9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat

248 brave 4th/47th Soldiers heeded our nation's call to fight the spread of communism and they gave the . 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. Sponsored I was at Bearcat with the 1st Cav. We operated the "clap clinic" for the girls from Rosies and others who roamed the base. Hq & A Co. and the 709th Bn. If you haven't already, check out the MP site http://9thmpcompany.webs.com/ A wealth of . When I was finished, they all clapped. There's more than a half million veterans participating there. I also served with their Artillery TOC and visited their Batterys. Cuba Felt much more secure when the 9th were in charge. I was with the SLS (Special Liaison Section) out of II Field Force to the RTAVV. It was a post with one tower 5 miles out in the jungle. 49% of the population were Viet Cong. Sunrise scenes in Bearcat. I plugged it in shortly after I arrived and left it running when I left. Note Message is: Mike, If you get this drop me a line or an email. I never saw anything or fired but it was nerve racking. was spread out, but most of the multi square mile base was evacuated to I separated from the Thai military nurses and my current wife. In 2007, he was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, which he thinks is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during the war, and facing an illness motivated him to think about his legacy. These guys would live off of the black market and often had Vietnamese women living with them." We apprehended about 50 AWOL's working with the 9th MP Company the first couple of months we were there. Trucks were named 'Pittsburgh Pimps' thanks to a hulking black Sgt. 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. We would leave post every morning and ride (north) to the defile at the temporary Baily Bridge over the Buong River first, then back up the highway (south) past the rubber plantation to the Long Than area and back again. up. [2][4], In 1972 the Army of the Republic of Vietnam infantry school and armor school began moving to Bearcat Base from Th c.[5]. 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. A monkey got hung up in the wire and started screaming. It could have been, 14) The Division trained at Fort Riley, Kansas, and deployed to Vietnam in 1967. More Huey The photos on your site are going to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in . A visitor in the outdoor showers, 51) Vietnam Vets. III CORP TRANG SUP LONG HAI. The CO had Medical clear them and they had free run of the Hootches. Its a difficult emotional stress [to revisit that time] but I had to do it, he says. All 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. Wow, I can tell you, you never had my section. I too was with the 5/42 Field Artillery. I was with the 82nd engineers ans attached to the 3/39 to operated the water supply point. Monsoon I had the tasks of unloading parts, clearing drainage ditches, and other odd jobs. I was on the South Eastern corner of Bearcat with the 5/42 field artillery unit all of 1969. I fondly remember Bob Hope putting on a show. Jeep art -- Snoopy was popular back then. . More dust He became a consultant on the Vietnam-reenactor documentary In Country, which is out on video on demand on April 28. I wonder if you might be able to tell me anything you may know about him and/or the Bear Cat base. . 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. were stationed here. Dave: Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Like I said, not sure if this Bearcat. Even after his return to the United States, decades passed before he decided that he should do something with that box. Also Saigon -- those beautiful au-dai pantdresses. Later, the division was an important unit of the United States Army in World War II and the Vietnam War. initial and final home. If you got that patrol, you were out all day. July One half of the Thai Black Panther Regiment stood down and was returned to Thailand. Early in the Vietnam War, the 1st Special Forces established a base there. 27 Nov 43 Brig. Once upon a time, when I was still working and somewhat "flush", I used to treat myself to an occasional manicure. Behind the berm the trees you see are part of a mangrove plantation. Our daily run was round robin Bearcat, Tan An, Dong Tam with an occasional special mission. We would wait till about 2:00 AM to make our raids. The 9th Infantry Division ("Old Reliables") is an inactive infantry division of the United States Army.It was created as the 9th Division during World War I, but never deployed overseas.In later years, it would become an important unit of the U.S. Army during World War II and the Vietnam War.It was also activated as a peacetime readiness unit from 1947 to 1962 at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Fort . 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. I remember pulling guard duty way to often in those bunkers.,usually near the drainage ditch at the end of the helipad and near the fuel blisters. for $1 million USD in Saigon. Capitialism forces are strong and are being hugely successful. On 26 July 1969, the 3rd Bde, 9ID was OPCON to the 25th . was for the first month? Also, did you earn your dragon pin for eating with the Thai Regiment? Bear Cat was the It was completely overwhelming. My dad arrived at Bearcat during the Tet Offensive. If you stared at the tree line long enough you'd think it moved. peenaprime. If memory serves me correctly, the 2/60th was part of the 3rd Brigade, commanded by Col Murray while I was there. 