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History of SP4 Ramon(Ray) Evans experiences in the Army at Fort Ord CA, Fort Leavenworth Kansas, and Vietnam (1966-1968)

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Published by evansfan, 2022-11-08 20:05:16

Two Years an Army MP {1966-1968}

History of SP4 Ramon(Ray) Evans experiences in the Army at Fort Ord CA, Fort Leavenworth Kansas, and Vietnam (1966-1968)

Keywords: 205th MP Company,504th MP Battalion,Fort Ord,Fort Leavenworth,Vietnam War,Ramon Evans,Military Police

COMPANY A

Two Years an Army MP (1966-1968)

Written by SP4 Ramon D. Evans

2

Dedication of this book is to my father
Marine Captain Ray Otis Evans

Ray Otis Evans joined the Marine Corps in
1938 as a private. After boot camp at Parris
Island, SC, he completed CAA Flight school,
and was selected to attend Sea School at the
Portsmouth, VA, Navy Yard.

Dad was a Parachutist and Para-Marine
instructor during WWII. He participated in
the Marshall Islands and Okinawa
campaigns. Dad shown lower-left in 1943.

After the war, he served a tour of
occupation in Japan. Upon return from Japan
in 1946, he was transferred overseas with
his family (my mother, sister, and me) to
VMR-153 at Tsingtao, China. Within a year,
Dad and family were evacuated, as the
Communist Chinese started the overthrow
of the Nationalist government on mainland
China.
During the next ten years, Dad and family were stationed at either El Toro Marine Corps
Air Station in Irvine, CA, or at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock, NC, where
dad attained the rank of captain. Dad retired from the Marine Corps in 1958.

3

4

Introduction

I started writing from memory in 2015 about my life in the military. I have tried to include
some of the interesting personal events that I still remember, which are far and few between
the actual events that were occurring around me.

After more than 56 years, I have had to research some of the detailed historical events that
occurred at my various duty stations, and I have included them in this book. I have also
included material from a few Vietnam veterans who served at the same time and location as
I did, and I have shared their experiences.

A few of the photos you will see were taken by other soldiers who were at the same areas
in Vietnam during my tour of duty. I also took many photos during my time in the Army. I
hope other veterans who read this memoir will remember the events and locations shown,
particularly those in Vietnam.

I was unbelievably lucky during my tour of duty in Vietnam, and fortunate for the
protection of the troops watching my back. I especially want to thank all the Marines, Army
Infantry, 1st Cav Gunship crews, Combat Military Police, ARVN soldiers, and others who did
the heavy lifting of removing mines along RT 1 as well as protecting areas that kept us from
being ambushed on our convoys and on our patrols around Camp Evans, Hue, and Nha Trang.

As the title of this story indicates, I was an Army Military Policeman for two years. As you
will learn in my story, I was able to choose this MOS by volunteering for the job. This turned
into a great adventure for me, that changed my life in positive ways. I hope you find my journey
in the Army interesting.

I also want to thank my wife Anne for spending many hours editing this book and
correcting the many grammatical errors on each page!

Ramon (Ray) D. Evans

2017 (updated in 2022)

5

Drafted: 27 September 1966

I knew in 1966 that I was going to
be drafted, as I transitioned from a
full-time student attending college
to part time and working full time.
I had been classified 1-A in 1964, so,
at the age of 22 I decided to enlist in
the Navy, which seemed preferable
to being drafted. I started the
paperwork for a four-year life in the
Navy but received a draft notice for
the Army in September 1966 for a
two-year tour of duty.

Within a few days, I received a letter to report for induction at the Armed Forces Entrance
and Examination Station (AFEES) center in downtown Los Angeles. During the morning, we
took written tests to determine the best MOS (Military Occupational Status) for the
Army. Rumor was that anyone scoring above a 35 was eligible for service. If you could sign
your name, you would get a score of 36, which allowed any inductee that the Army needed to
qualify for an MOS.

As an example, during basic training we had a 27-year-old diesel mechanic who had his
own business. We also had an 18-year-old just out of high school with zero experience. The
18-year-old got orders to be a diesel mechanic, and the 27-year-old diesel mechanic got
orders to learn typing for working in an office.

