The Stand Alone Battalion - Click on a photo key below to read

70 Pages·2004·2.43 MB·English

The Stand Alone Battalion
The Stand Alone Battalion
...a newsletter for the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 506th Infantry (Currahees)
ISSUE #6 Remembering a time and place as Currahees March 2004
SECTION I OUR LEGACY
OUR LEGACY
- Soldier
Soldier
- New 3-506th Challenge Coin - "I was that which others cared not to be. I went where others feared to
UPDATE
go and did what others failed to do. I asked nothing from those who gave nothing.
- AIRMOBILITY: Cheated
Soldiers And, reluctantly, accepted the thought of eternal loneliness- should I fail. I have seen
- In Their Defense--How The the face of terror, felt the chill of fear, warmed to the touch of love. I have hoped,
Media Affected The
pained, cried. But, foremost, lived in times others would say best forgotten. At the very
Performance Of The American
least, in later days, I will be able to say with greatest pride, that I was indeed a
Soldiers In Vietnam
Soldier"
SECTION II
---Author Unknown
PREDEPLOYMENT
- Do You Remember These?
- Almost A Marine - The THE 3-506th CHALLENGE COIN
Conclusion
UPDATE
SECTION III
VIETNAM DIARY
- 3-506th Medic...Soldier of the
Month
- Old PIO Files
--POW Tells Story
--LPPP Team Finds VC
Every place
- AIRMOBILE: Speed and

Violence
- Where Where We Then -

March
-Newspaper Articles
Click on thumbnail to enlarge
--Raiders Repelled at
Airborne's LZ
The 3-506th will soon have its own Vietnam War Challenge Coin. After polling
--Hands Up, Charlie! My
the members of the "Stand Alone Battalion", it has been decided that the front of the
Rifle is Empty
--Trooper Takes Over Medic's coin will look like the above image, with the exception of the air assault badge (on
Chores To Aid Wounded Men right side of coin), which will be replaced with the proposed "unauthorized" Vietnam
- PsyOp Leaflets of the Vietnam
Air Assault Badge. (See February Issue of the newsletter.)
War
--101st Leaflet
The front will have the colored 506th Shield and yellow
--Communist Leaflet
ribbon (colored same as the South Vietnamese Flag, with the
SECTION IV coin itself being gold or polished brass. If cost permits, the
POST VIETNAM wings and air assault will be silver. This coin (on right) made
- Change of Army Uniforms for the Iraq campaign gives you some idea of what our coin
- The Fall of II Corps and Phan could look like colored.
Thiet
- Neil Steinberg--Chicago Sun The reverse side of the coin is still being designed. It will
Times POW Flag Article
have the Screaming Eagle in the center (in color). The words "Rendezvous With
--Steinberg's Apology
Destiny" will be curved around the bottom; the words "The 1st Brigade's Bastard
--1Sgt. Horn's Response
file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (1 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]
The Stand Alone Battalion
Battalion" curved around the top half. The purpose for this designation is to make
SECTION V damn sure that the rest of the 1st Brigade veterans know who we are, a fact that the 1st
POST SCRIPT Brigade and 101st Abn. Div. seem to have forgotten. Immediately below the
- How to Obtain Your Military Screaming Eagle Patch in the center, I am considering adding a scroll-like ribbon that
Service Records, or Medals and
has the words "Vietnam War 1965-1973."
Awards [New]
- Rebuilding Lost, Destroyed,
The coin will be smaller in diameter and thinner than the current 506th Challenge
Missing, Never obtained
Coin. The 3-506th coin will be approximately 1 1/2" in dia. and about the thickness of
DD-214 Military Discharge
Documents a 50-cent piece. We expect to have the coin available by the reunion at Ft. Campbell
- Reunion 2004 [Update] in June.
- 3-506 Website Awarded
Distinguished Military Site Pictured above (left to right) is the coin manufacturer's draft of the front of the coin
Medal using the authorized air assault badge. The second picture (colored) is the revised
- 2004 - 8th Annual 3-506th
draft using the Vietnam air assault badge. Imagine the final coin
Reunion (UPDATE)
- The "Currahee" PX
If anyone is interested in providing financial assistance in getting the 3-506th
- Bookstore
Challenge Coin produced, please contact Jerry.
