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Note From the Editor
Greetings! This issue of Dispatches includes a gripping first hand account of the Marines battle for Hill 512 in Vietnam, as well the story of WWII Fighter Pilot David McCampbell.
We hope you enjoy them.
Please let me know your comments regarding your Dispatches - things you like and things you like less. Also please contact me with any stories or articles you would like considered for publishing. I can be reached at Mike.Christy@togetherweserved.com.
All information for Bulletin Board Posts and Reunion Announcements please send to Admin@togetherweserved.com
Lt Col Mike Christy U.S. Army (Ret)
CONTENTS
1/ View Your Entry in Our Roll of Honor!
2/ Hill 512: The Man in the Moon
3/ Preserve Your Old Photos: Let Us Help for Free!
4/ Profiles in Courage: David McCampbell
5/ Do You Still Have Your Boot Camp/Basic Training Photo?
6/ Battlefield Chronicles: The Fall of Kandahar
7/ Have A Military Reunion Coming Soon?
8/ Steel Storm: A Pivotal Battle Kept Secret for 53 Years
9/ New Together We Served Military Store
10/ Colonel Who Accepted South Vietnam's Surrender Dies
11/ TWS Person Locator Service
12/ TWS Bulletin Board
13/ Book Review: Young Soldiers-Amazing Warriors
14/ Letters to the Editor
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Hill 512: The Man in the Moon
By Greg Doering USMC
It was late May 1968 when I was transferred into Fox Company, Second Battalion, Ninth Marines at Combat Base Ca Lu. I had been trained as a truck driver in the States, finishing at the top of my class and promoted to PFC, Private First Class, a few months prior. My destiny changed because the TET Offensive created the need for Infantry replacements.
My driving while at Fox Company was limited to the Mechanical M-274 "Mule." I drove all over the combat base developing favor with fellow squad members and was given the nickname "Motor T" to express their sarcastic sympathy. Now I was facing my first combat experience, Hill 512, as an innocent nineteen-year-old. Charlie Company had been hit and overrun by "sappers," NVA throwing satchel charges, creating a perceived mortar barrage. By the time the Marines figured out what was happening, another wave of NVA moved in and a firefight followed inside their perimeter.
My squad members, Warner and Ricks, helped me figure out what to load into my pack, and how to assemble all the gear I would need as an ammo humper. I figured I carried somewhere around 105 pounds with a flak jacket, helmet, rifle, and ammo included. Warner kept encouraging me, you'll get used to it. Joe Bell, the comedian, yelled, "Hey motor T, see how high you can jump."
Squad Leader Sandy yelled, "Move out!"
I felt like a deep-sea diver in slow motion trying to keep up in a dream.
Be just like John Wayne, I thought to myself, as I stepped up the chopper's ramp, only to find I had the wrong chopper. "That one over there!" yelled Sandy.
I barely made it into the next waiting chopper without falling. It felt so good to sit until the chopper lifted and spun around for my first disorienting ride. Once we were airborne, all I could see out the window was jungle canopy. We didn't land in the way I expected a chopper would land. Because of the steep terrain, the chopper had to back in and lower the tail ramp against the side of the hill without touching the rear wheels to the ground. Everyone scrambled off the back end as I followed, hoping my John Wayne attitude wouldn't fail me now. The chopper didn't wait a heartbeat before it lifted off, the evening ground fog swirling like cotton candy into its rotors. I couldn't see anyone through the thick fog rolling in.
I shouted in a whisper, "Warner, where are you?" "Up here, Motor T," Warner whispered back.
Warner said, "Follow my voice." I couldn't tell where Warner's voice was coming from as I started having conversations with invisible people. I blurted out for help. "This shit is too heavy; I can barely move."
Sergeant Klein appeared out of the fog. "Get your ass up the hill, Marine!" Ugh! That was good for another twenty feet or so, where I bumped into Sandy and the rest of the squad being briefed on what to do. As the fog dissipated and the moon broke through, we were split up into twos to man the perimeter positions that were set up by the Marines we replaced. In the morning, we would be checking out the two-man sleeping holes the other Marines had dug, to look for booby-traps and places to hide or sleep. Warner stood the first watch with me to give me some understanding of sounds to listen for, and how to interpret what they meant. Warner was ready to crawl up to a sleeping area above; running out of patience, he told me to just listen for crickets. I was dying for a cigarette but didn't know what the consequences might be of lighting a match. I listened for crickets, rehearsing over and over what I would do if attacked.
The next morning came without any indications of activity around our perimeter, so we got on with settling into our new location. Most of the day was spent watching the choppers making regular supply deliveries on a flat area below and packing the supplies up the hill.
As the amber light of dusk began, everyone was hunkering down for a night of expectation. It was my turn for watch as the peek-a-boo moonlight cast moving shadows against the bamboo canopy before me. It was dead quiet, and in the distance, I heard a barely discernable crack-creak. I started pondering my options. I didn't want to wander over to the next hole and explain funny noises. The idea popped into my head: how about a grenade? I kept hearing what I thought were tennis shoes crunching leaves and twigs snapping off in the distance, barely perceptible. It must be down near Bell and Ricks. I rehearsed over and over pulling the pin, letting the grenade spoon fly. I could count to four and have 3 seconds left before it went off. I had a picture memory from when it was still light out and could imagine where I wanted the grenade to go. I imagined the arc of the grenade getting over the bamboo and dropping right where I heard the noises. I couldn't figure out how to get the stupid cotter key out.
Let me try this damn cotter key again, oh shit; it fell out, and I have no idea where it went. I knew it was safe if the spoon was closed but wasn't going to sit there all night holding it. I used my mental picture of Bell's position and was positive he would be okay. My heart was pounding so hard I could hardly hear myself think-okay-click there goes the spoon with a snap; I knew the trigger had hit the blasting cap starting the fuse train burning; 1001 - 1002 - 1003 - 1004; with everything I had I let it fly. I threw it like a heavy rock, not hardball style. The damn grenade was heavy. I heard the grenade banging into the bamboo and bouncing back and forth. It didn't go off in the air as I had planned; finding its way to the ground there was a loud thud. WHAM!!!! Cool! I could see a bright flash made of white-hot metal flying all around where it had gone off. I heard Warner clambering over to me. "Jesus H. F-n Christ Motor T, what the hell are you doing?" Warner asked.
Bell in the meantime had scrambled over. With his heavy Brooklyn accent, he blurted out, "Are you try-in to F-ing murder us over-der, you almost put dat F-n ting in our lap; Jesus Christ Mutter Tae, now you woke everyone up and Sergeant Klein's on his way."
Klein let Sandy have it; then Sandy gave it to Joe. When I heard Joe being read out by Sandy, I stepped into the middle. "Hey, dammit, I heard movement!" I said.
"Shit, now you woke up the whole company, nobody will get any sleep; these guys are freaked out enough," Klein said. "I told you I heard movement!" I reiterated.
The Gunny stepped over to add his two cents, telling me I probably killed an F-ing rock-ape, and then blasted me with the "free fire zone lecture." We were not supposed to fire unless fired upon. "Next time come over to the CP and wake up Sergeant Klein before you decide to throw another grenade," Gunny told me.
Klein looked at Gunny - "aw shit Gunny!" Klein didn't want to be waked up, for any reason. Gunny retreated to his sleeping area.
Klein looked over at Bell. "If he wakes me up again, you'll be digging latrines the rest of your tour, Bell!"
Everyone went nighty- night at the CP and left me feeling stupid. But as had become the case, there was always the kind word from Warner and teasing from Bell. "Okay Mutter Tae, you get two more watches for F-ing up."
There I was on my second watch hearing noises again, except I had no grenades. Joe Bell took them from me and said I could only get them back with good behavior.
"Hey Warner, I hear movement," I whispered. "What?" Warner replied in a sleepy voice. "I hear movement; come here!"
Warner scrambled over and listened. "I think you're right, Motor T. Go wake up Sergeant Klein." "Me?" "Careful, he keeps his 45 loaded," Warner said with a grin.
I crawled over to Klein and tugged on his poncho liner, carefully watching the 45 he was sleeping on. Klein whispered. "What?" "It's Motor T," I whispered back.
"You again?" Klein grumbled. "Ah! You woke up the Gunny!" Klein scolded me. "What is going on?" Gunny whispered in a gravelly growl.
"Motor T's here, and thinks he's hearing things again," Klein explained.
The Lieutenant, "Firecracker Man Pierce," woke up, and hearing the conversation, inquired: "What's going on, Motor T?" "Sir, I hear movement below my position and I need permission to throw a hand grenade."
Pierce was interested in what I had to say. "Let's go check it out, Motor T." Pierce followed me to my position, and by now everyone on my side of the hill was awake. Pierce cupped his hand to his ear and gave hand signals to Klein to shut up, while Gunny rolled his eyeballs at me. The Lieutenant motioned to Klein and sent him to get a case of hand grenades. The Lieutenant popped out half a dozen or so grenades and told me to open them up. I was surprised when he handed me a grenade and motioned to get ready to throw in the direction he pointed. He nodded his head and we let it fly. Wham- wham! Gunny and Sergeant Klein joined in throwing grenades, as we unloaded the case and finished throwing what we had. Wow, it sure is quiet out there now, we all agreed.
The next morning, I caught up with Joe Bell. "Hey Joe, we must have thrown nearly two cases of grenades last night," I proudly reported. "No kidding, we changed your name to "Motor T with a capital G," for grenade," Joe said, explaining we had everybody freaked out last night, convinced we were being overrun. "Next F'-n time pass the word before you start blowing up the side of the hill Motor T," Joe instructed.
Later that morning, the Lieutenant put together a recon team to look for bodies. Evidently, because of being a non-free fire zone, we had to justify the ordnance used by finding bodies. I just stood around while the Lieutenant and Big John, the Lieutenant's volunteer, were chopping holes in the dense canopy to make trails into the bamboo. We were standing around watching the show as I grasped my M-16, flak jacket, and helmet, trying to look like I knew what I was doing. Warner, Bell, and Ricks stood with me, providing color commentary.
Suddenly all hell broke loose, as the Lieutenant's pump action over-and-under 12-gauge shotgun emptied. Big John opened on full automatic with his M-16, while another guy opened with his M-79 grenade launcher. To me, it was like the noises from a comic book I used to imitate. The Lieutenant was running back toward the perimeter. Big John was right behind him, stepping backward while firing his M-16. Joe and Ricks started over to add firepower. I hesitantly followed Warner just as the Lieutenant stepped inside the perimeter and yelled "Cease-fire!"
From the enemy's positions came five round volleys of 82 mm mortars. We fired back around twenty 60 mm mortars at them. Then it became quiet. All the people in positions except me had emerged from protective cover and had begun milling around as if nothing had happened. I needed to be coaxed out of a sleeping bunker by Warner.
Most days could be amazingly boring, and some nights filled with sheer anticipation. Then there was the Man in the Moon, my friend, who could smile at me and light up my night with the remembrance of home. The same moon everyone at home was seeing; a comforting connection that touched my soul. My other escape was sleep and space just before I awoke, in which I dreamed I was back home.
On the worst nights, the moon's light was totally obscured with layers of dark clouds, creating a sinister presence of opportunity. On such a night, we were probed at several locations at once. It was so dark that the only identifier was a familiar voice to follow while scrambling around on hands and knees. Chaos broke out and Ricks told me to grab some illumination rounds. Warner showed me how to unwrap and lay the rounds out for Bell to drop in the tube. Ricks was free handing the tube, holding it without tripods and firing rounds directly above us. The illumination came down on small parachutes swinging back and forth, lighting the place up, followed by a whistling loud thud. The canister that contained the illumination function would break away and fall on us. As I scrambled to find my helmet, there were guys making a game of catching the parachutes to keep for souvenirs. We began pumping out HE, high explosive mortars toward Charlie's position, about 300 yards from us. C-130 Caribou airplanes above began dropping huge illumination canisters, causing the night to become bright as daylight. Firecracker Man called in a fire mission with artillery rounds neatly walked around our position, followed by a deafening silence. I returned to my position.