After the testing and quick physical was completed, we lined up and were sworn into the
Army September 27, 1966. Not all draftees ended up in the Army. One veteran related to me
that in 1966 he also was about to be sworn in at AFEES in LA, when he noticed that a Marine
was directing every other row of Army draftees out of the room to become U.S.M.C. inductees.
Wanting to be in the Army, he quickly found a seat in a row that would not be chosen to
become a Marine. As my father was in the Marines in WW II, I would not have moved.

I was issued Dog Tags shortly after my
swearing in ceremony. I just found the
following instructions on their use:
The second tag was separated from the first tag by
placing it on its own short chain, 5.5″. If a soldier is
killed in combat, the tag on the short chain would
be placed on the soldier’s toe for identification.
Thus, coming to be known as the “toe tag”.

6

Basic Training at Fort Ord, CA,

September to December 1966

Some of us were given more paperwork and loaded onto buses heading north to Fort Ord
near Monterey, California, which is now called the Fort Ord National Monument. After the
orientation and “haircut,” we marched to the old wood barracks. Most of these wood barracks
were built in the early 1940’s. It was a cold winter that year and we all slept with the windows
open because of the meningitis outbreak in 1962.

View of Fort Ord old barracks, mess hall Fort Ord abandoned in 1994
and church where I lived in 1966

Army basic training in 1966 was about three months long. We were told where to be and
what to do for this period, almost 24 hours a day. In 1966, each basic training company had
its own mess hall. It was a one-story building that could accommodate roughly fifty men at a
time. We were lined up at one door, pushed through the chow line, given about six minutes
to eat and get out, and then run a few miles to the shooting range or combat exercises.

Lunch meals were sometimes in the field, which were generally “C” rations. We were
marched out of our company area to one of the many training areas as one of the drill
sergeants sang out a marching song that we had to follow. They had no problem taking us
from a march into what in the military is called “double time.” This simply means that we
were jogging, full pack on our backs, and rifle in our hands. Slow down and they would yell
at us, “That the Viet Cong usually shoot stragglers!" There was also, "the quick and the dead,
so what are you?!". There was always something physically or mentally wrong with you that
the Drill Sergeant indicated needed fixing if one were to become a soldier.

7

We were tear gassed in this building, then gassed under barbed wire with a gas mask.

Fortunately, I did not experience a rifle range with a trainee behind me!

8

Basic training was more of a learning experience rather than an enjoyable experience. All
the soldiers to be in our company were constantly insulted by the drill sergeants for mistakes.
They kept us in a constant state of physical movement and mental alertness which would help
us avoid making mistakes. We were told that these are things that keep a combat soldier
alive.

During basic training, our contact with the outside world was extremely limited. We could,
of course, write and receive letters. Occasionally on weekends and later in training, we could
call home or go to the PX as a group. Since newspapers or television were not allowed, we
were ignorant of what was going on in the outside world. There were no passes or time off in
basic training.

The photo of our platoon shows quite a diversity of new soldiers from all over the U.S.
We had four squads in our platoon, and I ended up a temporary corporal as a squad leader.

I remember most of the faces and some of the backgrounds of my fellow soldiers but cannot
remember a name after fifty-six years.

9

Company formation at mess hall Very private latrines in barracks

We were kept in a continual state of "doing something,” thus a break was policing the
barracks, cleaning the head, maintaining gear, inspections, and KP (Kitchen Patrol: peeling
potatoes, usually). Most soldiers in our company had a few days of KP during basic training,
except me. Seems the one day I was assigned KP, Anne and my mother visited me over the
weekend and spent the night at Fort Ord, so I got off KP. The picture below shows Anne Baehr
saving me from KP. This is one of the many reasons we married a couple of years later, and
I've been doing KP ever since.

Ray with friend Anne Baehr and my mother Ann Evans

10

One time they offered us the opportunity to join the 101st Airborne after basic training. A
friend and I decided if we are going to be soldiers, we might as well join a good unit. After a
day of more physicals and testing, I found out later that I failed the eye exam to get into the
101st Airborne. At the end of basic training, I had orders for light weapons infantry at Fort
Gordon, Georgia, which is a similar MOS to some members of the 101st Airborne.