- PX News
- First Aid-Station
- Gravesite Program -----------#####----------
- Taps
- Newsletter Information
- Subscriptions
- Currahee Business Cards
- Currahee Calling Cards &
Professional Graphic Needs

AIRMOBILITY:Cheated

Soldiers
by Jerry Berry
Army's Badge
Berry's Badge
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is a companion article found in Section III - AIRMOBILITY--Speed and Violence" by Gen. John M.
Wright, Jr., Major General, Commander 101st Airborne Division May 1969-May 1970.
The February Issue of this newsletter included an Cavalry Division Association, the 101st Airborne
article on the Air Assault Badge. The Army's current Air Division Vietnam Veterans Associations and
Assault Badge is only authorized to individuals who have other interested veterans and civilians.
satisfactorily completed the Standard Air Assault Course
when assigned or attached to the 101st Airborne Division I mentioned in last month's article that an official
letter from the Dept. of the Army to the soldiers of the
(Air Assault) since 1 April 1974. This means that Vietnam
Screaming Eagles Division, making it retroactive so
Veterans are not authorized to wear the Air Assault Badge.
that the Vietnam Veterans are authorized to wear the
Several groups, including the Air Assault Parity Coalition
Air Assault Badge isn't going to happen. Therefore, it
(which includes our 506th Association), have joined the
is time for us to create and make available our own
Air Assault Parity Coalition to convince the Army that the
Vietnam version of the Air Assault Badge, whether
Air Assault badge should be retroactive to include the
we call it the "Airmobile Badge" or "Air Assault
Vietnam Veterans.
Badge". Some need to take the lead on this--and why
The following appears on the Air Assault Parity not the "Bastard Battalion"? We are leaders, not
Coalition website: http://airassault.bizhosting.com/ followers! We have enough "Stand Alone" Lawyers
in our "Bastard Battalion" to keep us out of jail should
"Air Assault Parity Coalition" the Army want to stop us.
Summary:
Since the Army has continually refused to "Do The
file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (2 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]
The Stand Alone Battalion
Right Thing" and honor Vietnam veterans who field
tested Air Assault methods in combat, these same
veterans must fight again to correct this injustice. This
fight will use the political process, not M-16's. We are
seeking a US Congressman or Senator to carry a bill
Authorized AIR ASSAULT Badge
or amendment on the Air Assault controversy.
Co.. Frank C. Foster (US Army Ret.)
Suggested wording is to amend the current Air describes the Air Assault Badge in his book--The
Assault Badge to read, "Authorized for individuals Decorations, Medals, Ribbons, Badges and
who participated in at least one combat air Insignia of the United States Army, World War II
assault prior to 1 April 1974." to Present, as follows:
"An oxidized silver badge 3/4 inch in height and
Technical assistance is available from the Air Assault
1-17/32 inches in width, consisting of a
Parity Coalition - email webmaster for help.
helicopter, frontal view, superimposed upon a
HONORARY AIR ASSAULT CERTIFICATE UPDATE pair of stylized wings displayed and curving
inward. The wings suggest flight and together
The honorary Air Assault certificate project is on hold with the helicopter symbolize individual skills and
due to the recent deployment of the 101st Airborne qualifications in assault landings utilizing the
Division (Air Assault) en mass to the middle east (see helicopter. Awarded by commanders of divisions
History page). and separate brigades to individuals who
satisfactorily complete an air assault-training
The Air Assault Parity Coalition Stakeholders Meeting
course in accordance with the U.S. Army
was held on 14 August 2003 in Reno, Nevada in
Training and Doctrine Command's Standardized
conjunction with the 101st Airborne Division
Air Assault Core Program of Instruction. Also
Association Annual Reunion. For details, see
authorized for any individual who has
Stakeholders Meeting page.
satisfactorily completed the Standard Air Assault
Course when assigned or attached to the 101st
VIETNAM magazine featured an article on the Air
Airborne Division (Air Assault) since 1 April
Assault Badge Controversy in the FEB 2003 Edition.
