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 Where the Hell Is the Darby? (currently 1 views) |
| aab3340 |
| Posted on: February 15th, 2011, 7:09pm |
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Posts: 25
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Ken, Your correct about the brig being in the front of the ship. I was one of the MPs guarding that guy. I don"t remember how long he was there but he was on a bread and water diet. Some of the MPs brought him food and got caught, don't remember the details but I know we got chewed out about it. It was a little rough up in the front but by then we were in the Pacific Ocean which I remember as a smoother ride than the Atlantic.
Jim, You are correct the MP platoon was split with two squads on each ship. The 544th MP platoon did not join us till September 66 in Tay Ninh. |
Bob Poznanski
HHC 196th. MP Plt.
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 15 - 27 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: February 15th, 2011, 7:54pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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he was on a bread and water diet. Some of the MPs brought him food and got caught
bread and water? reminds me of the mutiny on the bounty... geesh...you would think being sent over was bad enough a punishment...plus the sea sickness....yucko.....should have got a medal ... |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 16 - 27 |
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| Larry D Mcknight |
| Posted on: February 16th, 2011, 1:30am |
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Posts: 63
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Remember being sick, living on saltin crackers and water for most of the trip. They let us off the ship in Calif. for a 24 hrs pass within the base, but gathered us up early before we could completely destroy their base and confined us to a fenced in area.
Put us below deck in a storm in the Pacific for 2 or 3 days. That had to be the worst part.
One of ours went AWOL before we got on the ship. I belive his name was Jim Painter. He told us he wasn't about to go to Vietnam. MP's brought him on board just before we left. I believe he spent some time in the brig also.
Done target pratice off back of ship. We got our m-16's right before we left and didn't have time for the range.
This is just a few things I remember. I know there is a lot more stories to tell.
See you all in Seattle and going tol try another cruise. Hope this one is better. |
Larry D. Mcknight
B Co., HHC S-4 2/1
1965 to 1967 |
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Reply: 17 - 27 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: February 16th, 2011, 3:37am |
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Posts: 131
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Do you remember early on in the voyage the troops' being confined to only the lowest decks, with the airy, roomy upper ones reserved for officers and senior NCOs?
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Our squad leaders (who were acting-jacks with temporary stripes from basic) also got nice rooms and good mess, while we were stuck down in the hold on cramped bunks, and lousy food. Man, it was hot in the hold... |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| Hotel28 |
| Posted on: February 16th, 2011, 7:46am |
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Posts: 15
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Late to the party myself -- hit the 196th at Chu Lai 5/67
I was told that one guy in the 4/31 won almost all the money in the battalion in the Darby poker games. I met the guy and he said he threw all the money off the stern because it caused so much ill will.
Can anyone verify the gambling story? |
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Reply: 19 - 27 |
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| Joe Greear |
| Posted on: February 16th, 2011, 4:06pm |
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Minimum Member served with C/3/21 196th. 65-66-67
Posts: 22
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Larry,
I remember that storm we ran into. It is amazing no one was washed overboard. The whole front of the ship was under water more than once, it would rise way up, then way down. The Darby must have missed that storm. I was one of the lucky ones. I got a 36 hour pass to leave the LB Naval Base with a girl friend who lived in LA. She had to sign some paper work saying she would be responsible for me being back on time. |
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Reply: 20 - 27 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: February 16th, 2011, 5:53pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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Larry,
I was one of the lucky ones. I got a 36 hour pass to leave the LB Naval Base with a girl friend who lived in LA. She had to sign some paper work saying she would be responsible for me being back on time. |
If she didnt bring you back they would ship her out too? amazing....what luck for you eh?
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Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 21 - 27 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: February 16th, 2011, 5:59pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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Remember being sick, living on saltin crackers and water for most of the trip. They let us off the ship in Calif. for a 24 hrs pass within the base, but gathered us up early before we could completely destroy their base and confined us to a fenced in area.
Put us below deck in a storm in the Pacific for 2 or 3 days. That had to be the worst part.
One of ours went AWOL before we got on the ship. I belive his name was Jim Painter. He told us he wasn't about to go to Vietnam. MP's brought him on board just before we left. I believe he spent some time in the brig also.
Done target pratice off back of ship. We got our m-16's right before we left and didn't have time for the range.
This is just a few things I remember. I know there is a lot more stories to tell.
