Request help in ID'ing Arty Observation/Mortar Hill, in Vietnam 1970-71

To my brothers,

I was a Marine Cpl, in Vietnam, from June 1970-Mar 1971. I was on a
Artillery Observation Hill, Hill 250 or Hill 255, outside An Hoa, but
I'm not sure if the #'s are correct, after 30 years. We encompassed
mortars & machine guns, & observation equipment. We had a very
"horny" German Shepherd, & a Dutch Marine, who showed us how
to cook a giant "Millipeed", in water, during a food shortage.

At night, or early morning, we could use the night vision telescope to
watch the villagers wash clothes, or bathe, in the small river that
ran alongside their village.

Our "hootches" were half-pipes, covered with sandbags.

If anyone recalls this Hill, please respond to this post.

TIA

Ted Luster
USMC 67-71
Fresno CA

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 0128 GMT, T. Luster wrote:

Ted, what unit and what was your MOS? It would be easier to find
things for you. I remember those giant Millipeed's. They had purple
and they had yellow and they had black. I was tempted once, but then
again, we weren't too keen on experimenting even though we hadn't
eaten in days.

Semper Fi
>To my brothers,
>
>I was a Marine Cpl, in Vietnam, from June 1970-Mar 1971. I was on a
>Artillery Observation Hill, Hill 250 or Hill 255, outside An Hoa, but
>I'm not sure if the #'s are correct, after 30 years. We encompassed
>mortars & machine guns, & observation equipment. We had a very
>"horny" German Shepherd, & a Dutch Marine, who showed us how
>to cook a giant "Millipeed", in water, during a food shortage.
>
>At night, or early morning, we could use the night vision telescope to
>watch the villagers wash clothes, or bathe, in the small river that
>ran alongside their village.
>
>Our "hootches" were half-pipes, covered with sandbags.
>
>If anyone recalls this Hill, please respond to this post.
>
>TIA
>
>Ted Luster
>USMC 67-71
>Fresno CA

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 0128 GMT, T. Luster wrote:

Ted, what unit and what was your MOS? It would be easier to find
things for you. I remember those giant Millipeed's. They had purple
and they had yellow and they had black. I was tempted once, but then
again, we weren't too keen on experimenting even though we hadn't
eaten in days.

Semper Fi
>To my brothers,
>
>I was a Marine Cpl, in Vietnam, from June 1970-Mar 1971. I was on a
>Artillery Observation Hill, Hill 250 or Hill 255, outside An Hoa, but
>I'm not sure if the #'s are correct, after 30 years. We encompassed
>mortars & machine guns, & observation equipment. We had a very
>"horny" German Shepherd, & a Dutch Marine, who showed us how
>to cook a giant "Millipeed", in water, during a food shortage.
>
>At night, or early morning, we could use the night vision telescope to
>watch the villagers wash clothes, or bathe, in the small river that
>ran alongside their village.
>
>Our "hootches" were half-pipes, covered with sandbags.
>
>If anyone recalls this Hill, please respond to this post.
>
>TIA
>
>Ted Luster
>USMC 67-71
>Fresno CA

Were they Millipedes or Centipedes? The Mongo centipedes had toxic
footprints. If one of them walked across exposed skin they left a track that
looked like a surgical scar that had refused to heal. Nasty welt.

--

Don Thompson

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before
them, glory and danger alike, and notwithstanding go out to meet it."-
Thucydides

"Men are never really willing to die except for the sake of Freedom:
Therefore they do not believe in dying completely."-
Albert Camus


"Patrick t." wrote in message
newsf5m10dld3jvppbojjfep4qra9v2p7jbid@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 0128 GMT, T. Luster wrote:
>
> Ted, what unit and what was your MOS? It would be easier to find
> things for you. I remember those giant Millipeed's. They had purple
> and they had yellow and they had black. I was tempted once, but then
> again, we weren't too keen on experimenting even though we hadn't
> eaten in days.
>
> Semper Fi
> >To my brothers,
> >
> >I was a Marine Cpl, in Vietnam, from June 1970-Mar 1971. I was on a
> >Artillery Observation Hill, Hill 250 or Hill 255, outside An Hoa, but
> >I'm not sure if the #'s are correct, after 30 years. We encompassed
> >mortars & machine guns, & observation equipment. We had a very
> >"horny" German Shepherd, & a Dutch Marine, who showed us how
> >to cook a giant "Millipeed", in water, during a food shortage.
> >
> >At night, or early morning, we could use the night vision telescope to
> >watch the villagers wash clothes, or bathe, in the small river that
> >ran alongside their village.
> >
> >Our "hootches" were half-pipes, covered with sandbags.
> >
> >If anyone recalls this Hill, please respond to this post.
> >
> >TIA
> >
> >Ted Luster
> >USMC 67-71
> >Fresno CA
>

Were they Millipedes or Centipedes? The Mongo centipedes had toxic
footprints. If one of them walked across exposed skin they left a track that
looked like a surgical scar that had refused to heal. Nasty welt.

