This is going to be sort of
a story of my time in the Marine Corps, November of 1963 through August of
1971 and my time done south (what we called going to the Nam on Okie
before we left) June 1965 through June 1968. The reasons I want to do this
began when my kids and Grand kids started asking and also maybe some of my
friends from then will see it and get in touch.
I enlisted on the day
of my 17th birthday and went to boot camp in San Diego. After boot it was
the usually ITR, then into tanks. My first unit was "C" CO. 1ST Tank BN. at
Camp Penelton. For anyone from back then I was in "stinky" Davis's 1st
Plt.,Dan Smith And Smokie Crittindon were section leaders. Capt. Gene
Duncan was our CO. and F.l. Young (The Fly) was the top kick. in March? of
1965 I transferred to 1st plt "B" CO. 3rd Tanks on at Camp Hanson,
Okinawa. The whole time we were preparing to relieve "A" co. in Da Nang.
When we finally went there on board the Point Defiance in June. Set up in
the middle of the air base and stood guard at the end's of the airstrip.
From there we moved south to Marble MT. and provided security for the
sea bee;s while the built the hospital and such. In May ? of 1966 I returned
to the states for three months before requesting a transfer back to the
Nam. On my return I was again assigned to "B" 3rd Tanks only this time to
the 3rd plt where I would stay unwill I came home in June of 1968. Some of
the places we were included Hills 55,65 Phu Bai? Dong Ha Camp Carroll, Con
tien, Cam LO, The Rock Pile, and my personal favorite Khe Sahn. We
spent almost a year there and led the first convoy after the 1st Air
Cav."SAVED OUR BUTTS"or so they say.
I came back to the U.S. then and started loosing my strips. in August of 1971 I recieved a General Discharge under Honorable conditions.
This is just a brief out line for now. I will add more details, some war stories and such, as we go along.