If you read this message, I would like to talk more about the FSCC. My Company of Marines did this with calm dignity. I took it from the 2/11 chow hall ( I was with 1st Force Recon) Monte Fairchild. I dont have any of the information you seek but, I would like the same info, if you come across it I hope we can share it. 3/1 comm. Despite heavy loss of blood, Ray managed to crawl through the barrage of enemy fire to assist another fallen Marine, shielding him from a grenade blast. A few kilometers south of the base, across the mountain ridges is the Que Son Valley with plenty of old firebases including LZ Baldy and LZ Ross that are also very interesting to visit. I spent most of my time with India or Lima Companies but spent some time with Kilo, H&S and the CAP Co. HQ on Hill-37. On December 13th, a Friday, we left for the mountains to begin Operation Taylor Common. Countless of operations were launched to clear the areas and small firebases were established all across the place. My Company of Marines did this with calm dignity. We were ordered by our regimental Commander to enter the huge rice paddy and secure Vinh Huy. Marine Corps Operations in Vietnam, 1969-1972 | Proceedings - May 1973 I went through four operations while I was in Vietnam, including the Durham Peak and Pipestone Canyon operations. All that could be heard was the clanging of our equipment as we walked along. I have good and bad memories of my service in the area. I was short by that time. AN HOA, Vietnam - Liberty Bridge straddles a bend of the Phu Bon river where the flat, brown water ends at the edge of shoulder-high grass that stretches toward the distant horizon and the tall black mountains that run all the way to Laos. I remembered seeing tanks with flame thrower keep burning the area. He was only 10 years old. Don, I was FDC 2/11 Feb 70-71, HQ, then Echo Battery, then HQ the rest, AnHoa, DaNang, LZ Baldy. Welcome Home Brother !! The Map page has a map, of Hills 65, 37, 25, 52. Supported by fire from 82mm and 60mm mortars, 57mm recoilless rifles and B-44 rockets, PAVN and VC troops advanced against the base's eastern perimeter. Kilo 3/5 Just found this site and thought Id say HI. I also worked in 5th Marines COC In all, as of mid-summer 1969, the Wing inventory totalled about 225 helicopters and 250 fixed wing aircraft. Always busy. In the early morning of March 19, 1969, a Marine combat base at Phu Loc 6 near An Hoa, He volunteered for a mission at An Hoa for the search, recovery, and repair of a C-130. 5 faves. Back to Nam: Hill 41 - Blogger He blamed the Doc. I was there when the nurses were abducted. On June 9th ,1968 we caught the 90th NVA Regt off guard, as we had camouflaged so well & moved at night when the NVA lest expected Marines on the move & foufgt a successful battle at An Bang 3 village area killing 80 NVA by body count, & collecting 100s of enemy wpns. I worked the radios in the FSCC on a temporary assignment in late February 1969. He even fought off an attack of two NVA soldiers before he himself was wounded. I have pictures of that day and the day after. Vietnam; Lao, China border area. read more, Photo By Andr Sobocinski | In the early morning of March 19, 1969, a Marine combat base at Phu Loc 6 near An Hoa, Vietnam, became the scene of a surprise enemy attack. 19-March-69, FSB Phu Loc 6 . A man sent to take her and her family to resettlement, again. He kept coming and kept coming, making like he was drinking from the can, and he wouldnt put it down. SEMPER-FI. Dr Donald Turner DDS and I. I have a pictures of that Medcap. I was in E Co. weapons platoon ( guns) I went to graves registry in DaNang to identify his body. Despite heavy loss of blood, Ray managed to crawl through the barrage of enemy fire to assist another fallen Marine, shielding him from a grenade blast. 