My Uncle in Vietnam

[Bear]

Hello,

Jerry Johnson "Shag"

Co. B 54th Signal Battalion

1967-1969

I went over to my Grandma's house and dug out all the letters that my uncle wrote while in Vietnam. I thought I'd pull out only the stuff about Vietnam and see what I could find out about his service. When he got home from Vietnam he got a job, married and two years later vanished. He hit the streets and drank. He died in 1984 from heart failure. When he came home from Vietnam my mom said he had a bunch of undeveloped film that he threw away. None of us really know what he did over there so I thought I'd do some digging. I only have couple of memories of him. I do have a few pictures of him in Vietnam. Any help would be grateful. Not much to go on except that he worked with radio equipment.

May 16, 1967

Got a new Colonel in the other day. Had an inspection by him yesterday. Even though this was the best site and the biggest that the 54th has he still chewed me out for little things. I guess it will take him a while before he realizes that things are harder to get over here than they are in the states.

Our club bought a T.V. last week. Sure is nice even though they show the same thing every other day for a week before they change.

May 28, 1967

Things are pretty quite around here now. The food around here could be better, I think if it was half way cooked. About the water, you can consider yourself a lucky guy when you can get a good cold glass of water to drink.

[Bear]

June 6, 1967

Things here are just about the same, just hot. I am supposed to go out on detachment around the 15th of this month, thats when the action will really start. The way the days fly by, it won't belong before this year in hell will be over and I will back in the world again.

June 24, 1967

They finally got me to the front lines, so I don't know just how long it will take to get mail back and forth. I haven't been here but two days, and as far as I am concerned, they can send me back. We are set up in a little place called Dak To, which is right in the middle of Ho Chi Mens 5R trail. The 101 airborne unit first tried to hold this place and make it secure but got over run by the VC's, so now the 173 airborne unit thinks that they can hold it. The first night I got here, I was scared to death because the VC were droping mortars about 30 meters away. The army has a new chopper called the ? dragon, it can cover a football field with rounds. When they hit it sounds like a roar of some kind, its weird. The food here is just great, it comes in little white boxes called "C" rations. I just got through eating some ham and eggs. They are really not that bad if you hold your nose and you are real hungary.

July 4, 1967

Things here have quited down a whole lot, compared to what it was when we first got here. There is still a mortar round fired on us every now and then. Have you seen anything in the newspaper about us up here at Dak To? What all did you do today, the 4th of July? Hope you all had a good time, sure wish I could have been with you instead of sand bagging all day long.

[Bear]

July 24, 1967

Things here are still going on just the about the same. Sure will be glad when all this rain stops. Mud comes up over our boots when ever we go anywhere.

July 29, 1967

Well, I am sorry I haven't written in a few days, but we have been hard at work trying to get ready to move out from here. I don't know just where we are supposed to go yet, but from what I under stand it is supposed to be close to the Cambodian border. Sure would like to stay here though, we just got a good floor down in our tent where we wouldn't be sleeping in mud. Now I guess we will just have to start all over again. Just got through testing out the equipment to make sure everything was alright, I would hate and try to put up a site with some bad equipment.

July 31, 1967

Guess what, I got a Dear John letter the other day from Rita. I am not at all surprised though. Things up here are just about the same, always raining and an acassional mortar. We finally got a mess hall up here, its not really a mess hall but a truck with some canvas stretched over it. They have better food here than they ever had at Nha Trang

[Bear]

August 11, 1967

Well, tomorrow is a big day for us up here, our Battalion Commander is supposed to come up here and inspect our site. I really can't see too much that he could inspect because of all the water and mud.

August 25, 1967

We heard today that all of us was about to move out. They didn't say where we were going. Hope we don't ever go back to Nha Trang.

September 2, 1967

Well, things here are pretty much the same. I guess we will be getting plenty of action the next week or two, thats when the elections are. I am about to get tired of this place now, time is starting to pass real slow. Hope we leave here soon.

[Bear]

September 6, 1967

It is definite that we are leaving here around the tenth, and going back to Nha Trang. I sure hope that we don't stay too long there. I hate to think about all the work there is ahead of us to get everything packed up and readt to leave.

September 23, 1967

I'm sorry about not writing but I was stranded at Dak To and couldn't get any mail out. We got back here in Nha Trang yesterday afternoon, I don't know how long they plan on keeping us here. Boy, we sure did have alot of excitement up at Dak To at the airport. We had our tent right on the edge of the loading pad, and everbody was standing outside watching the planes come in. The air force people had a whole bunch of pallets stacked up, they are things that weigh 300 lbs a piece and are used to put cargo on for shipment. Anyway, this chinook, a great big helicopter, came down to pick up something, and when it got about ten feet off the ground it had wind blowing from the props. It picked up the 300 lbs pallets and threw them. This put a boy in the hospital with a broken back, one with a broken arm and leg. This sure did scare me because everyone out there had broken bones but me.

September 30 1967

Well it didn't take them too long to get me out of Nha Trang. I am now at a place called Two-Bitts with the 1st calv.