1974. The Air Assault Badge was approved by
the Chief of Staff, Army, on 18 January 1978, for
MISSION:
Army-wide wear by individuals who successfully
completed Air Assault training after 1 April 1974.
The mission of the Air Assault Parity Coalition is to
The badge had previously been approved as the
advocate for change of the criteria for the awarding of
Airmobile Badge authorized for local wear by the
the Air Assault Badge to include awarding the badge
Commander of the 101 sI Airborne Division,
for combat assaults (see References page for more
effective 1 April 1974. Subdued badges are
information).
authorized in metal and cloth. The metal badge
MEMBERSHIP: is black. The cloth badge is of olive drab base
cloth with design elements embroidered in
The Air Assault Parity Coalition is formed of members black. A miniature badge, 7/16 inch in height
of the 101st Airborne Division Association, the 506th and 7/8 inch in width is authorized."
Airborne Infantry Regiment Association (Currahees),
----------#####----------
the 1st
IN THEIR DEFENSE: U.S. SOLDIERS IN THE VIETNAM WAR
by Dr. Pham Kim
Vinh

file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (3 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]
The Stand Alone Battalion
Editor's Note: These are a few randomly selected excerpts On April 29, 1975, hours after Marine helicopters
from the book. lifted the last Americans off the roof of the American
Embassy Saigon, columnist James Reston saluted the
In Dr. Vinh's book, Chapter Four -- HOW THE
end of the Vietnam War with these words: "Maybe the
MEDIA AFFECTED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE
historians will agree that the reports and the cameras
AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN VIETNAM--he writes:
were decisive in the end. ..They brought the issue of the
war to the people...and forced the withdrawal of
"Regarding the role of the media in the Vietnam War,
American power from Vietnam."
different opinions in the U. S. converged on one point:
they said that in the early years of the American
But when the world discovered that the best answer
involvement in Vietnam, the basic tendencies of the media
to the so called "immorality" of the U. S. involvement
were to support "whatever the presidents decided to do
in the Vietnam War is what happened after the last
there."
American soldiers left Vietnam and the South
Vietnamese were defeated, most of the media
Then between 1961 and 1972 the gap between media
vehemently denied its responsibility in the disaster of
and government grew continuously. The generally
the U.S. in Vietnam.
accepted version was that "the media began to take a more
and more critical approach to the war as they found that
The Vietnam War was the first major war to be
what they saw and what the U.S. government told them
completely televised. It is a medium of unprecedented
were two different things."
impact easily capable of reaching hundreds of millions
of people with the same message at the same moment.
According to such a "universal" version, the media was
In addition to this power, journalists, and camera crews
supposed to be perfect since it was "inclined to find the
were granted every facility, including helicopters, for
truth." Events, unfortunately, demonstrated that the media
transportation to go anywhere they wanted.
in the U.S. was far from being perfect. And yet, at that
time, he media did think it was.
The mass media in America played a crucial role in
simultaneously creating the notion and the fact of a
We had to wait eleven years after the last American
credibility gap between the government and the
soldiers left Vietnam to hear an honest voice among the
governed. In the words of Paul M. Kattenburg, this
media in the U.S. recognizing the human limitations of the
was the media's own casus belli against the
media in covering the Vietnam War. The honest voice was
government. The media appeared to be affected by a
the one of Mr. Philip Knightley. He frankly recognized
great sense of power. "The more they (the media)
that "the significant point about the flush of stories
played the game of the credibility gap, the more the gap
attacking U. S. involvement is that the U. S. provided the
widened, and the more the game's challenge
access and the freedom that enabled them to be written."
increased...The media was determined that it was not
He then reminded us how Britain managed the news
going to lose its war.".
