Viet Nam Vet members

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Clearwater AL

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Are there other Viet Nam Veterans participating in this Forum? I served with 1st Field Forces, 14th Field Artillery, (self propelled 8" howitzers) from Plei DeJereng to KonTum to Dakto to Ben Het 1968 to 1969 in the Central Highlands and fire bases near the Tri Border. Our old motto, "Have guns... Will travel."
 
I am a Vietnam *era* vet. Never went OCONUS.
 
Hi Al. Served from '73 to '95. Five aircraft carriers. Went from E-1 to E-6 and then joined the AF. Went right back O'seas. Retired O-3. Rarely saw CONUS at all.

I miss having Commies nearby. Gave me a sense of purpose. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Dad was POW in Italy. Helped set up the DMZ in Korea. Spent Tet 68 in Tay Ninh. Probably heard your shells going overhead. Also E-1 to E-7, then OCS. Retired 1969 at O-4.

You'll find a LOT of VN vets who served in-country, in the shit, socializing at vets (dot) yuku (dot) com.
 
Also a Vietnam era vet. Had a draft number of over 300... so was not likely to get drafted. Volunteered and joined the Navy in Sep `72 and departed in Aug `78. Spent most of those 6 years learning how to operate and maintain a nuclear power plant and then helped build a nuclear powered cruiser and saw her through testing and sea trials. Total time actually at sea was less than 3 months.

Jim
 
 

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Yes I was in country 1/69---5/69 USMC. mos was 0311. " grunt" 18 yrs old
Combat wounded medivaced out to Guam. Lost many friends in my unit south of Da Nang, Marble Mt. An Hoa. Not a day goes by I don't think about this time. IIWII
 
Mike, how about an explanation to why those two posts were deleted.

All I tried to do was post a picture (twice) of the self propelled howitzer I served on. Just showing that two posts were deleted could be taken by some that I somehow stepped over the line.

If showing my 8" self propelled howitzer firing during a fire mission is unacceptable on the "After 5" sub- Forum... hopefully there is a reasonable explanation.
 
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Mike can answer but when I looked the second of the two posts was blank. I restored the first but suspect it did not load for him as happened to me in the second. Feel free to pm the relevant mod with a question like this
 
Thanks Nikki for posting the picture. I used to be a pretty good computer jockey but I'm beginning to wonder if my progression is becoming FLD too. :) Shoot... FLD might not be the right acronym either!

Thanks again.
 
Anywhooo... Chally, above is a picture of an 8" self propelled howitzer. I was 21 when I was there. To several of the guys I was considered "the Old Man." Didn't get evacuated from country but did make a trip to the 71st Evac, plucked, sewn up, few days off and sent back to the field. My MOS was 13C30 ("Gun Bunny") then later 81C back in the states (cartography).

Went to the "Welcome Home" celebration for Vietnam Veterans a few years ago at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and two guys from the 14th Artillery were there! Yea, sad memories of those who didn't come home. But... there were times over there I laughed so hard my sides got sore, learned to play good poker and the thrill of cold water showers. :)

To that, as we say to other Vietnam Vets... "Welcome Home Brother."
 
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Yes, those are the words I use: "Welcome back."

That is one very cool photo of the SP gun. Eight freaking inches! I had no idea. I thought 115mm was the biggest in use at the time.

Doesn't something that big hurt your stomach when it goes off?

I'll PM you now.
 
Hey Mike, my unit reunions are also hearing aid conventions. :) You get used to it. In that picture from the low elevation of the tube we were probably firing low charge 33 to 66 pounds at a very close target. That gun is accurate up to 16 miles were we put 99 pounds of powder behind a 205 pound round. Yes, that would "thump" your chest.

That gun being on tracks, road convoys and fire missions would pound anything that could become loose - loose. There is a four letter word for that gun... "work". The powder canisters weighed 100 pounds + and the rounds (shells) weighed 205 pounds.
Even the darned wrenches were heavy. And... they were "Charlie's" favorite targets.

I have wondered sometimes if being covered with Cordite (gun smoke) dust for days (no showers) had some adverse health effects. There were four us on the gun. Johnny, Mac, Earl and myself... I am now the only living survivor. Just for thought... the fact you can not find a single blade of grass or a weed growing on our fire bases in any picture. Defoliant?
 
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Wow, that's some awesome firepower.

Cordite illness? Dunno. God knows the military uses us and throws us away, unless somebody manages to get a law passed that provides compensation.

We know about lots of experiments the military now admits. Ya gotta wonder what they're doing today!
 
23 years in the AF with 8 years of hardship duty drinking beer in Germany and the remainder of the 23 years in controlled tours within CONUS (Mostly ICBM and MAJcom duty). I really appreciate those who served our country in SEA. not enough appreciation for those who served in-country for sure. was overwhelmed when visiting The Wall in DC (and still overwhelmed just thinking about it) .
 
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