From: Jim
Date: 8/28/2005
Time: 1:53:16 PM
Remote Name: 209.240.205.62
First time I saw Can Tho and Soc Trang was as a crew chief on a B model gunship in 1965. They had gathered all of the chopper units from as far north as Pleiku for a GREAT ASSULT in the Soc Trang area. I was a civilian advisor to the Vietnamese 4th Air Division at Bien Thuy in 71-72-73 and watched the last Army units leave the area. All the round eyes had gone except for a half dozen advisors. No PX, No APO, No Mess Hall, No radio station to tell you the VC were comeing. I watched a lot of excess equipment being pushed off the docks at Bien Thuy Navy because it wasn't on the books and they didn't want to give it to the Viets. All of the aircraft and equipment was being turned over. If one item in a set was short the Viets wouldn't sign for the set. The GI's were going home and the word was to get rid of it. All of the units on the base was standing down. I went to the Signal people and wanted a couple jeep mounted radios so we could communicate. They gave me six PRC-25's (?) back packs and three jeep units. The MP's gave me two new shotguns. M-16's were a dime a dozen as were pistols. I was given a Thompson .45 Cal sub-machine gun with the drum magazine by someone who couldn't take it home. Also had a M151 jeep that wasn't on the books. Things were sure different when the units were pulling out.
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