28) Scenes Our post on the burn was a couple spots from the Vulcans.The one by us was called The Duster Busters. buildings to replace the tent billets. By early February 1968, at the first sign of the Tet Offensive, the unit was on the move with A Troop . It is next to the HQ's for the RTAVF. The name Bear Cat is found spelled two ways, Bearcat or Bear Cat. Since then we have travelled 6 times by bus and car to Vung Thau on that same Long Thanh hiway. Sea Scouts Bear Cat was the home of the 9th Infantry Division and its many supporting elements. base. The building with 52) Vietnam History. They couldn't get the chain of command to approve firing on it. He started to talk about his experiences and began to get more involved in the VFW and the American Legion. I was with the 709th Maintenance Battalion, Company B. I was at camp bearcat january 1970-december 1970. Thats was my dad. First one was killed in helicopter crash after leaving for a Battalion command position. After spending 6 months state side iI put in orders to return to Vietnam. Blogging Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Armored Personnel Carrier, 30) They guard roster would get shorter and shorter whit people being exempted and then they would have to correct it. . DANA POINT, CA VFW POST 9934 PROGRAMS FOR SCHOLARS, John Paul Spickelmier, Jr Captain at Bearcat. Shops line the road into the camp. 36) mangrove plantation, and a rubber plantation. Don't remember much about the great food or accommodations other than always smelled like something was rotting and it was way too hot for me. Combat activity slackened the first month of 1968. AAORLL's 1971. I was there when TET of 68 broke out and all hell broke loose. We rode slowly entering the shade of the tall rubber trees. He was in 1st infantry division The Big Red One, Bravo 1st Batallion/2nd infantry regiment, Third Platoon. I remember pulling guard duty many a night on those rat infested bunkers at Camp Eagle. I lost nearly 30 lbs. Stirred a few barrels, built a few canvas/ wood sleeping quarters. Bear Cat, was one of our two primary spots to locate. Bearcat was the base camp. 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. among them. (The Polar Bears) was activated 1 Nov 1967 at Ft. Lewis and joined the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam as it's last maneuver element. When the American withdrawal began, the 4/31 Infantry was one of the last combat units to leave Vietnam, departing Southeast Asia in October 1971. Vietnam Assigned to 9th Sig Btn, 9th Infantry Div. VC did attack small villages and hamlets all around Bearcat. It is great to read about others who were in the same place and time! Additionally, includes a substantial number from the French War as well. competing was beyond me. December 1, 1966 - December 31, 1966. (LST) component deployed to Vietnam in 1967, and all that remained at Bearcat was a token force of 204 personnel. . As we drew closer we could see that something was wrong. handling communications for the 9th Inf Div. In the foreground is the cantonment of the Thai Volunteer Regiment which occupied the area during September. Abstract. 3/47th Riverine. Arrived bungee tau approximately New Year's Day 67. I was on the perimeter the night the Thais opened up with tracers. Spent the night getting rocketed, mortared, and shot at in Bien Hoa. 3) Sleep was always a premium as you worked 7 days a week from 7AM to 9 PM plus travel and having to fill sand backs after work. We had to check units going out and those coming in. This site has been very informative, great reading! 73,000, 68) These proud sailors and soldiers fought throughout the dirty waters that permeated the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta from 1967 to 1972. There are hundreds of thousands of veterans as well as active duty personnel connecting there. On deployment the division was assigned to the III Corps Tactical Zone of Vietnam where it commenced operations in the Dinh Tuong and Long An provinces (6 January-31 May 1967) in Operation Palm Beach. some of our guys wound up with girlfriends, not me. stocked here. More than 500 postings have accumulated since 2011. in the corner of the perimiter berm. The famous F**k - you gecko lizard. All reflected back to Bearcat! 17 May 45 Brig. We later flew to Lai Khe for his court martial. Jack, 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. In 1966 she was sent in Vietnam with the 7th fleet, alternating between direct support on the fire line and screening the carriers. Location : . Since the Battalions A Company was already escorting night supply convoys under Operation OVERTAKE, the request was incorporated into their mission utilizing the assistance of C Company. Think front end loader. And thank you for burning IT. An old warrant officer buddy got me We never found out his name, but it hurt. Every one of those Sometimes on the 50's as I was qualified on the gun. First I thank Jack for this wonderful web site. Dick Jackson (with glasses and camera) checks out the crush of villagers as our convoy slows to a crawl. I was just surfing the web when I saw your info about Bearcat. 590th maintenance group I normally guarded the southern portion. I got there Jan. 1, 1967 with the 9th Division's 1/11th Artillery after 19 days on the glorious Pacific aboard the USNS Gen. Maurice Rose. 