The silence was golden around me, the man in the moon, and my new friends, the rock apes, so-called because of their habit of throwing rocks. The NVA hunted them for food. We believed that the rock apes, or orangutans as they were known, could smell the NVA and be quiet. If they came near our perimeter looking for food, we knew there would be no NVA nearby. There was a stump of a burned-out tree near our position where I would put out crackers and a couple pieces of chocolate. The rock ape would come and sit on the stump and munch on the crackers and chocolate and stare, conveying it was safe.
The next day First Platoon went down on a search patrol. We got our tube set up and I waited dutifully by my pack board of mortar rounds, awaiting instructions whether to unzip the string around the canister holding HD rounds. There was yelling and chatter about the patrol walking into an ambush. Lt. Pierce gave orders to Sandy, and Ricks and Joe set up the mortar tube and began firing WP, white phosphorous rounds to confirm distance. Warner helped me attach increments, little booster charges fastened to clips at the base of the mortar.
My friend Doc Woody was with First Platoon, toward the rear of the column, when enemy machine-gun fire hit several men at the front. Woody heard the frantic call, "Corpsman up!" and crawled on his belly through elephant grass that was being mowed down by bursts of gunfire over his head. The first man he reached was Litzler. Litzler had been struck by a bullet through his chest and lay near death. Woody crawled then to "Buzz" Caldwell and found the bloody remains of a face. Woody went to work on Caldwell, hooking up an intravenous line to pump in a pint of plasma. Woody worked while on his stomach as machine-gun fire creased the back of his flak jacket. Then, as abruptly as all the craziness had started, it seemed to end.
Warner tapped me on the shoulder. "Move it, Motor T, follow me. We've got to help E-vac." The patrol was at the bottom of the hill as I stumbled and slid on the elephant grass. My eyes met the eyes of the dead man coming back from the ambush. I stepped closer to ask if I could help. He just said, "Oh no!"
The look in his eyes was haunting as I figured out he was dragging a body behind him. He had tied a poncho around the man's head with cartridge belt straps to drag the lifeless body. I felt paralyzed with helplessness.
Someone screamed. "Motor T get over here and help carry the Corpsman!"
It was Doc Woody. Woody showed me how to support the leg of the Corpsman shot in the kneecap. Woody's corpsman friend was lying face down on a poncho to be used to carry him up the hill. Woody tried to assure him he was going home with the million-dollar wound. The injured corpsman writhed in pain and screamed as the chopper landed at the top of the hill with its back door extended down. I couldn't keep his leg in the position that Woody showed me, because the side of the hill was muddy, and I kept slipping. With every slip of my foot, the corpsman would scream louder.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I couldn't stop saying.
He looked back at me with contempt as I stepped aside to let another man took over. I stood helpless as I watched him and the other seriously wounded being loaded into the chopper. Time stood still as I turned around and looked to find that I was the last guy at the bottom of the hill. I slogged and slipped my way up the hill and returned to my familiar space. Woody helped pull Caldwell's body up the hill to perform an emergency tracheotomy. Woody didn't have a scalpel or even a field knife. He pulled out a ballpoint pen and slammed it into Caldwell's throat to open an airway. Then he turned to Litzler, whose body had been carried up the hill. Woody pumped on his chest and breathed into his mouth to no avail. Nearby, Caldwell stood holding what was left of his jaw with a 4 x 4 battle dressing.
There was no priority chopper for the dead. Dead were placed into body bags and carried to a plateau fifty yard below. Litzler's friend sat close by the contents of the black bag, knees drawn to his chest. I could hear him talking as he sat with Litzler until another chopper came.
Lt. Pierce had another fire mission. We needed to mark where the bunkers were that the patrol had encountered earlier. I was unwrapping WP rounds then watch them being lobbed to nowhere. A small spotter plane flew around, firing rounds from a launching device on its wing into the same area we were firing at. I could see the pilot when he circled back around above me giving us thumbs up; we had the right target lit up. The next thing I knew, the Aerial Observer flew off into the distance and an F-4 Phantom came screaming in alongside the hill, firing his 20 mm cannons and dropping a serious load of bombs into the bunker complex area, to shouts of "Wahoo, get some!" Another jet came screaming by and dropped napalm, lighting up the whole jungle behind us. I didn't understand why they were using airstrikes now, and not before the patrol.
We were told it was time to leave Hill 512. Not knowing what we had accomplished nagged at me, but following orders was my duty. We had to fill in all our holes and clean up the perimeter, assembling the entire ordnance that we had used. It seemed to take forever for the choppers to show up, allowing the feeling of combat to sink in. I became busy making sure all my gear was squared away: my rifle cleaned, every magazine cleaned. I was overwhelmed with the reality of Hill 512. I sat on the edge of a bunker and Warner took my picture. The reflection on my face would be frozen in time. We loaded the first wave of helicopters with all the gear we had gathered and waited for our troop transport choppers to arrive.
We sat together waiting and finding a spark of playfulness still left in me, I pitched a little pebble at Warner. Warner, surprisingly, got really pissed as the others in the circle noticed, excitedly encouraging Warner to attack. As Warner began to rise, the anger building on his face was something unfamiliar. I just held up my hand in a gesture of surrender and looked at Warner and said "sorry." He sat down and said "yeah." We knew nothing further had to be said.
Dusk drew near as we heard our choppers approach. They backed into the hill one by one, blowing dust over the empty hill as they departed. Sunset's embers reflected off the valley floor as the moon peeked over the hills of Ca Lu. Under the glow from the Man in the Moon, Hill 512 began to fade to a bad dream.
Preserve Your Old Photos: Let Us Help for Free!
Do you have old photos from your service days stashed away in a drawer or in a shoe box in your attic? Old photos fade with time and if they are not scanned and preserved digitally, they risk eventually being lost forever.
This is where TWS can help. We have just invested in a high quality Fujitsu book and photo scanner that can scan any size of photo or yearbook. As a service to our members, we would like to offer you a free photo scanning service for your most significant photos from your service which we will then return to you, in original condition, along with a CD containing your photo files.
In addition, we can upload your photos for you to your Photo Album on your TWS Service Profile which will also appear in your Shadow box and available to you to access or download at any time.
All available fighter pilots! Man your planes!" boomed the squawk box in Essex' ready room. The ship's radar had detected three large groups of Japanese planes coming in.
David McCampbell, the CAG, and the Navy's most famous aviator considered this announcement. Earlier that morning, Admiral Sherman himself had forbidden McCampbell from joining a dawn sortie. Given his responsibilities as Commander of Essex' Air Group and his public prominence as a top ace, McCampbell was too valuable. He decided that he was indeed "available" and headed for his airplane, Minsi III. His plane crew hurried to fuel Minsi III, which had not been scheduled to fly that day. With the Hellcat only partially fueled, the Flight Officer ordered it off the flight deck - either into the air or below to the hangar deck. McCampbell went up, leading Essex's last seven fighters toward the Jap strike force.
He and Ens. Roy Rushing got out in front of the other Hellcats, putting on all speed to intercept the Japs, then only 22 miles away. He directed the other F6F's to get the bombers, while he and Rushing tackled the fighters. Surprisingly, the enemy fighters turned, allowing McCampbell and Rushing to gain altitude and a position behind them.
Seeing over 40 Japanese fighters, McCampbell radioed back to the carrier for help. "Sorry, none available." The enemy planes spread out in a typical formation of three V's. McCampbell picked out a Zero on the extreme right and flamed it. Rushing also got one on this first pass. Incredibly, there was no reaction from the Japs as they climbed back up to regain altitude. The two Hellcat pilots dived back down on their quarry for another pass; McCampbell blew up a second Zero. Now the gaggle of Zeros, Tonys, Hamps, and Oscars reacted - by going into a Lufbery! McCampbell made a couple of head-on passes against the formation, but without results.
A strange interlude ensued as McCampbell and Rushing climbed back up and circled, while the Japanese fighters continued to circle below. McCampbell radioed again for help; one of the Hellcats that had been going after the bombers headed his way. The Lufbery broke up and the planes headed toward Luzon in a wide Vee. The two American fliers closed in again on the formation. McCampbell opened at 900 feet and exploded his third plane of the morning. Rushing shot down his second one.
Apparently low on fuel, the Japanese planes doggedly flew on, maintaining formation. On his next firing pass, gunfire coming from behind forced McCampbell to break off his attack and pull up. It was another Hellcat shooting too close to him. A few choice words straightened things out. Still, the enemy planes didn't turn and mix it up.
McCampbell realized he could relax and take his time. This was practically gunnery exercise. He could focus on identifying his targets carefully. The next one was an Oscar. Again, his six fifties roared and blasted the Oscar's wing root. It flamed for number four. Rushing had scored his third by this time. This continued for several more passes until McCampbell had downed 7 and Rushing 6. Rushing radioed that he was out of ammo, but he would stay on McCampbell's wing while the CAG used up his remaining bullets.
Two more passes and two more kills. As the Jap planes approached the security of their bases on Luzon, the two Americans' low fuel finally ended the slaughter. The Hellcats broke off and headed for Essex. In one morning, sortie, McCampbell had shot down nine enemy planes and Rushing six, an unparalleled achievement in American fighter aviation.
Born on January 16, 1910, this Bessemer, Alabama native's naval career began with dismissal. Graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in depression- era 1933, he was rewarded with an honorable discharge from a Navy without funds. But in June 1934 McCampbell was called back and commissioned.
In 1936 his first assignment involving aircraft was gunnery observer aboard USS Portland. In 1937, McCampbell's flying career finally got off the ground at Pensacola Naval Air Station where he reported for flight training. A year later, he was designated a Naval Aviator and received his first flying assignment with Fighting Squadron 4 aboard the USS Ranger, CV-4 where he served two years.
Wasp was home from 1940 until she went to the bottom in 1942. During that time were two hot runs to the Mediterranean delivering Spitfires to Malta and support to the Guadalcanal campaign.
After Wasp was sunk on Sept. 15, 1942, by a Japanese submarine, McCampbell returned to the States to fit out a new squadron, Air Group 15, aka "The Fabled Fifteen." From February 1943 through early 1944 the group was aboard Essex steaming into history. One of the first squadrons to equip with Grumman's new F6F Hellcats, they saw action in attacks on Iwo Jima.
Barrett Tillman, in Hellcat Aces of World War 2, describes the introduction of the Hellcat to the U.S. Navy's carriers in the Pacific, and the immediate impact it had. Like all of Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series, it's a great reference. The cover depicts McCampbell in his Hellcat, Minsi.
In February 1944, he was promoted to CAG (Commander - Air Group) of Air Group Fifteen. That spring, they went to war aboard USS Essex CV-9. McCampbell commanded the entire Essex air group bombers, fighters, and torpedo planes. He was thirty-four years old. During their tour of approximately seven months and more than 20,000 hours of operations, this group destroyed more enemy planes (318 airborne and 348 on the ground) and sank more enemy ships (296,500 tons sunk, and more than a half million tons damaged and/or probably sunk) than any other air group in the Pacific war. Among the major combat ships sunk was the Japanese battleship Musashi, three carriers and a heavy cruiser. The Fabled Fifteen became one of the most highly decorated air groups of the war.
McCampbell entered combat on May 19, 1944, leading a fighter sweep over Marcus Island. Three weeks later June 11th, flying near Saipan, he saw a lone Zero come out of the clouds. He turned towards the plane and fired three bursts. The Zero went down streaming smoke, the first in long series of successes for the CAG. He reacted coolly to his first aerial victory, "I knew I could shoot him down and I did. That's all there was to it."
As the United States forces prepared for the invasion of Guam and Saipan, the Carrier Task Force steamed west into the Philippine Sea. The desperate Japanese battle plan called for them to launch their strike planes at the U.S. ships, then refuel & re-arm on the Guam and Saipan airfields and hit the American carriers again in a 'shuttle' operation. It didn't turn out that way.
