PART ONE
I ARRIVED AT FORT BRAGG IN NOVEMBER 1966, JUST A YOUNG 19 YEAR OLD INEXPERIENCED BUCK SERGEANT RETURNING FROM A TOUR IN GERMANY. I REPORTED INTO THE REPLACEMENT COMPANY AND WAS TOLD FORT BRAGG IS ONLY A TEMPORARY STOP. I ASKED WHAT THAT MEANT AND WAS INFORMED THAT XV III AIRBORNE CORPS HAD THREE ARTILLERY BATTALIONS AND ALL THREE WERE ALERTED FOR DEPLOYMENT TO VIETNAM. I WAS GIVEN A CHOICE OF WHICH BATTALION I WANTED TO BE ASSIGNED, MY ANSWER WAS, WHICHEVER ONE IS LEAVING FIRST, AND WHAMO, ON TO THE 92nd.
MY NEXT MOVE WAS TO BRAVO BATTERY, WHERE UPON REPORTING INTO THE ORDERLY ROOM I WAS MET BY A SFC. HE TOLD ME TO PLACE MY BAGS IN THE CORNER AND FOLLOW HIM, (LITTLE DID I KNOW, I WAS ON MY WAY TO ANNEX #8 NCO CLUB.) WE PROCEEDED TO HAVE A FEW BEERS AND DISCUSS MY PAST EXPERIENCE (WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS A LITTLE OF NOTHING). SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO 2400 HOURS (LAST CALL) WE DEPARTED THE CLUB AND HEADED BACK TO THE BATTERY. HE TOLD ME HE HAD AN EMPTY BUNK IN HIS ROOM AND FOR ME TO SET UP MY BELONGINGS THERE. I THOUGHT, "HERE I AM, ROOMING WITH THE CHIEF OF FIRING BATTERY, MOVING UP IN THE WORLD". FOR THE NEXT 70 DAYS I HAD VERY LITTLE SLEEP. THE SFC SNORED AND FARTED, NOT JUST EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT FROM THE TIME HIS HEAD HIT THE PILLOW TO FIRST CALL. NOT JUST LITTLE HAND SAWING LOGS TYPE OF SNORES YOU SEE IN CARTOONS, BUT THE KIND OF HI-POWERED SOUPED-UP CHAIN SAWS YOU SEE ON ESPN. ZZZZ- FART- ZZZZ -FART ALL NIGHT LONG. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, MY BUNK WAS NEXT TO THE WINDOW. I KEPT THE WINDOWS OPEN DURING NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER IT DID GET COLD IN THERE BUT I COULD BREATHE. THE POST FIRE MARSHALL SHOULD HAVE POSTED A NO SMOKING WITHIN 50 FEET SIGN ON OUR DOOR. I THEN UNDERSTOOD WHY THAT BUNK WAS EMPTY.
I WAS ASSIGNED AS GUNNER (GUN #4). DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, THE BATTALION WENT THROUGH: AN IG INSPECTION, BATTALION MAINTENANCE INSPECTION (CMMI), BATTERY TEST AND THEN FINALLY A BATTALION TEST, ADD TO THAT ALL THE PRE-INSPECTIONS AND FIELD TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR THE INSPECTIONS AND TEST. MANY HOURS OF HARD WORK WENT INTO THOSE DAYS.
AFTER PASSING ALL THE INSPECTIONS AND UNIT TEST'S, WE PROCEEDED TO TURN-IN OUR GUNS FOR REPLACEMENTS, WHICH WAS A BLESSING BECAUSE THE GUNS WE HAD WAS EQUIPPED WITH HYDRAULIC MOTORS, THIS ADDED ABOUT 700 POUNDS OF WEIGHT DIRECTLY ON THE END OF THE TRAILS. EACH SECTION WAS GIVEN A CONEX, TRUCKLOAD OF WATERPROOF PAPER AND TOLD TO PACK.