1/5 Third Platoon, USMC An Hoa Base, as A Grunt Marine, from October 1968 to November 1969. [3] The airfield was capable of handling C-7, C-123 and C-130 aircraft. I was there when the CBs built us a hooch and the tent went away. there. Samper Fi ! Liberty Bridge South side of Liberty Bridge view directly north to Charlie Ridge and Hill 37. On 10 September, 1965 the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment LtCol. Thanks for posting! Done. At the time I was there we had the NVA come on our radio net and tell us they would have complete control of Liberty Bridge and our CO told us we were surrounded by 5000 NVA Regulars. I was with Echo also 67-68 Oct to March when evaced out of country. Talking now, I can still see him. . Click on Members Stories for a feel of our guys lives. The last RPG hit behind me just as I was diving into a bunker. Changing tubes on 175s at LSU 1 in 1970 was the hardest work I have ever done in my life . I am very happy you made it out. I left in Aug of 70 as a part of the initial move back to Danang. His name was LCpl Billy Daugherty. Iv talked with some of the Marines I was with but most have Passed on. I was in W battery 2/11, FDC. Vietnam (way remote N.W. His name was Kinh. Concrete bunker built by the French during the 1950s. My name is Paul Conrad I was there August 1968-November 1969, welcome Brother Marine. or nature. Hi Leslie. An Hoa Valley, Qung Nam Province. Post-military, Frew became a salesman and a banker, and was actively involved in the Marine Corps League Desoto Detachment 588 and Toys for Tots. Golden Bridge, also known as the Giant Hand Bridge is located on the top of Nui Chua Mountain, Ba Na Hills, Da Nang. More Comments One was to a Bhudist orphanage nearby. First impressions are forged early in Marine units and those who served alongside Ray took note of his dedication and great humility. read more Did we meet during the time between your arrival and my departure from An Hoi ? Flooded Bridge Liberty Bridge was flooded out during the Monsoon Season several times. The many convoy escorts to liberty bridge and back, lost quite a few Marines on those, mines and booby traps. You grunts were everything a Doc could ask for and more. Amphibian tractors arrived and added the weight of their machine guns to the battle. The only officer alive in the fight had us retreat to some high ground behind us where we began our attack. As I recall it was a white building about a mile or so away. Liberty Bridge was constructed and located at coordinates AT 923532, in Dai Loc District, Quang Nam Province. The On 7 May Company A 1st Battalion 7th Marines relieved one Company from 2/7 Marines and Company K 3/7 Marines was added to the operation. Once, instead instead of evacuation by chopper we went to An Hoa and caught a C-123. Moments in the An Hoa Valley - Vietnam 1968 I was wounded May 16, 1969 at An Hoa combat base by the rocket attack and, unfortunately, your brother must have been the KIA I never knew. The An Hoa Combat Base was first used in January 1966 during Operation Mallard as the Marines needed a firebase in support of the operation. as told to Abby Weingarten, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 44 until 0400 est. Elements of the 3rd Marine Division were the first Marine units that operated in the vicintiy of Hill 55 beginning in 1965 Going though some of his papers and found his Navy Achievement Medal with a V . Semper Fi to every Marine who served with 2/5 at An Hoa. Not sure why that worked. Ba Na is often referred to as a fairyland which attracts flocks of visitors everyday. My father, Sgt. A women saving food. I was there with you. I was with Echo during that time frame, 2nd platoon i believe it was. But my B Battery had been split off from the battalion on arrival in Vietnam and placed in a defensive position near Da Nang. What Is The Difference Between The Four Types Of Landslides? Thanks, Jon. Say, trying to confirm the name of the CO for 2/5. The Liberty Bridge was constructed over a period of 12 months by Taylor and Murphy Construction Co. of Asheville, N.C., designed by bridge architect Miquel Rosales of Boston, and engineered by Schlaich Bergermann. Terry, Denny and I are standing right where the stage would have been. In a Free Fire Zone SW of Danang in 1968. Im so sorry. Spent 9 mo. We used to patrol Dodge City day and night with just squad size patrols, Keep in mind in late part of 1968 the 2 NVA Division which hung out on Go Nio island moved a regiment of NVA hard core the 36 NVA regiment into Doge city M bro was with 3/5 Lima company in operation Meade river lots and lots of bunkers. My house is in the front of the district administration build, across the grassy field. You are ALL truly HEROS!! Did make it to the Goi Noi Island; bad place! These were the first official combat units that were sent to Vietnam. Despite the challenges of working during the monsoon season, they finished the airstrip in. I read years later in a