On June 19th, the Japanese launched two large raids of Judys and Vals, escorted by fighters. Other carrier air groups took care of the first raid; Essex' Fabled Fifteen, under McCampbell went after the second group of eighty planes. McCampbell started the slaughter at 11:39 by exploding the first Aichi D4Y2 "Judy" dive bomber he spotted. As he darted across to the other side of the enemy formation, evading a gantlet of return fire, McCampbell quickly splashed a second Judy, sped toward the front of the enemy formation to record a "probable" on a third, dispatched the formation leader's left wingman with a staccato burst, downed the leader with a steady stream of machine-gun bullets, then scored a final kill on a diving enemy craft. In minutes McCampbell had logged five kills and one probable.
There was a second air battle in the afternoon. After shooting down yet another Zero (his sixth for the day!), he became separated from his flight of eight and was returning alone to his carrier, the USS Essex. As his Hellcat cruised at 6,000 feet past Guam's Orote Peninsula, he spotted two Zeros attacking a Navy S0C seaplane picking up a downed pilot in the water. Diving to the attack, McCampbell shot down one of the two Zeros. Lt. Commander George Duncan, another VF-15 pilot, came upon the scene at that time and got the other. It was McCampbell's seventh for the day and his ninth in eight days of combat.
During the September 12th-13th strikes on the Philippines, He shot down five more planes, and learned about the capabilities of the 'Nate' - a small, open-cockpit monoplane, slow and lightly armed, but highly maneuverable, advanced trainer. McCampbell had bagged two Zeros early in the day and was heading alone toward a rendezvous when a Nate attacked him from above. It pulled out of gun range without damaging McCampbell's Hellcat, but McCampbell wanted the kill. He dropped his belly tank and put on full WEP but kept losing ground. The Nate's student-pilot saw his advantage and began an overhead pass; but McCampbell dove for the deck. In his after-action report he noted "1) Nate is even more maneuverable than Zeke. 2) Nate can out-climb F6F at 110-120 knots airspeed. 3) This 'operational student' will have no trouble completing the course." By the end of September 1944, McCampbell had shot down nineteen Japanese planes.
On October 24th, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, McCampbell, assisted only by Roy Rushing, broke up a large group of Japanese planes headed for Essex, as described above.
In one combat tour, David McCampbell shot down 34 Japanese aircraft. If he had served a second tour, he may very well have exceeded Dick Bong's total of 40. In recognition of his spectacular accomplishments: leading "Fabled Fifteen," personally accounting for 34 planes, and for his mission on October 24, McCampbell received the Medal of Honor, presented to him by President Roosevelt.
McCampbell also received the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, McCampbell served in the Navy until his retirement in 1964. Married four times, David McCampbell must have had quite an eye for the ladies. He died in Florida after a lengthy illness on June 30, 1996.
Do You Still Have Your Boot Camp/Basic Training Photo?
Together We Served has a growing archive of more than 10,000 Boot Camp/ Basic Training Graduation Photos which we now display on your Military Service Page and Shadow Box. We also have a growing collection of Yearbooks which we will be making available on the site shortly.
We are still searching for Boot Camp/ Basic Training Photos and Yearbooks. So if you have yours available, please contact us at Admin@togetherweserved.com or call us on (888) 398-3262.
Either you can send us a scanned file of your photo or you can send it to us for scanning. We will add this for you to the Recruit/ Officer Training section of your Military Service Page.
All photos and yearbooks will be returned to you in original condition along with a CD containing your scanned photo.
Battlefield Chronicles: The Fall of Kandahar
After the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif, Kabul, and Herat, Kandahar was the last major city under Taliban control. Kandahar was where the Taliban movement had originated and where its power base was located, so it was assumed that capturing Kandahar would be difficult. The city fell after several weeks of fighting to a force of local militia under Pashtun military commanders and their American advisers.
In preparation for the attack of Kandahar, the first wave of aerial attacks against the Taliban was launched on October 7, 2001, at 6:30 pm local time. A group of United States Air Force (USAF) bombers consisting of five B-1s and ten B-52s took off from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. They were complemented by twenty-five United States Navy (USN) F-14s and F/A-18s strike aircraft from the aircraft carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Enterprise in the North Arabian Sea. The Royal Air Force (RAF) and USAF provided L-1011s, KC-135, and KC-10s to supply en route aerial refuelings to the USN aircraft. Flown in from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, two B-2 Spirits also participated in the attack, as did the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft.
At 9:00 pm, USN, USAF, and Royal Navy (RN) forces launched several salvos totaling fifty Tomahawk cruise missiles against Taliban military and communications facilities and suspected terrorist training camps. The timing was chosen to coincide with the arrival of the strike aircraft, which dropped a variety of bombs including Mk 82s, JDAMs, AGM-84s, AGM-154s, and laser-guided bombs.
Targets within Kandahar included Taliban strongholds, as well as the houses of Arab foreigners who worked with the Taliban regime. One of the primary targets for the airstrike in Kandahar was Mullah Omar. The attacking aircraft were met with sporadic fire from Taliban anti-aircraft artillery batteries and surface-to-air missiles. The U.S. considered the attacks, conducted against the cities of Kabul, Jalalabad and Herat, to be successful as the goal of neutralizing the Taliban's air defense was met.
To court and provide relief for the Afghan people, food and supplies were dropped into the region. Two C-17 transports delivered 37,500 daily rations by airdrop to refugees inside Afghanistan on the first day of the attack. Relief efforts faced a setback, however, from Taliban interference. World Food Program storehouses in Kandahar were raided and surrendered to Taliban soldiers, who "seized about 7,000 tons of food." Hoping to avoid a backlash by civilians, the USAF deployed an EC-130E propeller aircraft to broadcast a message that the Taliban and its allies were the only targets of the attacks, not civilians.
On October 19th, 200 Rangers from the 3rd Ranger Battalion (75th Ranger Regiment) departed from four Lockheed MC-130 aircraft towards a desert landing strip south of the city, codenamed "Objective Rhino," supported by 750 U.S. soldiers from the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division to create a forward base at Camp Rhino 100 miles south of Kandahar.
Anti-Taliban commander Gul Agha Sherzai was contacted by a U.S. Army Special Forces ODA on November 18th. His forces numbered about 800 men but were severely outnumbered and under-equipped. After receiving supplies, they moved out on November 22 in a convoy of over 100 vehicles and began advancing on Kandahar through the Arghastan desert. Attempting to bypass Taliban strongholds, Sharzai's convoy halted outside the Taliban-held town of Takht-e-pol. While trying to negotiate a surrender, the convoy was ambushed by Taliban forces. Sharzai's forces drove the Taliban back with the help of American air support. The Taliban retreated and abandoned the Takht-e-pol area.
Before the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit of the United States Marine Corps arrived at 'Rhino' on November 25th, a recce team from SEAL Team 8 carried out a reconnaissance mission but were mistakenly engaged by AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters, they managed to get a message to the Marines before anyone was wounded.
On November 25, FOB (Forward Operating Base) Rhino was established outside of Kandahar, cleared in by the SEALs the 15th MEU relieved the 101st Airborne Division of control of FOB Rhino and continued forward operations throughout Kandahar with coalition forces. On November 27th, the 15th MEU was joined by a unit of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and began joint operations against Taliban forces.
After the Battle of Tarin Kowt, the Eastern Alliance under the command of Hamid Karzai spent several weeks in Tarin Kowt attracting recruits. His forces swelled to around 800 men as he prepared to move on Kandahar from the north. On November 30th, Karzai's force began advancing towards the town of Petaw. After taking Petaw without a fight, Karzai's force attempted to take the bridge at Sayd Alim Kalay but was halted by stiff Taliban resistance. After a two-day battle involving heavy airstrikes, the Taliban withdrew on December 4th, leaving the bridge intact. Karzai's force seized a bridgehead on the other side.
The next day, a stray American bomb landed on an American position, killing three Special Forces soldiers and wounding Karzai. Karzai's men maintained their positions and began negotiations with the Taliban for the surrender of Kandahar.
On December 7th, Sharzai's men began their assault on Kandahar's airport but met little resistance. They discovered that the Taliban had already surrendered the city to Karzai's forces. Sharzai's men entered the city and Sharzai was declared governor of Kandahar. Karzai had already been declared president of Afghanistan.
The fall of Kandahar signaled the end of organized Taliban control of Afghanistan.
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Steel Storm: A Pivotal Battle Kept Secret for 53 Years
By William B. Scott
A young US Marine Corps Corporal directs modern history's largest Naval bombardment in support of ground forces, wiping out an entire Viet Cong battalion augmented by Red Chinese regular soldiers.*
28-29 July 1965
Where the hell are you, Charlie? You're out there. I feel it.
A rawboned, lanky U.S. Marine strained to detect movement in the inky darkness, a starless space made blacker by a rain squall that suppressed the sounds of soldiers creeping toward their objective. A few feet away, a South Vietnamese Ranger, Sergeant Thi, also patrolled, straining to spot a large Viet Cong force they knew was approaching. An attack was imminent.
As he scouted the area, Corporal Karl Lippard mentally took inventory of his dicey situation and limited assets. He was armed with an M14 rifle and four 20-round magazines. Sgt. Thi carried a .30-caliber M1 carbine, and a Colt 1911 semiautomatic pistol was tucked in his M9 shoulder holster. The Marine had stowed his map case, helmet, poncho, and pack in an old French bunker near the Ca De River bridge's north approach. A telephone landline linked the abandoned bunker to roughly 20 other Marines dug-in on the south side. All were "Raiders", a company of U.S. Marines that had received specialized training - "rubber boat" operations and submarine insertion, for example. Raiders were elite forces, the handpicked best of each U. S. Marine Corps battalion.
As the rain squall intensified, Lippard and Thi returned to the French bunker to retrieve their ponchos. A South Vietnamese army (ARVN) soldier was manning the concrete shelter, talking on a PRC-10 backpack radio, but to Viet Cong troops. Lippard pulled the pin on a grenade and placed a hand on the bunker wall, but before he could take out the VC infiltrator, Sgt. Thi tossed his own grenade. Its blast cut the enemy soldier in half, severed the phone line and drove debris into Lippard's knee.
"My grenade was live, still in my hand, when I got hit," Lippard recalled. "Had to replace the pin." The Marine stepped inside the bunker, confirmed the VC was a goner and checked the PRC-10 radio. It was covered in blood and raw flesh, but still functional.
That radio would become his lifeline.
Positioned on the north side of the Ca De River, which emptied into nearby Bay of DaNang, Lippard was acutely aware that he and his Vietnamese Ranger sidekick were mere tripwires, a flesh-and-blood early warning system. The 19-year-old Marine had orders to sound a warning if anybody approached the bridge from the north. Nobody - friend or foe - would be permitted to cross.
Had the VC mole alerted nearby enemy troops that the bridge was defended by a pitifully small force? No way of knowing, but the grenade blast that had silenced him surely would attract Charlie's attention to the old bunker.
In fact, Lippard wasn't "officially" in that bunker on the Ca De River's north bank. Then-Major General Lewis W. Walt's Tactical Area of Responsibility ended on the south end of a five-span, quarter-mile steel structure. With a set of railroad tracks down the center and pedestrian walkway along the west side, the bridge was a critical north-south artery. "Highway One" and a railroad converged at that crossing, a gateway to the main route linking "DaNang to places north, such as Phu Bai and Hue," according to the record of a ship soon to be anchored nearby, in the bay.
Holding that junction was absolutely vital. Regimental commander Colonel Edwin B. Wheeler had told 2nd. Lt. James Reeder, Lippard's immediate commander, "Lieutenant, if you lose this bridge, you and I are both going to be fired." But holding it from only the south end was tactically near-impossible.
"There was no room to support Marines on the south side," Lippard recalls. "The available space [there] could only hold about 20 Marines. Besides, that's about all that could be spared. We were spread real thin in July 1965."
To have any serious hope of preventing enemy troops from taking the bridge, a full company of Marines, backed by artillery, should have been firmly entrenched on the north side. But bizarre rules of engagement in mid-1965 placed responsibility for defending that important span's northerly approach in the hands of a South Vietnamese army battalion located about a half mile farther north, close to the beach. Comprising two understrength platoons, these "Popular Force" troops were a battalion in name only, a reserve unit commanded by a schoolteacher. They were volunteers, designated the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 2nd Regional Force.