--

Don Thompson

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before
them, glory and danger alike, and notwithstanding go out to meet it."-
Thucydides

"Men are never really willing to die except for the sake of Freedom:
Therefore they do not believe in dying completely."-
Albert Camus


"Patrick t." wrote in message
newsf5m10dld3jvppbojjfep4qra9v2p7jbid@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 0128 GMT, T. Luster wrote:
>
> Ted, what unit and what was your MOS? It would be easier to find
> things for you. I remember those giant Millipeed's. They had purple
> and they had yellow and they had black. I was tempted once, but then
> again, we weren't too keen on experimenting even though we hadn't
> eaten in days.
>
> Semper Fi
> >To my brothers,
> >
> >I was a Marine Cpl, in Vietnam, from June 1970-Mar 1971. I was on a
> >Artillery Observation Hill, Hill 250 or Hill 255, outside An Hoa, but
> >I'm not sure if the #'s are correct, after 30 years. We encompassed
> >mortars & machine guns, & observation equipment. We had a very
> >"horny" German Shepherd, & a Dutch Marine, who showed us how
> >to cook a giant "Millipeed", in water, during a food shortage.
> >
> >At night, or early morning, we could use the night vision telescope to
> >watch the villagers wash clothes, or bathe, in the small river that
> >ran alongside their village.
> >
> >Our "hootches" were half-pipes, covered with sandbags.
> >
> >If anyone recalls this Hill, please respond to this post.
> >
> >TIA
> >
> >Ted Luster
> >USMC 67-71
> >Fresno CA
>

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 17:07:16 GMT, "Don T"
wrote:

> Were they Millipedes or Centipedes? The Mongo centipedes had toxic
>footprints. If one of them walked across exposed skin they left a track that
>looked like a surgical scar that had refused to heal. Nasty welt.

I don't really know, but we had no food, as in zilch and everything
that lived that we found was considered fair game on that op. In the
end, we decided it wasn't a viable option.

I remember yellow and black, a black and purple and a purple with some
kind of lighter color. Didn't count the legs, he.he.

First off, I don't recall the unit, as I was TAD from a Fire Control
Center, in Danang. My MOS was 0844 (Fire Control) and
9940 (Vietnamese Language). But I was a Troop Handler,
at ITR (Camp Pendleton), for a year, and my specialty was
Mortars.

Too many years, & too much "Sunshine, Haze, crosses, &
Panama" has killed too many brain cells, to recall alot of
details, but I was the "Shitbird Sgt", from day 1, as I got
busted down 2 stripes, prior to Nam, for insubordination, &
assault (no contact, but attempted it). I had an attitude that
got me promoted, but also kept me in trouble.

I was just checking the group, as I only have a couple of pics,
and no names, to go with a unique time, in my life.

Good future, and
much success,
to us all.

PS: The millipede was black, about 1/2 inch thick, and about a foot
long. It had its body wrapped around white eggs, which Dutch cooked
also. Whenever anyone talks about being really hungry, & what they'd
eat, I bring out my "bug" tale. Like you, I never got "that hungry".

Ted

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 18:47:14 -0800, Patrick t.
wrote:

>On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 0128 GMT, T. Luster wrote:
>
>Ted, what unit and what was your MOS? It would be easier to find
>things for you. I remember those giant Millipeed's. They had purple
>and they had yellow and they had black. I was tempted once, but then
>again, we weren't too keen on experimenting even though we hadn't
>eaten in days.
>
>Semper Fi
>>To my brothers,
>>
>>I was a Marine Cpl, in Vietnam, from June 1970-Mar 1971. I was on a
>>Artillery Observation Hill, Hill 250 or Hill 255, outside An Hoa, but
>>I'm not sure if the #'s are correct, after 30 years. We encompassed
>>mortars & machine guns, & observation equipment. We had a very
>>"horny" German Shepherd, & a Dutch Marine, who showed us how
>>to cook a giant "Millipeed", in water, during a food shortage.
>>
>>At night, or early morning, we could use the night vision telescope to
>>watch the villagers wash clothes, or bathe, in the small river that
>>ran alongside their village.
>>
>>Our "hootches" were half-pipes, covered with sandbags.
>>
>>If anyone recalls this Hill, please respond to this post.
>>
>>TIA
>>
>>Ted Luster
>>USMC 67-71
>>Fresno CA