Most viewed - Dennis L Dauphin
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Duc_Pho_Orphanage-2011.JPG44 Years Later!168 viewsJust amazing! The son of Capt Ronald Rod, who helped this Orphanage as a "Military Advisor" and was later KIA, visited the Orphanage in 2011. In this photo are six (6) of the original orphans along with Sr. Emmilene, who founded the Duc Pho Orphanage in 1966. Capt Rod was one of my ROTC Cadre at Loyola.
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Port_Call_-_1.JPGPort Call Orders153 viewsGuess what, buddy? You're going to Nam! Port Call orders dated 2Nov66. The story goes that the Pentagon had no way of knowing what posts the Field Artillery officers and NCOs were stationed back then. Soooo, they found a solution. The big brass sent a "get off your ass" letter to each Army Post commanding general and told them to report the presence of MOS 13 personnel living on post. Well, it worked. And, Ft Dix kinda resembled Nam...gawdawful place.
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Jungle_Expert.JPGFt Sherman - Jungle Training144 viewsBut first...we're sending you to Ft Sherman for jungle training. This course was worse than any experience I had in Vietnam, minus being shot at, of course. All the swinging on ropes and eating snake meat, killing a chicken and eating it, and the 24 hour E&E (Escape & Evasion) exercise was really survival training if you got separated. Didn't apply much otherwise. We were supposed to have a plane waiting upon graduation directly to Vietnam, but some Infantry battalion had a higher priority. That was OK by me; got another 30 days leave to ponder my fate.
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Ft_Sherman_Book.JPGFt Sherman - Jungle Training Pamphlet142 viewsThis training was tougher than Vietnam; many candidates dropped out and were ushered out of the country. The School was advised NOT to send the men on the final E&E exercise due to a major storm and river flooding, but did so anyway. The "partisan point" was 15' under water and marked by a pole. Landing craft picked up the students. Safety and property loss was NOT a concern as many M-14 were dropped in the Chagres River from the crossing ropes. After all the "safety first" training rules back in the States, this was a shock to my system. The Jungle Expert Badge was truly a "well-earned" award.
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DD_-_Wendell_Corey.JPGTour Guide141 viewsI served as a tour guide when actor Wendell Corey was making field visits. He died the next year (1968) at age 54.
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Service.JPGHanging 'em up136 viewsAfter 28 years of active and Reserve service, it's time to "hang 'em up". Let someone take your place with new youth and vigor.
My USAR time was spent primarily with the 4152d USAR School in New Orleans and a short stint with the 1192d Transportation and Terminal Unit located at the edge of the famous French Quarter.
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Bronze_Star_Ceremony.JPGBronze Star Ceremony128 viewsAfter I returned home, I didn't know that I was put in for any award. Then I got a letter asking if I wanted a formal military color guard presentation. Since I was back home living with my widowed mother and two younger sisters, I said "yes" mainly for their benefit. Sure enough, they had me go to the Louisiana National Guard barracks where they called out the Color Guard and I was presented my Bronze Star.
Maybe I should go back for my Air Medal? Never got that one.
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DLD_-_LZ_OD.JPGLanding Zone (LZ) Olive Drab128 views"At home" on LZ OD (Landing Zone Olive Drab). Note bunker in rear. Provided both security and a relief from the high temps. Used 105 cannisters mark the paths around the LZ.
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DD-pipe.JPGIt was tobacco122 viewsCourtesy of Lt Dennis Munden, who served shoulder-to-shoulder with me in the FDC CONEX at LZ OD in 1967. He snapped this shot of my handy pipe. It was filled with Cherry Blend pipe tobacco and none of the "local stuff".
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FDC_Boys.JPGThe Two Dennis120 viewsHome safe from Vietnam, Dennis Munden and I will never forget our 24-hr shift sharing in the A/2/9 FDC atop LZ OD. We computed so many fire missions, especially after landing in Duc Pho to relieve the US Marines who were sent further north. It was a time of great stress and concentration, putting the artillery where it was needed. Photo taken at Dauphin's home in Ocean Springs, MS.
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Powder_Bags.JPGPicture Worth a 1,000 words116 viewsIn order to explain a little about our firing battery to the folks back home, I used this photo clearly showing the powder bags held up for the Executive Officer (XO) to verify that the correct charge was being used to fire the round. In this case, with four bags out of seven not in the tube, it is Charge 3. That round won't go very far away from the firebase at that charge. PS> Straddling the leg of a 105mm is not Ft Sill approved procedure.
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CONUS_Orders.JPGGoing Home - CONUS Orders111 viewsSpecial Orders #245 were special indeed! Switch the numbers around and you have my Northwest Airlines flight #254. The arrival at Oakland Army Air Terminal was bullshit, though. Due to our wonderful "hippie" anti-war friends, they were shooting .22 cal rifles through the chain-link fence at the Oakland Terminal and we were diverted to McChord AFB. There we were treated to "midnight physicals". Ya think anyone refused to sign a medical release then? The next photo shows our "going home" barracks...even got a Floor & Bunk assignment. The jungle never looked like this!!
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