during the Falklands campaign. He remembered an
encounter that correspondent Murray Sayle had with an
It was the mass media which gave rise to the
Israeli press officer when, in 1967, switched from
pervasive awareness of the social problems, tensions,
reporting Vietnam to the Six- Day War. " Just a word of
and political protest of the period wrote author Paul
warning," the Israeli press officer said, "you are not in
Hollander. He found that the "Revolution" could not
Vietnam now. You can't do or write anything you like
have become a "theater" without television, and the
here. Here you do what we say. Okay?"
participants and creators of this revolutionary theater
were keenly aware of the importance of publicity, and
Knightley concluded in a sincere note: ". ..We have the
especially visual publicity, and the opportunity it
arrogance to believe that there was nothing in the tide of
provided for "dramatizing political discontents."
affairs that journalism could not select, encompass,
analyze and explain; no event, no matter its magnitude
Dr. Vinh ends Chapter Four with the following:
complexity, that could not successfully be subjected to
"No people in the world will envy the American public
journalistic process. We now have to consider the
for tacitly allowing the media to play games with
possibility that we were wrong--and I submit that Vietnam
secrets that can mean life or death for U. S. servicemen.
was one that journalism alone is unable to present or
This is an important lesson of the Vietnam War. When
explain adequately."
we put men's lives on the line, the devil's advocate role
of the media must be downgraded to secondary
Looking back it would be helpful to ask many
importance."
questions related to the performance, the professional
integrity and the honesty of the media, and above all, its
file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (4 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]
The Stand Alone Battalion
consciousness of the consequences of its .----------#####--------
reporting/broadcasting on the combat effectiveness and
END OF SECTION I
the safety of the U. S. soldiers in the Vietnam War.
SECTION II
PREDEPLOYMENT & PRE VIETNAM STORIES
ISSUE #6 Remembering a time and place as Currahees March 2004

DO YOU REMEMBER?
(L-R) Unk, Unk, Co. C waiting to depart
Marshall Nelson (KIA for Vietnam on 10/2/67.
Sgt. Raynor's Sqd. M.
3/10/68) Paul Clement (3/A
Braun was KIA 5/26/68.
67/68)
Plan ride from Ft.
Campbell to Calif. to
board ship for Vietnam. (L-R) Lt. Wylie Cox and Plt. Ldr. Lt. Kessinger,
Lt. Stephen Cook 1/C Co.
How young were we?
----------#####----------
file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (5 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]
The Stand Alone Battalion
ALMOST A MARINE
"I wanna be an airborne marine"
"I wanna live a life of danger...WHOA!
Something isn't right here! I'll let Grimaldo continue to tell his story.
In SP4 Grimaldo Ulrich-Vivar's Own Words....
PART IV - The Conclusion
In Part III, (February Issue) SP4 Grimaldo told about reporting to Ft. Jackson, SC for Basic Training and
from there to Signal School.. In Part IV, Grimaldo continues....
So there we were—four trainees going on a Tuesday at usually accompanied by two friends (bodyguards)
1800 hours to the Infantry School orderly room. I did not when I made my trips to Phan Thiet.
know what the other three guys were thinking about, but I
There wasn’t much activity for Commo Platoon
personally thought that the First Sergeant of the Infantry
during December 1968 and most of January 1969, but
School would be proud to have four trainees volunteering
according to the traffic we heard through the radios at
for infantry training. I felt that if I couldn’t join the
the TOC, those two months were hell for the line
Marines, I might as well join what I considered the Army
companies. They took the brunt of several ground
elites—the paratroopers!
night attacks, especially the one at Outpost Sarah that
When it was my turn to see the First Sergeant, he asked cost the battalion several casualties. The enemy was
why I wanted to join the infantry. This time, I did not never capable of overrunning any of the line
mention my original intention of joining the Marines, but company positions. Up until that time, I had not even
explained that I had recently come from Peru to be a shot my M-16 or heard any close explosions. The
professional career soldier and that the best way to begin only noises that I heard were outgoing fire from the
that career would be as an infantryman. outpost artillery (D/320). Then came February 22.
