Advance Party
Up Documents Advance Party Ben Cat Cheo Reo Dak To Nha Trang Nhon Co Phan Rang Phan Thiet Qui Nhon Tuy Hoa

 

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Advance Party 2

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Two weeks before we departed for Vietnam - my second child was about to be born, and I got a hop in the backseat of a birddog to Nashville. There I caught a flight to NC for the weekend and a chance to see my newborn daughter. Two days later I returned to Campbell, then on to Vietnam.

 

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LT Vaughn

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LT Ken Beebe

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LT's Zeltner and Vassy
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We all gathered around waiting to load

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MG Powell, COL Sunday and CSM seeing the Adv Party off

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Our last view of Campbell Army Airfield - for many years in my case

Comments:

Thanks for sending me the copy of "Behind the Green Water" on July 1. I enjoyed it immensely. I think I will send it on to my son, a Captain in the USAR and a 1993 West Point grad, for Christmas. He enjoys the same sort of fiction that I do. I have been a fan of Nelson DeMille for some years - didn't realize he'd been in the 11th ACR during Tet. I worked with the Howitzer Batteries of the 11th ACR in 1970 when I was with the 1st Cav Div and we invaded Cambodia. I was the Divarty S-4 of the Cav then.

About 2 years ago you sent me an e-mail after you read my entry in Ivan Worrell's guestbook. You and I shared that C-124 from Travis to Nha Trang in 1965 with the Advance Party of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Div. I don't remember your face either. After 5 days on a C-124, it's a miracle any of us can remember anything. I was a 1LT and the S-4 of 2/320 FA on the Advance Party. I continued at S-4 until November, 1965 when LTC Bill Braun, the Battalion Commander, gave me command of A Battery, 2/320th FA at Phan Rang. I made Captain shortly thereafter. If you are coming to the reunion in Fort Worth in October, I should see you there. I'm planning on attending.

Once again, your book was great. I'll send you an order and a check for "A Flash of Emerald" forthwith. Airborne!

Dave

LTC (Ret) David B. Smith

Vernonia, Oregon

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