The Mighty Ninth

Strive To Reach The Summit


Most viewed - Michael Medley
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Gun5Hooch.JPGPhotos contributed by others106 viewsThis photo is captioned "Gun 5 hooch" - had to be LZ St. George since that was the only time there was this kind of building material.
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St_Geo_Bunker.JPGLZ St George battle aftermath104 viewsAnother bunker at LZ St George destroyed by sappers in the battle of November, 1969. I think Sgt Jim "Tex" Shelton sent this photo to me.
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Happy_Jack.JPGPhotos contributed by others104 views"Happy Jack"? Guess not. PFC Jackie L. Catron looks a little forlorn.
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Blown_Bunker.JPGLZ St George battle aftermath103 viewsOne of the above-ground monsoon bunkers at St. George blown by the sappers. I think this and the next two photos were sent to me by Jim "Tex" Shelton since I was out of film during the aftermath.
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Gun_5Pit.JPGPhotos contributed by others102 viewsThis photo is captioned "Gun 5 pit"
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Clint,_Hurdle_and_Burnett.JPGSp5 Curry, Sp4 Hurdle and Sp5 Burnett101 viewsClint 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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Break_Time_-_An_Khe.JPGBan Me Thout97 viewsIn foreground is FDC: (Left to right) Tom "Terrific" FNG from Manitou Springs, CO, Carl from Georgia no longer the FNG, Cruit who forever was just that, "George" Jarisch, Bullet Bob (back to camera with glasses), and Bill "Nan the Man" Nankervis(deceased) who could always give the Peanuts character Pigpen a run for his money.
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Clint_Curry,_Hooking_Up.JPGHooking up the CH-4795 viewsExciting 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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Best_Buds.JPGBest Buddies93 views"FNG" PFC Mike Medley and Sp5 Clint Curry out next to the conex "window" and entry way into the annex. Must have been a day or two after getting to the battery at St. George since I have on a WHITE tee shirt. Can't remember even having a green one during my tour, let alone underwear or socks. Note that the sign reads "A" Battery in the background.
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Our_Gang-AnKhe_AO.JPGBan Me Thout 92 views(L to R) PFC Dennis Van Linder (promoted to Corporal and probably one of the last Corporals in the Army), Jim Hurdle, Carl from Georgia, Cruit (getting picked on as usual), Mike Medley (in the Joe Cool shades), Denny Mrowczynski, and Eugene "George" Jarisch.
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Me_in_the_FDC.JPGThat's Me in the FDC89 viewsWhat am I doing here? This office is too cluttered. Shoulda went to law school instead. Oh, that's right...I did that later. Hurdle took this photo. Note the story headline in the crease of the newspaper "Uneasiness Now". Wonder if they are referring to being in Vietnam? Jim Hurdle sent me this picture of me about 20 years ago. Most pictures one can either remember being taken or has some internal content to help recognize the where and when. Probably St. George, but I have no real clue since the CONEX moved while the interior from this perspective remained the same. I kept this photo in my office until I retired, and kept looking at it when I was bored or pissed off and would try to guess what that skinny young troop was daydreaming about.
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McKuen_-_Richardson.JPGLt Jim McHugh and BC Capt Richardson88 viewsLt McHugh, XO, and BC Richardson inside the FDC CONEX. I recall that McHugh's dad was a full bird colonel. He started college at VMI and dropped out first year and went through OCS. He was a 20 year-old 1st LT as XO. Really a great kid (I was 23). Between the two of us we could do a high burst registration, which helped keep me around. He knew his stuff, but we loved to fool around with him. He wanted to fire the battery in strict accordance with the FM6-40, but FDC was more conscious of potential "check-fire" situations. We got the section chiefs on the guns to go along with us, so rather than argue with him we just said "yes sir". So the next thing is McHugh: "Battery" then the Chiefs:"Platoons", McHugh: "fire" followed by a ragged "bang . . . bang bang . . . bang . . bang (we only had 5 tubes at the time). He came into FDC and we offered to show him how to do it. Chief: "Battery ready", Me: "Battery fire" BANG in perfect unison.
(Note. Lt McKugh died on December 8, 2017 from cancer.)
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