book about Robert Garwood that some nurses and doctors from a German hospital were brought in to the camp where he was being held, just west of the An Hoa base. My mom had a vendor shed on the north side of Liberty Bridge selling soft drinks and souvenirs during the period. From April to September 1967 Seabees of Mobile Construction Battalion 4 built a 2,040 feet (620 m) "Liberty bridge" (T Do bridge, now the Giao Thy bridge) over the Thu Bn river. Many children killed. A Portrait of HM2 Bobby Ray, Heroic "Doc" of Liberty Bridge We never slept even when not in the bush. NVA went into the orphanage still cant believe there were hundreds of us Marines just yards away playing defense while a few NVA killed all those kids!still my worst memory of my year over there, As C O of B1/5 I served at Liberty Bridge for combat operations in the Arizona Territory and later out of An Hoa & the 1/5 battles at An Bang 3 in the Arizona territory as we named the VC/NVA location 80 plus days on patrol or fighting from May 15th until July 31st, then because I complained of poor logistic support the 5TH Regt C.O pulled me out of Bn to be the Regt logistics officer S-4 & An Hoa base security officer as a Capt. My dad was there that night Dan bullock was Kia. I had been wounded on 27 February at our outpost at My Loc 2. 69. I remember while serving at An Hoa that 2 nurses were abducted from the Hospital by the VC and when my tour of duty was over in Aug. 69 they had never been found. [2]:20410, In August 1966 the Marines completed the construction of the MSR (main supply route) between Da Nang and An Ha, naming it the "Liberty Road". Thanks for your service Don and Welcome Home Brother !!! Dr. Faust, I was with you and Dr. Donald Turner, DDS on the medcap that day. An Hoa Combat Base - Wikipedia 58 captured. Taken at Hospital Corps School San Diego, Calif., in October 1966, it is a heavily cropped image that conceals the fact that at 66 Ray towered over his classmates and he typically shied away from getting his photograph taken. Email is namwartravel@gmail.com, Served as a Seabee 67/68 served at An Hoa combat and the Liberty bridge. Thank you for your insightful comment. The "Arizona Territory" was located south and west of Da Nang and got its nickname due to the wild west nature of the fighting and the area being a free fire zone. The runway is in decent condition and is possible to drive on. Really looking for tower above HQ bunker. Beautiful country Laos. Went back the next day. At the east end of the runway are a couple of craters and some dug out areas that seem to be from the era. I do remember the monkey but he got mad and ran off to Amtracs across the road. Thomas Frew was not yet a high school graduate in Newburgh, New York, when he enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War in 1968. My best friend wound up at Khe Sahn during TET and over the years we had our share of alcohol talking about who had it worst. I was lucky to be inside the COC bunker on the night shifts when most of the incoming was happening. And he raised his hand (Im sorry, I still get emotional thinking about this) and I popped him square in the chest. I did a few weeks in late 2019, treking down through the Laotian mountains bordering Vietnam. Her bomb shelter, her livestock, her food stock was destroyed. Never realize what he received it to until I read the write up about the attach on Feb 23, 1969. 1st Bridge Co. When the attack began at 22:00, Marine tank and artillery crews on the perimeter began direct fire against the advancing PAVN/VC, using Beehive anti-personnel rounds. [1], An Ha was located southeast of a major Vietcong (VC)/People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) base area known as the Arizona Territory across the Vu Gia River. Hill 41 was the sister hill to Hill 10. I have so many memories from An Hoa. Duc Duc was just outside the west gate of F 2/11 towards the song Thu Bon. Today if you Google David Robert Ray you will come across a portrait showing a gangly, smiling youth in service dress and a Dixie Cup hat. Thank you so much for the work and pictures you provided Like I said a flood of memories . From the Red Garcia Collection (COLL/5065), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections . As the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) infiltrated the camps barbed wire perimeter, a 24-year old corpsman