If you were 'across the pond', I would really enjoy hearing from you. If you were an SF'er, please drop me a line. Have anything you would like to add? Would you provide some pictures or provide your perspective about your time in RVN??

"Thanks!" to all who sent emails. Keep in touch!

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Subject: BATO
Gary: I was in-country Jan 66 to Jan 67. Started out at Kham Duc, spent a short while in Ha Thanh and finished up at Tra Bong. We did a joint operation with your team as a blocking force for a big Marine operation and so I spent a little time at your site. Do you remember Bob Norriss ? He was the medic there. I knew him from Training Group and we lost touch after I returned to the States.

It's Veteran's Day ahead... and the anniversary of The Wall. Here's to those who served and to those who didn't return. Let us never forget.
Cheers!

Gary, I just came across your site while doing a Special Forces search. I graduated from Training Group in April, 1967. I wish that we would have had class pictures at that time. The certificate is the same one I received.

My name is Bob Waller. I was a 1st LT assigned to Det A-109 as the XO from Aug 1968 to approx Mar 1969, except for the brief time I was rehabbing at the C-Team in DaNang after being injured after the Sept/Oct assaults on the camp. As I remember, 1LT William Glendenning was the acting CO of the team when I arrived, and MSGT Roy Loft (the Bear) was the Team Sgt. Eventually, after the Sept 27-29, 1968 assault on the camp, CPT David(?) Blanchard arrived to be the CO. Sgt. Richard(?) Hall then became the Team Sgt a little later. Sgt. Barry Eberman was the Intell Sgt. In addition to MamaSan as shown in the pics you have on your website (I think she's the same one), there was a younger girl called Co Lynn I believe. I have more info and names if you're interested.

I have that picture. I may have the names. I'll have to dig it out. Sorry to say, looking at the picture and seeing the names you have entered, I can't pick out anyone that I can say I "know" their name. I believe the name of the instructor lower right was Flack/Fink or something like that.

I noted that you had a photo of CPT Minutoli on your site. (The database shows it as being spelled that way instead of Capt Minutola.) I'm trying to compile a complete listing of all the SF'ers who were lost in SEA regardless of unit of assignment at the time. Right now, there are 886 names listed. Name, Rank, Date, MOS, Status (KIA, MIA, etc),Unit of Assignment, Location of Loss, etc.
CPT Minutoli is one for whom I have no unit of assignment. The various databases show him with a MOS of 30210. I see that he's "3" qualified but as a what? I dunno what a 0210 was. Also the caption by the photo says that he was lost during an overflight. An overflight of what AO?
We do both show the same date of loss. I'm showing him as KIA, Died While Missing. For Unit of Assignment I have zilch. Location. . . . only that he was lost in Quang Nam Province of SVN.
What was his Unit of Assignment?
Would appreciate your help with this.
Also, if you would, please take a look at the draft version of the complete SF Loss listing at:
SF Losses in SEA
http://www.sfahq.com/reg
Any corrections, additions, comments, etc gratefully rec'd. And pass the URL on to anyone you know who might be able to help. This listing will not be sold...... it just needs doing.
BT AR

I was in 'Nam from Jan 68 to Aug 69. Lately I've been looking for former buddies from the CIDG Finance Office. Yes we were in Nha Trang assigned to HQ and probably had it better than anyone except the Saigon warriors. Also please excuse me for being a "leg" but I didn't want to be there anymore than anyone else, just following orders and doing my job. I would like to know if you know of a place or site to help track down these guys. Any help or advise you might have would be appreciated. Don't know, but if I can find enough people, maybe we could have a reunion to renew old friendships. Thanks for your web-site, while I didn't personally have anywhere near the experiences you did, it did bring back memories. I had alomost forgotten what a real "armpit" of a place it was, but your stories reminded me. I traveled somewhat while there, from Da Nang to the A-team on the border of Cambodia and on the Gulf Of Siam. So I got to see a lot of the "beautiful" countyside. Ever think about going back just to revisit the old sod?

