where a Lt Col. 1803 was needed. (I had been selected to Lt Col. but was not yet promoted.) I went to Haebel for assistance as I saw my chance for CO of 3rd Amtracs going down the tube. I was the XO at the time. Not receiving much help, I drove to Division Headquarters and had lunch with Shuford. Later that day I was called and told my orders for Okinawa were cancelled. I owed made command in combat to Bob Shuford.

Ray Berling was a WWII Amtracker and promoted to officer during the early days of the Korean War..which he participated in as an Amtracer. He later returned to the Amphibian Vehicle Branch at the Development Center in Quantico and carried out many interesting projects.. one was the development of the E-1 line charge that I was able to participate in.. but I was more involved with the testing of the mine destroying blades on the bow of the E-1. He also did the first tests for underway LVT launches from LSD’s. After his retirement, Ray was elected as Commandant of the Marine Corps League and was very effective and popular. When I became XO of 3rd Amtracs, Ray was moved to CO “A” Company and later to CO of the Armored Amtrac Company.

In addition to being H&S Co Commander, Charlie Smith ran the Combat Operations Center(COC). Charlie was a highlight to my career. Starting off teaching him as a 2nd Lt. in Schools Battalion, we followed each other to Okinawa and worked together for several years. A complete account of my relationship to him and his contributions to the Marine Corps.. can be seen at my web site ..under Charlie Smith. Charlie’s untimely death left a tremendous void in our retired ranks of 1803’s.

Click here for my memories of Charlie Smith ... good friend

Also there are pictures of Bob Shuford, the camp site and Queenie’s pups.
Click here for those pics and others of 3rd Amtrac Bn

I am still in close touch with Pat Galligan. He was Shuford’s S-3 and a cracker jack at that. He left us unexpectedly when his father died and he was sorely missed. Having grown up in Needles, Calif.. Vietnam was a cool spot for him..

( I did not intend that Part 4 be this lengthy.. I will conclude here and write more about the 3rd Amtrac Bn. history in Part 5. In Part 6, I will return to my Memories of Vietnam, and write about the combat activities during the month of October, 1967