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 going home? (currently 1 views) |
| Gregory B Peters |
| Posted on: February 19th, 2011, 4:15pm |
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Maximum Member2 B company, 3/21/196th, incountry 07/1966-07/1967
Posts: 173
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Hey originals, with all the talk about the Patch and the Darby getting you there, how the heck did you guys all get home? was there a mass exodous? I left before you guys did, but i came over earlier by myself. I Got up one morning, kissed everyone good buy, took a hop to Danang, another hop to Guam. Hot shower, new Khakis, bottle of bourbon and on to Travis AFB. What did you guys do?
Greg |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: February 19th, 2011, 5:00pm |
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Posts: 131
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Since we had all come over together in July 1966, and would all rotate out at the same time; the 196th was split up in January/February of 1967, with about half(?) the unit being sent to the 25th and 4th Divisions.
The reason being, of course, that when we all rotated in July, the unit would already have replacements with about six months in-country.
The 25th and 4th Division guys flew home out of Saigon, and the guys that had stayed with the 196th possibly flew out of DaNang. I was sent to the 25th in late January 1967, so I'm not sure where the guys from Chu Lai flew home from in 1967. |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| Joe Greear |
| Posted on: February 20th, 2011, 2:09am |
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Minimum Member served with C/3/21 196th. 65-66-67
Posts: 22
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Ken,
I. too, was sent to the 25th in Jan. 67. What unit were you assigned to? I ended up with B-1-27 wolfhounds. Had a real good buddy named Ken Schafer sent to C-1-27, he was an original from C-4-31. Did you know him? Super nice guy from Detroit.
Joe G. |
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Reply: 2 - 37 |
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| Gregory B Peters |
| Posted on: February 20th, 2011, 4:51pm |
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Maximum Member2 B company, 3/21/196th, incountry 07/1966-07/1967
Posts: 173
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| let me get this straight. you guys did basic/ait and 6 months as a cohesive group incountry and then they split you up and individually farmed you out to other brigades and divisions as repos? now that's just cruel! |
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Reply: 3 - 37 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: February 20th, 2011, 4:57pm |
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Posts: 131
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Ken,
I ended up with B-1-27 wolfhounds. Had a real good buddy named Ken Schafer sent to C-1-27, he was an original from C-4-31. Did you know him? Super nice guy from Detroit.
Joe G. |
Sorry about that... getting sent to the Wolfhounds...
Ken Schaffer was in my Company, but not in my platoon. As originals, we knew most of the guys in the Company, but I only knew Ken slightly.
I got sent to C, 5th Mech. Hit 3 mines while there, and missed another by a couple of hours (got sent into base with stomach ailment). Track 22, "Track of Fools"
Greg, at least we got sent to the new units with a bunch of buddies. My track in the 25th had a buddy from my 196th platoon. We also went to the 25th to replace their old-timers who were due to rotate, so we became the "old-timers" there also, and really ran the place, so I never felt like a repro. |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| Larry D Mcknight |
| Posted on: February 21st, 2011, 2:20am |
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Posts: 63
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| I was in Chu Lia, we flew from Chu lia to Tan Son Nhut air base. From there to Japan then Oakland CA. Don't know if everybody went that route or not. Our orders read be there (Tan Son Nhut) no earlier than 48 hrs or no later than 24 before we leave, so my buddies and I got to spend 1 night in Siagon. Ended up giving my hat, belt and a few other things away that night for some local perks. Had no money. |
Larry D. Mcknight
B Co., HHC S-4 2/1
1965 to 1967 |
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Reply: 5 - 37 |
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| Joe Greear |
| Posted on: February 21st, 2011, 5:27pm |
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Minimum Member served with C/3/21 196th. 65-66-67
Posts: 22
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Ken,
I had many friends in C-4-31, let me run some names by you. Thompson, Zarringer, Volpe, McLeod, "Villotch" (nickname) and a few more I can't remember. Thompson and I grew up together in Detroit. Thats why I spent a lot of time in your area. Do you remember the big poker games you guys had at the Tay Ninh base camp? I cleaned up a couple of times. lol.
