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Dave, agree about the gun - it is plain Jane. probably with 2 1/2" chambers - but French guns, while light had metal around the bores.

CIA Saigon Station Chief's last cable from Saigon 29 April 1975:

This will be final message from Saigon station, It has been a long and hard fight and we have lost. This experience, unique in the history of the United States, does not signal necessarily the demise of the United States as a world power.

The severity of the defeat and the circumstances of it, however, would seem to call for a reassessment of the policies of niggardly half-measures which have characterized much of our participation here despite the commitment of manpower and resources, which were certainly generous. Those who fail to learn from history are forced to repeat it. Let us hope that we will not have another Vietnam experience and that we have learned our lesson.

Saigon signing off.


Baluch are not Brahui, Brahui are Baluch
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Argo,
Some of the first US armed forces people in Vietnam were Coast Guardsmen, deployed in cutters on the rivers. But, I doubt there were 1.1 million of them per your figures, above, and the difference you noted.
A friend is considered a Vietnam vet, and I don't believe he set foot in Vietnam-he was a B52 machinist, stationed in Tailand.
He left most of his hearing in south east Asia.

Best,
Ted

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Originally Posted By: Argo44
They searched you leaving Vietnam..confiscated anything like empty grenades, double edged blades (Montagnards spear heads for instance). Almost no trophies other than uniforms, helmets etc. made it back...at least for enlisted men and that included Special Forces. They tried to confiscate my Randall knife...the one I carried 40 years later in Afghanistan.


You just had to know who to talk to. I spent so many years in Nha Trang a common joke was that after the war, if I didn't run for Mayor, I was going to open a cab co. 15 SOS/Heavy Hook. Used to spell the C&C Liaison (hauling personnel from the flight line to SFOB)and got to know a few of them pretty well. While I never had anything to do with it I knew of more than a few weapons riding in black C130's to the Philipinse and shipped surface (boat) to the US, then REA to the address. Seemed to work out ok, never heard of any problems. One of the Liaisons sent a silenced 16 with a starlight scope to Montana with no problems. Steered way clear of such stuff because it just seemed to be a good way to extend your tour with an extended TDY to Long Binh.

Can't wait to see Wolf Blitzer report on Tet. Does that lying SOB ever get anything right about Viet Nam?

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I've a lot of pictures of Nha Trang. When I first arrived in July 1966, I was held at Nha Trang 5th SFG Hqs for two weeks..Splash Kelly, the Colonel, had me build a handball court of all things. The SGM finally sent me up to Ban Me Thout and from there on to Ban Don. I hung out in the mail room...there were 5 of us there, I found the after action reports of the overrunning of the Ashau Valley SF camp..the one where the SPAD pilot won the CMH...including debriefing of each survivor. 4 days of reading....just amazing,

The second time was 1 April 1968. I ran into 5 of my buddies that I used to ride motorcycles with at Bragg in the NCO club - all of us buck sergeants or SSG by that time. We were all going to have to go through a week's training...though for most it was a 2nd tour in VN or a follow-on to a tour with 46 Company in Thailand but the class didn't start for 6 days. We knew what that week's wait would call for so...we all di di'd out of there, went down to the beach and rented a small hotel and stayed there for a week with great food and hot and running - well you know. We showed up at base about 6 hours before the course. SGM was furious...."YOUR NAME WAS ON THAT LIST"...."Gee SGM, didn't see it).

Last edited by Argo44; 01/30/18 11:12 AM.

Baluch are not Brahui, Brahui are Baluch
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Yep. Nha Trang was rough duty! Best thing I ever did as an E4 was [censored] up the Duty Sgt. Shipped me to Nha Trang as punishment! Used to call the 1st Sgt once a week and tell him to [censored] me again! There were worse places to be stationed than Nha Trang, such as Charleston, S.C. They'd send me orders for Charleston and I'd extend again to stay in Nha Trang.

Good days long gone. Thanks for the memories.

Ban Me Thout Was still Shinning Brass in '66, wasn't it?

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Ban Me Thout was B-23 in 1966...I was originally assigned there as a commo man. Col. Gillespie the Commander picked me to fly with him to Duk Lap in late Aug 66...we landed on the top of the highest hill - Cambodia was 3 clicks to the west...I was the first American to put foot there (Aug 1968 was the famous Duo Lap battle where the Nha Trang Mike Force really made its name). I was transferred to A-233, Ban Don just after a long mission we pulled with 6 Montagnard CIDG companies just north of III Corps near Noun Co over Thanksgiving 1966. I was at A-233 until I checked out to 10th Special Forces in Germany in early Aug 67. I returned in April 1968 and was assigned to MACV SOG FOB-2 Kontum. It was still CCN then - charged to CCC in November 1968

It is difficult to describe the MACV SOG chain of command. Hqs was in Ton Son Nhut. There was OP-35, 36,37,38,39. The cross border ops into Laos began in late 1965 Hqs at CCN at Marble Mountain with 3 other FOB's. Kontum was included.. Operations into Laos were code name SHINING BRASS. About 1968 because this was published in a newspaper it was changed to PRAIRIE FIRE.

Ban Me Thout became CCS and was opened in April 1967. It's operations into Cambodia were code named DANIEL BOON (later SALEM HOUSE).

I was 1-0 of RT Delaware at FOB-2 Kontum 11 Apr - 31 Oct 1968. I actually wrote the history of the team up about 35 years ago and it went pretty viral on the net about 2000. It can be read here.
http://www.macvsog.cc/spike_team_delaware.htm

Hard to believe it was 50 years ago...it seems like yesterday. I traveled for another 25 years abroad over the 50 years since I left Vietnam and have been in a lot of conflicts and not so nice places...but I can still smell VN.

Last edited by Argo44; 01/30/18 05:49 PM.

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Originally Posted By: Dave in Maine
Setting aside the digressions from the original topic I'll make two points.

2. Last time I was there, the NRA Museum had an exhibit on the guns of America's wars. In the Vietnam exhibit they had a Darne, IIRC cut down on both ends. This came with an explanatory card saying the locals liked the Darne-type action because its strength allowed it to close and function, even on paper shells swollen by/in tropical humidity. I'll leave it to the other participants here to hash out the accuracy of the curator's statement.


Dave, the ability of the Darne to function in hot, humid places back in the paper shells day is one reason it came to be. The French had an extensive empire in the 19th century that included a whole lot of hot, humid places.

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