Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Military Call to fellow Vets

been to CRB several times. The first time I was sent there was as a replacement in their depot. Got put on the chair detail for the Bob Hope show, and he came out off the stage to talk with all of us.. A couple days later I got shipped to Chu Lai in a C130 (my first ride in one), and was scared to death with all the screaching and groaning going on! I was certain the plane was going down at any second, and liked to clawed that canvas seat apart. Kissed the ground in Chu Lai when I finally got off, and vowed I'd never fly in another one again (fat chance). Was sent to another replacement depot with a stack of orders, and they promptly threw them in file 13 (lots of tax dollars wasted there). Got put on the chair stacking detail for the Bob Hope show again! And met the man again. Still we never were allowed to see the show, but did finally get to see it a year later.

Back to CRB! I remember all the red sand everywhere and having to walk about a hundred yards to take a shower. On the way out there was watching all those red and green tracers going at each other on a hill top that must have been four to five miles out, and was scared to death. Looked for a bomb shelter on the way to dive into! (little did I know!) When I was ETSing out of the place I hit CRB at about two in the afternoon, and tey actually had a buss to ride in. It all of a sudden made a fast stop and everybody piled off the buss. I sat tere and wondered what was going on! I got off the buss and went into this PX we stopped in front of. I could see 122 rockets landing about five klicks away, and it was no big deal to me. I was in the PX roaming around and this guy comes in there and asked where the hell I came from? I told him that buss out there, and he said don't you know the place is being rocketed? I said sure, but it's way over there! He thought I was nuts! I told him not to get too exited as they don't have that kinda range to get to us. He said I was nuts again. I told him I came from the land of mortar rounds and rockets on a daily basis, and this was nothing to get exicited about. Guess he didn't think that way.

Used to roll thru Da Nang about once every six weeks to make trades with the Marines and Sea Bees. I'd show up with a duffle bag full of whiskey and NVA pistol belts, and leave with just about anything we needed. I also traded with the Sea Bees in Chu Lai for building materials and things we couldn't lay our hands on. We always scratched each other's backs in those days. I often got so much stuff in trades that it took two choppers to haul the stuff out to the Lao border area. We also used the south end of the runway in Da Nang to load choppers for CA's, and remember seeing all those planes parked one right after another there. (we loaded up down by the F104's) Looked like a bunch of Mexican Bandits, and they'd all be standing up pointing at us (probably holding their noses as I'm sure we stunk pretty bad). The Marines would let me use their hot showers (probably for their own sake), and I used them everytime I went to see them. Almost 44 years ago, and seems like yesterday
gary

we started using them in mid to late 1968 every now and then. Worst hills I was put on were the ones they prepped a day or two before, and had those huge bomb craters in them. I remember rolling out the side of a chopper with a 60 on rock & roll with my first sargent's hand pushing me out the door. I was always the #1 man out the door with Top right behind me. The radio man was #3, and Randy went out the otherside with another guy. Often dropped into elephant grass that you had no idea how tall it was. We landed OK but could find Randy! Randy was the M79 guy who'd spot for the 60 after a couple belts. We heard him screaming bloody murder and couldn't find him. He fell into a deep bomb crater, and landed right ontop a skeleton! He'd crawl about half way out of the hole and slide right back down in the mud landing right back ontop the skeleton! I don't think Randy was ever right after that one!
gary

MM2 USN 79-84
USS Sampson DDG-10, USS Edward McDonnell FF-1039, USS Niagara Falls AFS-3, and the USS New Jersey BB62. Haze gray and underway! My service pales to most of yours, I am humbled.

your too young to know the code names, but the old folks on BB62 might remember "Firebird", "Speedy Lay Out", "trickey", "Scrambler One" thru "Scrambler Six" over in the Tam Key A.O. Your code name was "Big Boy." Or as the man said "rounds out; see you in a couple minutes."
gary

I got to talk to marines who where on the ground in Beruit when we shelled the Shiites and the marine spotters, or 16" guns were impressive perrformers!

we were paid a visit by the New Jersey once or twice a month in late 1968. First time we used it it we thought it was the Heavy Cruiser that often shot up the coast line for us, and were shocked when we found out we were dealing with some serious fire power. Reason we had to use the battleship was that none of the local arty could get to where we wanted them. They had the range, but the terrane was a problem (deep valleys). Targets were somewhat dismal in appearence, but somebody wanted them gone in a big way. One was a large hay stack that created secondarys for three minutes!

But as wild as those 16" rifles were, nothing got my undivided attention as well as being 4,000 yards out on an arc light mission. Three planes evaporated a box that was a half mile wide by one and one half mile long in less than a minute. Don't matter if it's raining or snowing; he's got your number and you can't stop him. At 2,000 yards out, under ground bunkers would collapse, and at 4,000 yards out you thought you were going thru an earthquake. Those were the days when we were young and dumb, and thought bullets would simply bounce off us.
gary

was thinking about the last real Christmass I had in the combat zone (1968) last night. Any of you ever give it any thoughts? I remember eating turkey loaf and all the other stuff. Each company was given two whole turkys and my mess sargent baked both of them right along side the turkey loaves. He put a red candy glaze on one, and a green glaze on the other one. May have been the best turkey I've ever ate to this very day. Still I think we were just glad to have it without looking around while eating it.

At 12:12am on the 26th, we commenced to light up the back side of the Hiep Duc Ridge Line, and I knew it was back to business as usual (secondaries were rather spectacular!)
gary

My youngest son Zack made it home on leave for the holidays, it was a great few days for sure. My oldest is still hanging tough in Afgan. Hopefully all our boys will be home for Christmas next year

pray for their saftey, and they'll be back home soon enough.
gary

Great that Zack made it home for Christmas, thanks to your other two son's also for their service!

Thanks guys,

Matt here, AKA SGT Keena.
21 Sept. 05 off to Ft. Sill for BCT.
AIT for 88M at Ft. Bliss.
Learned how not to be on a plane when it lands at Benning.
Reported to Ft. Richardson on 24 March, 06.
15 months in Iraq from 06-07, first tour in Afghanistan in 09-10 and I'm back in the 'stan again.
Bill, I'll say Hi to Charlie for ya when I get back home.

AKHuck, I was one of the Marines on the ground in Beirut back in 83, we were basically professional targets! And you are right about those 16" main guns being impressive, you guys on the USS New Jersey took care of business. I cant remember anything sqashing a firefight faster! It got real quiet in a hurry.

Currently in Afghanistan on my 3rd tour. Did time in kuwait, Iraq, Korea (twice).

Horrible Call, but good news
Today at 9:30 we got a call from our son Charlie who's been deployed to Afgan. , my heart sunk when the 1st thing he said was
" something happened" . His Hummvee was hit by a IED and all 4 guys had only minor injuries thank God, he had a minor concussion and a stinger in his leg. I hate those calls but at least he is ok and able to call. 10 more months over there before he gets to come home, now I know what my parents where going through and it really sucks

Sure glad to hear that he is okay!

U.S.Navy 1972-1994
USS England CG-22
USS Wainwright CG-28
USS Platte AO-186
USS America CV-66
USS Claude V. Ricketts DDG-5
USS Milwaukee AOR-2

Glad to here he is ok. At least he can call home.
Hope the rest of the tour goes ok.

Glad he is ok.

Will keep you all in my prayers.

Thanks guys its been crazy for my wife and I, after the call we have not heard back from him at all. Its driving us both out of our minds