buildings to replace the tent billets. Great stories and memories, Jack. The Beginnings of the Association The Ninth Infantry Division Association was begun immediately after World War II by some far thinking officers and enlisted men. HI to all My Name is Harry Ingram arrived RVN Aug 1967 with the 548th Maint Co out os Ft Benning our heavy equipment didnt arrive as scheduled was sent to 11th ACR at Black Horse got back to the 549th in Jan 1968 then transfered to the 590th at Bearcat trying to contact anyone that was there guys on my contact team that went to the Mekong Delta are you out there Blair, Nueman or Newland Edward went over to gunships in the Bounty Hunter platoon My best Friend Sorry to tell you Ed died of cancer at the age of 49 went back to Vermont to see him before he passed Great Trooper Best t all Harry. Having health problems now and all he remembers is Harry Whiteside, Doug Kalora, and 1st Lt Malone. The final phase of their training program involved a practical exercise in which the Thais joined the A Company escorts during the Operation OVERTAKE Night convoy escorts. Woke up one night with one on my chest. The replacement brigade assumed the designation of 1st Brigade. S/Sgt Humes. Another time it was a cobra, 39) higher, high enough to prevent direct rifle fire from coming into the I needs to spend some time studying much more or figuring out more. All reflected back to Bearcat! Oregon or wherever. US Embassy, University instructor, primary staff of newly opening International hospital near Saigon in Binh Duong Province. Buy 9th infantry division Vietnam veteran T-Shirt: Shop top fashion brands T-Shirts at Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY and Returns possible on eligible purchases 4 - 8 December During convoy Operations CANARY, DUCK & IOLA the 720th MP Battalion was tasked with traffic control and security in support of elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 5th & 6th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment, in support of elements of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade (LIB) and 9th Infantry Divisions move from debarkation at the Port of Vung Tau to their new base camps at Long Binh and Bearcat, respectively. Abstract. Just happened to see your site and it brings back alot of memories. In 1972 the "Old Reliables" were reactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington, where they tested new . Hookers came into our hooches at night after they left the thai soldier massage parlor, that was off limits to the americans. 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. As you said the Thai's were in charge and I remember we had our own girls in the compound to keep us occupied and to prevent arguments with the Thai troops over their's. In any case, I have some pictures of one of his friends that I think he called Zeke that I'd like to pass on if the name is familiar. The US had stayed out of this area until 1967 when they had to sent in a division. The 104th was still operational right to the last days of the war and Australia's withdrawn. We turned onto the dirt road from the hiway and headed for the edge of the rubber plantation and the area our Signal Company had existed 30 years before. 49% of the population were Viet Cong. English: Bear Cat cantonment of the 9th Infantry Division. shot along highways just showing the land and people, 12) We had an M-60, Claymores, an M-79 grenade launcher, our own rifle, and flares. 27) He spent the following years in England and Spain, and didnt return until the year the war ended, which happened 40 years ago this month on April 30, 1975.I put [the photos] in a box, a box from Lavoris mouthwash. the tin roof is Co HQ. I believe this was a SF camp in an old French We where relived by our backup and returned to Bearcat to report it to the post commander and our MP desk. One additional clerk had to be added to the A Company Bearcat PMO to handle the additional workload. He started to talk about his experiences and began to get more involved in the VFW and the American Legion. Never got paid for that year because the 590th lost those of us who didn't return after our 90 day assignments. The division stayed in German as an occupational force until 1947 when it was returned to the United States. The other half of that TALO team wouldnt have happened to be Charlie Head, would it? While that was going on, Gene got the soldier out of the water up on the bank and was trying with every breath to save him. 9th Infantry Division. was for the first month? I was an in country transfer from the 272 MP company to the 9th MP. some, switches to run the TOC electrics during attacks. 45) I was down at Long Thanh North as well. Welcome to the discussion. I had your name associated with Hensley, who I met at a 272 reunion. water. I remember when B52 would drop miles from us it still shook the hell out of the barracks. Ray Swan (Torch!) There was what looked like a toy boat floating down the river. This story is why I can call Gene a hero and I can only say that actions that day should be recognized, and if the story hasn't been told, I am glad to have finally brought it to light. SP/4 Neil Vetrano, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, September 1968-November 1969. This is the timeline of the 4/9 Infantry in Vietnam 1966-1970. . Mike Williams, HQ & A Co Commander. called Jayhawkers since the American civil war. "Royal Australian Signals, 104 Signal Squadron replaced 103rd Signal Squadron in Vietnam in 1966. Worked with 4/47th and E-50th. More than 500 postings have accumulated since 2011. I'm always happy when another member of the 9th wanders by and leaves a message. I read that you took food to the guys on perimeter. I lived on a boat moored in Marina Del Rey when I first moved to California. I hope that you are enjoying your time in Vietnam. Short Story Three nights I guarded the Water Point. Bearcat from the air. The top picture is what we determined to be what was left of Probably just tales told us by those who were short. 