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Photo Gallery |
| We hope you enjoy our
Vietnam Veteran's photo gallery – it's made-up entirely from submissions
by members and visitors. If you have a picture you would like to submit, send
it with caption information to
Larry Bissonnette. [ Click on a
thumbnail image for close-up view. Navigate through the pages using text links
at the bottom of each page. ] |
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The following image submitted by: Rich
Doggett, who served as a Postal Clerk in charge at NSA Saigon, Detachment
Nha Be from 12/1968-5/70. He got to know many shipmates, base support
personnel, task force personnel and especially River Division 593.
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| NSA Saigon headquarters building located at NhaBe. The photo
angle is towards the main gate. The quonset hut on the right is the Base
Security Building which is right next to the main gate. Any of you that spent
any time on NhaBe should recognize these buildings. 1969 photo. |
One of several living quarters on the base at NhaBe. This
particular one is directly across the street from the gally. 1969
photo. |
RivDiv-593, boat number unknown (photo was made from Neal
Willard's boat) 10/69 |
PC1 Rich Doggett, with RivDiv 593 on this patrol.
10/69. |
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| RivDiv 593, Boat number unknown. Boat captain Neal Willard can
be seen in the water assisting with the line to pass to his own boat which will
act as a tug. 10/69. |
RivDiv 593's Paul Hopke adjusting his M-16 for a night scope.
10/69. |
RivDiv 593's Paul Hopke sighting in a night scope. It is
believed the person behind Hopke is PO2 Fry. 10/69. |
Vietnamese boat inspection. I believe this to be Neal Willard
on the left with the M-16 and Paul Hopke on the right. 10/69. |
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| PC1 Rich Doggett, with RivDiv-593 on a patrol. Neal Willard was
the boat captain ...I forgot the boat number. Can you help to identify those in
the background? 10/69. |
RivDiv-593, forgot the boat number, however, Neal Willard was
the boat captain. Who is this in the photo? ...Neal Willard? ...Neal was a
bigger guy, right? Maybe it is Paul Hopke? ...or someone else? Can you help to
identify? 10/69. |
RivDiv-593 ...boat number unknown. 10-69. |
This is on the Vietnam-Cambodia border. The Navy RAG unit is
unknown ...would appreciate to identify if you know. 11/69. |
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| The remains of a "Bird Dog" spotter plane was in a field along
the shore between the village and base at SONG ONG DOC. It was along the path
we took from the barges to the ville, the helo pad, and Dufflebag hootch.
Looking at the photo, I think that it's the same one. Then again....30 years
after the events...." Information provided by Bill Ferguson of River Division
572. |
YRBM 21 on the Mekong River near An Long Village. I started off
1970 on the 21.
Info provided by Ralph Christopher |
YRBM-20 ...at least I think the hull number is 20. All I can
recall, this support ship/base is located in the Delta and I would know the
name and place if reminded. Can you help to identify? 11/69. |
This is on the Vietnam-Cambodia border.
The Navy units are
unknown ...would appreciate to identify if you know. 11/69. |
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| This is the last leg of a ride I caught to NhaBe from a trip
with the Navy Pay Team in the Delta ...boat or boat unit unknown.
11/69. |
PBR support base on the Delta.
Song Ong
Doc PBR Support Base!!, identified by both Bill Ferguson and Tom Humerick of
River Division 572.
The "Belly Up" PBR (extreme right of photo) was the
result of a firefight on November 3, 1969, when the boat captained by John E.
Michelson had its transom blown off and sunk immediately.
Bill Ferguson
was one of the three boat captains on that patrol. The other was Les Burchett.
"Bill Ferguson's boat was the lead boat of a three PBR patrol on the Song Ong
Doc. The initial enemy barrage hit and sunk John Michelson's boat. Les Burchett
maneuvered his boat to avoid hitting John's boat and beached in the kill zone.
Bill Ferguson's boat rigged a tow line and pulled the beached boat to safety,
just like they taught us in NIOTC." (Part taken from Bill Ferguson End of Tour
Award Citation.)
No one was killed in the action and only a couple of
minor wounds resulted.
"The Patrol Officer's Name on this three boat
patrol was PO1 Roberts. It was a good thing he was there. His leadership was
essential after the stuff hit the fan (...tail in this case)." Information
provided by Bill Ferguson of River Division 572.
From: Roger Weisberg:
The
boat that is "belly up" is the 119 boat. I was the gunners mate on her. Bill
Ferguson account on what happened that night is a little different than I
remember.
We had left the VN Marine artery base after telling them our
location for the ambush site we were going to set up that night. The 119 boat
was the 2nd of the three boat patrol. SN Brown was in the forward gun tub and
EN3 Swank was on the aft fifty. I was sitting on the engine cover getting
things ready for the night. The first rocket hit the engine on the right side
blowing me off and against the coxen flat. Mickelson radio that we had been
hit. The 2nd rocket hit the forward gun tub area. By this time the boat was
about dead in the water. Mickelson went into the radio area to pull the "Kack
Pac" (spelling) from the radios. I tried to get up but left leg and arm would
not work. I grab a M-16 and started shot from a sitting position. "Mick" had no
sooner back at the helm when the 3rd rocket hit the radio room. Somebody was
popping flares and I looked aft and saw the 3rd PBR that was behind us
"beached", but was firing all the weapons it could. Also the water was now
rolling over the stern the 119. The 1st PBR had left the kill zone by this
time. The next thing I knew I was under water. Than Mickelson pulled me to the
surface and we sat on the forward gun tub brackets and waited for someone to
pick us up.