Welcome home
RVN, 66-67, a lowly W-1, flying UH-1D's

Thank you so much for writing. You are only the 3rd person I've ever found in more than 30 years of searching who knew Burt. I am in email communication with Jake Roth who was with Burt the day of the ambush and I also communicate with Bob Marler who was Burts' original XO when Burt was with the 110th when he first arrived "in country."
As you may have figured out from Burt's site, I've been searching for the answers as to what happened and where was he taken after his capture. Through an "uncorrolated" live POW sighting that for years the government said was Hal Kushner, I've pretty well tracked and proved that it was, in fact, a sighting of Burt. JTFFA, is now (thank God) using this sighting to try and track him. This live sighting took place almost 30 days AFTER the ambush and Burt was being led south along the Song Vee ... from details of this sighting, it appears that Burts' shot to the left leg was in no way life threatening ... so what happened to him?
If you could possible share some of your remembrances of Burt with me, it would mean more than I can express. If you can identify anyone from the group picture located at Burts' site (other than him and Bob Marler) I'd also be appreciative.
Your letter expressing how everything blurs except the pain is well understood. Not a day passes that I don't wonder and very few days pass that I don't actively search for the answers. I refuse to give up on Burt... and I refuse to abandon the search. Like you, I'd have much preferred Burt to make Life Magazine in a more positive manner.
If no one has told you lately, Thank you for serving and thank you for coming home safe. God Bless...
UNTIL THEY ARE ALL HOME OR ACCOUNTED FOR
Burt Small memorial

Was interested to find your site. Spent Aug 67 - Aug 68 with Co. C. The first half of my tour I was on A-102. If you want to add a picture of A-102, Tien Phuoc check out the ISLA site at http://home.rmi.net/~mkstahl. Feel free to "borrow" the image of Tien Phuoc.

Stein was CO until mid-Jan '67. I know. I was at Khe san and was being reassigned to B-52. He came up, offered me command of Mike Force and I jumped at the chance. I came to Mike Force as the CO. A week later he was relieved and a few days after that I became XO of Mike Force. The CO was CPT Baudistel, an Aussie.
Stein became CO of Co E when he left Co C. In July 67, when I extended for 6 months, he had me reassigned to Co E. I decided to go the 101st instead. I wasn't going to go thru what I had experienced 6 months before.

yes gary,i remember you, love to have a pic. just heard from virgil carter, got a picture from him. welcome home, Mike

I was the engineer at BaTo during 1969. I hate to brag but we had the best chow in all of I Corps. Incidentally the BaTo area, one of the most beautiful places with crystal clear streams, was the setting for a French novel. I would like ride a bike on that French built road (that connected our two camps) from the coast to Kontum.  I would also like to find the A106 team, we had a really good team and fortunately most of our CIDG were Hre montagards. I spent last month of my tour at TraBong and the terrain was straight up and down.

I knew Dick Minter in SFTG. I accused him of being apathetic. He said that he didn't give a shit! Good guy from Mechanicsburg, PA

It is my understanding that the first class member (of Commo 66-3) WIA or KIA was Sp4/Sgt Stapf (or a similar spelling). The word on the street in 'Nam was that he and two other people were injured when the jeep they were riding in hit a mine. I believe the mine was part of an ambush. Stapf had been in-country less than four weeks.

In response, Steve Andreas wrote...
Was in Nha Trang when he came in to the hospital. Name is Sapp, was assigned to an 'A' camp in, I think, II Corp. Jeep was ambushed with small arms and 12mm machine gun. Sapp was hit at least three, maybe more, times. Was banged up real bad before his evac to the States.

The link to my story works well. You wouldn't happen to remember coming up from your base camp and contacting a Marine Recon team on your way to the ridge do you? On one of my patrols there, a Special Forces team with CIDG met us and stopped for noon chow. The CIDG's got out their cooking pots, hammocks and smoking fires to cook lunch and gabber away at the top of their voices. What a lack of noise discipline, we really felt sorry for you guys leading them.

Also, wasn't Camp A-109 named after a Special Forces man by the name of Stanley Looker or Hooker?

Saw your page. This is the first time that I've seen Det. A-109 since 1968. What a time machine this internet has become!

Your pictures of the team room and surrounding area revive strong memories. My name is John Williams. I was the Demo specialist for A-109. Our Team Leader was Captain King. The medic was John Tomkins. Sgt. Loff was senior NCO replacing Sgt. Arcand. Estel Spakes was our commo specialist, Charlie Inot -- heavy weapons. We had a pet horse, Clyde, that we either purchased or inherited from the Vietnamese. We went on many patrols, 2 Americans, Radioman, Interpreter and 10-20 CIDG. Lots of contact, lots of KIA. Ambushed on road returning to camp by Company of NVA around Feb.27,1968.

