The Gathering Bulletin Board

(Post Reunion)

Gary - 12/28/00 16:10:06

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We're about to close out another year and celebrate 2001. So have a safe and Happy New Year to everyone and those they hold dear.

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I spoke again with this medic last night (his name is John Lacomis). It turns out he left Ft. Hood with the 198th in Oct. '67. For those of you who were in Ft. Hood as long as I was (from Oct. 1966), the 198th left from Hood in Oct. '67, one battalion s ort. You guessed it.... that why the 5/46th was formed in Oct. of '67. I can remember the night the couple of thousand 198th'ers left from Hood. It was like hell night.

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To The Medics of B Co. (and any other Americal Div. medic who drops in on "The Gathering" web-page): A year or so ago I bumped into a guy at my favorite "watering hole" who was in the Americal in'69-'70. I bump into him a couple times a month or so. Turn out he was a medic. He's kept in touch over the years with a few other medics of the Americal and has found several others by various means. He gave me the name and E-mail address of a guy who supposedly arranges an Americal Division ('Nam) medics reun on yearly. If anyone is interested or can pass this on to other division medics, his name and E-mail address are: Norbert Stuhler at NS20SS@aol.com.

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Gary...sounds like a good idea to have the "B" Company reunion at the Americal Reunion in Cleveland next year...as a matter of fact, I have already reserved my room at the Cleveland Marriot Airport Hotel for next June 21, 22, 23, and 24th for the Americal reunion. It would be nice to see all the rest of B company there. I am planning on bringing all my albums (pictures), orders, anything else I have to share with everyboby, hope everyone else can do the same. Later.

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Guys, Have new phone number: 918-360-4917. Dave glad you located Sgt Turner. He's in one of my photos in the album. Another one of the great guys from B Company. Will be interested in anything he has to add from his memory. Is everyone thinking about next reunion for B Company? Perhaps overlapping Cleveland reunion of Americal Division so we can catch part of what's going on there?

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I recently contacted Sgt. Turner. He has alot of info to offer and a very good memory.Gave him this location,hope to see you here Sarge.

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I recently contacted Sgt. Turner. He has alot of info to offer and avery good memory.Gave him this location,hope to see you here Sarge.

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Going to Omaha for Thanksgiving this year starting Tuesday and hope to be back to work next Monday. Hope everyone has a great holiday and nobody gains too much weight. Remember what we all have to be thankful for and cherish what is good. God be with you ll and all your loved ones.

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Mick......no sweat GI. I think I have your address from when you sent me those pictures. I'll make some copies at work and send them off to you.

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Thanks Bob for your explanation of Hill 97 and the Pinkville area. For some reason I thought Pinkville and Tam Ky was south of LZ Gator and I thought Tam Ky was along Highway One south of LZ Gator. I guess after this long of a time one forgets specific imes and places sometimes. By the way, could I get a copy from you of the "Daily Staff Journal/Duty Officers Log for that day listing the casualties for that day? I would appreciate it! I hope everyone had a good Veterans Day weekend. I did not notice much publicity about Veterans Day on the TV or in the local newspaper. We cannot let them forget!

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Fellow B Co'ers ..... Have a special and good Veterans Day. Somehow I feel we're all together again today. Stand TALL !!!

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Mick...Hill 97 was north of Chu Lai. Tam Ky was north of Chu Lai on Hwy 1 approximately 5-7 miles. Hill 97 was due west of Tam Ky( just north of LZ Bowman). What you remember seeing was Cobra's, Huey Hogs, ARA, Sky Raiders, Phantoms, and pretty much anyth ng else that could fly, along with a lot of artillery, tanks and APC's of the 1/1 CAV, pounding a NVA Bn that was making a break from the mountains to hit Tam Ky (a Provincial capital).The 5/46 were on the three hills (OP1,OP2, OP3)set up as a blocking fo ce to the south. Pinkville was south of LZ Ann (near LZ Dottie)on the Batangan peninsula, in the same general area not far from My Lai (Lt Calley).It was nothing but snipers and booby traps. Pinkvile is the entire area, including My Kei, where you assaulted the two bunke s. By the way, I have a copy of the Daily Staff Journal/Duty Officers Log for that day with a list of the casualtys and a copy of your SSM orders.

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Bob, was hill 97 in the Pinkville area and were you talking about hill 97 when you mentioned Don Wilson KIA when Spooky was overhead all night? The reason I ask is I remember the few days before we were hit on 97 we were observing an enormous amout of ai bombing, rockets, etc. by Cobra gunships, the skyraider aircraft, and phantoms working on the area to the east and northeast of hill 97 we were on. We were hit a couple days after that, I believe.

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Thanks Mick for the CIB notes. Comparing the names of casualties 8-28-1968, in Quang Tin province with names of B Company CIBs confirms that the machine gunner who died on Hill 97 was: Clay Holt, Jr, from Marshall, MO. I know we will want to remember all of our brothers who have passed on before us this weekend on veterans day. I still want to talk to you more personal like Mick. Please E-Mail me: doc_stolp@hotmail.com and provide a phone number I can talk some evening.