At 0145 hours, we were sleeping in our tents about
After the First Sergeant had finished talking to each one
30 to 40 yards from the mostly underground TOC.
of us individually, he said that he was pleased and honored
The S-2 and switchboard building were on the other
that we were volunteering for his school and that he would
side of the TOC. Suddenly, all hell broke loose! We
look into the matter and let us know. We were four happy
were awakened by automatic fire and rpg shrapnel
soldiers, because we just knew that we would not have to
going through the top of our tent. It was the
listen to any more Morse code—or so we thought.
beginning of the enemy Tet Offensive of 1969.
The following day, during the last formation at 1630
I remember putting a flak jacket on top of my
hours, our First Sergeant called in all four of us and told us
head. The section sergeant didn’t seem too
to wait in his orderly room. The first thing that came to my
concerned with us already lying flat on the ground
mind was that he would give us a patriotic “pep talk” about
inside the tent, but the sudden burst of an AK-47
volunteering for infantry training. Was I naïve! At that
brought him to his senses. He first instructed us to
time, I did not know about human pride. The clerk told us
crawl to a bunker at the back of the tent. Once inside
to knock on the First Sergeant’s office door and wait for
the bunker, we realized that there were no firing
him to give us permission to come inside—then stand at
portholes; so we crawled back to the front of the tent
attention. We did exactly what we were told and stood at
and set up sort of a perimeter line facing the cliff. I
attention before the First Sergeant, who was sitting on his
then realized that I had no ammo, and the section
desk.
sergeant have me his. He had just the magazine
file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (6 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]
The Stand Alone Battalion
All of a sudden, the First Sergeant stood up and yelled, attached to his M-16.
“You g—d— bastards are in my g—d— Army! In my
Meanwhile, rpg rounds and automatic fire steadily
Army, I tell you what to do!” As he continued to yell at us,
continued. The enemy was trying to destroy the TOC
his face got red as a tomato and the arteries in his neck
and overrun LZ Betty at several points.
began to bulge. The first thing that came to my mind
was—Oh, God! Not again! At the end of his speech, he
Echo Company was the first to receive mortars and
said, “Don’t you ever dare to do this again; and I am going
RPG bombardment, followed by a ground attack.
to make sure that you think twice before volunteering
The 192nd Attack Helicopter Company was hit next.
again! Now get out of my orderly room!” My three friends
Sappers directly attacked several perimeter bunkers
shrugged off the incident as just a “nice try”; but for me, it
and towers along the ocean side of the base. There
was confusing.
were several casualties, including Delta Company
Commander, Captain Wrazen. The enemy wanted to
When I returned to my room, I told Paul what had
destroy LZ Betty’s main defensive and offensive
transpired. He said, “Grimaldo, you have a lot to learn
weapons—our mortars and Echo Company, our
about the Army. If you ask to be assigned to the North
Pole, they will send you to the South Pole. If you ask to be gunships at the 192nd Helicopter Company, as well as
assigned to the South Pole, they will send you to the North destroy our Tactical Operations Center. While were
Pole.” He ended by saying, “Always remember this, my all lying flat on the ground, I whispered to a friend
friend—there is the right way, the wrong way, and the next to me, “Lord, I still cannot figure out how the
Army way. So, peace and love brother.” Marines were able to walk toward the Japanese
positions while the Japanese were shooting at them.”
I figured that the incident was over and ended, but when My friend just looked at me and nodded his head,
we were marching back from classes in formation on trying to figure out if I was going nuts!
Thursday afternoon, the First Sergeant singled out all four
of us “volunteers” and said, “Greetings from your First The section sergeant brought us back to reality by
Sergeant. You have been inducted into the kitchen police saying, “Keep quiet!”—and quiet we were until the
(KP) force for duty on Friday and Saturday.” Bright and sun’s rays began to creep over the horizon. When it
early the next morning, the CQ woke us up at 0330 hours was barely daylight, one of the grunts on top of the
for KP duty; and we stayed in the mess hall until 2000 bunker to our right opened up with his M-60, yelling
hours. All day long, it was—KPs do this; KPs do that, KPs that two figures had just gone down the cliff in front
to the back entrance to unload trailers, etc. Sunday was of us among the thick vegetation all the way down to
more of the same. the beach. The battalion commander, LTC Alves,
who happened to be close by at the time, told the
By mid-November 1967, I graduated from RTO School supply sergeant to get an M-60 and follow him. LTC
and received my orders to Fort Stewart, Georgia. Eighty Alves, carrying his 45 pistol by the grip, headed
percent of my class received orders for Vietnam, including toward the cliff; both men soon disappeared out of
my buddy, Paul. Two soldiers received orders to Germany sight.
