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Candy_Kids.JPGCandy KidsGood catch, candy in one hand and camera in the other. These kids are quick, and if a little taller and they would make great NBA defensive players or NFL quarterbacks.
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Christmas_convoy.JPGOn the road again On the road again, another fond memory of Christmas Eves past.
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CH_liftoff-RedFox_Hop.JPGMove to LZ Red FoxMoving to LZ Red Fox for a hip shoot.
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Clint,_Hurdle_and_Burnett.JPGSp5 Curry, Sp4 Hurdle and Sp5 BurnettClint Curry, Jim Hurdle and Sp5 Bob Burnett outside the FDC conex at St. George, June '69. For some reason I have "Gorilla Bob" for Burnett, but we called him "Bullet Bob". He wanted to be a race horse trainer but those of us in contact have no post-Nam info on him. Hurdle was working on his PhD at Michigan and was one dissertation short of a doctorate in economics when the draft caught up with him. He had a stainless steel pot and spices and with a little C4 , found rice and donated c-rats he could make a great meal. I found him again 20+ years ago and he is now Dr. Hurdle. My undergraduate degree was economics and had finished 10 hours of law school when I volunteered for the draft a month before my number was up. Jim was a Samuelson economics guy and I was a Friedman disciple. We would have some great arguments. The XO loved to sit in on our debates, but had no idea what we were talking about.
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Clint_Curry,_Hooking_Up.JPGHooking up the CH-47Exciting task. Who wants to do it? Well, here's Sp5 Clint Curry volunteering to get under the mechanical beast. My notes indicate Clint was hooking up the howitzer for a hip shoot on LZ Cathy as it lifted off in Sept, 1969. The Advance Party discovered the proposed LZ wasn't ready and they used up all our C-4 cooking supplies to blow down trees. I still remember the lousy smell of those heat tabs....ugh.
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Clint_Curry,_LZ_Marianne,_1969.JPGSp5 Clint Curry (deceased 4/18)Sp5 Charles C. Curry, also known as "Clint Curry", at LZ Marianne, Sept, 1969. As you probably note from the photos, Clint and I were nearly inseparable from the time I got to the Battery. He was a short-timer who took me under his wing (ETS'd from St. George the morning following the fight). Probably the most fearless guy I've ever known. I believe he and Joe Sleevi were FO party together on Chu Pa. According to Clint, he was told to "ruck up" and fill in as FO with Sleevi as his RTO. He says he told Sleevi he - Clint - would hump the PRC 25 and have Sleevi act as the FO since Joe was most experienced. Clint got the Bronze with "V" on his last night in the field at St. George (I believe it was downgraded from a Silver recommend). When we hooked up after 40+ years (we had both moved to new states) he paid me the highest compliment I've ever received (of course we had been drinking beau--effing-coup beer), that if he could only have one person to cover his back it would be me.
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Clint_Curry,_Sept,_1969.JPGPortable GeneratorSp5 Clint Curry (Deceased, 4/18) sits on the jeep that was used as our portable big radio generator at LZ St George that we lifted out on hip shoots. It was later totalled and dx'd with less than 100 miles on the odometer. A combat casualty.
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Cpt_Williams_NG.JPGBC John S. WilliamsCaptain Williams was the BC when I got to the battery. He was a great troop leader but I believe he was relieved when rear Battalion brass visited. We were trying to save rounds from a flooded ammo bunker. The brass did not like that all of us were shirtless, including the BC, and that he was actually helping hump rounds. There was a few words exchanged between Williams and the basecamp brass, which they apparently also disliked.
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FDC-Hooch.JPGCot in FDC BunkerSitting on a cot in the FDC bunker at LZ St. George. Wasn't my sack. I was the newbie who got the stretcher held up by ammo boxes. My bed was unfortunately used for its intended purpose in November and that was the last use of it or my poncho liner.
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FDO_Benton_and_XO_McKuen.JPGFDO and the XO"A" Battery officers Lt Jerry R. Benton (FDO) and Lt McHugh (XO) touching the roof of the twin CONEX containers of the portable FDC. Note the trusty ol' pencil sharpener under Benton's right arm and a flashlight magnetized to the joint in the roof. Benton was later promoted to Captain.
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FNG.JPGNew Arrival shoots ratMike Medley, brand new FNG with one of the couple of lights on St. George (although the grunts kept trying to tie into our generator) and the ventilation "window" made out of an ammo box that could only be used during the day. While sitting out as the dummy during the ubiquitous Spades game that ran all night, I shot a huge rat running across the "window". It flopped out on to the charts throwing blood everywhere and then on to the back of the guy sitting with his back to the charts and from there on to the "card table" a/k/a computer desk. Never heard so much high-pitched hollering (not from the rat) until my daughter had her first pre-teen sleepover party at our house.
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Gamble_KIA.JPGLZ St George battle aftermathThis is the spot on the gun pit where PFC David John Gamble was KIA during the battle on 6Nov69. (See "TAPS" - David John Gamble).
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