When basic training ended and we all graduated in December 1966, those men who had
not previously known their next training assignment found out where they were going. Most
of the men were assigned to advanced infantry training at Fort Gordon or Fort Polk. They
were also told that this was in anticipation of their going to Vietnam. Seems 10 of us had no
orders, so we became what's known as "hold-overs.” That means we remain in our barracks,
and each day we form up at the duty sergeant's office and get assigned some manual labor for
a few hours.

There is a saying in the military, "Never volunteer for anything!" On the second day of
forming up early in the morning with about fifty other holdovers from around Fort Ord, the
duty sergeant asked for a volunteer. I figured nothing could be as boring as the work
assignments, so I raised my hand quickly, and he told me to stand by him. He handed me a
clip board with the day's assignments.

After the "hold-overs" headed out for their assignments, the old sergeant brought me to
his office and told me to sit at his desk. He told me I was to take over his duties, which was to
take any phone calls for post duty assignments for the next day and call the various phone
numbers on a list to determine if they needed assistance from our "hold overs.” I spent the
next couple of weeks spending seven hours a day reading, watching television, and probably
an hour or two doing the sergeant's work. As I came to know the sergeant, he told me he was
going to retire the next year and was working part time at the NCO club as a bartender. Since
this was late December, I was given orders to take leave for Christmas and told I would
receive orders for my new duty station.

11

Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, 1967

After about three weeks at
home, I finally received orders
to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
to be a cook and finally to learn
to peel potatoes. In mid-
January, I arrived at the
historical Fort Leavenworth,
which is the oldest active
United States Army post west
of Washington, D.C., having
been in operation for over 180
years.

I could not believe that I had spent three months training to be a combat soldier, by
running, shooting a rifle (M14) and a pistol (45), throwing grenades, hand to hand combat,
and crawling under barbed wire while they fired live ammo over my head and sprayed me
with tear gas. After all this training, the Army decided to make me a cook! I managed to avoid
being a cook for two years by volunteering again!

Fort Leavenworth has been historically known as the "Intellectual Center of the Army" so
they must have needed a smart cookie like me. When most people hear of Fort Leavenworth,
they think of the Department of Defense’s maximum-security prison. Of more interest at the
fort is the United States Army Command and General Staff College, which includes a degree
granting graduate school for U.S. and allied soldiers and officers.

The school trains almost all the Army's majors. All modern five-star Army generals have passed
through the college, including George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry “Hap”
Arnold, and Omar Bradley. Since 1978, the school has been commanded by a Lieutenant General (3
stars). In 2007, its commander was David Petraeus. It reports to the United States Army Training
and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). This resulted in about 600 enlisted men, 500 civilians, and 3000
officers on post.

12

I also discovered that my great-great
grandfather, William Truelove, was a Confederate
soldier in Company H of the 66th Georgia Infantry.
Records show that William was captured by Union
soldiers in 1864 and sent to Rock Island, Illinois,
prison where conditions were deplorable. He was
easily convinced to become a “Galvanized Yankee”,
so he enlisted in the Union Army into the 2nd U.S.
Volunteers Regiment as a private in Company I. He
was then stationed at Fort Leavenworth in 1865 for
patrolling the Frontier in Indian Country. All
members of the 2nd Regiment U.S. Volunteers
were eventually mustered out at Fort
Leavenworth on Nov. 7, 1865. 102 years later in
November 1967, I was mustered out of Fort
Leavenworth to start my tour of duty in Vietnam.

As I entered Fort Leavenworth for the first time, I noticed that there were sharp looking
Military Police in their Army patrol cars. I was driven to the administration building where I
gave my duty orders to a sergeant. He looked at my orders and commented about my being
assigned as a cook. I asked the sergeant if I had to be a cook. He hesitated and asked what I
would be interested in doing. Immediately, I mentally "raised my hand and volunteered.” I
offered my services as a Military Policeman, since I was interested in law enforcement, and I
did not want to be a cook.