Joe G. |
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Reply: 6 - 37 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: February 21st, 2011, 5:31pm |
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Posts: 131
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Ken,
I had many friends in C-4-31, let me run some names by you. Thompson, Zarringer, Volpe, McLeod, "Villotch" (nickname) and a few more I can't remember. Joe G. |
I remember Volpe, and McLeod was in my platoon during basic but moved to another platoon later. Seems like we had a lot of guys from the metro areas of Detroit, Chicago, and NY in the original 196th. Most of us were drafted at Ft Dix or Ft Knox. |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| Bob Kotch |
| Posted on: February 22nd, 2011, 12:03am |
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Posts: 187
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| I went home from Hill 35, I think, to Cam Rahn Bay (after a couple stops in between). Then to Yakota (?), Japan and then onto Anchorage, Alaska. It was about 115 degrees when I left Cam Rahn Bay and 32 degrees at Anchorage. It was displayed on a big thermometer as we taxied up to the terminal. I just had fatigues on and it felt like I walked into a freezer when I stepped off of the plane! Then onto Ft. Lewis, Washington for processing. Flew out of Seattle through Cleveland to Philadelphia for a 30 day leave. I eventually reported to Ft.Bragg. |
HHC, MP Plt. 9-67 through 9-68 |
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Reply: 8 - 37 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: February 22nd, 2011, 1:32am |
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Posts: 203
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Most of the originals in our company rotated pretty much on time. There were very few if any re-ups among the draftees.
I went to Tan Son Nhut for a day. Not much difference from R&R.
Commercial airline, but to Travis AFB with refueling on Guam.
Bus to Oakland Army Base and separtated from active duty in a jiffy.
Home to LA not much more than 72 hours from Platoon HQ.
One advantage to being early in the whole thing were many free drinks and "welcome homes" instead of any unpleasantness.
I did go for a night time hike with some friends about a week later. Wasn't such a good idea. |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 9 - 37 |
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| Larry D Mcknight |
| Posted on: February 22nd, 2011, 2:44am |
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Posts: 63
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| Jim, when did you leave Tan Son Knut? I left on the 17 of July, had to extend 1 day so they wouldn't reasign me when I got home. Less than 90 days. Remember when we got to Oakland they sent us to the mess hall and fed us steak and fresh milk around midnight. Spent around 18 hrs in Oakland. |
Larry D. Mcknight
B Co., HHC S-4 2/1
1965 to 1967 |
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Reply: 10 - 37 |
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| Joe Greear |
| Posted on: February 22nd, 2011, 4:49pm |
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Minimum Member served with C/3/21 196th. 65-66-67
Posts: 22
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I remember Volpe, and McLeod was in my platoon during basic but moved to another platoon later. Seems like we had a lot of guys from the metro areas of Detroit, Chicago, and NY in the original 196th. Most of us were drafted at Ft Dix or Ft Knox.
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Ken,
Remember when Volpe got caught in the "Escape & Evasion" exercise. The Governor of Mass. was named Volpe. He told his captors he was Gov. Volpe's son. Almost got court martialed for it. Laughed my butt off. |
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Reply: 11 - 37 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: February 22nd, 2011, 6:01pm |
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Posts: 203
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| My favorite piece of paper, the DD 214 separating me from active duty, is dated July 11, 1967, so I must have left RVN on the 10th or so. |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 12 - 37 |
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| Gregory B Peters |
| Posted on: February 25th, 2011, 10:48pm |
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Maximum Member2 B company, 3/21/196th, incountry 07/1966-07/1967
Posts: 173
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damn you guys bring back the memories! but Larry I gotta ask about perks? what kind of a bar girl could you possibly get with a hat and a belt? <grin>
And Joe, I do remember the poker games and will go out on a limb and state that these guys were by far the worse players I had ever been around :-) I went on 4 different R&Rs because I was the only one who had the money to go, or had won someone elses pass in a game.
Bob, the only colder place during the summer than Anchorage was San Francisco. I got off the plane at Travis in my cute little Khaki outfit, we are talking shorts here, and froze. When I got to Oakland all the mp's wrote me up because khaki's had been banned in the US, so I was out of uniform. Not only that but I had no insignia, rank, nothing, looked like a new slick sleeve right out of boot. Went to that wonderful steak and milk dinner Larry talked about and then was promptly put on KP. Bought civies the next day and hitched to San Fran. stayed at the St Francis down at the wharf. they catered to soldiers and Like Jim said, life was good :-)
Greg |
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Reply: 13 - 37 |
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| Joe Greear |
| Posted on: February 26th, 2011, 3:16pm |
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Minimum Member served with C/3/21 196th. 65-66-67
Posts: 22
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Greg,
I know what ya mean. I ad 2 R&R's and a 7 day leave thanks to my poker winnings. I remember one night we had a real good game going, I was about 3 grand ahead, and we got mortared about half way through the games. Some one started yelling "incoming" and cash and poker chips went flying all over the place as we all headed for the bunkers. All I could do was laugh it off. Damn!!! I must have lost all I had in the confusion.
Joe G. |
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Reply: 14 - 37 |
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