THE BATTALION WAS DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS AND GIVEN PRE-DEPLOYMENT LEAVE. AFTER EVERYTHING WAS TRANSPORTED AND SHIPPED VIA CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA WE SPENT A FEW WEEKS KICKED BACK OR PULLING POST DETAILS. SFC BRANCH WENT ON AS PART OF THE ADVANCE PARTY. I IMAGINE NO ONE ON THAT SHIP AND VERY FEW FISH IN THE ATLANTIC/PACIFIC/SOUTH CHINA SEA GOT ANY SLEEP
OUR FIRST LEG OF THE JOURNEY STARTED AT POPE AIR FORCE BASE. LOADED ON OVERSEAS NATIONAL AIRLINES (FOUR ENGINE PROPS) FOR OUR TRIP TO OAKLAND ARMY TERMINAL. SOMEWHERE OVER NEW MEXICO THE PLANE BLEW AN ENGINE. WE LANDED IN ALBUQUERQUE, OFF LOADED AND WAITED FOR A REPLACEMENT TO BE FLOWN IN. WE WERE WEARING FATIGUES, AND CARRYING OUR M-16s, ABOUT SIX HOURS WAS SPENT IN THE AIRPORT LOUNGE, WHAT WOULD PEOPLE THINK ABOUT IT TODAY? A PLANELOAD OF GI's DRINKING IN AN AIRPORT LOUNGE CARRYING RIFLES,WHAT A SIGHT THAT MUST HAVE BEEN. DON'T THINK IT WOULD HAPPEN IN TODAY'S TIME. AFTER THE PLANE WAS REPAIRED WE CONTINUED ON TO OAKLAND AND BOARDED THE USNS GORDON.
 HAVING TRAVELED TO GERMANY IN NOVEMBER 1963 ON A TROOP SHIP (USNS PATCH) I REMEMBERED ALL PERSONNEL E-5 AND ABOVE BEING ASSIGNED TO SLEEPING AREAS HIGHER UP IN THE SHIP (CABINS). ME AS A LOWLY PRIVATE WAS DIRECTED TO THE HOLE. AS WE BOARDED THE USNS GORDON ALL E-6s AND ABOVE WERE ASSIGNED UPPER LEVEL QUARTERS. I FOUND MYSELF AGAIN BACK DOWN IN THE HOLE. I KNEW FROM EXPERIENCE ONBOARD THE USNS PATCH TO GET THERE QUICKLY AND CLAIM A TOP RACK. I THINK WE WERE IN COMPARTMENT (HOLE) C. READING FRED STELLAS STORY ABOUT THE USNS GORDON, I HAVE TO AGREE AND DISAGREE WITH SOME OF HIS MEMORIES. NOT THAT HE IS INCORRECT, BECAUSE THE BATTALION DID OFFLOAD BY HOLE ASSIGNMENTS ON DIFFERENT LANDING CRAFT.
FIRST THE AGREEMENTS: THE SHIP DID HAVE AN AWFUL SMELL, I GUESS FROM THE MANY SPLATTERS OF PUKE SHOT IN ALL THE STAIRWELLS, HOLES, HEAD, DECK, AND GALLEY. I FIGURE THE ONLY PLACE YOU COULDN'T SEE OR SMELL PUKE WAS IN THE CAPTAINS CABIN AND BRIDGE, BECAUSE GI's HAD NO PASSAGE THERE. THERE IS NOTHING TO COMPARE WITH WHAT IT WAS LIKE. YOU GO TO THE HEAD, EVERY TOILET, EVERY SINK WAS FULL OF IT. YOU COULD SEE SOMEONE SITTING ON A TOILET WITH CRAP COMING OUT ONE END AND PUKE COMING OUT THE OTHER (WHAT A SIGHT.) YOU WALKED UP AND DOWN THE STAIRWELLS AND HAD TO WALK OVER IT, THE STEPS WERE SLIPPERY BECAUSE OF IT. YOU STOOD IN IT GOING TO THE GALLEY FOR CHOW, AND WAS SERVED YOUR CHOW BY A SOLDIER WITH IT DROOLING OUT THE SIDE OF HIS MOUTH. SITTING AT THE TABLES THE GUY NEXT TO YOU WAS PUKING, IF YOU WERE LUCKY, HE WOULD TURN AWAY FROM YOU AND FILL HIS BAG (IF HE HAD HIS BAG WITH HIM) TOWARDS THE GUY ON HIS OTHER SIDE. WHILE AT CHOW IN ROUGH SEAS THE KP's PLACED WET TOWELS AND CLOTH ON THE TABLE TOPS. THIS KEPT YOUR TRAY FROM SLIDING AWAY FROM YOU ON ONE WAVE AND RETURNING WITH A SURPRISE (SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT THE SURPRISE WAS) ON IT AT THE NEXT WAVE.