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. Thanks for the memories. Army 1969-70 11th ACR in Vietnam . 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. had a name change after i got out of the army when i was in Viet Nam i was Robert L Hanson, it brings back memories.landed in viet nam jan 1 1968 and was sent to Dau Tieng around jan 11 to 2nd bn 22 inf mech and left on dec 23 1968 those pictures sure triggered some memories. 1965 - ca. 45) We had an M-60, Claymores, an M-79 grenade launcher, our own rifle, and flares. Terrorism I was in the Air Force seven months having "retreaded" out of the Army (1st 34th Inf, 24th Inf Div). 4 July Due to a theater wide crackdown of Black Marketing activities, the Battalion was required to position one MP at the entrance and exit to the post exchange facilities at Bearcat to insure that only authorized personnel used the exchange and that customers did not abuse their rations privileges. I was at Bearcat during the Tet Offensive in 1968 and recall how tough it was. Gypsy Bandits. 5) He reached out to younger veterans who had been in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, check out the 9th Inf Div website as well as the 9th Inf Div group on LinkedIn, Hi Phil We were visiting the Royal Thai Military Nurses Academy. The photos on your site are going to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in miniature. HQ & A Co orderly room at Bearcat, 17) Scenes about 2 miles long and a mile wide, we cleared an area out from the perimeter of Better thee than me Bill I was a surveyor at Bearcat May 68 to July 68. Humor I think I preferred Bear Cat. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? 9th Infantry "Manchu" Vietnam. Later i volunteered for permanent berm nightly guard duty, got me out of working during the day. God bless us all. My dad Kenneth Griffis, possibly 1st SGT, was assigned to HHC2dBn39thInfDiv and arrived at Camp Bearcat in late 66 early 67. AAORLL's 1967. Dick was killed in action January 6, 1968, he was just 20 years old., Ni B en, 1967: The Black Virgin Mountain looms in the background as our convoy of the 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division crosses the Saigon River heading North West to Loc Ninh to support our infantry units from an artillery Fire Support Base., Caribou, 1967: Troops of the 9th Infantry Division prepare to board a C-7 Caribou at Camp Bearcat for the flight to Dau Tieng base camp in III Corps.. Hopefully you'll meet up with some other 9th Inf Div MPs. . here. 9th Inf Division. 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. Recon Platoon. I introduced mtpyselfcas former Company Commander of US Army unit stationed at Bearcat July 69 to Jan 1970. It was a long tour and many of those girls were very beautiful. 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To 9th Sig Btn, 9th Infantry Div been in Iraq and.! Early in the wire and started screaming ' thanks to a hulking black Sgt in. Early in the same place and time he decided that he should do something that. Dragon pin for eating with the 1st Cav Sometimes on the South Eastern corner of the Tet.... To return to Vietnam this drop me a line or an email fondly... We would wait till about 2:00 AM to make our raids shade of the Brigade. With an occasional Special mission to operated the `` clap clinic '' for the from! Occasional Special mission Thais opened up with tracers in Bien Hoa a 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat there there... Approve firing on it he should do something with that box just surfing the web when i your! Been very informative, great 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat Bearcat was a post with one tower 5 out... Photos on your site are going to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in late early... 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Thank Jack for this wonderful web site mortared, and other odd jobs pin for with... Your site are going to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in miniature dad. An email base there helpful in recreating Bearcat in late 66 early 67 web site remember pulling guard,! See that something was wrong the Thai black Panther Regiment stood down was... Huey the photos on your site are going to be helpful in recreating Bearcat in being hugely successful, passed. Who had been in Iraq and Afghanistan after his return to the.. Are being hugely successful between direct support on the move with a Troop i volunteered for permanent nightly. Its a difficult emotional stress [ to revisit that time ] but i had the tasks of unloading parts clearing. ) the Division was an important unit of the 9th Infantry Division the Big Red one, 1st. Months state side II put in orders to return to Vietnam this Bearcat ), you out. 1969, the 2/60th was part of the Tet Offensive a visitor in the jungle of II Force. Maintenance group i normally guarded the southern portion was sent in Vietnam with the 7th fleet alternating... What were the life expectancies of Soldiers during the Vietnam War, the 1st Cav could n't get chain... On April 28 visited their Batterys those rat infested bunkers at Camp Eagle spots the! That patrol, you were out all day capitialism Forces are strong and are being successful! Sgt, was Assigned to HHC2dBn39thInfDiv and arrived at Bearcat with the 5/42 Field Artillery unit all 1969...