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Old 02-27-2006, 07:58 AM
39mto39g 39mto39g is offline
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Default Hot meal

We were making this fire base on top of some hill By Dak To and a Chinook showed up with a tank of water in back ground and a bunch of hot food. The Chinook didn't tak to me he was talking to a radar group that had been brought in the day before. Those guys know how to feed there people. I think the radar unit was to track incomming, but im not sure, I just ate ther food. The arty hadn't showed up yet.
Ron
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Old 02-27-2006, 07:59 AM
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Default two more pics

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Old 02-27-2006, 08:00 AM
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Old 02-27-2006, 08:13 AM
Robert J Ryan
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God Ron, I'm afraid to look at the pictures of I have of me in Vietnam, But seeing those hills behind you, I know it has to be Dak To. Very frightful place.
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Old 02-27-2006, 08:37 AM
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Default RJR

Frightfull, To say the least,
Ron
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Old 02-27-2006, 09:37 AM
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Default Dak To was a dangerous place way before then.

As far as I know, it was never really pacified.



9JUN66

NW of Dak To was a Special Forces camp at a place called Toumorong. It was being besieged by the 24th NVA Regiment. Two battalions [1/327 & 2/502] of the 101st Airborne Division were sent to support them. This was Operation Hawthorne.

C company of the 2/502, commanded by Captain William Carpenter, was inserted on the morning of 9JUN66 to be a blocking force for the 327, which was sweeping in their direction. As Charlie Company was moving up a small hill, the forward platoon radioed Carpenter telling him that they could hear voices down in a small streambed. The platoon leader asked Carpenter if he wanted them to set up the blocking force or go get Charlie. He decided to engage Charlie. Well, it turned to shit for them real quick. They had bit the tail of the 24th NVA Regiment. C company was immediately swarmed and almost overrun. They were spread out and had Charlie right on top of them. They were taking quite a few casualties. At the height of the battle, Carpenter made the decision to call in an airstrike on their position. The nearest planes to them were carrying napalm. The airstrike made the NVA disengage and bought Charlie Company some time. They were able to gather the wounded and setup a better defense perimeter. They kept the NVA at bay until part of the 327 and B company of the 502nd could come re-enforce them.

This battle made the tv news and newspapers back in the States. I remember hearing about it and thinking to myself "Watch me wind up in THAT unit." I landed in Nam on 30JUN66 and sent to the 101st the next day. After processing in and going through P-Training at Phan Rang, I was sent to Dak To to join my new company,......Charlie Company of the 2/502! That was 10JUL66. Two days later I saw my first KIA in my company, 22yr. old PFC William Leon of NYC. On the 15JUL66 we were pulling out of The Highlands headed for Tuy Hoa over on the coast.

The survivors of Toumorong would forever be known as "Carpenter's Crispy Critters." You gotta love grunt humor. As I began to settle into the company and hear the stories from the Crispy Critters, there were alot of mixed feelings about Carpenter's decision. Some of them thought he over reacted [there were troopers killed by the napalm], while others believed that he saved their lives. Like in most battles, it depended on where you were standing and where you were looking. Everybody's experience and perception can be widely different.

Our battalion commander, Hank 'Gunfighter" Emerson, put Carpenter in for the MOH, but was downgraded to a DSC. Our First Sergeant, Walter Sabalouski, was also awarded a DSC and a Silver Star for his actions that day. I stood at attention while General Westmoreland pinned them on both men.
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Old 02-27-2006, 11:44 AM
39mto39g 39mto39g is offline
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I remember that SF camp, we walked right by them, We were yelling obsenities and wishing we had a refridgerator, (seen one in one of there tents.)
In oct-nov 1967 there were severial "operations" but I can't remember there names, But if you went north or west of Dak To youd find 2,000 or so of my spent 5.56 .
Never seen any 101 guys, I don't think, around Dak To, They must have moved out before I got there, Good Job though , Thanks for thining the hurd for us.

Ron
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Old 02-27-2006, 07:18 PM
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Frisco I agree I don't think the area in Dak To was secure or pacifed. I was with the 4th from Mar 69 to Mar 70, and the short two weeks I spent there was enough for me. LZ Dogbone (named for the obvious reason since it was shaped like a dogbone). Chu Moor was no better In fact I can't think of any place in the Highlands that was good, except may Tuy Hoa. Okay Camp Enari was good, but the Division moved in Jan - Mar 70 to An Khe Camp Radcliff. Remember going through the Mang Yang Pass, LZ Action, LZ Blackhawk, Remember the sign on LZ Action, Beer 25cents, soda 10 cents, security free.
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Old 02-27-2006, 07:41 PM
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Default Re: Tom

Quote:
Originally posted by 39mto39g I remember that SF camp, we walked right by them, We were yelling obsenities and wishing we had a refridgerator, (seen one in one of there tents.)
In oct-nov 1967 there were severial "operations" but I can't remember there names, But if you went north or west of Dak To youd find 2,000 or so of my spent 5.56 .
Never seen any 101 guys, I don't think, around Dak To, They must have moved out before I got there, Good Job though , Thanks for thining the hurd for us.

Ron
You're welcome, Bud. When we left Dak To in JUL66 to go to Tuy Hoa, we didn't return to The Highlands until DEC66. That's when we went to Kontum. I don't think the 101st ever returned to Dak To the rest of the war.

Robert: Tuy Hoa is over on the coast between Qui Nhon and Nha Trang.
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Old 02-27-2006, 08:36 PM
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I think Carpenter was known as the "Lonesome End" when He played football at West Point.
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