Most viewed - Leon "Lee" Dixon
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Dixon12.jpgCamera cutups164 viewsWe had a great team of guys & we had fun too on occasion. Roman, was a real cut-up and was always doing something funny. Here he is making rabbit ears on Hunter (commo wire man from East St. Louis) and a sergeant– whose name I forget because he was from Baltimore and we always called him "B-More"! Tthis was taken near Duc Pho as we were preparing to go to the dreaded Bong Son area. Sgt. "B-More" (who insisted "don't call me sergeant!") was injured in a VC attack on a bunker and was shipped out afterward if I remember right. Roman went to another battery.
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Dixon38.jpg"Short-Timer"163 viewsWhat does a "short-timer" look like? Well, here is your big clue. The steel pot was damaged by a mortar round. The white picket fence led to the Marines tent area. One of the Marines saved my neck when we were overrun by the VC with satchel charges in our commo area.
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Dixon-77.jpgMilitary Entertainment163 viewsA "successful audition" is one thing; complying with para-3 is another. But, there's also a case of not being around to play, also.
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LD-3.JPGPatrol Training163 viewsWe were sometimes forced to go on patrols periodically by a sergeant who was a hard-ass and thought it was "good training" to keep us on our toes so we in Commo wouldn't get too soft out there in the field! Of course, good 'ol sarge was bunked up cool, safe and dry back at Montezuma when we were out crawling around in the jungle, wading through mud, being devoured by bugs, traversing rice paddies, sleeping in foxholes, dealing with "charlie" and... well, you get the picture.
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Dixon42.jpgLZ English - Bong Son162 viewsThe dreaded LZ English... strange food (a LOT of S.O.S.), stolen mail, weak perimeters but great living quarters made out of 105 ammo boxes!
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Dixon-77a.jpgNot available162 viewsA little malaria got in the way of playing bass for Martha Raye and her overseas tour.
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Dixon69.jpgMy Lifesaver - USMC161 viewsReferring back to my "War Story" about the Marine who may have saved my life and lived in the tent behind our commo tent in Duc Pho? This is him, just off in the right of this Polaroid. And Notice the Marine Corps 3/4-ton truck down below.
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Dixon3a.jpgThe "cunt cap"160 viewsWe used to call these "cunt caps". Now, that always sounded odd and gross to me...but would you believe I made it almost all the way through basic before I realized that was NOT the correct name for the silly things?
The military nomenclature was "Overseas Cap".
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Dixon37.jpgC-130160 viewsHere is a shot of one of the many, many, many times I was flying out on a C-130. Some of the guys on this very plane I never saw again. I heard they were later killed in an ambush. Note the DC-3-based "Puff The Magic Dragon plane in the background!
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Dixon41.jpgThe Children of War159 viewsOne of the saddest things I recall is seeing orphaned children along the roads as we caravaned. This boy and girl were sister and brother and said they had no parents (killed by the VC). They were huddled together as if all they had in the world was each other. It was heartbreaking, but we couldn't take them with us. We weren't even supposed to stop in most places...
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Dixon45.jpgLZ English - Bong Son159 viewsNow, one day near the perimeter, this Chinook chopper lands, drops off a couple of things, then suddenly...see next photo....
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Dixon61.jpgSarge told us to straighten this pole159 viewsAnother character from Duc Pho-LZ Montezuma. Picture taken just after erecting tents and getting off the hard ground. I'm on the left and can't remember the guy on the right. He was from the Chicago area and insisted on being called "Mouse" or "Da Mouse". Tore his real name off his fatigues. He burned a lot of incense and got into Bhuddism. Lotsa guys avoided him, but we got along. Always wore sunglasses, even at night.
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