There were three of us per tower, with one on duty while the other two slept. 3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry (Infantry) Arrived Vietnam: 1 Jan 1967 Departed Vietnam: 8 Aug 1969 Previous Station: Fort Riley Strength: 818. for the 9th Inf Division during 1967. bark was worse than his bite. Convoys leaving or entering at the berm entrance. Park, including a High Tech Park. world, probably. Like This Movie Trailer? I was with 5/42 at Bearcat from June 68 thru June 69 as an artillery surveyor and shell recon (chasing down those incoming 122mm rockets that would come in randomly). or was certainly processed here. Two shifts a night. Thats was my dad. 65 series for the 9th Infantry Division ; Cavalry Unit Records, ca. Have been searching for an active Vietnam Veterans website/forum/blog. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. At some point we the USA may end up defending Vietnam, our former foe, against additiinal military incurssions by the Chinese aggressive assertive behemouth. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, When Christopher Gaynor returned home from the Vietnam War, on Feb. 6, 1968, he didnt leave with memories alone. Early in the Vietnam War, the 1st Special Forces established a base there. I am not positive the place you are getting your information, but good topic. Bearcat Base (also known as Bearcat, Camp Martin, Camp Cox or Long Thanh North) is a former U.S. Army base near the city of Bin Ha in ng Nai Province in southern Vietnam. I was a sniper in 1967 with B Co. 5th of the 60th Infantry, 9th Div. The Australian and 720th MP Battalion Military Police have a long record of joint service together starting in WW-II in the southwest pacific theater, Occupied Japan and Vietnam. The camp was located on Route 15, 16 km southeast of Bin Ha. . it's a military film clip so no sound. google 9th inf div movement Oakland California to Vungtau Vietnam Had to record whose time it was to sleep. During the rescue Gene never thought of himself or the danger he put himself in. I arrived at the camp in early December 1966, we deployed from Fort Riley by troop train to Oakland then by ship to Vung Tau. I stood guard on those bunkers in 1968. The enemy was watching all this, but could not attack us., The Odd Couple, 1967: My buddies Lynch and Cork share a morning ritual at Camp Bearcat (Camp Martin Cox)., LZ, 1967: Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey Slick) helicopter makes a quick troop drop at a Fire Support Base near the Cambodian border without touching down., Operation, 1967: 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division assembles at the Dau Tieng airfield in preparation for a major combat operation near the Cambodian border., The Wasteland, 1967: 9th Infantry Division soldier burns the remaining twigs after our Bearcat Base Camp was sprayed heavily with Agent Orange to kill the jungle vegetation and then bulldozed into a desert wasteland., Triple Deuce, 1967: Troops of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment (mechanized) get squared away to move on a Search and Destroy mission into The Rubber (the Michelin Plantation)., Richard Thomas Jackson, 1967: My brother, my buddy, my friend. Thank you in advance! Martha Raye show Bearcat Sept. 67 . The Liaison Officer/Operator (LO) had to be capable of working alone, of using the Cat Code (converting plain language into 5x5 figures and letters to code up secure messages), precise map reading, impeccable procedures and capable of operating multiple radio and phone systems at any one time. Company C was responsible for operating provost marshal offices at Lai Khe, Xuan Loc, Tay Ninh and Di An, and for convoy escort operations from Long Binh to Bao Loc, Phan Thiet, Song Be, Ham Tam, Bu Dop, and Bu Gia Mop. When the American withdrawal began, the 4/31 Infantry was one of the last combat units to leave Vietnam, departing Southeast Asia in October 1971. Love to hear from anyone that remembers him during that time. trees growing on it. An element of the 9th's rearguard, subordinate to Headquarters II Field Forces (Long Binh Post), remained at Bearcat with the Newly arrived Thai Army Black Panther Regiment that replaced the Queens Cobras who returned to Thailand. base. I was also a REMF but I never had the Tv sets, cold beers and movies we REMF were supposed to be enjoying every night in the rear along with those hot home cooked meals I heard about. We later flew to Lai Khe for his court martial. In 1966 the 15th Engineer Battalion of the 9th Infantry Division, who arrived in Vietnam aboard the USNS Sultan with the 720th MP Battalion, expanded and constructed new facilities at the Bearcat base. The base