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Don Wilson was in the 3rd Plt and was KIA in Pinkville, the night we had Spooky overhead all night long.

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If anyone is interested, this is a list of CO B/5/46/198 guys who were awarded the "Combat Infantryman Badge (1st award) on 22 July, 1968 by special orders # 204: Allen R. Bishop, Ralph L. Blakely, Richard J. Bowen, Paul D. Gigler, Dennis R. Cross, Steph n L. Crouse, George S. Davis, Michael Doty, Stephen Durgan, Gary E. Fravel, Phillip Hinshaw, Clay Holt, Jr., Kenneth Hooper, Alfred Jernigan, Walter E. Johnson, Cortez Kelly, Daniel J. Lavin, Jesse Lipscomb, William Marek, Johnny E. Mayhew, James R. McLai , Eugene Mitchell, Isaiah Montgomery, Larry Myers, Rodney Parmelee, David W. Raikes, Mitchell Samples, Charles Sellnow, Kim St Bernard, Darrel E. Tench, Tom Thomas, Charles Thompson, George Vander-dussen, James G. Walker, Donald C. Wilson. I think some o us has discussed it was Tom Thomas that was KIA on Hill # 97 when we were hit there one night. I remember Durgan, Hooper, Marek, Sellnow, Thomas as they were in my squad. Just thought I would pass this information along!

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Guys, I found Robert White on another web site. I think he is going to visit this site. Maybe some of you remember him. He was in your time of service I think.

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Guys, Dave Bloom found me through the ADVA locator for 5th/46th. I think he has some additional details of what happened in B Company while we were with him and perhaps after most of us went back to the real world. Welcome Dave. Hope you can provide addition l names and etc. to help us with our fuzzy memories and locate other brothers we served with.

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I served with B co. Aug.68 thru May 69.Glad to find this site.

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Dave,I don't remember his name, but I will make a copy of his picture and send it to you...probably the same guy!

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Mick...was his name Tung aka Tommy? the little bastard!

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They were such trust worthy folks.....

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I remember taking the weapon away from a Kit Carson Scout, making him walk point, and telling him that if we were ambushed, he would be the first one to catch a round in the back of the head !! It worked !!

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We had a very young Kit Carson work with us onetime (I still have a picture of him)....he stole everything he could get his hands on, grenades, ammo, probably ended up in the hands of the vc and nva!

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Good idea...I would trust a black bear much more than a Kit Carson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Dave, as long as you don't see a couple of cobra gunships circling you out in the woods and they don't drop a smoke round on you, you will be ok..now if they do mark your position with a smoke round, you had better crawl into a dead tree with a bear, beca se the phantoms are on their way!

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I'm just beging to learn not to return fire at the hunters...........just a habit LOL

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Guys...if we all had a nickel for every breath of gunpowder (gunsmnoke)we inhaled while in B/5/46/198, we could all retire down in the caribeaan and be sipping a tropical drink while having the native ladies keep us cool by waving palm leaves!!!!!

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Ahhh! I love the smell of gunpowder in the morning, but my doctor is recommending I give it up as it collects in my moustache and I am in danger of blowing OFF my nose.

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Why do you think we live here instead of NJ, LA, CHI, NYC, or other combat zones......Ha HA

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You just heard your first gunshot? You should live in New Jersey, you'll hear gunshots all year round... Occasionally in the woods too..

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Just heard my first shot gun today.....it's bird season here.....look out for Nov. ...deer season and then on go the blaze orange vests for both our family and our animals........no I don't have anything against hunters..just want to be ready!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

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Ignore last transmission. Hotmail account is working again. Had to delete old page mark and start over.

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Am having trouble getting E-Mail at Hotmail. New E-Mail: doc_stolp@Yahoo.com

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You too LJ!

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Hey guys, I just reserved my room for the Americal reunion in Cleveland for next year. I hope we all can get together there or maybe we could have the 3rd "Gathering" there or close at that time. How about it? Think you can make it Joe?

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Dave, Amen to that statement!

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Dave,

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If I remember......"Combat" was hit very early on..then the assistant gunner....I remember it took a long time for this man to die....he would call out and at differant times ask for his mom..it still bothers me today.

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These are the possibles I have come up with from examining deaths in Quang Tin Province from 5th/46th on 08-28-68, using the locator program provided by the Virtual Wall: Charles Don Champion, MOS 11D10, E3 from Irving, TX DOB 06-15-48, Robert Lee Coonrod, MOS 11D10, E3, from Napa, CA DOB 11-17-43 Clay Holt Jr, MOS 11B10, E3, from Marshall, MO DOB 07-30-44 Tom Michael Thomas, MOS 11B10, E3, from New Philadelphia, OH DOB 12-19-45 Perhaps one of these men had lived in Oklahoma some time before being inducted from the cities cited on the wall. Do any of these names register with anyone? Thanks Mick for your input; and wish you'd E-Mail me sometime and we could talk. Current addre s and phone number are listed in appropriate location with this site.

