A-109 Team Members

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This page is a collection of Thuong Duc personnel photos. I have grouped them, whenevr possible, around a common theme. I do not remember the names of some of the men in these photos. If you can match names to any of the men in these pictures, please email me the information. Please refer to the image name shown beside the photo. Do NOT worry about possibly duplicating information sent in by someone else. I would much rather receive two sets of information than none! If you know of someone who served in I Corps Special Forces, please invite them to visit this web site.

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CHOW TIME!!!

Meal time at camp was one time when the men got together. We had 'mama-sans' to do kitchen and DRO duties. (If you haven't been in the Army, DRO means 'Dining Room Orderly'.) They cooked and cleaned up.

Dick Minter looking back towards camera.

High and tight!

No long-haired hippies here! In reality it was more an issue of comfort. It was often difficult to stay cool and dry. Long hair just did not blend well with jungle duty! Since we could not 'run down to the local barber shop', we had to be self-reliant. After seeing the 'local' haircuts, many team members decided to wait until they got to Da Nang to get trimmed.

The Captain is acting as if he is not concerned. Obviously, he has not yet looked in the mirror. (Just kidding!!!)

Did you notice that the Vietnamese workers (in the background) are putting the finishing touches on a new footlocker?

Most people think the Captain is setting a good example -- allowing the blind barber to do his hair.

Actually, the Captain is getting a hair transplant instead of a haircut! (Captain... if you see this, I hope you still have your sense of humor.)

After the MedEvac...

Medical evacuations (MedEvacs) were sometimes necessary. On this particular night we had a MedEvac flight come in to camp... I do not remember why or for whom. I do remember that we were in the middle of a driving rain storm. I do not know how the pilot got that chopper into camp, given the weather conditions. After we loaded the injured person, we all went back to the teamhouse. These photos were taken right after the chopper took off.

Tired and drenched...

As you can see, every one of us was soaked to the skin. It was an absolutely miserable night!

I would later be MedEvac'ed myself. That story is on the '0 Legs, 1 Tail' page.

Any help with names of the men in these pictures??

I must have run out of film in my 35mm. I switched to my trusty B&W 'Swinger' camera. Do you remember what company manufactured those cameras?

CHILL TIME!!!

Remember the phrase I used elsewhere in this web site -- "Numbing boredom punctuated by periods of stark terror"? During some of those periods of numbing boredom, some of the men would gather on the patio for a beer and/or some conversation. Life at the A-Team was quite informal.

There were many nights when we would sit on the patio... trying to find a cool breeze. Only the lights from the teamhouse broke the darkness of the night. Often, our gaze would drift towards the edge of the plateau (best seen in the picture below). There... like high-flying fireflies... we could see the campfires of the VC. No doubt they were looking down on us. It gave you a very uneasy feeling.

Miscellaneous pictures...

Just a couple of candid shots of some of the team members.

Look at that distinctive ridgeline in the background. The visible edge marked the edge of the plateau, where ridges descended to the valley floor.