I was with the 31st Eng. at Song Be from April to about December 1969, My Plt. Sgt and I drank at the SFclub, I think the commander was colonel Lamar. If you or you know anyone that was there,can you tell me what team it was and do you have any pictures of the camp. Also I have been back to Vietnam three times in the last two years, and I have been To Song Be, I have some Pictures of what it looks like now. Any information would be appreciated.

I was at many different camps when I was still in Hdqs. Co. in Nha Trang.  I was up at 102 and 103 at one time early in 66. Long time ago, cant't remember which one was which. SGM Pioletti used to let us guys from base camp go to these camps when they were under alert. Another kid from Sig. Co. and I were up there together, but he didn't make it back. He was KIA on one of the patrols we were running up in one of those valleys. I was assigned to B-50 (OMEGA) in the old Nung Camp At Nha Trang in June of 66 went home end of Dec 66. I belong to the 20 SF ASSN here in Mn. We were working mainly with the Mike Force at that time. The guy that was kia name was John Scull. not sure about the spelling of the last name. When the moving wall was here in Duluth, Mn. I went to see it , John was there. Well I have probably bored you enough, but when I saw your message on the Guest Book it brought back a lot of memories,

I found myself laughing a lot because some of the incidents you described were apparently universal. Also, your old Team Sergeant, Billy Greenwood, was my TS in the Mike Force starting in April of 1967. Do you know what happened to him or where he is? Anyway, you being a commo man, I have been trying to remember the call signs for the A-camps in I-Corps. I remember ours at Tra Bong was "Polite Search."  The only other one I remember is "Tricky Misfit", but I don't know what camp it was. Do you remember them? If so, let me know. Thanks

1. Stafford John Landry, Jr., SGT, 91B4s, A-104, '68-'69
2. First time to your site and all I can say is "Brings back memories". I like your layout and the stories are right on. The leeches were in a foot race with us on patrol. I nearly broke out laughing about "noise control" when I read about patrolling. Different camp but similiar stories.
3. My first night in DA Nang was the night CCN was hit from inside. We hit the bunkers on night one. The gunships were spraying the inside of the compound.

Saw your post to the SF List Teamhouse guestbook and thought I'd drop a line. I spent a couple months at Thuong Duc (A-109) during a siege up there in early '70. Best I can recall, I was there from the end of April 'til the end of June. Your photos sure bring back some memories.  Guess I was just too busy a/o in deep doo-doo during my time up there to get any photos. At least, I haven't found any in all the old stuff I've got laying around here.

Found your site interesting and nice to revisit a camp/detachment I once commanded, 1967. I was Tm Ldr, so pix were memories I've put away. CPT L. Edwards, "Stanley Looker" then. Forgotten about bamboo bar in the team house, but never forgot the swimming pool, trench work, bunker, and all the team members. Some KIA (5 outstanding soldiers) and some gone off in the world to who-knows-where. I'd have to dig out the photos I have of the camp, village, dispensary we set up in town, airfield with the caribou's for resupply, etc.
I later became S3 for C-1. My VNSF (S3) counterpart, Maj Que, was killed at Thuong Duc by a mortar round. He was replaced by my "old" VNSF counterpart at the camp.
More stories... as we had a lot of action with the reminants of the local VC battalion and with the NVA 2d Division (2 attempts to attack us) coming from the west. We lost some good men to the NVA who we stirred up to the west, stymied some NVA regimental attacks, built a road from Danang (didn't last long, tho'), and generally accomplished our mission.
You didn't mention SGM "Clyde".

My callsign was Jake 44 - stationed in Quang Naghi during the '66 - '67 time frame. Stopped in and out of Gia Vuc more than once. Am currently working on a mini site to tell the tale of Jake 44. Thanks.

My father was there... Lt. Col Malcolm K. Rhine (USA Ret.) Deputy Commander 5th. Special Forces Group. Bien Hoa, Republic Of Vietnam 67-68

Nice site. Was just over the hill from you at A-243. Our AO abutted yours and I remember being able to look down the valley from atop the plateau and seeing your site. Landed there a couple of times (once after being hit while VRing in a Bird Dog) and having a good commo relay during a fire fight after the other USSF was wounded. Your quick work got a USAF FAC and the fast movers in there quickly. Saved my bacon.