4/39th Inf. Thank you for taking the time to read this. The 9th Div set up home here in 1966. shot along highways just showing. The The camp was located on Route 15, 16km southeast of Bin Ha. I hope that the helicopters stayed off your strip during that time. I often wondered if they were really asking: "Are you my daddy?" 25) I do remember doing alot of guard duty at the 2 gates. For some reason I heard this, 71) I was with 5/42 at Bearcat from June 68 thru June 69 as an artillery surveyor and shell recon (chasing down those incoming 122mm rockets that would come in randomly). On January 6, 1967 we loaded on a train and headed for Oakland, California where we then boarded a troop ship and headed for Vietnam on January 10th. I REALLY ENJOYED THE PIC,S A LOT OF MEMORIES SF VET 66 TO 68. To say that hes glad he did would be an understatement. These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles, 57) To assist in locating the detachment-convoy events from your tour, each entree on the main Battalion Timeline pages is proceeded by the designation Bearcat Detachment or Convoy. We were the ones who built Camp Bearcat. I was in country from 67 to 68. Bear Cat, was one of our two primary spots to locate. 31 OctoberThe A Company Bearcat Detachment was still active. Also, check out the 9th Inf Div website as well as the 9th Inf Div group on LinkedIn, Hi Phil money from John Allison's unit. Then, for the last week in January, the 2-47 was sent south of the 9th Division's base camp to patrol the jungles east of Highway 15, near the Binh Son rubber plantation. HQ & A Co mess hall at Bearcat, late intour. Dick Jackson (holding beer can) separates the troops from their pay., Convoy, 1967: My buddy Sgt. Didn't get issued a weapon until the following day. We were good soldiers, but very, very lucky. Donald T. shops. More like this. One of my favorite slides is of a bunch of cut-off 55 gallon drums which were pulled out from under a smelly place, stacked neatly, doused with diesel and a touch of gasoline then set on fire. I was also on the Barrett out of Oakland, Calf. The explosions and fires lasted for days. I always found them. Later i volunteered for permanent berm nightly guard duty, got me out of working during the day. 660429: The main body of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, Manchus, arrive in Vung Tau, Vietnam. 73,000, 68) I agree Jack good job. The 9th Infantry Division ("Old Reliables") was created as the 9th Division during World War I, but never deployed overseas. And thank you for burning IT. 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. Most were hiding in abandoned hooch's and bunkers on post left vacant when the Thai Queen's Cobra Regiment moved out. A monkey got hung up in the wire and started screaming. here, up north. Jeep art -- Snoopy was popular back then. Bearcat was the base I wonder what it looks like today. 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. 26) "When I Joined VetFriends, I read about the email locator service, and sent an email to my old friend. To review your tour in the Battalion Timeline, use the To Vietnam Main Index link above. More than 10,000 soldiers were located here at one time. Us Armor. It would be the first division formed entirely under the all . Early in the Vietnam War, the 1st Special Forces established a base there. Our job was I wish I were exaggerating, but To develop each roll of film, he took it to the Post Exchange on the base camp, they mailed it to Kodak for processing, Kodak mailed it back to Vietnam and, finally, Gaynor mailed the pictures home. Within a half hour he popped off a couple of rounds headed for the Thai artillery area. about 2 miles long and a mile wide, we cleared an area out from the perimeter of Anybody else have a similar experience? Their flight in a C-7A Caribou of the Royal Thai Air Force (aircraft mission #21) was scheduled to depart Bearcat at 0700 hours and arrive in Can Tho at 0815 hours. To say the least, Gene was exhausted and we didnt talk about it for the remainder of that day. Please contact: Ray Swan Mailing address: 289 Prospect Ave City, State, Zip: East Aurora, NY 14052 Thanks for the blog. I am not. How Many Vietnam Veterans are Alive Today? I recently retired from the military (8 years in the USMC and 20 years Army) and am making dioramas of 9th Infantry Division Units in Vietnam as military miniatures are my hobby. History. Location : Service : Major Command : Binh Chanh: Apr . Shot a full belt in my M-60. Early in the Vietnam War, the 1st Special Forces established a base there. Bearcat was also called Camp Martin Cox . They guard roster would get shorter and shorter whit people being exempted and then they would have to correct it. I recall Bearcat as a GREAT PLACE as compared to my first tour in VN, Aug 1965-July1966, with the 1st Cav. for $1 million USD in Saigon. We could discern still the lowered rain gutted outline of burms fron long ago. First I thank Jack for this wonderful web site. 25 May, 2006 Hours, a C Company Operation OVERTAKE convoy escort composed of two Armored Personnel Carriers and a gun-jeep assigned to pickup 9th Infantry Division transport vehicles at the Bearcat Base Camp for escort to the U.S. Army Newport Terminal were ambushed by enemy forces of unknown size by RPG, machine-gun and small arms fire at two locations on Highway QL-15. It's on the endangered species list. ARMY 1969 1-9th Cav Ops Report Aug . Glad you made it back. The HelloMy brother served with Dco, 2/60, 9th. bunker. Scenes My buddy Jack Teeple is playing the guitar. (.308) N.Match ammo. Id be interested in talking. I was FDC worked in the TOC. Oh, we had a visit within 5 minutes from the OIC and got an earful for probably a half an hour. I was Company Commander of the Signal company in Bearcat belonging to Sig Bn hqs in Vung tau for six months from July 1969 to January 1970. laborers, office workers, professional worked here. Also Saigon -- those beautiful au-dai pantdresses. shops in Saigon and environs. 