A USMC battalion would be composed of 1,000 Marines. In contrast, "a Vietnamese 'battalion' would indicate 600 or more men," Lippard explained. "Years later, we found documents [proving] the ARVN 2nd was only a couple of platoons, mostly farmers. Weekend warriors, often with families in tow. But two platoons of drop-and-run farmers wouldn't cut it if hit. That 'battalion' would be wiped out."
Lippard and Thi knew little about Viet Cong movements in the area or the unit set to attack the bridge that night. They had been given no intelligence, even though 3rd Marine headquarters was well aware that the 7th Viet Cong Battalion had slipped between the Bay of DaNang and a ridge of mountains the day before. Two Marine companies had been dispatched to engage that force, but they never encountered the 7th VC. It had already passed through, pushing to the north.
Records indicate that Navy ships positioned offshore had "tried to interdict this battalion, shelling its [potential] positions, as it moved," Lippard said. A combat action report noted the 7th VC was still on the march on 28 July, arriving in a valley a few miles north of the Ca De River bridge late that day.
Well after sunset, two separate formations, each comprising two companies of Viet Cong and Red Chinese regulars, started maneuvering to the south. Their apparent plan was to sweep across the Ca De River bridge, overrun a 3rd Marine Division command post and capture the huge DaNang airbase 4.5 miles west of the city.
"Confirmed," Lippard asserted. "There was [a total of] 16,516 Viet Cong against 1,140 men of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, in open, fixed positions. They'd be overwhelmed, with no support," if squeezed by enemy troops from the north and south. The enemy would have destroyed innumerable aircraft, including helicopters slated to support a major battle shaping up at Chu Lai, well to the south.
"The Fourth Marines would have been doomed," Lippard declared. "Another 1,121 Marines - the First of the Fourth - on the beach to the northeast at Ky Ha would have been next. General Walt could see it coming. His [planned] strike at Chu Lai, would be preempted by that VC offensive [launched] at the Ca De River bridge. He had no real protection. No one to come to his aid. Therefore, he sent what he had to the bridge and hoped for the best."
Conceivably, the 7th VC - about 600 strong - would race down to Chu Lai, attacking from behind and wiping out an assembling American force of some 1,140 men.
The only speed bumps were a Marine and ARVN Ranger holed up near a bunker on the north end of the bridge, backed by 20 lightly armed Marines on the south side. It's safe to assume that 7th VC commanders fully expected to swat that handful of Marines aside and be in control of DaNang air base before dawn on 29 July.
Clearly, U.S. commanders were anticipating an attack from the northwest by a massive VC force estimated to total 5,574 men in the DaNang operations area. On 1 July, Marine Division headquarters had issued an order warning of precisely that possibility. A subsequent missive on 17 July approved naval gunfire support (NGS) for in-country employment, albeit with constraints. The supporting fire had to be "observed and controlled," called in by only U.S. forces, and independent fire from any ship offshore was banned.
Something big was about to happen, but Lippard had no idea what. Around 2100 (9:00 p.m. local), "we began to receive enemy fire from several directions [near] the bunker, increasing in intensity as I tried to raise somebody on the radio," he said. Only one faint response was received - a patrol some five miles up-river. It was unable to relay a message.
"A Mayday call went out to any station on the net, "Lippard recounted. "Division headquarters came up, and I quickly gave them positions of attacking forces, while I could." He noted that the enemy was "Danger close!" No artillery was available, so aircraft were dispatched. Soon, USMC F-4B Phantoms from DaNang air base arrived and made three strikes on coordinates Lippard provided, pounding rear elements of the 7th VC Battalion.
"Division never identified themselves. Never said what if anything they were sending," Lippard said. He was told to identify himself, "but I declined to give my position. Evidently satisfied, they sent everything they had - aircraft and ships." One U.S. Navy ship steamed for several hours to get on-station. "So division knew they were in trouble. They also knew somebody on the other end of that radio [link] could read a map and was under fire. A heavy firefight was in progress."
Seasoned enemy soldiers intent on clearing the French bunker and sprinting across the bridge were hardly deterred by three rapid-fire F-4 strikes. The 7th's troops kept coming, and Lippard and Sgt. Thi kept picking them off when briefly illuminated by lightning.
In short order, Lippard had shot and killed 15-20 enemy soldiers with his M14. "They were attacking in threes, so we could take them down fairly quickly." Sgt. Thi ran out of M1 ammunition, prompting Lippard to trade his M14 and extra ammo magazines for Thi's .45-caliber pistol. The Marine could fire the forty-five one-handed and still operate the PRC-10 radio, his only means of communication.
Fortuitously, Lippard happened to be an expert shot with a forty-five. Years later, he would set world records for nailing targets at 500, 600 and 1,000 yards with the "Combat NCO", a .45-caliber semiautomatic of his own design.
With enemy fire zeroed-in on the old bunker, Lippard and Thi abandoned it, moved about 75 yards up the beach, and took cover behind sand dunes, backs to the water. Lippard radioed a brief situation report (SITREP) to division headquarters, which merely acknowledged that artillery couldn't reach him, then went silent.
"No further transmission. None from them or me. I was busy," Lippard clipped. The young Marine was on his own. Reinforcements and artillery simply weren't available. He transmitted in the blind, " Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Any station this net! This is Hotel Three! Do you copy? Over!"
"Hotel Three, this is Assassin. Give me your coordinates." Out there in the DaNang Bay, just offshore, a very powerful ally was arriving. Answering
Lippard's call was Harry Rodgers RD2, a sailor aboard the USS John R. Craig (DD-885), a U.S. Navy destroyer sporting four five-inch guns, two on its forward deck and another two on the aft. Rodgers was tasked with maintaining communications between the ship and a "target spotter" ashore. He received and plotted target coordinates as requested by the spotter. Those were passed to the ship Gunnery Officer, who fed them into a fire control computer and fired the guns. The spotter - Lippard, in this case - would call for illumination, high-explosive or white phosphorus rounds and make target adjustments, as required.
Navy gun support tactics in mid-1965 were to "get in as close to shore as possible, drop anchor and maneuver [to] bring guns to bear, while swinging on the anchor chain," according to the Craig's history. The ship drew about 18 feet of water and was now anchored in about 25 feet. Crewmembers said the Craig's propellers were churning up bottom mud to keep the ship broadside to the beach, ensuring both fore and aft five-inch gun mounts could provide supporting fire.
By 2141 (9:41 p.m. local), the Craig was in position, lights out, and starting to fire illumination rounds, directed by Lippard's radio calls. Now, "I could see the [enemy] force, but was unaware that a whole battalion was engaging," the Marine recalls. "The Craig came in [and started firing] to the right of the airstrikes, immediately across my front, giving me some relief."
Once he realized a huge Viet Cong/Red Chinese force was caught in the open, lit up by the Craig's first illumination rounds, Lippard requested high-explosive shells. "I called the first rounds within 100 yards" of his and Thi's beach position. "If I had not retired to the beach, I would have died at the bridge. It was very bad on the beach, but the dunes [absorbed] a lot, and as the enemy fell back, concussions from naval gunfire and [incoming] enemy fire decreased."
Noise from airbursts was deafening, complicating radio communications. As Lippard shot enemy soldiers closing on his position, he transmitted a steady stream of radio calls, directing the big guns' devastating fire. High explosive rounds "were tight" and accurate. The advantages of heavy rain and pitch darkness that enemy commanders had counted on for concealment were eradicated by frequent illumination rounds turning night into day.
Up the beach, the South Vietnamese reserves "were digging to China, pinned against the sea. [The Craig's incessant barrage] had them bottled up and afraid to move," Lippard said. "They had no idea who was calling in the fire or where it was coming from."
Illumination rounds enabled Lippard and Thi spotting and shooting enemy troops "that made it to within fifteen yards of us. It was close; very, very close," the Marine distinctly remembers. "The 'problem' was danger close that night. I was down to just my pistol and plotted the last rounds right on my position. [We] could not hold, without maximum firepower on me. We got lucky."
Lippard was a reluctant student, when assigned to Map and Aerial Photo School in his early Marine Corps days, yet graduated at the top of his class. On the night of 28-29 July 1965, he was grateful for training-honed skills that enabled calling in an absolutely devastating fire for almost five hours. The USS Craig ultimately fired 340 five-inch rounds - 57 illuminations, 22 white phosphorous and 261 high-explosive shells.
At 0146 (1:46 a.m.) on 29 July, the USS Stoddard (DD-566) slipped into DaNang Bay and joined the battle. Lippard was unaware that two ships were firing through the night. He simply called the coordinates and that zone was obliterated. "They answered a Marine Corporal's Mayday. No questions."
Relentless pounding by two Navy destroyers' five-inch guns forced the Vietcong and Red Chinese regulars to "collapse on themselves. I followed up the beach as enemy troops [dropped back], then inland as they retraced their approach of March," Lippard continued. Approaching the ARVN reserves' position, "Sgt. Thi broke off to identify me on their flank. I moved inland, following the enemy and [directing naval] gunfire. I was then forty-five yards forward of the ARVN position." The Marine was alone in no man's land, surrounded by dead enemy soldiers, or what was left of them. Lippard doesn't talk about that.
When the Craig and Stoddard ceased firing, "I retired back to the beach and retraced my movements to the point of first call [for naval gunfire]. There I remained until daylight." The Craig was ordered to weigh anchor and depart around 0310 (3:10 a.m.), but the Stoddard remained in DaNang Bay until about 10:00 a.m. "The battle was over, but she finished some mop-up, [shelling] the base of the mountains [to take out] any stragglers or other units that might arrive."
Records of the battle are sketchy and don't always agree, but Lippard's research found that 443 shells were fired by the Craig and Stoddard in response to his Mayday calls the night of 28-29 July 1965. Another 33 were delivered during post-battle mop-up operations. Ship logs have ambiguous accounts, including numbers that don't match other records: the USS John R. Craig - under the command of Navy Commander James Kenneth Jobe and supported by Lt. Jeremy Michael Boorda, the Weapons Officer - fired 348 rounds, while "conducting a night firing mission." How many the USS Stoddard delivered under the command of U.S. Navy Commander Charles Presgrove is believed to be 95 rounds in the early morning hours of 29 July, and another 174 in "after-action" operations, according to a Naval War Gunfire Support Record.
A personal log was written by Henry Lehtola, an enlisted sailor-turned-historian who chronicled the Craig's role in the 28-29 July 1965 battle for the Ca De Bridge, backs Lippard's account: "Anchored DaNang. Preparing to open fire. The VC must have been raising hell earlier. You could hear small arms fire on the beach and see tracers flying. Flares and star shells lit up the whole sky."
The U.S. Marine Corps War Journal's cursory documentation for 28 July notes, "USS Craig commenced firing on designated targets. 340 five-inch rounds expended - 57 illuminations; 22 white phosphorous, and 261 high explosives. At 0146 hr., Craig joined by USS Stoddard (DD-566) in support."
Although exhausted, Corporal Karl Lippard jotted down a few notes about the night's battle and had his knee wound dressed. Later, he snapped several color photos, then waited, fully expecting a thorough debriefing from his commanders. It didn't happen. Nobody at headquarters ever asked for Lippard's account, verbal or written.
Senior Marine commanders definitely knew the intense Ca De River bridge battle had occurred. In fact, the USS Craig and Stoddard destroyers would not have steamed into DaNang Bay in response to Lippard's Mayday call, unless ordered by the Commanding General of Naval Forces, Maj. Gen. Walt. However, 3rd Marine headquarters apparently never reported the engagement's stark truth: A single USMC Raider, aided by an ARVN Ranger, directed naval gunfire on a battalion-size unit of enemy soldiers caught in the open. After about five hours of intense bombardment, the Viet Cong 7th Battalion ceased to exist. No enemy soldiers captured. No wounded recovered. No sign that any of the unit's approximately 600 Viet Cong and Red Chinese combatants had escaped. The VC 7th simply vanished, never to reappear in subsequent reports.
Incredibly, not a single Marine or ARVN soldier was killed. "No Marine or ARVN losses," Lippard confirmed.
