The Mighty Ninth

Strive To Reach The Summit


LZ_Tuffy_-_Mike,_Carl_and_George.JPG
LZ_Tuffy_-_Mike,_Carl_and_George.JPGLZ Tuffy - 1970Mike Medley, "Carl the FNG" (but great guy who saved my butt on the Advance Party going into the cluster at Susie Pig), and Eugene "George" Jarisch getting cleaned up in front of our hooch.
LZ_Tuffy_-_Million_Dollar_view.JPG
LZ_Tuffy_-_Million_Dollar_view.JPGLZ Tuffy - 1970Million dollar views from Tuffy - this slide and next. Unless, of course, you looked 1800 mils and saw the ridgeline lurking over the firebase. It was a mother to try to hump trunks up the steep sides of those hills to use for overhead cover. The mountaintop was so small and steep that we could only fire the full battery (I think we were still down a tube at that time) on high angle. {continued next slide}
Modern-Day_Mike_Medley.JPG
Modern-Day_Mike_Medley.JPGModern Day Mike & spouseFast-forward to August, 2014, just a "few" years later. Mike Medley and wife of 47 years, Karen Medley. Mike is proud of his "Ole Miss" cap, home of his law degree.
Best_Buddies_-_Modern_Day.JPG
Best_Buddies_-_Modern_Day.JPGBest Buddies - a few years laterWell, more than a few. Clint "McClintock" Curry (left, deceased 4/18) and Mike Medley at their reunion, March 2011.
LZ_Tuffy_-_Sikorksky_Crane_arrives.JPG
LZ_Tuffy_-_Sikorksky_Crane_arrives.JPGLZ Tuffy - 1970The Sikorsky Skycrane unloads a huge log, almost as long as the LZ. Many hooches used it as a foundation.
LZ_Tuffy_-_Moving_In.JPG
LZ_Tuffy_-_Moving_In.JPGLZ Tuffy - 1970LZ Tuffy now has our CONEX landed.
LZ_Tuffy_-_Carl___Denny.JPG
LZ_Tuffy_-_Carl___Denny.JPGLZ Tuffy - 1970Carl (?), a new guy from Georgia, and Denny Mrowczynski, working the sandbagging detail.
LZ_Tuffy_-_Mike_Medley.JPG
LZ_Tuffy_-_Mike_Medley.JPGLZ Tuffy - 1970My arrival at LZ Tuffy. This is the FDC share of the big log with me sitting on it over a rubber lady.
LZ_Tuffy_-_New_Home.JPG
LZ_Tuffy_-_New_Home.JPGLZ Tuffy - 1970Finished. A real tropical resort; the sand is mud. Home-No-So-Sweet-Home at LZ Tuffy.
LZ_Tuffy_-_Shithook_arrives.JPG
LZ_Tuffy_-_Shithook_arrives.JPGLZ Tuffy - 1970A CH-47 Chinook (Shithook) arrives to bring in a M102 howitzer.
FDO_Benton_and_XO_McKuen.JPG
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.
Screen.JPG
Screen.JPG"Please don't feed..."I'm standing in front of the B-40 screen around the FDC conex (all the commo antennas made it a tempting target). The sign on the fence reads: "Please do not feed the animals).
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