EACH DAY EVERYONE MOVED UP TO THE TOP DECK AND WAITED FOR THE MEDICAL OFFICER TO COMPLETE HIS DAILY HEALTH INSPECTION OF THE HOLES. APPROXIMATELY 5000 GI's ON A SHIPS DECK, AND 4900 OF THEM SICK, CARRYING PUKE BAGS. ONE INSTANCE I CAN SEE PLAINLY TO THIS DAY IS A BUDDY OF MINE (SGT LEROY EAST), FILLING HIS BAG ABOUT HALFWAY, WALKING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE SHIP AND TOSSING IT OVERBOARD. THE BAG, CAUGHT BY THE WIND, BLEW STRAIGHT UP AND OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SHIP. IT WAS IF WE WERE ALL FROZEN IN SLOW MOTION, LIKE IN A DREAM, WHERE EVERYONE CAN RUN BUT YOU. NO ONE COULD MOVE AS THE BAG FLEW END OVER END, ABOUT TWENTY FEET ABOVE OUR HEADS. WE COULD ONLY LOOK IN AWE. TO THIS DAY I AM STILL THANKFUL THE FOLD ON THE BAG HELD THE CONTENTS IN.
DURING THE STORM FRED STELLA MENTIONS IN HIS STORY: (WHICH CAUSED US TO SPEND A FEW DAYS IN OUR HOLE BECAUSE OF ROUGH SEAS.) OURS WAS ON THE DECK BELOW THE GALLEY AND ABOVE THE FOOD STORAGE DECK. THE SHIP HAD AN ELEVATOR FOR THE COOKS TO MOVE FOOD FROM THE STORAGE AREA TO THE GALLEY, BUT IT WAS NOT WORKING, THE COOKS HAD TO COME DOWN THE STAIRWELL, THROUGH OUR HOLE TO CARRY THE FOOD UP TO THE GALLEY. WE GLADLY HELPED CARRYING THE FOOD UP TO THE GALLEY. THE BENEFIT OF THIS WAS, WE SNACKED GOOD! OUR PRICE FOR HELP WAS ICE CREAM, CANS OF MIXED NUTS, COOKIES ETC. WE ALSO HAD SOME GOOD POKER GAMES IN THAT STORAGE AREA.
ONE OF THE TIME PASSING ACTIVITIES WAS RING MAKING. YOU WOULD TAKE A NICKEL, CONTINUALLY TAP ON THE EDGES WITH A SPOON. IN TIME THE NICKEL WOULD START TAKING THE SHAPE OF A RING, CONTINUED TAPPING WOULD MAKE IT SMALLER AND SMALLER, ONCE YOU GOT TO THE DESIRED SHAPE, THE CENTER WOULD BE DRILLED OUT AND PRESTO YOU HAD A HOME MADE WEDDING BAND MADE OUT OF A NICKEL. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THIS WAS OVER A HUNDRED SOLDIERS IN YOUR HOLE MAKING RINGS, ALL TAPPING ON A NICKEL AT THE SAME TIME. NO PEACE AND QUIET, SOME WOULD WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND START TAPPING. PICTURE YOURSELF UNDER A TIN ROOF DURING A HAILSTORM. THAT IS WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE IN THE HOLE.
