Sp6 Bob McLaughlin
Building a Mess Hall at LZ Oasis
In my Photo Gallery, the photos with the mess hall signs were all taken at Camp Enari, The mess hall at the LZ Oasis was a structure that was a standing structure (red building) in pictures that had a dirt floor. It's origin or purpose were unknown to myself. Col Forrester wanted a place that his people could get a hot meal and build morale at the same time. Everyone, from the Sgt. Major, on down mixed concrete in 55 gal. drums cut in half and carried inside the structure for dumping. We had a regular line going and one of the men had worked concrete as a civilian. SFC Clyde Roker is tearing up ammo boxes so they can be used to finish the walls. The Sgt. Major had a blow torch to burn stains in the walls. The separation from the eating area and kitchen and chow line was accomplished with pieces of bamboo and plastic colored strips. This had nothing to do with "A" Battery. My only affiliation with A Battery was on paper. My entire time was with HSB (Headquarters Service Battery), and functioning as the Mess Sergeant for this unauthorized little eating spot out in no where land. My cooks for the most part were gun bunnies that God only knows where they came from. Our rations, came in convoy, every day for the next day's meals. At times we had a convoy of ammunition arrive with 60 to 80 people at 1700hrs or 1800 hrs and they had to be fed. I was very proud of the few cooks I had and the men, working out of their MOS. The sea-huts in one of my photos were pre-fab barracks that were to be used and I assume the tents would have been removed. Before they could be utilized, we evacuated the Oasis and turned it over to the South Vietnamese troops and their occupation of LZ Oasis. I returned to the Oasis and it was time for me to out process and find my way back home.