[Bear]

October 4, 1967

Well, there isn't much going on around here except rain. I just come in from one monsoon season right into another. This is really a beautiful place when the sun shines.

October 14, 1967

Guess what? We got an ice box up here the other day. Now we can have some nice cold beer instead of hot beer.

October 30, 1967

Well, here it is, another day almost gone here and I sure am glad, too. I moved from Two Bitts yesterday to English, its about 25 miles away. This placeis pretty nice, no KP or guard duty either one. This is going to be a slow coming downn this last six months, I can tell already. The 23rd of October, I was in the army one year.

[Bear]

November 4, 1967

There isn't much going on here. The people in personnel down in Nha Trang has slated me for R & R this month, and I didn't even put in for it. Guess there is nothing I can do but go since they already have my orders. They have Hong Kong down for me.

November 24, 1967

I am now a SP/4, its about time I got a promotion, I seem to think I will make Sgt. by the time I go home, or a little while after I get back in to the next unit. I am now back in Nha Trang getting ready to go on R & R. They messed me up again, they gave me orders for Bangkok instead of Hong Kong. I guess any place is just about as good as another, I guess its alright, just to get away from here for 5 days. Right now I have 5 months(158 days) left over here. Since I made SP/4 I will be able to send more money home. I could have sent $400 home if they hadn't got me for R & R.

December 6, 1967

It sure feels good to be getting shorter on the time I have to spend over here. Tomorrow I will have exactly four months left over here. I should be getting my orders for where I will be stationed when I leave here. If they have me going to another over seas tour, I will extend over hear for 6 more months.

[Bear]

December 17, 1967

You asked me about the newspapers, well, sometimes I get one every day for a while, then its a couple of weeks and they all come at once.

December 25, 1967

Today is just like any other day to us, nothing but work. There is one difference though, we do have a little peace and quite with the guns not going off all the time.

January 13, 1968

I will send you some pictures when I get them developed. I have one of a V.C. we killed up here the other night. Sure hope this war is soon over.

[Bear]

January 20, 1968

We are on stand by right now, the 1st Calv. has already moved out of English, and we think were going with them, it will make the time go faster anyway. They went to Hue close to DMZ. I guess if we are going we should find out in a couple of days.

January 29, 1968

I was in the hospital for 3 days last week for dingy fever, something like a very mild case of maleria.

February 1, 1968

The last few days we have really been up on our toes. The VC have been getting in the perimeter somehow and blowing up choppers and everything else. Everybody has to stay awake at night and sleep during the day.

February 8, 1968

Boy, things are going from bad to worse around here. Every night for the past two weeks we have been on 100% alert. Be glad when they finally hit us so we can get rid of them and get some sleep at night.

[Bear]

February 12, 1968

Got a letter from Leota today, says for me to tell you to come see her when I get back home. She said that she hadn't heard from John R. since the 26th of June, and I haven't heard from him in longer than that. Sure hope he is alright. I know he has it pretty hard though, being in an inf. unit. The V.C. and N.V.A. have been doing some pretty good damage throughout South Viet Nam for the last couple of weeks.

February 21, 1968

We still don't know if we are moving or just staying here. Sure do wish they would make up their minds. I am supposed to go to Phu Chat air base tomorrow and I will try to get you some silk. I don't know silk from anything else, so I hope I they don't cheat me. Well, just 71 days left now, just about two months. If I get any kind of drop I should be home the last part of April. My orders should be coming down sometime before long and I will know wether or not I am extending.

February 29, 1968

When I first got here I weighed 164 lbs but now I'm at 146 lbs.

unknown soldier

[Bear]

March 16, 1968

I am going to extend for another six months and take leave in the middle of April, so I will be home in about 30 days. As long as I stay over here now, I can have a 30 day leave every six months.

May 7, 1968

This place sure is getting boring. Tomorrow, our company commander is coming up to inspect us. Guess I will have to clean my rifle real good after while.

May 29, 1968

I should be making Sgt. E-5 in about another month. That $350 will sure come in handy, too. I got back about a week too late to make it this month, that was the main reason I wanted to come back a week early.

unknown soldier strike force

[Bear]

July 8, 1968

I am sending another money order. Its not as much as I have been sending because I thought I better save a little back this month since I am going before the Sgt. board. I sure hope I can pass.

August 19, 1967 or 68

Its about monsoon over here now. It doesn't seem like its going to be anything like Dak To thank goodness. Here at Bong Song its just been raining at night. Hope it rains some during the day a while so it can cool things down a little bit.

August 30, 1968

I am located at a place called Bong Long. Its about 50 or 60 miles south of Chu Lia and about 90 miles from Phu Cat air base. It probably isn't even listed on the map its so little.

unknown soldiers

[Bear]

September 3, 1968

I extended for another month so I could be home for Christmas and New Years. Thirty days won't be much I guess. Right now I have ninty days left. Well, are you for Wallace like Grandma? I figure he is sure going to surprize everyone by the amount of votes he gets.

April 6, 1969

I traded a case of beer for some steaks so my men are having a preety good Easter. Since I'm in charge of so many men, they are thinking about making me a Staff-Sgt. Thats something thats hardly unheard of for 2 1/2 years of service. I also received an award.