"The end result of this battle was the total destruction of the 7th Viet Cong Battalion, by U.S. Marines in defense of the bridge complex," Lippard recapped. "The Marine Corps acted with speed and force - brought in Marine Air Wing strikes and quickly moved Navy ships into position to provide full gun support within minutes of my call. This believed to be one of the finest examples of combined Navy and Marine assets - in support of a small unit, during the Vietnam War."
Although U.S. commanders may have ignored or forgotten the Ca De River bridge battle, senior South Vietnamese military, and political leaders deeply appreciated what Lippard and his fellow Marines had done. Lippard was quickly summoned to an ARVN headquarters and awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm insignia, the first of three he earned. Later, Vietnam's then-Premier, Nguyen Cao Ky, recognized Lippard for his distinguished actions in defending the bridge.
Why top U.S. officers never acknowledged Corporal Lippard's role in the Ca De River bridge battle and decimation of a large enemy force in late July 1965 remains a glaring unknown. Theories abound, and there are probably bits of truth in each. Marine commanders, at that time, were convinced their communication links had been compromised. Reporting through regular channels that a major headquarters and the vital DaNang airbase came within a whisker of being overrun and wiped out by a Viet Cong force augmented by Communist (dubbed "Red" by Marines) Chinese soldiers might have alerted North Vietnamese interceptors that U.S. and ARVN forces were spread dangerously thin south of the Ca De River. Such knowledge certainly would have emboldened VC commanders to try taking the bridge again. As it was, a few days later, on 5 August, Viet Cong troops managed to blow up fuel tanks containing about 2,000,000 gallons of jet fuel near DaNang.
Or maybe acknowledging that a solitary U.S. Marine was outside the allowed operating area - north of the bridge, in ARVN territory - and calling in U.S. Navy gunfire to wipe out a large enemy force was considered too sensitive for political palates. At the time, South Vietnamese military leaders were suspicious of U.S. intentions and quick to call foul.
Had the VC 7th Battalion broken through and destroyed critical strike aircraft and helicopters on the DaNang air base flight line in late July, a key Marine attack at Chu Lai, planned for mid-August, might have been scrubbed. Nobody in the U.S. chain of command dared admit that the Marine Corps came very close to suffering one of its worst defeats in history, just as that major offensive was in the offing. Especially at a politically sensitive time, when the White House and Pentagon desperately needed a victory to establish U.S. credibility in Vietnam.
Ironically, 614 Viet Cong were killed and nine taken prisoner in the subsequent Chu Lai battle - about the same as North Vietnam lost in one night at the Ca De River bridge. And forty-five Marines were killed and 120 wounded in the week-long battle at Chu Lai. In contrast, none were lost, during a furious, five-hour shootout north of the Ca De River that night of 28-29 July.
For whatever reason, the 18-24 August 1965 battle at Chu Lai is hailed as the U.S.'s "decisive first victory" by historians, while a deadly storm of fire and steel that erased an entire Viet Cong battalion almost one month earlier is never mentioned in official and scholarly accounts of the Vietnam War. At least none have surfaced. Was it buried in official secrecy born of near-miss embarrassment? Or intentionally "overlooked" and conveniently forgotten?
For his extraordinary, central role in holding a crucial river crossing, Lippard never received a blip of public acknowledgment, word of high-rank congratulations or simple "thanks" - let alone a medal - from his own country. Not even a purple heart for a wound received in heavy combat that night.
True to Karl Lippard form, though, he doesn't really care. Instead, he chooses to emphasize that the Ca De River battle is a testament to the historically effective American military philosophy of training its warriors to improvise on the fly and do what it takes to get the job done. The ferocious fight of 28-29 July 1965 is also a loud-and-clear example of the trust placed in every Marine "Raider", whose call for artillery, air or naval gunfire support isn't questioned. Those holding the lightning bolts of American power merely "Roger" and commence firing or dropping on targets the Marine designates.
In Lippard's four-year tour as an active-duty Marine, he was wounded seven times and finally returned to the states on a gurney. He was offered a field commission to 2nd Lieutenant but declined. Instead, he was promoted to Sergeant (E-5) and assigned to the drill field, turning fresh recruits into a new generation of Marines. Thanks to right-shoulder wounds, Lippard had the distinction of being the only Marine permitted to salute with his left hand.
He worked in the aerospace, property development and construction sectors for several years, but ultimately established himself as a world-class gunmaker and designer. He holds 20 patents, has another 147 pending, and is a vocal advocate for re-arming America's military forces and citizens, following decades of incessant assaults that drove most U.S. firearms and ammunition manufacturers out of business.
Today, Karl Lippard is committed to reversing that trend and ensuring the United States can defend itself against all enemies, all the time. His vision covers the spectrum from semiautomatic .45-caliber pistols and unique rifles (his patented designs) to a new class of naval Gunship Destroyers capable of once again supporting troops ashore. He currently holds a $65-billion letter-of-commitment that underwrites a proposal to build and deliver 50 of these cutting-edge gunships for the U.S. Navy.
But that's another story in the Karl Lippard saga. After seven decades, this seasoned, scarred American warrior is still fighting and winning. Stay tuned.
* Based on the few official records available, and the memories of those involved in the Ca De River bridge engagement of 28-29 July 1965. All photos and graphics courtesy of Karl Lippard.
William B. Scott is the former Rocky Mountain Bureau Chief for Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, author of The Permit, a techno-thriller novel based on the murder of his eldest son, and coauthor of Space Wars: The First Six Hours of World War III; Counterspace: The Next Hours of World War III, and Inside The Stealth Bomber: The B-2 Story. A Flight Test Engineer graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, he has logged approximately 2,000 flight hours on 80 types of aircraft. He holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering.
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Colonel Who Accepted South Vietnam's Surrender Dies
Colonel Bui Tin, a North Vietnamese colonel who had a prominent role in the Vietnam War'sfinal moments but later fled the country and became an unlikely critic of its ruling Communist Party, died at the age of 90-years-old in the Parisian suburb of Montreuil, France.
Bui Tin personally accepted the surrender of South Vietnam in 1975. He was also present at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 when Vietnamese revolutionaries defeated French troops to secure their country's independence.
When Bui Tin awoke on April 30, 1975, he probably did not expect to play a direct role in a pivotal moment in Vietnamese history.
Later that morning, he rode aboard a North Vietnamese tank to the presidential palace in Saigon. There, he walked inside to find Gen. Duong Van Minh, the last president of South Vietnam, sitting in a conference room. "I have been waiting since early this morning to transfer power to you," General Minh told Colonel Bui Tin. "There is no question of your transferring power," was the colonel'start reply. "Your power has crumbled. You cannot give up what you do not have."
Bui Tin then reassured General Minh that he had nothing to fear; it was only the Americans who had been beaten, he said. "If you are a patriot, consider this a moment of joy," he said, before making small talk about the general's tennis game and orchid collection. "The war for our country is over," he added.
Colonel Bui Tin was not a commander but the deputy editor of an army newspaper, Quan Doi Nhan Dan. As the highest-ranking North Vietnamese officer in the room, however, it made sense for him to formally represent the winning side.
Many South Vietnamese officials would be imprisoned for years after the war in what the Communist Party called "re-education camps." Nevertheless, debates within the party would rage for decades over the role that Marxist-Leninist dogma should play in the country's postwar development.
During a trip to France in 1990 - just as Vietnam'smain patron, the Soviet Union, was crumbling - Colonel Tin declared himself a political dissident and complained that his country was troubled by "bureaucracy, irresponsibility, egoism, corruption, and fraud."
Bui Tin was born on Dec. 29, 1927, in Nam Dinh, a northern Vietnamese city about 50 miles south of Hanoi. His father had been a mandarin in Vietnam's last royal court, became one of a small number of educated Vietnamese who rallied to Ho Chi Minh'srevolutionary cause.
Bui Tin saw the Soviet bloc's disintegration as the right moment for his own political about-face. The Communist Party's leadership "failed to bring liberty and prosperity to Vietnam," he wrote in The Washington Post in October 1991. "Rather than improve the abysmal condition of the population, they have blindly pursued sectarian policies designed to maintain their power," he added.
Even before his defection, Colonel Bui Tin was known as something of a maverick. Notably, he discovered and published Ho Chi Minh's last will and testament, proving that Ho had wanted his ashes scattered around Vietnam. The discovery exposed what Colonel Tin said was the fraud behind the party's decision to build a mausoleum in Hanoi for the country's founder.
Colonel Tin might someday have become chief of the Communist Party "if he had only thought about himself," said Vo Van Tao, a Vietnamese political activist in the southern city of Nha Trang. "But he was an independent thinker with a democratic outlook who disagreed strongly with the regime."
Today, Vietnam is a haven for foreign investors seeking a place with cheap labor and a relatively stable political environment. And despite steady waves of online dissent from the Vietnamese public, the party has maintained its grip on power.
In 1991, Colonel Tin traveled to Washington and testified before a Senate committee that dealt with American prisoners of war. He also met with Senator John McCain of Arizona, a former prisoner of war in Hanoi, to discuss what the senator later described as their "mutual interest in promoting democracy in Vietnam."
After Colonel Tin spoke to the committee, Mr. McCain approached him and stretched out his palm for a handshake. He got a hug instead.
Colonel Tim is survived by his wife, Le Thi Kim Chung; a daughter, Bui Bach Lien; a son, Bui Xuan Vinh; four siblings; and five grandchildren.
TWS Person Locator Service
Available for Together We Served members only! Together We Served has two hard working marines that devote their time and energy to help our members find long lost friends that are not yet members of our site.
If you have someone you are looking for, please send name, age they would be now and where they were from to us at admin@togetherweserved.com and we'll get them on the case for you.
TWS Bulletin Board
If you wish to make a post to our new Bulletin Board - People Sought, Assistance Needed, Jobs Available in Your Company, Reunions Pending, Items for Sale or Wanted, Services Available or Wanted, Product or Service Recommendations, Discounts for Vets, Announcements, Death Notices - email it to us at admin@togetherweserved.com.
Service Reflections Video of the Month
#TributetoaVeteran - Col Angelo Riddick US Army (Ret) 1979-2014
Behind the Scenes at TogetherWeServed
I recently did a post on FaceBook that asked a simple question, "What do you miss most about the Military?" The answers were simple, the people, the camaraderie and the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself.
It struck me that these were the exact reasons that I put in the hours I do working for TWS. It's the people I get a chance to meet and help, the small but dedicated group of people I work with and knowing that the work I do every day, is going to live on long after I'm gone. Not many people are fortunate enough to be able to say that.
Last month we had hired Kim Craft to join our team but unfortunately, as life tends to do, it intervened and we are on the search for a new team member.
The list of qualifications is almost as long as the hours we put in, but the right person is out there. If you feel you are that person and you have the drive to make a difference, email me at admin@togetherweserved.com and I'll send you the list of qualifications.
Have a great month!
Diane Short
TWS Chief Admin
Are You a Writer?
As you know, TogetherWeServed is always looking for interesting articles to post to our forums and in this newsletter. Have you written any military related articles you would like to share to a broader audience? Send your submissions to admin@togetherweserved.com and you may see it in an upcoming issue.
Looking for Army and Marine Corps Volunteers Memorial Team
Do you have a passion for making sure that all of our Fallen are not forgotten? This is the team for you. We have Fallen profiles that have either been orphaned or created by someone who has not been online for a very long time and there is nothing in those profiles. TWS is working to make sure that all of our Fallen profiles are as complete as possible.
TWS Brochures Available
Do you have a reunion coming up and would like to spread the word about Together We Served? We now have brochures available that helps explain a little bit about who we are and what we do.
Send your requests to admin@togetherweserved.com. Please include your name and address along with how many brochures you require.
NEW TWS Invite Cards
Did you know we have Together We Served invite cards that you can hand out to any veteran you meet? It even has a place to put your name, service branch and member number so you get credit for the invite.
If you would like some cards, email us your name and address to admin@togetherweserved.com and we will get them in the mail to you.
Add Your Boot Camp and Have Your Book Scanned
We recently received this email from LtCol Davies that we thought we would pass on. It comments on two projects of TWS that has helped find faces on the Wall.