I gotcha, buddy!!! I am alive and well. I came across your web page in April of 2002, but couldn't respond until today. If you receive this email, let me know. From a tall skinny guy, John

LTC, IN, USAR Ret I served with the MACV team at Thuong Duc from July 70 to Nov 70 -- reassigned up to Quang Tri Province after 5-week siege of Sep-Nov, which was ended due to a monsoon/flood.  12 Oct was more or less the highpoint of the siege/air show.

At that time, A-109 was led by CPT Edmundo Valentine of Florida and 1LT Dick Thoeme (pronounce "Tame-ee") of Massachusetts. I was not SF at the time, just MI (Phoenix Program), sent out in anticipation of the camp's conversion to ARVN BDQ Border Ranger (79th Bn). This was scheduled for October, but did not actually happen until Dec-Jan. Later served in the USAR 11th SFGA at Ft Meade MD.....and Dick Thoeme was an ODA leader up in Massachusetts!
Look forward to seeing more photos and names of residents.

RE: Capt Thomas A. "Todd" Dolighan

I am looking for information re: my brother. He was in the 5th on multiple tours to Viet Nam. I know that he was in CCN at one time. He has an 11 year old son that I am trying to reconstruct what I can. Todd is buried at Arlington. I would appreciate any help you can give me. Thank you. Please e-mail me.

I was a 1st LT, assigned to Det A-109 as the XO, Aug 1968 to approx Mar 1969, except for the brief time I was rehabbing at the C-Team in DaNang after being injured after the Sept/Oct assaults on the camp. As I remember, 1LT William Glendenning was the acting CO of the team when I arrived, and MSGT Roy Loft (the Bear) was the Team Sgt. Eventually, after the Sept 27-29, 1968 assault on the camp, CPT David(?) Blanchard arrived to be the CO. Sgt. Richard(?) Hall then became the Team Sgt a little later. Sgt. Barry Eberman was the Intell Sgt. In addition to MamaSan as shown in the pics you have on your website (I think she's the same one), there was a younger girl called Co Lynn I believe. I have more info and names if you're interested.

Gary, Nice site. I recognized the commo bunker. What year were you there? I was there from April 68 to June 68. I sure remember the starlight scope. Had to sit there at night scoping the area. Seems you were at Thoung Duc a year before I got there.

The only thing I can remember is Charlie -- right on time -- would send a mortar shell each day -- trying to hit the mess hall. He fired from just outside the village and we would play "best man on bunkers hill". The last man in the trench was best man. I went on patrol with the team Captain. [snip] While on patrol he lost his contact lens and we had to lead him back to the camp.

One day we were sitting in the mess hall and a mortar round went off close to the mess hall. A fragment from the shell hit the girl working in the mess hall and we had to carry her to the med bunker which was also the commo bunker. Each night the NVA would send rocket shells at the camp. Damn Nva. Couldn't get rid of them. The army would fire 155mm shells just outside the camp and five minutes later they would fire mortars at us.

I had a good friend killed one morning due to a freak accident. The Marine jets were dropping 500 pounders just outside the camp. Our team medic used to hang his shotgun just behind my chair in the radio shack. I went to breakfast and my friend sat down in my chair. One of the bombs dropped by the Marines fell close to the camp knocking the shotgun of the rack and [it discharged] hitting my friend in the chest. The Medic tried to save him but he died an hour later.

The B-52's were fun. We were always alerted when they were coming and they would arc-lite the whole valley. We got Intel that a battalion of NVA troops were moving just to the north of the camp so what do they do. Send the Marines. They convoyed in a battery of 105 howitzers and no sooner had they sat up on the airstrip when they got mortared. Took some of the pressure off us. We tried to tell them there was a NVA battalion just to the North so they sent an infantry company to recon the area. Sorry to say most of them didn't come back.

On June 15 68 I was transferred to A-108 at Minh Long and on my third tour, the thirteen day, and just turned thirty-three years old. While on a long range patrol to search for an American POW camp, I was wounded. I was point man with a RVN sgt and we were ambushed. Somehow they managed to get a medevac chopper in through the fire fight and get my butt out of there. The same bullet that shattered my right forearm also took out about two inches of fat from my stomach.

After cleaning my wounds at the aid station, they sent me to Camp Drake, Japan. We were given a free phone call to the states and I called my wife. When she answered the phone, I told her I was in Japan. And of course the first thing she said was: "Honey you having a good time?"

End of story.