May 7, 1969

They shouldn't have cost anything for my suit because I paid for having it air mailed before I left Hong Kong. But I guess I'm lucky just to get the suit.

May 22, 1969

Things here were pretty quite until the other night and all Hell broke loose. There were mortars landing all over the place, but it didn't last too long before we got rid of them. We didn't loose but a few guys wounded, and none were killed.

June 10, 1969

We had a boy killed here the other night, while he was standing guard. They don't know yet if he was killed by a VC or GI. The poor ole boy only had about two weeks left here. There sure is a cool breeze here on the beach. There are a lot of navy ships here at Nha Trang, but you hardly ever see any navy guys in town or any where else.

June 20, 1969

Hope every one is alright. I got a big drop so will be leaving here in two days.

That's all I have.

thanks,

barry

[David S]

Thanks for posting this

54th Signal Bn was a subordinate unit of 1st Field Force (you can kinda see the shoulder patch) the 54th had

responsibility for communications within 1st Field Force . . . here's the 1FFV insignia . . .color and subdued

[Guest Rick Research]

Scanners may be the salvation of those early instant/peelie photos. They were crappy quality even new (hence those characteristic streaks and missing image parts) and I suspect the deterioration of age isn't going to make them any better. I haven't heard any horror stories-- yet-- about entire boxes of treasures being destroyed in a pool of 40 year old developing chemicals but

I'd sort those out and keep them as apart from anything else as you can.

These days with the internet, you may be able to turn up some of those nameless friends in the other photos. :beer:

[Hugh]

An interesting thread. When I was in country ('69 - '70), Ben Het and Dak To were taking a beating on a regular basis, especially the Special Forces camps. On the other hand, II Corps was called the Peace Corps, although Nha Trang must have been a VC training camp for their rocket forces. They'd fire a few rounds every few weeks, and I think if they managed to hit the air field, they were considered successful graduates.

Lot of familiar place names in this one.

Hugh

[Kev in Deva]

The army has a new chopper called the ? dragon, it can cover a football field with rounds. When they hit it sounds like a roar of some kind, its weird.

I believe this is a reference to "Puff the Magic Dragon" a name given to the AC-47 Airplane with 3 rotary barreled belt fed machine guns, the effect of all three guns firing at once was very impressive, to say the least. With every fifth round a tracer, and firing 18,000 rounds per minute, ( that's about 60 tracers each second) it looked like a tongue of fire and flame from the aircraft to the ground, especially at night hence the name: Puff the Magic Dragon.

The plane would fly in a tight circle, banked, with the 3 machine guns trained on the one spot, then the crews would let rip.

please see: http://www.centercomp.com/cgi-bin/dc3/stories?1005

It was also a very popular song by Peter, Paul & Mary in the 1963

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=n4W14jLmADU

Kevin in Deva. :beer:

[Hugh]

I believe this is a reference to "Puff the Magic Dragon" a name given to the AC-47 Airplane with 3 rotary barreled belt fed machine guns, the effect of all three guns firing at once was very impressive, to say the least. With every fifth round a tracer, and firing 18,000 rounds per minute, ( that's about 60 tracers each second) it looked like a tongue of fire and flame from the aircraft to the ground, especially at night hence the name: Puff the Magic Dragon.

The plane would fly in a tight circle, banked, with the 3 machine guns trained on the one spot, then the crews would let rip.

please see: http://www.centercomp.com/cgi-bin/dc3/stories?1005

It was also a very popular song by Peter, Paul & Mary in the 1963

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=n4W14jLmADU

Kevin in Deva.

When I moved back to Saigon after my field time, we used to sit on top of the Caravelle Hotel, drink beer and watch Puff and the B-52's at play.

[Bear]

Thanks for the comments. I've found some info on Dak To and Nha Trang, but can't find anything on a place called English and Two Bits. Also the place Bong Song or Bong Long or maybe its Bong Son.

September 30 1967

Well it didn't take them too long to get me out of Nha Trang. I am now at a place called Two-Bitts with the 1st calv.

October 30, 1967

Well, here it is, another day almost gone here and I sure am glad, too. I moved from Two Bitts yesterday to English, its about 25 miles away. This place is pretty nice, no KP or guard duty either one. This is going to be a slow coming down this last six months, I can tell already. The 23rd of October, I was in the army one year.

Any info on these to places?

I also found this.

CHAPTER V

Communications Operations in Combat

Supporting the Field Forces

http://www.history.army.mil/books/Vietnam/Comm-El/ch5.htm

I'm sure I'll have some more questions as I keep going through the letters.

thanks,

barry

This was also with the letters.

[Hugh]

Thanks for the comments. I've found some info on Dak To and Nha Trang, but can't find anything on a place called English and Two Bits. Also the place Bong Song or Bong Long or maybe its Bong Son.

Any info on these to places?

My geography has gotten shaky after almost 40 years, but English is almost certainly Landing Zone English, a major base in II Corps (?).

Bong Son is the Bong Son plain.

Don't remember Two Bits.

Hugh