TWS recently started gathering members boot camp group photos along with scanning members books to add to their page. Through these projects, at least 5 more faces have been added that we may not have had without your help!
Do You Have a Reunion Planned for the Norfolk Area?
If you do, please contact Diane Short at admin@togetherweserved.com to discuss doing a presentation for your reunion.
VA and Other News
VA Appeals Modernization Act
The new law will:
Modernize the current claims and appeals process
Include three review options for disagreements with decisions
Require improved notification of VA decisions
Provide earlier claim resolution
Ensure you receive the earliest effective date possible
What are the new options for review?
You have three options for review:
Option 1: Higher-level Review
Your claim is reviewed by a more senior claims adjudicator and involves:
A higher-level de novo review (new look) of the decision
No submission of new evidence allowed
The possibility of overturning the decision based on:
A difference of opinion
A clear and unmistakable error
The reviewer, who identifies or learns of a duty to assist error, can return the claim to the regional office for correction. You or your representative can request an informal phone call to identify specific issues.
Option 2: A Supplemental Claim Lane
You can submit or identify new and relevant evidence to support your claim. VA will help in developing the evidence.
Option 3: Appeal Lane for Appeals to the Board
This option allows you to appeal directly to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. You can choose between three options:
Direct review: You have no new evidence and do not want a hearing.
Evidence submission: You have new evidence, but do not want a hearing.
Hearing: You have new evidence and want to testify before a Veterans Law Judge.
Golden State Guardsman Makes History
For 1st Lt. Leslie R. Greenfield, crossing the finish line is something that has literally been a huge part of her life. As an avid runner who has successfully completed 10 marathons including the Boston, she knows what it is like to train hard and to remain focused to complete a race.
On July 20, however, Greenfield crossed a different finish line: She became the first woman in the California Army National Guard to graduate from Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course (IBOLC).
"This is very exciting for me and I am so happy to have had the opportunity just to attend IBOLC," said Greenfield during a recent telephone interview from Fort Benning, Georgia, the home of IBOLC. "There were days, I have to admit, that I questioned myself, but I kept moving forward to reach my goal to graduate."
Only 38 women have graduated from the course since the Army opened all combat arms related occupations to women a few years ago. Greenfield was one of six females from class 04-18's 141 graduates to earn their blue cord. She knew that she would encounter some adversity from those who do not necessarily believe women belong in the infantry.
"Some men believe you should not be here," she explained. "You know you have to work to earn their respect more than just a guy coming in right off the street."
"This not something that I just decided to do without thinking about it," Greenfield said. "I knew it was going to be tough, so I really researched what it was going to be like to make sure it was a good fit for me."
Coming to that decision involved asking those who had some insight into the infantry world. For that, Greenfield looked to fellow officers and to several non-commissioned officers within her CST.
"I have been blessed with so many great mentors and talking to them about what to expect was my saving grace," she said.
One such mentor was Sgt. 1st Class, Justin Flood. Greenfield praises Flood for taking the time to explain what to expect. He also helped her improve in her marksmanship, taught her about what it takes to be an infantry leader and to speak words of confidence to inspire her to never quit.
"The infantry is not for everyone, male or female," Flood said. "She (Greenfield) has the drive, and I knew early that she would be that person who would take on that challenge."
Flood further explained that Greenfield did one specific thing that he said would ultimately lead to her success.
"She is not afraid to say I am not familiar with this, and I need some advice," Flood said. "I think all good leaders who ask for advice especially when they are not sure, will succeed."
Greenfield will begin her journey as an infantry officer as a platoon leader, Charlie Company, 185th Infantry Regiment.
"While monumental, graduating from IBOLC was a baby-step for the LT," Flood said. "Now comes the next test, and I have full confidence Lt. Greenfield will clear the next hurdle on her way to becoming an outstanding officer."
First Female Student Arrives Marine Combat Training Company
The first female Marine students arrived at School of Infantry-West to begin the first phase of Marine Combat Training on Camp Pendleton on March 6, 2018.
This marks the first male-female integrated Marine Combat Training Company on the West Coast.
"It is important, one team one fight, at the end of the day it's to show the Marine Corps can produce [Marines] regardless of gender and complete any mission," said Sgt. Ambar Gonzalez, a combat instructor with Lima Company, SOI-West.
Prior to the West Coast's integration, female Marines attended MCT training exclusively at Camp Geiger, North Carolina. Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, remains the only depot available for females to attend basic training.
"The Marine Corps has trained all entry-level female Marines, both boot camp at Parris Island and Marine Combat Training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina," said Lt. Col. Dennis L. Hager II, Headquarter and Support Battalion commander. "Starting today, we took 40 of the women from the western regional recruiting offices and brought them here to Camp Pendleton."
An additional benefit of the integration is providing families from the West Coast opportunity to see their Marines graduate.
"If families had wanted to observe their daughter from boot camp, or any entry level training school they would have to travel across the country," Hager said. "These students are going to have the unique ability to have their families observe their graduation from MCT, from the local area where they came from."
Marine Combat Training consists of a 29-day course where entry-level Marines in non-infantry related Military Occupational Specialties are taught the basic skills needed to function in a combat environment. Upon completion of MCT, every Marine will have the knowledge and ability to deploy and operate as a basic rifleman.
Survivors and Dependents Assistance
There are two main GI Bill programs offering education assistance to survivors and dependents of Veterans:
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) is available for children and spouses of Servicemembers who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001.
The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Program offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition or of Veterans who died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition.
You may be eligible for more than one of these programs. In most situations, you will be required to make an irrevocable election between the DEA program and Fry Scholarship when you apply. Beneficiaries are not able to use the same qualifying event for more than one benefit unless you are a child of a Servicemember that died in the line of duty prior to August 1, 2011.
Sinise Returns to San Diego for Festival
Hollywood actor, musician, humanitarian and honorary Chief Petty Officer Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band performed a free concert for wounded warriors, patients, staff members, and families during the Invincible Spirit Festival held at Naval Medical Center San Diego on Feb. 10th.
Sinise began his tradition of entertaining the military community in San Diego in 2012.
"It all began at Naval Medical Center San Diego," Sinise said. "I love being able to visit Naval Medical Center San Diego and meet patients and the families."
Prior to the festival, Sinise visited retired and active-duty patients in the wards.
During the visits, Sinise, whose family has strong ties to the military, personally invited all the patients to attend the concert.
"I want to say thank you," said retired Lt. Cmdr. Ted Farrel to Sinise. "You sacrificed your time away from your family and you are out here supporting us."
Sinise has raised millions of dollars for various charities dedicated to helping the military and veterans through his Gary Sinise Foundation, launched in 2010. He has also performed free concerts all over the world for service members with the Lt. Dan Band, named after his role in the 1994 Oscar-winning movie "Forrest Gump."
Sinise said that he "is blessed to be in the movies," and his role as Lt. Dan Taylor sparked a mission of his own to support and entertain military families through his concerts.
Sinise and the 14-member Lt. Dan Band put on a three-hour performance to show his appreciation and support those who serve and their families.
"It's wonderful seeing people today," Sinise said. "We stand up there and see everybody having a good time and it's a very, very good feeling."
The Invincible Spirit Festival also included a classic car show, face painting, rock wall climbing, food cooked by team Irvine, and 149 volunteers who set up and served food to all the visitors.
NMCSD staff Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Andrea May said she is a fan of Gary Sinise, and this is the second time that she has attended the Invincible Spirit Festival.
"There's definitely a lot more people this year," May said. "I like what Gary Sinise does. He takes care of the veterans, he takes care of the troops. He's one of the few celebrities who care."
Agent Orange Exposure in Korea
I have not spent much time looking around the site but so far I am impressed.
I do have a serious topic to let you know about. In the period from AROUND 1965 to about 1984, the area around and above the Civilian Control Line was pretty literally "hosed down" with Agents Orange, Blue & White. While the application of these poisons was supposed to be controlled anyone who served around the CCL North to the DMZ has probably been exposed. The stuff was used to clear the area around LP/OP's, firing batteries, as dust control on dirt roads and for a 30 meter strip on both sides of the tactical roads. As you can well imagine there was lots of exposure.
At present, the Department of Veterans Affairs position is that you must show that you were exposed. Unlike Viet Nam, being in country in Korea is not enough.
I have materials (as in Buddy letters etc.), that detail the broadness of the agent applications, which will be particularly valuable to Korea Vets who are trying to prove a claim. If you folks have an Agent Orange - Korea Project, I would be happy to share what I have.
CMSGT Gus White
I served with CMSGT White at Udorn RTAFB , 432 Avionics Sq in 1969-1970. We became lifelong friends and he retired from Beale AFB. After visiting the AF museum at Wright Patterson AFB, I saw a number of firsts people highlighted in a display. My plea is to request help in recognizing CMSGT White as the first African-American Airman who made CMSGT E-9. Gus was on the groundfloor of the SR-71 program. His service deserves to be recognized at the museum.
I am a USNR Veteran (1997-2005). I am reaching out to all our U.S. Veteran colleagues/peers to invite them to participate on my anonymous survey about the knowledge of heart disease and resilience. As you know, many Veterans suffer from heart disease and information about the knowledge on heart disease is limited. Based on the result of this online survey, I will be able to create an educational modules to help our U.S. Veterans understand heart disease and how to prevent it. Please see below information:
The title of the study is: "Coronary Heart Disease Knowledge and Risk Factors among Veterans during their Transition from the Military." Veterans who have transitioned to civilian life can also participate. This is an online survey and you can share this study invite and link with your Veterans colleagues and peers.
The purpose of this study is to examine the knowledge and risk factors of heart disease and resiliency of veterans. The inclusion criteria are: men and women military veterans 35 years and older and those who served in any U.S. military branch. The exclusion criteria are: (a) military dependents who did not serve in the military, (b) those with psychological or mental problems such depression, severe anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, or untreated PTSD. This study has been approved by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Institutional Review Board and funded by the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Zeta Kappa Chapter.
Participation is completely voluntary and confidential. No names or personal information will be collected from you. This survey may only take approx. 15 minutes or less to complete. You may decline to answer any question that you do not wish to answer and you are free to discontinue the study at any time. Your answers will be kept confidential. Results of the study will be reported as group data. By completing the survey, you may be eligible to join a raffle drawing for an Amazon gift card.
Service Organizations Honor Flight
Honor Flight is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America's Veterans for all their service and sacrifices. We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to tour, experience and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to our most frail veterans - terminally ill veterans of all conflicts and World War II survivors. Korean and Vietnam Veterans are also transported on a first-come, first-served, space-available basis.
Of all the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation - and as a culturally diverse and free society. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 600 WWII Veterans die every day. Our time to express our thanks to these most senior heroes is rapidly running out.
There are over 150 regional hubs across the United States who transport our veterans to Washington DC, free of charge, to see all the service memorials.
Go to honorflight.org to find the nearest hub in your state. Applications are available at those locations.
Exposure to Military Direct Microwave Beams
Months ago we discussed announcing a registry for microwave beam exposed injured veterans. The nascent symptoms are only now beginning to present and these veterans have no safety net at the VA. I have been working hard on establishing a presumptive illness category at the VA for microwave injured veterans. I started a website as a resource for veterans who suspect that they may have been exposed to direct microwave beam to determine the likelihood of injury. There is strength in numbers and we need as many veterans as possible to use the online tool. The website is microwavedvets.com. The tools are complimentary as a thank you for their service. we do not charge a penny.
OCS Heritage Center Proposed for Fort Benning Museum
Tampa, Florida - The U. S. Army Officer Candidate Schools Alumni Association (USOCSAA) announced plans to build a Heritage Center that will be constructed within the confines at Wigle Hall, at Fort Benning, Georgia. This new "Heritage Center" will celebrate and recognize the history and traditions of OCS since its inception prior to World War II.
The new OCS Heritage Center will feature displays and information covering:
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
Women's Army Corps
America's Volunteer Army
Army of Excellence
Global War on Terrorism
There will be galleries honoring fallen OCS graduates and Medal of Honor recipients. Interactive Kiosks will feature OCS Hall of Fame Honorees, Distinguished OCS Graduates plus Patterson and Nett Awardees.