and the rest to Korea. I was the only one assigned to
stateside duty. I told Paul, “Somehow I will see you in About ten minutes later, the grunt manning the
Vietnam; meanwhile, we will keep in touch my mail.” It bunker began yelling once again and firing M-60
would be exactly a year and four DA Form 1049s bursts. A couple of grenade explosions and some
(volunteer duty for Vietnam) before I finally received my automatic weapons fire came from the bottom of the
orders to Vietnam. By that time, Paul was dead; he never cliff. From our prone position on the ground, we
made it back. Paul’s parents told me about his death when couldn’t see what was going on down the cliff. We
I wrote to them asking about him. had to depend on the reaction of the grunt and his
M-60 atop the bunker. Soon the report came from
After reporting to Fort Stewart, I later found out the the grunt that LTC Alves and the supply sergeant
reason for my not being sent to Vietnam straight from Fort were coming back up the cliff. We later found out
Jackson. It seems that in this eagerness to enroll me in the that they had killed one of the sappers, but the other
Army, the Army recruiting sergeant from Miami missed one got away. That morning, the body of the dead
some very important immigration paperwork. Specifically, sapper was retrieved and placed behind the mess
I went into the service without a Green Card or a Social hall.
Security Card. To make things more complicated—when I
finally received my Social Security card at the end of my While lying on my cot that afternoon, I figured out
RTO Training at Fort Jackson, I actually received TWO why the veterans count the days that they have left
cards, each with different Social Security Numbers. I “in country”. I also realized that the grunts manning
file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (7 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]
The Stand Alone Battalion
informed my First Sergeant about the situation, and he told the bunkers definitely knew their job. They were just
me not to worry—that I could straighten everything out kids, but also professional soldiers. During the
while at Fort Stewart. attack, I was like “a chicken without a
head”—nervous and scared as hell. I knew that it
What I remember most while stationed at Fort Stewart
would be a while before I could measure up to them.
were the funeral details that I went to in the areas of
Georgia and Florida. The whole year that I was there, I Toward the end of June 1969, I learned from my
must have gone to at least three funeral details per month. First Sergeant that President Richard Nixon had
I’m not sure if my First Sergeant had something to do with signed an order stating that only American citizens
my constant assignment to so many funeral details, but I would be sent to Vietnam and that any non-US
was always diplomatically “nagging” him about my citizen who was already in Vietnam would be sent
wanting to go to Vietnam. Maybe the burial details were back to the United States to finish his military service
his way of convincing me to change my mind about stateside. Up until that moment, I had never given
wanting to volunteer for service in Vietnam. much thought to my immigration status. The First
Sergeant told me to come by and talk to him about
Some of the funerals were open casket; others were
the problem. Inside his orderly room, he told me that
closed casket ceremonies. I felt sad for the deceased
according to my personal records I was not an
soldier’s family, but personally the experience did not
American citizen and probably would be sent back to
affect my desire to volunteer for Vietnam. I remembered
the States as soon as my orders arrived from the
seeing scenes of Tet “68 on TV while living off post.
Division. I was experiencing some strange feelings.
Every two weeks, a new list of names would be posted on
So many guys would have given just about anything
the company bulletin board of soldiers who had received
to trade places with me. By that time, I had already
orders for Vietnam. One day in September 1968, my name
experienced the fear of combat during Tet ’69 and
finally appeared on the list. During the last company
suffered through the ground probes at LZ Betty. Fear
formation that same day, the First Sergeant remarked to me
or no fear—it was all part of being in the military. I
in front of everybody, “You ain’t gone yet, Grimaldo? You
asked the First Sergeant if there was anything that he
better hurry up. We wouldn’t want you to miss the war,
could do, because I didn’t want to return to the States
now would we?”
until my tour was over. He told me that he could not
disobey the President’s order or tell me how to
I sat with a group of soldiers in the back of the plane
disobey the President’s order; but if I wanted to
during the long flight to Vietnam. I was fortunate to be
protest the order, it was my right to see a lawyer in
sitting with several paratroopers just out of airborne
Phu Bai.
school—all of them volunteers for Vietnam, like myself.
