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My old man was in Khe Sanh during the bombing campaign. 1st lieutenant. He and I fought to the end, but he was mostly right. Died nine years ago this week. God bless him and his fight to the end. I miss him.

That was a tough neighborhood back then.

Semper Fi

Just reading about that in more detail than I had previously.

Hats off to your dad…..and all his brothers in arms

My old man wasn't much of a gun guy, but told me he carried a 1911 everywhere. Didn't know how to clean it very well, but shot it a lot. I wish I had that gun.

Some kinda steel in those fellas.

RIP

Osky

I'm confused. It looks like a Navy hat in the photo. Did Marine officers wear the Navy anchors on their dress covers back then?

Some of the best posts I've seen in quite some time.

No, but a lot of (most?) MARINE officers are naval academy grads, and all medical personnel are Navy, along with SeaBee's, naval gunfire liaisons, F.O.'s, special teams, etc. Lots of reasons a Navy officer, or enlisted man is attached to a Marine unit.

Timber - I appreciate your father's sacrifice. Hope you had a good duck season. Mine sucked.

God Bless the Great Warrior.

Yes he was navy, always attached to marines

RIP Sir.

It's a good thing to miss your father.

A salute of Respect for your dad and his service to our nation.

Khe Sanh was a rough place... My stepdad served in the AF in the Black Birds, unmarked CIA mission stuff.
in 50 months his C 130 was shot down, was shot down 13 different times. The only time that happened in S Vietnam
was at Khe Sanh in 1968. Because it was a hot target for the VC, for supply they were using the Black Bird unit to fly in supplies.

Ed's 130 was hit on take off...they managed to get it around to belly land on the runway.... It was burned and then a bull dozer shoved the remains off the runway, into a spare parts pile.

Your dad survived some rough times there. God Bless all the boys who fought in that Schitthole.

Was your dad medical corps in the Navy, serving with the Marines?

Had a squad leader that was there. Witnessed the C-130 take the VC mortar round in the cockpit.

Had charge of an ABC news crew that had been flown in. Was escorting them when rocket attack started. Grabbed correspondent and cameraman and they all jumped in a convient hole that just happened to be a garbage pit. He said cameraman and his equipment landed on top of him.

If this was during the Siege in 1968 I wonder if our paths ever crossed.

Yes

I was a Crew Chief / Crew Member, on C-130's in Vietnam and Thailand (Blind Bat) for 33 months 1967-1970 . Many C-130's were shot down and quite a few lives were lost. Your step father served his country well. May he rest in peace.

I was on my plane when got shot down at Katum in Jan 1968. ( Acft 56-0475) Actually shot through a fuel tank and managed to land, plug the fuel tank, and return to Cam Ranh Bay.

🫡

Those boys did some things! Slow hand salute!

Spent some time there, it wasn't much fun.

Timber runner God bless your dad, he went through some tough times. Glad to see you think about him. military dads, I had one, can be some tough SOB to deal with growing up. As I got older, I figured it out is because of the CHIT he went through in World War II. I understand why he was the way he was. God bless veterans.

Actually just watched this last night. First hand account.

Respect for all those guys up on Hill 861, 881N, & 881S.

Watched this one too. Thought about you and your compatriots. It take a very special breed sir. Much respect as well.

Any of you Khe Sanh guys know a guy by the name of Joe Foley?USMC Staten Island, New York.

A few of my own photos of the Khe Sanh area and a combat extraction about 2 Kilometers SW of the base.





LZ marked by smoke grenade

My dad was the Operations Officer for the 2nd/94th Field Artillery at Camp JJ Carroll. He was Army but attached to the Marines there. They had the big guns - 175mm - and fired in support of Khe Sanh. Used to tell me when the wind was blowing towards Khe Sanh, they could hit the far side with the 175s. When the wind was blowing towards Carroll, they could only hit the near side of Khe Sanh.

DigitalDan,

The last two pics...is that what would be called elephant grass?

Yes it is. New growth and a bit short. Mature it reached 10-12’.

Thanks. I can see how that would cause all sorts of problems...

Yes sir. I didn't hunt as much as usual but seemed to time it correctly this year and got in on some absolute smashers. The yellow dog is in his prime.

I worked with a guy who was a young Marine at the time and was there. He never talked about it and I never knew he had been there until after he retired, and I lost touch with him. He worked as the maintenance guy in the building where I worked. He could be a little gruff and wasn't liked by lot of others, but we always got along, and I liked him.