OCS "Success Stories" will be highlighted along with biographies and personal glimpses into individuals who have excelled in both the military and commercial worlds.
"The OCS Heritage Center will be the only place honoring what Officer Candidate Schools have meant to the U.S. Army and America," said COL John Ionoff (Ret), OCS Alumni Association President. "It's how we plan to preserve the legacy of the more than 250,000 OCS graduates regardless of their school or training location."
Ionoff continued, "Whether you were in the Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Engineering or Transportation, all will be honored at the Heritage Center at Fort Benning."
The completion date and unveiling is projected at April 28, 2019 at Fort Benning, Georgia. A dedication ceremony is planned.
The Heritage Center will be funded primarily through donations and contributions by OCS graduates, sponsors and others interested in preserving military history.
To contribute, please visit www.ocsalumni.org/donate or call 813-505-8335.
About OCS: The Officer Candidate School started at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1941, when the first Infantry OCS class graduated 171-second lieutenants from the 17-week course. General Omar Bradley is credited with establishing the format, discipline, and code of honor still used in OCS today; General Bradley emphasized rigorous training, strict discipline and efficient organization.
The OCS mission is: to train selected personnel in the fundamentals of leadership; basic Military skills; instill professional ethics; evaluate leadership candidates potential; and commission those who qualify as second lieutenants in all sixteen branches of the United States Army.
About the OCS Alumni Association: The United States Army Officer Candidates Schools Alumni Association (TUSAOCSAA) is the Alumni Association for the United States Army Officer Candidate Schools (OCS). Begun in 1986, the mission of the Alumni Association is serving and honoring the OCS program and preserving the legacy of its graduates.
For more information, contact:
Frank Harman Colonel, US Army (Ret.)
Vice President, Administration
TUSAOCSAA
706-610-7251 Frank.harman@harmangrp.com
Tom Evans
Colonel, US Army (Ret.)
Treasurer
TUSAOCSAA
310-827-1491 ranger06tom@aol.com
Looking For
Toxic Water Camp Lejeune
I am trying to obtain information to prove that my husband James, now deceased, was at Camp Lejeune for two weeks each summer, 1963 - 1968.
That was during the time the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune. He had surgery for bladder cancer 6/10/2003. The cancer did not return.
Since his death, I no longer receive his Social Security. I applied for benefits but have been denied saying the bladder cancer was not related to his military service, so service connection couldn't be granted.
I did not go to Camp Lejeune with him as we had 2 young children.
I met with the Officer of Veteran Services, Stephen Jacobs, today and he told me I need to contact others from SC who also attended Camp Lejeune and can give a written statement
that Jimmy attended at the same time they did.
I feel overwhelmed at the thoughts of trying and needing to track down others who attended Camp Lejeune during the 60's. I thank you and appreciate any suggestions you may have.
Gail S. Haselden
310 SE 40th Terrace
Ocala, Florida 34471 g.39.jjk@gmail.com
Family Members of VMF-422
I am writing you via the Together We Serve website. I am the author of "The Marines' Lost Squadron "The Odyssey of VMF-422" which was published last December.
This book tells the first complete account of the Flintlock Disaster tragedy that took the lives of six Marines and changed the lives of the survivors. Four years of research and interviews led to this story finally being told.
During my work on the book I was able to find only a few family members in addition to the three survivors, Robert Lehnert, Ken Gunderson and John Hansen, the latter two of whom have since passed.
The second edition is being worked on right now and I am hoping to find more family members who can help me with information on some of the pilots.
If you have any knowledge of these men, please contact me and let me help fill in the missing pieces.
The men I am seeking are as follows:
Major ((later posthumous Lieutenant Colonel) John Serious MacLaughlin, Jr.
First Lieutenant Edmund G. Farrell
First Lieutenant Chris Friis Lauesen
First Lieutenant Bill Anderson Aycrigg
Captain John Francis Rodgers
First Lieutenant Donald Keith Skillicorn
First Lieutenant Don Harold Stout
First Lieutenant Earl Chrisman Thompson
First Lieutenant Stafford William Drake
First Lieutenant Robert Paden "Tiger" Moran
First Lieutenant Ted Thurnau
First Lieutenant Bill Reardon
Each of these men died during the war. Drake and Farrell were killed in a mid-air collision over Midway on 20 November 1943. MacLaughlin, Thompson, Moran, Aycrigg, Lauesen and Rogers were lost in the Flintlock Disaster of 25-29 January 1944. Skillicorn and Bill Reardon were killed in combat over Ponape on 8 April. Don Stout died over Wotje on 7 July. Ted Thurnau was killed in a crash at Apamama Island on 28 February.
But I am also interested in any information on other members of the squadron, such as:
Captain Charles Hughes
First Lieutenant Caleb Smick
First Lieutenant Sterling Price
First Lieutenant Jules Flood
First Lieutenant Robert Scott
First Lieutenant Walter "Jake" Wilson
First Lieutenant Don Walker
First Lieutenant Robert Whalen
First Lieutenant Robert K. Wilson
Any help you can provide on finding family members of any of these men will be incorporated into the second edition of my book.
Please feel free to contact me directly.
Thank you and best regards,
Mark Carlson, CL, ACS markcarlson2222@outlook.com
Author, "The Marines' Lost Squadron' The Odyssey of VMF-422"
Ex communi periculo fraternitas
Office: 858-592-2677
Mobile: 858-472-5419
Website: www.musketmania.com
Toxic Water at Ft McClellan
My name is Roger Jongepier, I was assigned to F Co. 12th MP Battalion at Fort McClellan, AL between March 1980 and June 1980 for Basic/ AIT. I have had many medical issues that can only be explained by the toxic conditions at Fort McClellan, yet the VA will not make the connection and consider the service related claims. The VA doctors say yes you have these issues, but they don't know why? To add insult, they say, my service/medical records cannot be found. Fort McClellan has many "Dirty secrets", so if you were in this training class, in another company, assigned or worked on the base during this time period, please contact me at rjlvnv@gmail.com. Regardless, thank you for your service.
Sembach Air Base
My name is Sgt. Larry Hammons I served in the USAF. I'm looking for someone who was stationed at Sembach Air Base in Germany from 1973 to 1975 and was assigned to the 7400th Air Base Group Civil Engineers, who got diabetes and is drawing from the VA for it. Please contact me they keep turning me down maybe you can help me get mine. Thank you contact me at phone #606-231-2291 or email me at larry.hammons52@gmail.com. If you call me and don't get an answer leave a message with your name and phone number and I will call you back.
Thank you again!
Sgt. Larry Hammons
Please Help Me!
My name is Lydia Williams. I am Eric Williams widow. My husband, Eric Williams passed away on May 27, 2017. He had Multiple Myeloma, COPD, Congestive Heart Failure and Renal Failure. Two days before he died the VA sent me a letter that they are working on his claim. We have fought and were denied his benefits for two years. Now, he has passed on at the age of 54. I told Eric, I would fight for him when he was alive. I still plan on fighting for him. I am trying to find some people from his unit as well to help put all the pieces together.
Add Your Platoon Number!
Admin, let me give you an example of why every Marine on TWS should add their Boot Camp PLATOON number. Finding each other is but one example of its importance. I am working with the Vietnam Wall of Faces which seeks to find a photo of EVERY US Serviceman/woman so those on the Vietnam Memorial Wall will not be just a name etched in granite. There will be a face and a story for each one. I am the "Marine Corps" Rep on the Florida Group. I have 3 photos left to find. We have almost exhausted every route we can take which has included professional genealogists searching public records; high school yearbooks; County and Town Offices; etc. to locate surviving family members who might have a picture. For the Marines, every one of the Marines who went through boot camp received a platoon graduation book in which their picture was documented. However, the Marine Corps back in the 60's did not record the platoon number in their military records. Also, the Recruit Depots did not retain a copy of each platoon book. I knew that if I could find a Marine's platoon number I could go onto TWS and hope to find members of that platoon who would help me find his picture. I solved two of our cases this way. I continue to seek platoon graduation books for the remaining three by identifying the time period when their platoon would have been formed and blasting out this information to a wide variety of USMC sources. So, when I find these platoon numbers, and, by God, I will! I can then come on to TWS and find members of that platoon and get my last pictures. So, thank you for publishing this. I hope that hundreds of your members put their platoon numbers in so we can leave no Marine's picture behind.
These are the three Marines from the State of Florida for which we haven't been able to locate a picture:
1. PFC Wayne C. Kurlin, arrived in the 1st Recruit Battalion PISC on 5 January 1967. He would have been in a platoon that was formed within 3 to 4 days after that. The Platoon would be been a 1xx number.
2. PFC Ruben Bell. He arrived at PISC during August, 1967 (Don't have date or Battalion)
3. PFC Joe Lewis Lee. He arrived at PISC during April, 1966 (Don't have date or Battalion)
I have asked our guys to get copies of Bell and Lee's SRB so I can get more granular with the date and Battalion.
Any needles that can be pulled out ancient haystacks are much appreciated.
Platoon 2203 Dec 1979-Mar 1980
I'm looking for a buddy statement from anyone who remembers me and the following incident. I've been trying to find my drill instructors and fellow recruits. I am totally disabled now from injuries from boot camp at Parris Island. The first night of boot camp, one of the instructors threw a foot locker and impaled me on a wall breaking a splintered into my spine. I have since had to have spinal fusion. At ICT I dislocated my right jnee and have had to have surgery on it. The VA will do nothing for me and the DAV is at a crawl again. I was the only meritorious Pfc in the entire training Battalion.
Air Force Veteran Raybon
I came across a military Air Force camo shirt. The last name is Raybon and a patch that says Air Training Command. I was interested to see if we could find the family. Maybe it would mean something to them and I would give it to them.
I just lost my dad 10 months ago and if someone contacted me and said they had one of my dads Coast Guard shirts it would mean so much.
Atomic Veterans Book
Recently, I added a brief summary of my Air Force service in 1958 which included Atomic Bomb Testing. We who served are referred to as Atomic Veterans and were exposed to Ionizing Radiation and suffer the consequences. Those who were part of Operation Hardtack 1 received a Certificate of Participation, and anyone claiming to be involved must have one.
I also wrote a little book titled "Where The Boys Were" to assist the many veterans who are too afraid or infirm to seek VA assistance. I included a number of eyewitness stories from all of the branches. The book is free and can be downloaded at www.archive.org/details/WhereTheBoysWere
Inside One of the Most Highly Decorated Battalions of Vietnam
By Robert H. Sholly
This amazing, excellent, critically acclaimed, award-winning book is the true story of young men and officers serving with the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment where deaths were near daily occurrences.
This powerful war story is taken directly from the daily journal kept by the author, Robert Sholly. Page after page depicts dramatic eye-witness recounts the riveting events of their war with stories of boys becoming veteran Soldiers and amazing warriors.
These battles sustained a great loss of life on both sides as America's young men were tested time and again. As is the case in all wars, there are events many veterans cannot talk about to this day, but they trusted Sholly to get their story told and it has been done with vision and respect. His Soldiers can be proud of his portrayal of their bravery and sacrifice he so well described in every word of his outstanding book.
Many heroic men battled in the raging bloody and horrific fights and four of them were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions. This book describes the courage, heroism, and valor of these young Soldiers the United States sent to war. Tragically, too many did not come back.
Having read many first-person novels about the war in Viet Nam, I consider this to be among the top five. You get a very good feeling for the life of the Soldier at the squad and platoon level as well as the multiple responsibilities of a company commander.
I highly recommend this book for those who want to know what it was like being an Infantry Soldier inside of the most highly decorated battalion of the Vietnam war.