We joked and talked seriously about what airborne unit we
Two days later, I left for Phu Bai and talked to a
were going to be assigned to once in Vietnam. I was
judge there. He told me to stay a couple of days in
headed to Vietnam with the old 05B20 MOS (radio
Phu Bai, because he would have to make several
operator) and was fully expecting to carry a radio on my
telephone calls. When I went to see the judge again
back in an infantry platoon, like in the old WWII movies.
later, he asked me if I wanted to become an American
The trip was long and boring, so from time to time, I would
citizen. I immediately replied, “Of course!” The
tell the other guys about the old war movies I had seen
judge sent my back to Phan Thiet to await orders to
about the Marines and paratroopers of WWII. I remember
go to Hawaii to be naturalized as an American citizen
asking them what kind of soldiers would obey orders to
there.
wade into water up to their waist or chest and advance
slowly toward Japanese defenses. They told me that the About one week later, I received my TDY orders
Marines are taught in boot camp to fear the gunnery for Hawaii for six days. I left LZ Betty for Bien Hoa,
sergeant more than the enemy. As we all chuckled at the where I was given $350 for expenses and put on the
humorous remark, a Marine buck sergeant who was sitting first available plane for Hawaii. At the Honolulu
across the aisle from us turned his face toward us, exposing Airport, I went to the Army information booth. The
a nasty burn scar on his neck and part of his right cheek. sergeant in charge read my orders and directed me to
He looked at us for a few seconds, then told us in a very a hotel. Everything was paid by the Army—hotel,
calm voice—like he was talking to his younger brother, meals, plus the expense money. From the hotel, I
“Charlie doesn’t have combat boots, he doesn’t have tanks, called the Honolulu courthouse. They checked my
he doesn’t have helicopters, and he doesn’t have three name and told me to come in for the swearing in
meals a day; but I respect him in the jungle. If you don’t, ceremony in two days.
then you are in for quite a surprise.” There was absolute
After the swearing in ceremony, I signed off on
file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (8 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]
The Stand Alone Battalion
silence for a while in the back of the plane. some forms and was told to return to the courthouse
in three days to pick up my US passport. I returned
We eventually landed at Cam Ranh Bay and were there
as instructed, picked up my passport, and flew back
for three days before some of us received orders for the
to Phan Thiet. My citizenship certificate says:
101st Airborne Division. My group of about twenty
“Given at the district Court House of Honolulu,
replacements went to a building where we viewed a huge
Hawaii on July 17, 1969. This trip to Hawaii did not
map of South Vietnam and located Bien Hoa, our
count as my official R & R.
destination. In the eight days that I spent in Bien Hoa, I
noticed two kinds of soldiers—those who spoke a weird After Vietnam, I received orders to Fort Rucker,
language and those who spoke the English that I could Alabama, where I spent the last five months until my
understand. The weird ones were waiting in Bien Hoa for ETS date. From there, I went to visit my parents.
the Freedom Bird and would repeat every chance they had My parents’ attitude had changed, especially my
or whenever they were among a group of father’s attitude. He was very proud of me and my
newcomers—“Tee tee time, cherry” or “You have boucoo accomplishment. I remember him taking me to work
time, cherry”. At night, we would look for some of the with him at the harbor and introducing me to his
veterans on their way home to ask them questions and friends. I was very proud to wear my khaki uniform
perhaps get some good advice. I can remember that our while in my hometown.
last day at Bien Hoa was spent asking the black caps or
My mother told me that they were very concerned
veterans where the 327th, 187th, 501st, 502nd, or the 506th
when they received my certificates for the Bronze
were located and how the overall situation was.