named Bobby Ray charged into the melee to render emergency aid to the mounting casualties. We were bulk fuel, ammo, radio relay, etc. I think we called it the Rocket Capital of the World, lol. Casualties and losses. combat narratives are told by those who actually engaged in the. In the act of saving this Marines life Ray ultimately sacrificed his own. Hey Paul, was C Company CP located on Hill 37 near Dai-Loc? I want to cross into Lao from N.W. I ended up in Hue City, where I got hit for the third time during my tour of duty. First vehicle over the new Liberty Bridge!! - YouTube The Liberty Bridge, completed in 1928, connects downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the Liberty Tunnels and the South Hills neighborhoods beyond. Ive been to Lao about 20 times (visa run, Thailand) but mostly just the Vientiane area. I was at An Hoa for much of 1967. Mar67 to Apr68. One of the last Air Traffic Controllerswatched a CH53 hook up to our control tower (actually a box about 6x6x6 feet) February 15th, DVIDS Hub works best with JavaScript enabled, Version: 378719a7422dbf16a653a31d0524fb9a2058ed47_2023-04-20T10:09:12. Lived in a tent next to the sniper platoon. Getting to the base is very easy. Thats what we called him. As a USNavy physician, I was assigned as Battalion Surgeon for 2/5 and arrived at An Hoa Combat Base July 26, 1970, three weeks after finishing my internship. Never saw a hospital. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, and sent overseas, where he stayed for more than 15 months (earning the Bronze Star and Purple Heart). http://www.marzone.com/7thMarines/Vn5500.htmhttps://www.seabee-rvn.com/Bridges/Liberty-Bridge/http://dennislathamfiction.blogspot.com/2006/08/vietnam-liberty-bridge.html?m=1http://1-5vietnamveterans.org/15-combat-ops/https://books.google.com.vn/books?id=YN1RDwAAQBAJ\u0026pg=PA178\u0026lpg=PA178\u0026dq=liberty+bridge+Vietnam\u0026source=bl\u0026ots=rdUdHu273U\u0026sig=ACfU3U03Qy55U0spK0AjFgbZvRuMbTzAmA\u0026hl=vi\u0026sa=X\u0026ved=2ahUKEwjdpfygzb_lAhWFd94KHZnMA8o4ChDoATAHegQIAxAB#v=onepage\u0026q=liberty%20bridge%20Vietnam\u0026f=falsehttps://books.google.com.vn/books?id=NxAiZsLSrhoC\u0026pg=PA139\u0026lpg=PA139\u0026dq=liberty+bridge+Vietnam\u0026source=bl\u0026ots=YxuAb4JnDy\u0026sig=ACfU3U1VelKurAzqrOtpeY2JEJGVukMsFg\u0026hl=vi\u0026sa=X\u0026ved=2ahUKEwjdpfygzb_lAhWFd94KHZnMA8o4ChDoATAJegQIARAB#v=onepage\u0026q=liberty%20bridge%20Vietnam\u0026f=false Get on a rented motorbike if you have a drivers license or take a taxi out here. Filling up canteens with fresh drinking water from bomb crater while on patrol in the field. Ha! I was a Navy Corpsman with Delta 1/5 in 68-69. Jim Parker from Memphis TN. Concrete bunker built by the French during the 1950s. In the act of saving this Marines life Ray ultimately sacrificed his own. First Force Recon. Only in Que Son Valley there were at least fifteen firebases on different sites at some point in time. How long is Liberty Bridge? it was just down from a fire support base across road from a ville. Total casualties between the two companies was 110 KIA and that many wounded. Thanks for your comment Tom. . This disambiguation page lists articles about roads and streets with the same name. Thanks for sharing the pictures. I once attended a Catholic service in a bunker by regiment and had this beautiful blond sit down next to me and later discovered she was from the German Hospital outside our wire. I am happy you made it out. I came to visit the vendor shed sometimes and remembered there were a nice big ship docking near the liberty bridge. Thank you for you kind comment. Did you also read the Hue article here on the website? Maybe it was the 7th Marines?Operations Union I and II, and then Swift. Remember helping me pass out malaria pills. BUMED Archives. This mission covers another insert near at Liberty Bridge, which I believe was near the base at An Hoa. Where Was Liberty Bridge In Vietnam? - Knowledge WOW Battalion: 2d Battalion. The following year, Bobby Rayor as he is better known to us today, David Robert Raywas posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Their initial task was to provide security for the Da Nang airbase. Liberty Bridge was constructed and located at coordinates AT 923532, in Dai Loc District, Quang Nam Province. 8,945 views. I remember very well the ammo dump blowing up on Feb. 23. He is my Stoic Hero.