 OUR FIRST SIGHT (STOP) OF LAND WAS OKINAWA, SOME BATTERIES WERE ALLOWED OFF THE SHIP FOR PT. WHILE DOCKED MOST OF THE SHIPS CREW (MERCHANT MARINES) WERE GIVEN LIBERTY. MOST OF THEIR TIME ONSHORE MUST HAVE BEEN SPENT IN THE CLOSEST BAR. I DON'T RECALL SEEING ANY MEMBER OF THE CREW RETURNING SOBER. ONE MEMBER RETURNED BACK JUST AS THE SHIP WAS PULLING OUT. HE JUMPED ONTO THE TUG AND THE TUG CREW SLIPPED HIM THROUGH A LOWER DOOR ON OUR SHIP. OUR THRILL FOR THE DAY WAS TO HEAT UP COINS WITH A LIGHTER AND WATCH THE KIDS ON THE DOCK TRY AND PICK THEM UP. THIS MAY SEEM CRUEL NOW, BUT AT THE TIME IT SEEMED LIKE THE THING TO DO.
AFTER WE PULLED OUT OF OKINAWA, NOT MUCH WENT ON. BY THEN EVERY ONE WAS PRETTY MUCH PUKED OUT, ALL THE RINGS WERE FINISHED AND I THINK THERE WAS MAYBE ONLY ONE OR TWO MARINES LEFT THAT HADN'T SPENT TIME IN THE BRIG ON BREAD AND WATER.
OTHER DAILY ACTIVITIES ON THE SHIP DURING THE CRUISE WAS, KITE BUILDING AND KITE FLYING OFF THE STERN, BINGO IN THE GALLEY, (IF YOU COULD STAND THE PUKE), AND BLACK AND WHITE MOVIES SHOWN NIGHTLY ON DECK. (IF YOU COULD SQUEEZE IN BETWEEN SOMEONE THAT WASN'T BLUE IN THE FACE SICK.) AND AS FRED MENTIONED, THE DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT THE MARINES SENT TO THE SHIP'S BRIG ON BREAD AND WATER. SOME OF US HAD A DAILY POOL, HOW MANY WOULD BE SENT TODAY?
WE FINALLY ARRIVED TO THE COUNTRY OF VIETNAM. HERE IS WHERE MY MEMORIES DIFFER A LITTLE FROM FRED STELLA'S. I RECALL OUR FIRST PORT OF CALL WAS VUNG TU, TROOPS WERE LET OFF THERE, NEXT WE MOVED NORTH TO ANOTHER DROP OFF POINT WHICH I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF. THIRD STOP WAS QUI NHON. BEING A SHALLOW WATER PORT THE SHIP WAS FORCED TO STAY OFFSHORE. THE SEAS WERE EXTREMELY ROUGH AND MADE IT TO DIFFICULT TO OFFLOAD. AFTER A DAY OR TWO THE SHIP TRAVELED NORTH TO DA NANG AND ALL THE MARINES DISEMBARKED. WE TRAVELED BACK TO QUI NOHN, ANOTHER DAY OR TWO PASSED AND SOME ONE MADE THE DECISION WE HAD TO GO. THE ORIGINAL PLAN, "PLAN A" WAS TO WALK THROUGH A LOWER DOOR ONTO A BARGE AND FROM THERE LOAD ONTO A LANDING CRAFT. THE SEAS WERE STILL TOO ROUGH FOR THAT. SO "PLAN B" WENT INTO ACTION. THE LANDING CRAFT MOVED CLOSE TO THE SHIP, A SLIDE WAS PLACED FROM THE DOOR OF THE SHIP TO THE LANDING CRAFT. OUR TASK WAS TO TIME THE TRANSFER JUST RIGHT. AS THE SHIP ROSE UP AND THE LANDING CRAFT WAS ON THE WAY DOWN, YOU JUMPED WITH YOUR DUFFLE BAG ON THE SLIDE AND SLID DOWN. ONCE IN THE LANDING CRAFT YOU MOVED TO THE REAR. TO LOAD EACH LANDING CRAFT TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR. BEING ONE OF THE FIRST TO DEPART THE SHIP ON THIS LOAD, I SPENT THE NEXT HOUR BOBBING UP AND DOWN AS IF I WAS ON A CARNIVAL RIDE. I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT EVERYONE WAS PRETTY MUCH PUKED OUT, WELL I WAS WRONG.