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 will be adding pages dedicated to the distinguished service of the men who served with the 2/47th Infantry, Vietnam. 3/47th Riverine. Along road near Black Horse; RFPF observation After opening the box, Gaynor began to investigate his own memories, digging out the letters he had sent home. 9) I was on the South Eastern corner of Bearcat with the 5/42 field artillery unit all of 1969. The U.S. MPs were praised by their Thai counterpart, LT Prasit, from Bangkok, Thailand, the MP Duty Officer. 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. SP/4 William H. Antila, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, August 1968-November 1969. We would wait till about 2:00 AM to make our raids. The 9th Infantry Division arrived in Vietnam on 16 December 1966 from Ft Riley, KS and departed Vietnam for Ft Lewis, WA on 27 August 1969. that tell a specific units role in the overall picture. December 1, 1966 - December 31, 1966. I was a replacement guy so didn't know a soul but was welcomed by everyone. The famous F**k - you gecko lizard. 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. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? AAORLL's 1968. contact team sites in bad guy country, 44) [1] The camp took its name from its Special Forces radio call sign.[2][3]. By early February 1968, at the first sign of the Tet Offensive, the unit was on the move with A Troop . 31) Parachute flares dropping from illumination artillery rounds (click to enlarge). (He is the only openly gay officer of the American Legion of whom he knows, he said.) Widely considered the definitive resource on the Vietnam War, Where We Were identifies the name, location and provides a brief historical synopsis of every military installation, firebase, landing zone, airfield, port, signal site, vessel and significant terrain feature of the American war in Vietnam. Shop area Bearcat -- M88 unloads damaged M113 and kids from the 709ths civic action village. 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. I arrived at Vung Tau by ship Oct. 1966 with the 15th combat engineers. Two combined patrols during daylight hours and one during the evening hours. The Australian enlisted personnel in the detachment shared the same billets with the A Company MP Detachment. There wasa strip for. 9th Infantry Division, Old Reliables, Vietnam War. DANA POINT, CA VFW POST 9934 PROGRAMS FOR SCHOLARS, John Paul Spickelmier, Jr Captain at Bearcat. The chopper arrived and Gene was still caring for him. My health was so poor that I was unable to join the Australian effort to assist the Us in Vietnam. Agency, Mac Gordon, the House of Representative's Public Information Director I can only say that it took a while, but it felt like a lifetime. On a visit to USA I promised his mother I would one day visit Vietnam and try to go to the place he served (he was in Vietnam for only 20 days) and to the place he was killed (Ben Cat). Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to share your story with us. 4th Infantry Division. Five of our men were wounded and ten sappers died. We never found out his name, but it hurt. On one night we had a red alert that was later called off. He established, with the families of his friends who had died in Vietnam. To work with the U.S. Military Police is a great honor. Through cooperation and working together we have established a good relationship with the troops.. He said they threw him a rifle and said run over there and shoot! Tan An and then Tan Tru, home for my platoon supporting the 2nd/60th Inf, Behind the berm the trees you see are part of a mangrove plantation. The First Home of the 9th Inf. We had to take this picture from the van. Still looking for a roster from that time frame to show I was there. (May '70 -Dec'71 ext). Calling artillery, Dust-offs, Locsats (location status), Sit-reps (Situation Reports) and in many cases operating in a Liaison situation between the ARVN, U.S. Military, Thai's, Kiwis (New Zealand) and Australian's in the battlefield. 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!!!! Note, dust raised. All comments welcomed. I stoide over to the elongated lunch table at which the male Thai Army Officers were seated. Thanks for your service and thanks for writing about your experiences. Armored Vehicles. Best time to draw was 8-10 and 2-4. He told me a story about guard duty. 62) Barbed wire and the beauty of blooming flowers on the berm. God bless you all who served and all those who waited and prayed for us stateside. The guys and I ran Bearcat Arty. Hey. Thanks. compound, 11) Scenes I arrived at Vong Tau in Sep 1967. The Division went through eight battles and was already a "veteran Division" by the time that D-Day started. Between 8 [] * Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1967-1968 He came home and passed away a little over 10 years later never developing the film. We disembarked at the port of Vung Tau and convoyed to Bear Cat Fire Base. We had to check units going out and those coming in. He loaded our M-60. Thank you for your service! How they can make money with so many We were all draftees and sore about being in Vietnam which others were surfing back home. I hope you enjoyed my brief reflections back in time to when I was a bit younger than I am today at 80 years of age. I am forever in their debt. up. I think I preferred Bear Cat. I was with the 229 self service supply company. 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. All of the vertical construction is being accomplished by the Thais. 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. 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.