Soc Trang

From: Ed St. Clair
Date: 5/25/2002
Time: 7:52:07 PM
Remote Name: 207.13.165.87

Comments

A friend sent me this asking whether it was my AO. It sure was, 17 Jan 68 - 9 Jan 69, I was the engineer advisor for the 21st Infantry Division (Bac Lieu) and it's combat engineer battalion (Soc Trang).

We had a company stationed in Can Tho doing work on the Can Tho Army Airfield, mostly fencing and fortifications.

We also had a company (minus) working on the Bac Lieu runway.

During TET, Fritz Hanson (advisor 402nd Engineer Battalion, also located in Soc Trang), and I were caught in Can Tho on a liaison visit to the IV Corps Engineer Advisor, Karl Bartelt. We were stuck in the IV Corps Advisors compound, across from the soccer field, for three days until we could get back to our battalions where we went to work opening up QL-IV from Can Tho through Phong Hiep, Sac Trang, Bac Lieu to Ca Mau.

I would certainly like to see any photos of Soc Trang itself.

Dr. Carl Bartelt, who was stationed at the Soc Trang Army Air Field in the mid-60s has written a book, "Soc Trang," about his work mostly off duty with the civilian hospital in town. As far as I know, he and I are the only two in Pueblo, and maybe all of Colorado, who were stationed in Soc Trang.

I can be reached at ramled@fone.net.

Good to see this site, I will be back!

Ed