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Hey Gary, I am unable to bring up the casualty list for August 28, 1968 to help identify the casualties for Hill # 97. However, I remember the machine gunner. I recall (I think) we called him "Combat" for a nickname, and I think he was from Oklahoma. I will try to get in touch with Bill Marek in Michigan, he was in our unit and he may know his actual name. Here is a couple tidbits of info on Hill 97 and what happened that night. Dean Radway was in the squad Louis Verdeber and myself was in. When the VA penetrated and came into our perimeter, Dean had used up all his ammo and saw an NVA coming toward him. Dean rolled over on his back playing possum (dead) and the NVA reached down and took Dean's watch off his arm, after poking him with his AK-47 a co ple of times. I recall Dean saying that was the most terrifying moment in his life, not to mention the attack itself. About two years ago I was in contact with someone who said they were on a hill in sight of 97 when we were hit, and watched and saw eve ything. He said he thought everyone on 97 was killed that night and at the time he was thinking how sorry he was for everyone on 97 as we were getting hit so bad, and that it was one hell of a firefight. Just thought I would mention this!

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Today is the anniversary of the death of Tom Michael Thomas and the machine gunner on Hill 97. A listing of the casualties for that day is on the Wall page. Anyone able to identify the machine gunner from the casualties of August 28, 1968? How about it Mick? You remembered one casualty that day. Does looking at the names that day help?

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AHHHH.... Turkey Loaf..now that's what I'm talkin about. I was addicted to that stuff. With Tabasco, or some of those muy caliente, en fuego little hot peppers that grew on bushes over there, with some of those pearl onions that also grew over there. ollowed up with a B1 Unit hot cocoa and vanilla cookies. Now when I got home, and ate my weight of Rhode Island steamers (steamed clams) with melted butter and Narragansett Lager beer.

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Yeah, Dave, I remember the heat tabs. You never wanted to get your nose over what you were pretending to heat up--Smelled kinda like old moth balls. (And no guys, I didn't go around smelling the crotches of old moths for a comparison. If I had, I might coulda got outa the field a little sooner.) Anybody for C-Rat Peanut Butter on Round Crackers washed down with good ole rice patty water killed with iodine tabs? Makes me homesick all over again.

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P.S Remember the "Heat Tabs"?..I'm sure the couple I used are still burning as we speak....but still haven't reached the temp to boil water!

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Excuse me Joe, I meant Joe Santos!

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Hey guys!!! You know what sounds good right now? How about a can of C-Rats (Turkey Loaf) with a can of C-Rats white bread? Of coure I would need some C-4 (preferably out of a Claymore) to heat the turkey loaf and toast the white bread. I know Jim Sant s remembers doing that!

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Hey John- They stole my wallet too! Somewhere between Chu Lai & Camp Oji, Japan. I wonder if it was the same bastard or if it was just the regular thing to rip off unconscious guys on stretchers? They left all the stretchers on the plane in Anchorage whil everybody else got off while the plane was being rebuilt. They also left the damn rear ramp down so we could freeze our asses off. I had a IV so I had to piss about every 10 minutes. I was on about the fourth tier so the guys below me made sure I got a s eady supply of urinals from the nurses station. I coulda gone for some of that hot tarmac. For me it was fresh Florida Lobster right out of the water and into a boiler, served with melted butter and cold beer.

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OK,OK, I gotta toss in mine. I was being flown to Andrews AFB from Tokyo and they left us on our stretchers on the tarmac for 3 hours in the sun. I was dying for a coke since I got hit, but was unable to buy any (someone stole my wallet when I was treat ed at Da Nang) anyway, some good hearted southern Air Force mechanic took pity on me and asked me if I'd like a "pop". My dream of a coke was about to come true. He handed me this red can and I popped the top and chugged it down. Uggh! I almost spit it out. I thought it had gone bad or something. Then I noticed the label "Dr. Pepper". Gross. Whenever I see a Dr. Pepper, I think of that tarmac in Tokyo, and shake my head...

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A Duff's pizza, a fresh unsliced loaf of Battaglini's Italian bread and some of Mom's fried chicken (cold).

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I was kinda hungry for some C-Rat Pizza and peaches & pound cake washed down with some mocha-coffee.

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Obviously, I am voting for Rick. Jim B26

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How about this one......do you guys remember what you wanted to eat most of all when you you got home? For me it was a double cheese burger from Bob's Big Boy.....located on Foothill Blvd, Pasadena CA. ......ahhhh heaven!

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I remember that it took a few bursts from an M60 just to put the water buffalo down, and a few more, along with a few magazines of M16 ammo to kill it. I only wish we had gotten a few steaks out of the deal. I don't remember calling LTC Lyon about it.