He died a couple of years ago, Agent Orange health related issues I heard.

I was friends at Chamblee High School with David Crowder. We were on the wrestling and football teams together. David enlisted in the Marines and he won the Silver Star. This happened 11 miles north of Khe Sanh in May 1969.
David would never talk about the war.
Several years ago David died of cancer caused by Agent Orange.

The NVA couldn't kill David, but he was poisoned by his own government.

Here is the story of how David won the Silver Star:

https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/40013

I won my Purple Heart almost on the same day (17 May) he went crazy.

Won? Must've been a helluva competition. Awarded a medal honoring sacrifice might be the more appropriate verb. Especially MoH, DSM, Silver and Bronze.

Purple Hearts are a whole 'nother thing. A prize no one wants to "win". Much respect DD.

Well, personal experience it is, but it helps if you go crazy first. I have several of the medals you referenced and the path was quite insane.

Case in point: Blackjack Pershing pinned a DSC on my paternal grandfather after a bout with insanity during the battle of Belleau Wood. Whilst both sides traded fire from trenches , his buddies were lying injured in the battlefield between. He grew weary of the screams, crawled out of the trench and ran to one of them under fire, picked him up and carried him back to the trench. The unit commander had a fit, promised him some disciplinary action. Gramps climbed out of the trench and retrieved the second fella. When he went after the third, the Germans stopped shooting, left their trench and recovered their own. The CO didn’t say another word.

Insanity isn’t always a bad thing. Winning is better than losing.

I appreciate your guy's service and appreciate the memories.

My father was in the Seabees during that time, stationed on a airstrip, not sure where in Vietnam.

I should pay closer attention when he does speak about it...

I have a friend who was at Khe Sanh. He’s about 75 now. He was a crew Chief on a CH-46. He’s been a helicopter mechanic since he was 19. Strongest grip I’ve ever seen. He can literally bring you to your knees when shaking hands. God bless all of the honorable men who were there! RIP to your father.

Ron

Lost my uncle there with 1/26 Marines. God bless your Dad and all who served there.

Semper Fi

Force Recon Marine, I knew got bayonet twice in Khe Sanh, Survived but now passed.

I worked with Force Recon quite a bit in the A Shau Valley quite a bit late ‘69-‘71. Perfect maniacs they were.

Cold Chisel had a hit in Australia of the same name.
Big act there, didn't break in the US

When I was a kid, I spent way too much time and money at a place called Comic Kingdom in Detroit. It was owned by a man named Bob Hellems; a Marine RTO that spent the entire 77 days at Khe Sanh calling in air strikes and artillery. He was a little gruff, but he loved us kids and gave us a safe place to hang out.

Some might call it temporary insanity, as Dan put it. That's apt. Doing some things while under fire isn't courage - you don't have time for courage. It's most often just the only thing you can do at this moment.

Courage is for calmer times. Knowing you are going to get your ass shot at on this flight, but strapping in anyway.

I'm needing some clarification on this. Note that I am not saying that your father was not at Khe Sanh. Not saying that at all. I have no way of knowing either way. You stated that his rank was that of 1st lieutenant, but the photo you posted was clearly that of a naval officer. Someone suggested that it may have been a Naval Academy uniform, but the hat insignia is clearly that of a U.S. Navy officer and not of a Naval Academy midshipman. The navy does not have a rank of 1st lieutenant. They do have a lieutenant, junior grade (often referred to as a "j.g.") O-2, which is equivalent to a USMC or Army or USAF 1st lieutenant O-2, and a rank of lieutenant which is equivalent to a USMC, Army, or USAF captain O-3. Naval officer rank can be a bit confusing to those not well versed in it. On that particular naval officer uniform coat, the rank insignia is only indicated by sleeve stripes which are unseen in the photo. Honors to your father for his service.

The middle Service Ribbon, the Globe & Anchor with 2 stars? I'm guessing the stars indicate tours? Have never seen this configuration. Somebody enlighten me.

One of my childhood friends passed away a few weeks ago, pancreatic cancer. He was four years older than me. He was at Khe Sahn during the siege. Marine infantryman 67-70, Purple Heart at Khe Sahn. One of the best guys I’d ever known. Very humble. His dad (who worked with my Dad) always took time to show me the photos and letters he sent home. I asked him if anyone ever used his first name (Charlie) in VN, he laughed and said no way!

I would listen for hours to my good friend and shortstop, Chuck Nixon, tell me of his time on that plateau! He was with the 4th ID. Gives me chills recalling what they all encountered!