See you all in Seattle and going tol try another cruise. Hope this one is better. |
When we emigrated from France (May 1960) we took a ship (Liberte) from Le Havre to NYC. It was my mom and dad and 4 brothers. My parents were very intimidated by the whole thing so we didnt dare stray too far from our cabin...we were ALL sicker than a dog for most of the crossing...5 days worth..seasickness is one of those things that you wished you were gone and there is no where to hide from it...of course our conditions were no where near as bad as being on a transport ship...they even had movies for the passengers on our ship as well as regular furniture etc. |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 22 - 27 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: February 16th, 2011, 7:34pm |
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Posts: 131
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| Joe, the Darby went through that storm also. I remember the front of the ship completely underwater. |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: February 16th, 2011, 9:02pm |
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Posts: 203
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The storm was one of the best parts of the trip! I played DiCaprio's Titanic part long before he was born.
The trip took about a month, with a week or so in the Atlantic, passage through the Panama Canal (the other best part), a day or two in Long Beach (long enough to get drunk at the LA Playboy Club and other venues I've forgotten) then the remaining time plodding across the Pacific.
My memory is that, except for the storm, the Pacific was indeed pacific compared to Atlantic and that most had their "sea legs" by then.
The difference between the experience of the "cabin class" and the troop hold embarasses me to this day. I shared a nice cabin with another LT and a full bathroom (head?) with the adjacent cabin.
There was a roomy lounge, a recreation center and theater. There was a well stocked ship's store where I bought an Omega wristwatch for $65; I wore it the whole time in country and do today.
For meals, the cabin passengers were divided into three "sittings" at linen covered tables for six, a steward and three choices of entrees chosen at the meal before, all bountiful and well prepared.
Downstairs, or whatever you call it, was hot, crowded and featured unappetizing faire, to say the least.
As I mentioned before, the ship had been traditionally divided into cabin and troop sections to keep the peasants from looking in the portholes at bigwigs' wives and teenage daughters. The result was 90% of the open deck space, etc. for about 10% of the passengers. The Navy guy on board and the 2/1 XO "troop commander" saw nothing wrong with this and thought those of us who disagreed mutinous. It was loosened up some time after changing oceans, with all but the very top deck open to all.
As mentioned above, we didn't get M-16's until we were on board and familiarization consisted of shooting at garbage off the fantail.
I just checked with my RTO who was in A 2/1 for the crossing and he doesn't remember the coin pounding either; funny how everyone has different memories.
Sure would like to hear more stories, especially how the division of the ship was handled on the Patch. |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 24 - 27 |
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| Bob Kotch |
| Posted on: February 16th, 2011, 10:40pm |
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Posts: 187
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| aab3340, you mentioned that the MP Plt. was split between the Darby and the Patch and that the 544th MP Plt. didn't join you until Sept. 66. I was assigned to the 196th HHC, MP Plt in Sept. 67 and left Sept. 68. The first few of months we wore the 196th patch, but were later ordered to wear the Americal patch after we were incorporated into the Americal Div. Most of us did so very reluctantly! I still have my class A uniform from when I separated from the Army at Fort Bragg and it has the 196th patch on the right shoulder. I never heard of the 544th MP Plt. until years after I was out of the Army. Can you or anyone fill me in on the history of the 196th MP's from the time the Bde. came over on the Darby and the Patch up to when I arrived in Sept. 67? I know that the 196th MP's later became a part of the 23rd MP Co. Thanks for any information that can help me fill in the blanks. Also, if there any other 196th MP's out there, give me a shout! |
HHC, MP Plt. 9-67 through 9-68 |
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Reply: 25 - 27 |
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| steve tanner |
| Posted on: February 17th, 2011, 7:34pm |
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Posts: 20
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| OK guys here is a rememberance for those that were aboard the USS Alexander M. Patch. Does anyone remember the "Patch Dispatch". I don't know if the Darby published a newspaper but the Patch must have had a printing shop. For some reason i kept several issues of Voyage #219A Westbound and the articles were printed on legal size stock. Usually about 8 to 10 pages. i have issues from 8-5-66 to 8-11-66. |
Steve Tanner B & D 3/21 66-67 |
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Reply: 26 - 27 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: February 17th, 2011, 8:54pm |
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Posts: 131
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| The Darby also had a similar newsletter. I'll have to look through my things and see if I still have one. I know some members had copies at the reunion. Steve, if you see any good articles that might be interesting in the next newsletter, send a GOOD copy to me. High resolution or very good copy. |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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