camp was located three miles southeast of Long Binh Post in Long Than District of Bien Hoa Province and twenty miles northeast of Saigon on the eastern side of Highway QL-15 in Corps Tactical Zone-Military Region III was part of the Saigon defensive ring. Well, no. We disembarked at the port of Vung Tau and convoyed to Bear Cat Fire Base. Sounds like you're struggling with the same issues that I am. We had to wait for nearly three weeks before our howitzers arrived and then we were off to Operation Colby. Terrorism He was in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967. I have pictures of the rifle. I was in the 9th Sig Bn at bearcat also, via USNS Barrett, Dec 1966 to Vungtau Well, God bless you and remember that life is for the living. At 2028 Hours, the escort unit finally made it to the safety of the base and its hospital. Thanks for the blog. If it came to Vietnam, chances are it either arrived here soldiers. I have an old picture taken from some 15 miles away, but one night, VC From what I could tell, Gene revived him. 26) On 26 July 1969, the 3rd Bde, 9ID was OPCON to the 25th . President Ky's palace, downtown Saigon. The 3/5 Cav was organized as a Divisional reconnaissance unit for the 9th Infantry Division and arrived in Vietnam with the Division in late 1966. I was on guard duty 65 times. A bunker manned 24/7 by the Military Police flanked both sides of each entrance. I was just surfing the web when I saw your info about Bearcat. Sense of humor there. I hope that life is treating you well. The camp was located on Route 15, 16km southeast of Bin Ha. Its a difficult emotional stress [to revisit that time] but I had to do it, he says. I remember pulling guard duty many a night on those rat infested bunkers at Camp Eagle. From 24 February through 1 March elements of the 25th Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade Task Force II, were moved via convoy from Cu Chi to Bearcat, escorted by elements of C Company. He told me a story about guard duty. Dear Mr. Sanders, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! I'm sure everyone is happy to see that you too survived the experience. Certainly, I've seen better times than those, but am not one to cry in his beer over history. This is part of the HQ & A Co. area from the (having health issues on my end) thanks! These are examples of battle-damaged vehicles. It was also activated as a peacetime readiness unit from 1947 to 1962 at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Fort Carson, Colorado, and from 1972 to 1991 as an active-duty . AAORLL's 1970. (May '70 -Dec'71 ext). Bearcat Probably just tales told us by those who were short. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. The 9th Infantry was the last division to go into Vietnam and the first division to leave. 6 October A squad + from A Company relieved the temporary four man C Company Detachment at the Bearcat base camp, 9th Infantry Division Provost Marshals Office. Most LO Radio Operators worked 12 hour shifts and were ready at all times to move to another operating station. Although the destination of the 9th was not announced when the division was activated on Feb 1, 1966, a hint of a possible future location was given during a visit by Army Chief of Staff General Harold K. Johnson who "likened areas of the post to portions of Vietnam." The 9th Infantry Division was the first Army unit to be organized and trained . 596k followers Vietnam Tank . The 2nd Battalion 47th Infantry Vietnam In Pictures (47 Pages) If you can identify anyone in these pictures, please contact Bob Pries. Hello John, I was assigned to the 36th Signal in June 69. . and kids from the 709ths civic action village. (.308) N.Match ammo. Untrained but inspired by combat photographers, he brought one of the eras ubiquitous Brownie camerasbefore investing $94 in an Asahi Pentax SLRto record his experience. Bear Cat, was one of our two primary spots to locate. Rep. just like this for nearly 100 miles. First one was killed in helicopter crash after leaving for a Battalion command position. To say the least, Gene was exhausted and we didnt talk about it for the remainder of that day. Change). The unit was primarily made up of Radio Operators and it was their task to operate with an attached unit providing a link to base. The five, SSG Marion Lord, SGT Keith Allen, SP/4's Benny Edmondson, David Bryant, and PFC Scott Wilson were transported from their company compound on Long Binh Post by V100 to Bearcat on Highway QL-15. SP/4 Eugene G. Guilford and I were patrolling Highway-QL15 between Bearcat and Long Binh. I assume it was at Bearcat but I could be mistaken. This was the sign along Hwy 15 when entering Bearcat . Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. for hours. I would have been 8 years old at the time. Two battalions of the Mobile Riverine Force, working with the Vietnamese Marines, eliminated 250 VC in day-long fighting along the Rach Ruong Canal 6 miles southwest of Saigon. My health was so poor that I was unable to join the Australian effort to assist the Us in Vietnam. Theyve continued to reward me and live on.. ARMY 1969 1-9th Cav Ops Report Aug . Nose art on air cavalry Huey chopper. Good luck locating your buddies. I, an American, served with the Thai's, 11.5 months. In this case she was supervising sandbag dollies, younger Vietnamese women who were working at the base camp in Dau Tieng., Floating Poker Game, 1967: My buddy and fellow Team Chief, Sgt. I was there when TET of 68 broke out and all hell broke loose. All reflected back to Bearcat! seconds.). Rod - I thank you for preparing the base for the rest of us guys that arrive on the 19th of Dec.. My buddy Norm Faught with the 9th Signal Bn arrived with you guys to set up early commo. The country is quite safe on personal security and poverty is greatly decreased. 4/39th Inf. There are no words to describe how it affected me. The C Company casualties were PFC Howard E. Doran, punctured eardrum; SP/4 Thomas E. Walker, shrapnel wound to the jaw; PFC John R. Hollander, shrapnel wound in both knees; PFC Daniel J. Flynn, serious shrapnel wounds requiring an emergency tracheotomy. The 9th Div set up home here in 1966. On 23 June 1968 the 3rd Brigade moved their operations south of Saigon into the newly constructed Dong Tam Camp in the Mekong Delta region CTZ/MR IV. 2) All A total different experience. 11 July Five MP's from the 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion were assigned to transport via aircraft, 53 enemy POW's from the Bearcat detention facility to the POW Camp at Can Tho in Phong Dinh Province in the Mekong Delta Region of IV Corps Tactical Zone. 11 May CPT Rafael Cortes-Dapena was reassigned from his position of Deputy Provost Marshal at the Bearcat Detachment. You can see a pic of that transfer order with your name. SSG Archie E. Moss was the detachment Noncommissioned Officer In Charge. (He is the only openly gay officer of the American Legion of whom he knows, he said.) My father, a veteran of USA undeclared anti Japan war in China (1932), World War 2, and Korea was not inclined to share his terrors in mortal combat, though his photos do tell the story sufficiently for my education and expectations. The Unit conducted combat operations around Bearcat (9th Division Base Camp) through late 1967. Glad you are still around to share the memory. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 64) A visitor in the billets area It was incredible what the 709th troopers, 55) Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to share your story with us. and kids from the 709ths civic action village. Co. Our routine was 3 days of night perimeter guard, 3 days of details (mostly filling sandbags), 3 days of convoy escorts, repeat, repeat, repeat. For additional information on Nick Quigley's service Click Here. As you said the Thai's were in charge and I remember we had our own girls in the compound to keep us occupied and to prevent arguments with the Thai troops over their's. Assigned to 9th Sig Btn, 9th Infantry Div. If memory serves me correctly, the 2/60th was part of the 3rd Brigade, commanded by Col Murray while I was there. Brought back some memories. I was a pilot (Major) with the 200th Assault Support Helicopter (ASH) Company Jan. 15 to Mar 10, 1968, at Bearcat. Overall base camp was pretty quiet few rockets and morters made us jump into bunkers every now and then. Wondering if anyone remembers him. Thank you. Note the corrugated metal for roofing I was used mostly in daytime deployment. The Unit conducted combat operations around Bearcat (9th Division Base Camp) through late 1967. The company streets, HQ & A Co. 31 is looking. Mama San, 1967: A term used by GIs in Vietnam for any older Vietnamese woman. Thank you for great info I was on the lookout for this info for my mission. I was at Bearcat with the 1st Cav. After a month of scattered contact, action exploded again during Operation CORONADO IX on Dec. 4. Note how narrow they are. The memories and images that had been buried for decades became the opposite of hidden, motivating Gaynor to reorganize his life around a new mission. An Army Officer training facility is all that is left of our If caught the two who should have been awake were in trouble. The 3/60th was one of the three battalions (2/60, 3/60 . I never saw anything or fired but it was nerve racking. We watched it move the