Swank and Brown floated down river and was pick up by
another boat. Brown and myself were MEDAVAC out. Brown had shrapnel in his butt
and I had shrapnel everywhere and a big hole in my left leg. I spent 3 months
in the hospital in Japan.
I was told later by our CO, Lt. Barry, who was
also wounded later and was sent to the same hospital that I was in. That the
119 boat was all most ripped in half by the rockets.
Roger
Weisberg |
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Photos submitted by: Matt Eagan
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This is MK I PBR 66-137 after it was returned to Nha Be. It
was sunk on the La Grande Canal March 4th 69. I am holding the RPG 7 tail fin.
Left to Right: Petty Officer Tynan, Boat Captain Al Lambinus, Petty
Officer Matt Eagan, Petty Officer Kline |
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The following submitted by: Ralph J. Fries
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At 1500,
February 3, 2001 onboard PCF-104at CISM Field, Naval Amphibious Base,
Coronado, Ca. was an extremely nostalgic sentimental time of day for QMCS John
(Jack) C. Gallop, USNR.
Read the whole story
here. |
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The following images submitted by: Gene Geiger, River Section
543
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Cua Viet
Clubhouse
Left; Gene Geiger, PBR Boat Captain, River Section 543.
Middle; BM1 We called him "Windy", can't recall his given name. He was a PBR
Boat Captain, River Section 543. He also served in the Korean War. Right; PO2
Denehey or Dunahey. Taken in Cua Viet outside the Clubhouse, summer of
1968. |
Cua Viet
Clubhouse
Gene Geiger, River Section 543. Taken in Cua Viet outside the
Clubhouse, summer of 1968. |
Cua Viet
Clubhouse
Gene Geiger, River Section 543. Taken in Cua Viet outside the
Clubhouse, summer of 1968. |
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Leon Starck receiving his first Purple Heart
River Section 543.
(Submitted by Charles Goff.)
Leon passed
away on April 3, 2004
(Submitted on Father's Day by Traci Starck, daughter
of Leon.) |
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Photos submitted by: Paul Guinn
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RIPAFLOT-5 Staff in Binh Thuy Jun 69 (my last month in Nam) im
the one with the dog “soa” |
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YN1 Nubia and myself (I'm the one with the
AK-47.) |
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Photos submitted by: Jerry Hamlin
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Jerry Hamlin DaNang 67-68. |
China Beach(Jerry is the one with the green
cutoffs) |
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In order by contributor:
[ Arrans, Guy |
Basallion, Don | Beery, Jere | Bihl, Carl "Ed" |
Bissonnette, Larry | Blankenship, Don | Bopp, Bob |
Bridgman, Ron | Bryan, Bennie |
Brooks, Charles | Busic, Gerald |
Cagle, Paul | Cates, Doug |
Christopher, Ralph | Clouse, David |
Davidson, Michael | Darland, Larry |
Davy, Jim | Daugherty, Richard Roy
| DeSerio, Joe | Dickson, Jim | Doggett, Rich | Duda, Frank |
Dunwoody, Ken | Eagan, Matt |
Fries, Ralph J. | Geiger, Gene |
Geraghty, William | Glasco, Gene |
Goff, Charles | Guinn, Paul |
Halford, Darrell |
Hamlin, Jerry | Holmes, Gary | Hott, Jimmy |
Howe, John | Jarvinen, Butch |
Johnson, Lawrence |
Kalish, Ken | Kelly, Floyd |
Kiefer, Mike | Klinedinst, Chris |
Kurant, Dan | Kurchev, Keith |
Lambert, Jimmie |
Languell, Fred | Lemmon, Mark |
Lepak, Ronald | Longaker, Ray |
Madden, Pat | Malovic, John |
McConkey, Russell | McWhorter, Doug | Morgan, Rod |
Nelson, Bobbey | Nevarez, Gus |
Nelson, Bob | Oross, Joe |
Ostrander, Neil D. | Payne, Harold |
Podoba, Moe | Potter, David |
Richeson, Larry Eugene | Riojas, Doc | Roemhildt, Gene |
Rothfuss, John | Sandoval, Sandy |
Scott, Ken | Sears, Al |
Sentz, John | Shewbrooks, Bruce |
Snook, Sid | Tritle, Matthew |
Vitale, Joe |
Wahler, Lee |
Ward, George | Wasson, Tom | Weatherall, Larry |
White, Alan |
White, David | Wilson, Mike | Woods, Jim |
Yocum, Phil | Yusi, Frank|
Zimmer, Matt | Miscellaneous
]
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