Star and Army Commendation Medal from the US
All sixty of us replacements had received our orders to Department of Defense. At that point, I wasn’t even
go “up north”, and that evening we were taken to the aware of being awarded these medals. When my
airport at 2100 hours and waited until about 0400 hours to parents received notification of the awards, my
catch the C7A Caribou that would take us to LZ Betty. mother immediately called for my father at work.
Talk about safety and tighten your safety belts—We were While my father returned home from work, my
packed in that plane and told to sit on the floor of the mother went across the street to the high school that I
aircraft alongside some pallets with cargo for LZ Betty. had attended and nervously asked Father LaSalle if
We must have waited for bout another hour, sweating the certificates meant that something had happened to
profusely while they loaded the pallets behind us. When me. Father LaSalle drove my mother and father to
the plane started taking off, some of us had to hold on to the American Embassy to inquire about my status.
the little rings on the floor of the aircraft to steady The military attaché explained the meaning of the
ourselves. certificates to my parents and assured them that
everything should be okay. A couple of weeks later,
We arrived at LZ Betty about 0700 hours on a beautiful, they received some mail from me and knew that I
clear day and were taken from the airfield to stand in front was alive and well.
of the S-1 building. The S-1 buck sergeant told us to get
some breakfast at the mess hall behind the S-1 building. After visiting my family in Peru, I returned to
Afterward, we were told where we would be assigned in Miami, where I stayed for about ten months. I just
the battalion. PFC Blevins and I were told to go to Commo wasn’t happy with the civilian life that every other
Platoon. Once there, the section sergeant took us to see soldier I came across had been talking about while I
SFC Beatty, the Platoon Sergeant. He announced that I was still in the service. I did not love to play war, nor
would be working as an RTO inside the TOC. Several was I trying to emulate Audie Murphy—but to me,
months later, my duties included the distribution of going to Vietnam was just part of my military career.
situation reports to all the units in LZ Betty, including all
----------#####----------
the agencies such as MACV and Civil Operations in
END OF SECTION II
downtown Phan Thiet. I had my own Jeep and was
file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (9 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]
The Stand Alone Battalion
SECTION III
VIETNAM DIARY
ISSUE #6 Remembering a time and place as Currahees March 2004
Remember to click any thumbnail or blue text
3-506TH MEDIC IS SOLDIER OF THE MONTH
[Photo]: Battalion Commander, LTC John E. Martling congratulates medic SP4 Tony D. Foster as the 3-506th
"Soldier of the Month" for the month of September 1970.
In a letter sent home to the parents of SP4 Tony D. Forster. LTC Martling writes: "It is with a great
deal of pleasure that I inform you that your son, Specialist Fourth Class Tony D. Foster, was
selected as the 3d Battalion (Airmobile), 506th Infantry "Soldier of the Month" for the month of
September 1970. This means that your son was selected as the outstanding soldier of this Battalion,
a very high honor indeed. Specialist Foster, presently serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, will be
awarded a 3-day pass, a letter of commendation, a plaque from the 101st Airborne Division Association, and will be
promoted to Sergeant as soon as an allocation can be obtained. You can be very proud of him. This indicates that he is an
outstanding soldier and is serving his country well." - Tony now lives in Bullard, Texas.
JOHN E. MARTLING, LTC,
Infantry,
Commanding
----------#####----------

From Jerry's Old PIO Files
"From Jerry's Old PIO Files" will be added to Section III - Vietnam Diary each month. These are some of the
many stories that I wrote as a PIO in Vietnam that never got published or were not published in their entirety.
Some will mention names, places, and incidents long forgotten by some, but remembered well by others. The date
of a specific event was not allowed to be mentioned in writing a story. If any of your remember the date or
approximate date of these incidences, please contact Jerry Berry: [email protected].

Story #1 - POW Tells Story
by Bn PIO Jerry Berry
file:///C|/CURRAHEE WEBSITE/Server's/newsletterMarch04_entire.htm (10 of 27) [2/29/2004 9:28:10 PM]