The Mighty Ninth

Strive To Reach The Summit

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DP3a.JPGAtop LZ ThunderDuc Pho, LZ Montezuma (aka Bronco), Fall, 1967. "B" Battery, 105mm howitzer. Bunkers around the gun were for ammunition and for the gun crew. The South China Sea can be seen in the rear.Nov 01, 2008
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DP7a.JPGNew FDC Section bunkerFeb/Mar 1968. Taken from front of new FDC to Bde CP. Bunker complex (w/ antennas) was Bde TOC bunker and we worked in it with them.Nov 01, 2008
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DP8a.JPGR-Sopping againSpring, 1968. Moving again, from LZ Baldy to the south of LZ English, by convoy. Time here had been hectic. Not only were we shelled frequently during the TET offensive, but so were the field units. We frequently fired illumination rds all night. Viet Army compound at Hoi An was overrun by the NVA, but was saved by our all-night pinpoint shelling.Nov 01, 2008
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DP10a.JPGFDC TOCSpring, 1968. Next to our bunker was the FDC tactical operations center where we worked. In the distance, past the Bong Son village, is one of the Tiger Mountains which was festering with VC, unlike the NVA we had seen far to the north.Nov 01, 2008
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DP9a.JPGBn CO LTC Jerry Bobzien, 2/9thSpring, 1968. LZ English was just outside Bong Son, to the south of Duc Pho where we had been months before. We stayed here only about a month. The base, fortunately, had been occupied, so it was already built for us. Our FDC bunker is behind the sign.Nov 01, 2008
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DP11a.JPGHelo Loading Area - LZ EnglishNext to our bunker was this helicopter loading area. It was oiled to keep the dust down. Here a Chinook is picking up a load of ammo, going to one of the firing batteries. Man atop truck is giving signals to the pilot. Foreground: Bn Commander LTC Bobzien's hot water shower.Nov 01, 2008
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ComingHome.jpgMade it!Still smiling, of course. There's something about DEROS orders that does that.

Welcome Home, Brothers!
Oct 04, 2008
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vn#90.jpgLucky US Farmers!Wow...if those farmers in Kansas had to deal with hoppers like these, they'd be using shotgun shells instead of bug spray.Oct 04, 2008
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vn#79.jpgMy Transfer Came Through!Yep...now I'm in Graves Registration. Actually, survival in Vietnam meant using mother earth to protect you and not living above ground in tents. Our enemy knew this fact all too well.Oct 04, 2008
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vn#48A.JPGCruisin'Watching a US tank roll through a rag-tag town looks like extreme overkill...but it isn't.Oct 04, 2008
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vn#20.jpgMakeshift BunkerMay not look pretty...but it's effective! Ammo crates over a hole in the ground. A quick fix. Best if the ammo crates are empty.Oct 04, 2008
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vn#37.jpgThe ClaymoreThe most common perimenter defense weapon we had was the Claymore. It fired double-ought ball bearings out of a slab of C-4. But our enemy was not stupid...they would: (a) turn them around, and (b) remove the wire connections under the cover of darkness. Always check your Claymores!Oct 04, 2008
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