Reader Reviews
Young Soldiers Amazing Warriors is a first-hand account of a soldier's daily life in the combat zone during the Vietnam War. The reader is immersed in the youthful courage that permeates our hero's actions and the humor that helps him survive the mayhem. His job is not an ordinary one; flirting with death often happens well "before 9 o'clock when civilians at home were just getting to work." Intertwined with the author's recollections are interviews with fellow fighters and commanders, as well as excerpts from their letters home, completing the picture and ensuring the accuracy of events. ~Catherine Langrehr
Sholly has done a great job. As a battalion commander of the 3-8th Infantry, I participated in some of the same battles. Sholly's real Soldiers candidly describe the way they fought on the ground, without the bluster and braggadocio found in other accounts. This is the way it was and should be required reading for company grade officers and senior NCOs as well as their leaders. This is the best book I have ever read about combat in Vietnam. ~Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Lynch, U.S. Army (Ret.)
This is war. Not many books about combat ever really catch it. This one has, and in a language everyman can grasp. It's a terrific book. ~Dr. William Hammond
I think this book may be the best account written about combat in Vietnam. Put Sholly right up there with Phillip Caputo, James Webb, and Tim O'Brien as far as writing goes, but this is no novel. I don't think anyone can touch him for a non-fiction account. ~Mike Boren
An amazing tribute and legacy to all infantrymen, past, present and those yet to come. An inspirational honor for the families of those who did not return. Stephen Ambrose (Band of Brothers) wrote so eloquently of combat heroism. Bob Sholly LIVED it AND wrote about it. He has, in this book, immortalized the courage, bravery, and spirit of America's finest. This book should be mandatory reading for every citizen in this country. ~Jack Avant, Colonel, USA (Ret.)
Sholly was a Company Commander and he tells about his first year in country with his command. I'm usually cautious of books written from an Officers' viewpoint. I am very glad I set this prejudice aside this time because the book reads as though he was just a supporting character. The story is really about his men. If I were to teach a Leadership course in any field this book would be on the required reading list. ~HerB, USAID, Asst Inspector General
About the Author
Robert H. Sholly is a retired United States Army Colonel, Best Selling Author, professional speaker and a distinguished soldier-citizen who served thirty-five years in the military with two tours in Vietnam and other conflicts. Among his medals are the Silver Star Medal and three Bronze Stars Medals.
Command and staff assignments included a five-year period with the Defense Intelligence Agency. Other special assignments took him to the deserts of the Middle East, the mountains of Afghanistan and the plains and jungles of Africa.
Sholly is a recipient of the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize as a member of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces. His last military assignment was with the Center of Military History which involved the writing of the official histories of the U.S. Army.
Sholly is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, the National Security portion of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the Army War College. He earned a Master's Degree in History and English from the University of Texas at El Paso and speaks 5 languages. He resides with his wife, Peggy Touchtone Sholly, in Pearland, Texas and is active in the National Speakers Association Academy, Pearland Chamber of Commerce, Mid-Pearland Toastmasters and other professional and military organizations.
Now I was facing my first combat experience, Hill 512, as an innocent nineteen-year-old. Charlie Company had been hit and overrun by "sappers," NVA throwing satchel charges, creating a perceived mortar barrage. By the time the Marines figured out what was happening, another wave of NVA moved in and a firefight followed inside their perimeter. 
In the morning, we would be checking out the two-man sleeping holes the other Marines had dug, to look for booby-traps and places to hide or sleep. Warner stood the first watch with me to give me some understanding of sounds to listen for, and how to interpret what they meant. Warner was ready to crawl up to a sleeping area above; running out of patience, he told me to just listen for crickets. I was dying for a cigarette but didn't know what the consequences might be of lighting a match. I listened for crickets, rehearsing over and over what I would do if attacked.
Let me try this damn cotter key again, oh shit; it fell out, and I have no idea where it went. I knew it was safe if the spoon was closed but wasn't going to sit there all night holding it. I used my mental picture of Bell's position and was positive he would be okay. My heart was pounding so hard I could hardly hear myself think-okay-click there goes the spoon with a snap; I knew the trigger had hit the blasting cap starting the fuse train burning; 1001 - 1002 - 1003 - 1004; with everything I had I let it fly. I threw it like a heavy rock, not hardball style. The damn grenade was heavy. I heard the grenade banging into the bamboo and bouncing back and forth. It didn't go off in the air as I had planned; finding its way to the ground there was a loud thud. WHAM!!!! Cool! I could see a bright flash made of white-hot metal flying all around where it had gone off. I heard Warner clambering over to me. "Jesus H. F-n Christ Motor T, what the hell are you doing?" Warner asked.
We were not supposed to fire unless fired upon. "Next time come over to the CP and wake up Sergeant Klein before you decide to throw another grenade," Gunny told me.
Suddenly all hell broke loose, as the Lieutenant's pump action over-and-under 12-gauge shotgun emptied. Big John opened on full automatic with his M-16, while another guy opened with his M-79 grenade launcher. To me, it was like the noises from a comic book I used to imitate. The Lieutenant was running back toward the perimeter. Big John was right behind him, stepping backward while firing his M-16. Joe and Ricks started over to add firepower. I hesitantly followed Warner just as the Lieutenant stepped inside the perimeter and yelled "Cease-fire!"
The illumination came down on small parachutes swinging back and forth, lighting the place up, followed by a whistling loud thud. The canister that contained the illumination function would break away and fall on us. As I scrambled to find my helmet, there were guys making a game of catching the parachutes to keep for souvenirs. We began pumping out HE, high explosive mortars toward Charlie's position, about 300 yards from us. C-130 Caribou airplanes above began dropping huge illumination canisters, causing the night to become bright as daylight. Firecracker Man called in a fire mission with artillery rounds neatly walked around our position, followed by a deafening silence. I returned to my position.
My friend Doc Woody was with First Platoon, toward the rear of the column, when enemy machine-gun fire hit several men at the front. Woody heard the frantic call, "Corpsman up!" and crawled on his belly through elephant grass that was being mowed down by bursts of gunfire over his head. The first man he reached was Litzler. Litzler had been struck by a bullet through his chest and lay near death. Woody crawled then to "Buzz" Caldwell and found the bloody remains of a face. Woody went to work on Caldwell, hooking up an intravenous line to pump in a pint of plasma. Woody worked while on his stomach as machine-gun fire creased the back of his flak jacket. Then, as abruptly as all the craziness had started, it seemed to end.
the contents of the black bag, knees drawn to his chest. I could hear him talking as he sat with Litzler until another chopper came.
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Flight Officer ordered it off the flight deck - either into the air or below to the hangar deck. McCampbell went up, leading Essex's last seven fighters toward the Jap strike force.
McCampbell realized he could relax and take his time. This was practically gunnery exercise. He could focus on identifying his targets carefully. The next one was an Oscar. Again, his six fifties roared and blasted the Oscar's wing root. It flamed for number four. Rushing had scored his third by this time. This continued for several more passes until McCampbell had downed 7 and Rushing 6. Rushing radioed that he was out of ammo, but he would stay on McCampbell's wing while the CAG used up his remaining bullets.
In 1936 his first assignment involving aircraft was gunnery observer aboard USS Portland. In 1937, McCampbell's flying career finally got off the ground at Pensacola Naval Air Station where he reported for flight training. A year later, he was designated a Naval Aviator and received his first flying assignment with Fighting Squadron 4 aboard the USS Ranger, CV-4 where he served two years.
In February 1944, he was promoted to CAG (Commander - Air Group) of Air Group Fifteen. That spring, they went to war aboard USS Essex CV-9. McCampbell commanded the entire Essex air group bombers, fighters, and torpedo planes. He was thirty-four years old. During their tour of approximately seven months and more than 20,000 hours of operations, this group destroyed more enemy planes (318 airborne and 348 on the ground) and sank more enemy ships (296,500 tons sunk, and more than a half million tons damaged and/or probably sunk) than any other air group in the Pacific war. Among the major combat ships sunk was the Japanese battleship Musashi, three carriers and a heavy cruiser. The Fabled Fifteen became one of the most highly decorated air groups of the war.
On June 19th, the Japanese launched two large raids of Judys and Vals, escorted by fighters. Other carrier air groups took care of the first raid; Essex' Fabled Fifteen, under McCampbell went after the second group of eighty planes. McCampbell started the slaughter at 11:39 by exploding the first Aichi D4Y2 "Judy" dive bomber he spotted. As he darted across to the other side of the enemy formation, evading a gantlet of return fire, McCampbell quickly splashed a second Judy, sped toward the front of the enemy formation to record a "probable" on a third, dispatched the formation leader's left wingman with a staccato burst, downed the leader with a steady stream of machine-gun bullets, then scored a final kill on a diving enemy craft. In minutes McCampbell had logged five kills and one probable.
On October 24th, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, McCampbell, assisted only by Roy Rushing, broke up a large group of Japanese planes headed for Essex, as described above.
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hey were complemented by twenty-five United States Navy (USN) F-14s and F/A-18s strike aircraft from the aircraft carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Enterprise in the North Arabian Sea. The Royal Air Force (RAF) and USAF provided L-1011s, KC-135, and KC-10s to supply en route aerial refuelings to the USN aircraft. Flown in from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, two B-2 Spirits also participated in the attack, as did the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft.
To court and provide relief for the Afghan people, food and supplies were dropped into the region. Two C-17 transports delivered 37,500 daily rations by airdrop to refugees inside Afghanistan on the first day of the attack. Relief efforts faced a setback, however, from Taliban interference. World Food Program storehouses in Kandahar were raided and surrendered to Taliban soldiers, who "seized about 7,000 tons of food." Hoping to avoid a backlash by civilians, the USAF deployed an EC-130E propeller aircraft to broadcast a message that the Taliban and its allies were the only targets of the attacks, not civilians.
Before the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit of the United States Marine Corps arrived at 'Rhino' on November 25th, a recce team from SEAL Team 8 carried out a reconnaissance mission but were mistakenly engaged by AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters, they managed to get a message to the Marines before anyone was wounded.
Had the VC mole alerted nearby enemy troops that the bridge was defended by a pitifully small force? No way of knowing, but the grenade blast that had silenced him surely would attract Charlie's attention to the old bunker. 
Clearly, U.S. commanders were anticipating an attack from the northwest by a massive VC force estimated to total 5,574 men in the DaNang operations area. On 1 July, Marine Division headquarters had issued an order warning of precisely that possibility. A subsequent missive on 17 July approved naval gunfire support (NGS) for in-country employment, albeit with constraints. The supporting fire had to be "observed and controlled," called in by only U.S. forces, and independent fire from any ship offshore was banned.
"Hotel Three, this is Assassin. Give me your coordinates." Out there in the DaNang Bay, just offshore, a very powerful ally was arriving. Answering 
Although exhausted, Corporal Karl Lippard jotted down a few notes about the night's battle and had his knee wound dressed. Later, he snapped several color photos, then waited, fully expecting a thorough debriefing from his commanders. It didn't happen. Nobody at headquarters ever asked for Lippard's account, verbal or written.
True to Karl Lippard form, though, he doesn't really care. Instead, he chooses to emphasize that the Ca De River battle is a testament to the historically effective American military philosophy of training its warriors to improvise on the fly and do what it takes to get the job done. The ferocious fight of 28-29 July 1965 is also a loud-and-clear example of the trust placed in every Marine "Raider", whose call for artillery, air or naval gunfire support isn't questioned. Those holding the lightning bolts of American power merely "Roger" and commence firing or dropping on targets the Marine designates. 
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When Bui Tin awoke on April 30, 1975, he probably did not expect to play a direct role in a pivotal moment in Vietnamese history.
During a trip to France in 1990 - just as Vietnam'smain patron, the Soviet Union, was crumbling - Colonel Tin declared himself a political dissident and complained that his country was troubled by "bureaucracy, irresponsibility, egoism, corruption, and fraud."
Colonel Tin might someday have become chief of the Communist Party "if he had only thought about himself," said Vo Van Tao, a Vietnamese political activist in the southern city of Nha Trang. "But he was an independent thinker with a democratic outlook who disagreed strongly with the regime."
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VA Appeals Modernization Act
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First Female Student Arrives Marine Combat Training Company
Sinise Returns to San Diego for Festival
Sinise said that he "is blessed to be in the movies," and his role as Lt. Dan Taylor sparked a mission of his own to support and entertain military families through his concerts.
Honor Flight
OCS Heritage Center Proposed for Fort Benning Museum
About the Author