tree line back with no problem. There is not a day that I dont think about my friends that I left over there KIA. Never got paid for that year because the 590th lost those of us who didn't return after our 90 day assignments. Before the year was up, he decided to leave the country. Long Binh and Bear Cat handling communications for the 9th Inf Div. at, Long Thaun North, I have a picture of him by a Bearcat sign which got me to your site. Dont remember the name of the ship. I normally guarded the southern portion. The US had stayed out of this area until 1967 when they had to sent in a division. I served from Feb. 1967-Feb. 1968 with the First Infantry Division 2/2mechanized stationed out of Lai Khe. The enemy was everywhere. 27) August The HQ and colors of the 9th Infantry Division relocated from Bearcat, to Dong Tam, IV Corps Tactical Zone, Mekong Delta, where they remained until the Division withdrew from Vietnam in August 1969. We further widened the perimeter out some 1,000 meters for fields of The 9th Infantry Division ("Old Reliables") was created as the 9th Division during World War I, but never deployed overseas. There was what looked like a toy boat floating down the river. My buddie took many photos of Bien Hoa AB in 1972. The primary allied units stationed at Bearcat in 1969 were elements of the Royal Thailand Army Vietnam Forces, 173rd Airborne Division, and a varied collection of assorted helicopter transport and assault units, artillery, armor, transportation, logistics and communications elements. Still have issues with the Dept. Then I extolked the virtues ofvthe Thai military volunteer unit and mencwho had provided my unit security for those 6 months and I thanked them all for the goid job accomplished bt those Thais in a very difficult environment. My dad arrived at Bearcat during the Tet Offensive. tree. 9th Inf Division. 42) All wood of buildinfpgs was gone. We would wait till about 2:00 AM to make our raids. I wish I could help you with relevant information. Vietnam Vets. I always found them. 572nd Trans Co. Reactivation of the 9th Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Old Reliables," took place at Fort Lewis on May 20, 1972. Only about ten percent of us did guard duty. I arrived at Vung Tau by ship Oct. 1966 with the 15th combat engineers. We always look to the left to view that same corner of the Bearcat location from years ago. Just stumbled on your site (again?) The division was under the operational control of the Commanding General, Headquarters U.S. Army II Field Force (Long Binh Post). Bat. Monsoon season. They had welded together a steel bucket to go over the forks of the forklift which was used to dig the pool before I got their. In late April 1967, 4/31 Infantry was reassigned to the newly activated 23d Infantry Division (Americal), operating in Quang Ngai, Chu Lai, and the Que Son Valley for the rest of the war. Vietnam has changed radically in the years between the war and now. The company streets, HQ & A Co. 31 is looking, 65) shot along highways just showing, 20) Scenes 29 July The Headquarters and colors of the 9th Infantry Division, minus a rear headquarters detachment including military police to orient the Thai Division with area operations until 15 August, relocated from Bearcat to Dong Tam, IV Corps Tactical Zone, Mekong Delta until the division withdrew from Vietnam in August 1969. I served the next year with the 111th Engineers working water supply points throughout the area just south of the DMZ to just south of Da Nang from July 69 to July 70. My name is Christopher hill I landed Danang July 1 1968 I Corp area First Marine Division. Just found this blog - great info. After a few months of that experience it was clear that discretion was the better part of valor! Chinook CH-47 chopper drops long boxes of 105mm Howitzer rounds at a fire support base. According to unverified information, the Bearcat base was renamed on 4 July 1966 to Camp Martin Cox for SFC Martin Cox who was killed in action on 7 April 1966. In The News There are 10's of thousands of such initial and final home. of Army's issues. Sge also became a test platform for the new Phalanx CIWS hyperfast minigun in 1977, installed aft of the aft radar gun director. Bearcat berm from outside 709th's area.Note He loaded our M-60. Shop area Bearcat -- M88 unloads damaged M113 This was early in the tour before we got tin roof WABTOC The Vietnamese make very low wages, Nike sells On the second night someone thought they say something and opened up and the light show began. Have been thinking of that time and my experiences over there often these days. 4th Infantry Division. 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