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LZ__Marie.JPGLZ MarieOn the way to LZ Marie, we got the "good news" that we had been dropped off a few klicks short the intended spot; we had to double-time on down by foot since the shithooks were laid on for the lift. LZ Marie started off bad since they landed the Advance Party a few klicks away from where we were supposed to be and we had to hoof it to the right location. This LZ was just outside of a rubber plantation. We could see the enemy scampering around their bunkers among the rubber trees. We weren't supposed to shoot into a French plantation without higher (economic impact) authority. However, we did shoot the guns like mortars - high angle charge 1. About 15 minutes later the French plantation manager pulled up in his jeep raising holy hell in French. I had flunked college French and one of the other guys had taken it in high school so we tried to calm him down, which only made him madder since we were butchering his native tongue. The rear sent out a settlement team to pay him off in short order, less than an hour. I sure wish the rear could have produced a pair of 9 1/2 boots - two weeks - as fast as they sent that settlement team.
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Building_LZ_Lois.JPGLZ Lois - RebuildingLZ Lois, rebuilding a RVN firebase.
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LZ_Abbey5.JPGLZ Abbey - Getting totally clean(closing) Since I had stayed behind on LZ Tuffy I went on the Advance Party to the next LZ, named LZ Suzie but not-so-fondly known by us as LZ "Suzie Pig". Another stupid blunder.
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LZ_Abbey4.JPGLZ Abbey - Getting Clean(continued) There is a funny story about LZ Abbey and the only South Vietnamese army soldier (Montagnards weren't South Vietnamese, they were good people) I saw in the field during my entire tour.
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LZ_Abbey3.JPGLZ Abbey - Great RSOP(continued) While some of us who stayed behind and were temporarily detained for some time, the rest had been going down to the water in parties of 20. Five on either side while ten bathed, we had slightly less in our group when we got there.
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LZ_Abbey2.JPGLZ Abbey - the South China Sea(continued) For the first time in Nam, I had the South China Sea on my map. We set up in a graveyard on top of a hill surrounded as a horseshoe by water.
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LZ_Abbey.JPGLZ Abbey - BeautifulLZ Abbey was as beautiful as LZ Tuffy was terrifying. It was near Bong Son. (continued).
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LZ_Tuffy_-_A_Dozen_Eggs.JPGLZ Tuffy - 1970 Breakfast coming upGotta love the Army's massive tail, they know just what the tooth needs. Carl and (I think) the Chief picking up rations - raw eggs. They sent us thousands of raw eggs. Just what you need when you can't get a fire going and there is nothing larger than a canteen cup to cook in. Unfortunately Jim Hurdle's stainless steel pot went back to the World with him. Necessity is truly a mother, excess powder bags burn and helmets hold water. Soft boiled or hard?
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LZ_Tuffy_-_1970_HiAngle_Fire.JPG
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The_Soul_Section.JPGSoul SectionThe soul gun section chilling out. No names on the slide holder. While I recognize all of them, I don't want to put on wrong names.
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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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Pups_Butch_and_Cruit.JPGOur PupsOur pups "Butch" and "Cruit". The only thing I recall them barking at were Vietnamese and tigers outside the wire.
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