THE LANDING CRAFT WAS LOADED WITH AS MANY SOLDIERS AS POSSIBLE AND THEN A FEW MORE WAS ADDED FOR ADDITIONAL DISCOMFORT, WE MOVED TOWARDS THE COAST. IT WASN'T FAR, BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. NO ONE IN BRAVO BATTERY HAD AMMUNITION, WE HAD SPENT THE LAST FEW NIGHTS WATCHING SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT BOMB TARGETS ON SHORE (IN THE DISTANT HILLS). ALL WE COULD THINK ABOUT WAS HOW THE TROOPS HIT THE BEACHES IN EUROPE ON D-DAY. THE LANDING CRAFT CONTINUED ON TOWARDS SHORE, WE FELT IT HIT BOTTOM, THE SKIPPER GUNNED THE ENGINE, AND DROVE ONTO THE SAND. IT STOPPED AND THE FRONT RAMP STARTED TO DROP. WE THOUGHT THIS WAS IT. IT'S ALL OVER, WE'RE DEAD. ONCE THE RAMP WAS FULLY DOWN, SOME 2LT (BUTTER BAR) WITH A BULLHORN DRESSED IN KHAKI'S WALKED UP AND ANNOUNCED "AFTER YOU DEPART THIS CRAFT, MOVE TO THE LEFT AND FORM IN BATTERY FORMATIONS FOR A HEADCOUNT, NOW LETS MOVE, MOVE, MOVE." WHAT AS SURPRISE THAT WAS TO US. AS WE MOVED FORWARD THIS BUTT HOLE WITH THE BULLHORN KEPT DIRECTING US AS IF WE DIDN'T KNOW OUR LEFT FROM OUR RIGHT. AS OUR FEET HIT THE SAND, ANOTHER SURPRISE. A COLOR GUARD WAS STANDING PROUD AND A BAND WAS PLAYING THE ARMY SONG. MUST HAVE BEEN SOMEONE'S IDEA OF BUILDING OUR MORALE. WHILE STANDING THERE WAITING FOR EVERYONE TO OFFLOAD WE LOOKED OUT OVER THE WATER AND TOOK ONE LAST LOOK AT THE SHIP WHICH HAD BEEN OUR HOME FOR THE PAST THIRTY DAYS.
WHEN I MENTIONED THE AWFUL SMELL AND PILES OF PUKE WITHIN HER HULL, I AM NOT SAYING SHE WAS A FILTHY SHIP. SHE WAS SCRUBBED DOWN WITH SOAP AND DISINFECTANT FROM STEM TO STERN EVERY NIGHT. THE CLEANING DETAIL JUST COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THE SEASICK SOLDIERS. SURE GLAD I WASN'T ASSIGNED TO THE CLEANING DETAIL.
HERE IS A LITTLE INFO ABOUT HER:
NAME: GEN WALTER H. GORDON (AP117) (EX-MC 675)
BUILT BY: FEDERAL/KEARNY
KEEL LAID: 2 NOV. 1943
DELIVERY DATE: 27 JULY 1944
LENGTH: 623 FEET (I THOUGHT SHE WAS LARGER)
BEAM: 76 FEET
DRAFT: 26 FEET
DECOMMISSION DATE: 31 MARCH 1986
STATUS: DISPOSED OF BY MARAD EXCHANGE 10 APRIL 1987
MAY SHE REST IN PEACE
ABOVE INFORMATION FOUND ON THE US NAVY HOME PAGE, JUST FIND THE RIGHT LINK. THEY LIST ALL ACTIVE AND DECOMMISSIONED SHIPS THERE. WELL WE ARE NOW IN COUNTRY. WELCOME TO THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM. I WILL CONTINUE THIS JOURNEY WITH THE 92nd IN A MONTH OUR SO. |