Coincidentally, there were a few openings in the 205th MP Company, that had become
available after graduates completed their advanced training. The duty sergeant called over to
the MP unit and indicated I was qualified for OJT (On the Job Training). I was sent over to be
interviewed by Captain Larry Berong of the 205th MP unit.

He welcomed me to the unit, and the training sergeant gave me the class materials to study
for the qualifying test. I spent the next couple of weeks, studying a couple of hours each day,
swimming, and weightlifting, going on patrol, and getting to know the members of my unit at
the NCO club. I passed the test, started going on 8-hour patrols, and got a promotion to E2.

The 205th MP Company
was attached to the U.S.
Army Combined Arms

Center. (USACAC).

Patch worn >

13

The following four photos show the three uniforms I wore on duty:

205th MP barracks dated 1880

14

I could go on for a few pages on the crazy antics that
went on during some of our patrols at Fort Leavenworth.
Although, one humorous arrest involving the 1889 fort
statue of General Grant is worth mentioning

The MPs on midnight shift were patrolling at 0230 near
the original front entrance to the fort where the statue is
located and noticed two persons painting General Grant
green. Upon further investigation, it seems two well
inebriated WACs on post were the culprits. Upon further
interrogation, the ladies indicated that they were
“painting the general’s balls green!” Needless-to-say, the
PMO was involved to insure they had the general back to a
bronze patina the next day.

The 205th MPs generally did traffic control, enforcement by writing tickets, and security
patrols in off-limits areas where the MPs met their girlfriends and partied. We also stood
guard duty at United States Army Command and General Staff College occasionally. I
remember being assigned to check brief cases of all officers entering a high-level conference
in the auditorium. About an hour into the job, a security officer from the building asked if I
had a top-secret clearance. I had no clearances, so I was replaced.

Another story I can tell involved my volunteering again. On a cold and stormy night, we
formed up for a short inspection and briefing for a midnight patrol shift. The squad leader
that night and I did not have the best working relationship. We simply tolerated each other
on duty. That night he said with a smirk, "I need a volunteer!" Having had great basic training
in this area, I raised my hand immediately. There was silence, especially from the squad
leader for a few moments, but he then said, "Ray, you are off duty for now, as we have too
many personnel tonight.” I smiled and left. The squad leader and I began working well
together, and I appreciated his mentoring me. His reports on me and my staying out of
trouble, got me a promotion to SP4.

Goodbye to future wife Anne Most of the 205th MP members were RA
(Enlisting in Army) rather than two of us
in the company who were US (Drafted

into Army). Then just as I thought I had
less than a year to go in the service and
would stay in Kansas for the next 10
months, I got orders for Vietnam in

November 1967, along with Terry Riegel
another MP in our unit. I later learned
that I was assigned to the 18th Military
Police Brigade at I & II Corps Tactical
Zones in Vietnam. Not exactly good news

for me and my family, but it turned out to
be a great adventure.

15

Vietnam Duty Introduction

December 1967—September. 1968

Ho Chi Minh on the Vietnam 1000 Dong
1951 bill from the French Indochinese War.

I acquired this on duty in 1968 >

As I write about my experiences in Vietnam as a Military Policeman in the Army after all
these years, I realize that I was always on the move in a Jeep, working with different groups
at various locations, and doing various duties such as guard duty, guarding prisoners,
escorting convoys, village outpost liaison duty, river patrols, city security patrols, and
maintaining route security.

The war was going full-bore around me in 1967-68. Wherever I had duty, nobody shot at
me directly, although with TET in Nha Trang starting on January 30, 1968, several rounds hit
the buildings we occupied. The camps I stayed in such as Camp Evans and Camp Barnes
received periodic mortar fire, but they always missed our tent or building, although a mortar
round damaged our outdoor urinal and shower (See photo in Camp Evans Chapter). When in
a war zone, you are focused on your current duty and vaguely aware of the events surrounding
you. This was especially true when most of my military police duty assignments, which
seemed to be made daily, and 95% of the duty such as convoys and security patrols were
completed in a Jeep. Thus, I have added some historical text that occurred at the time and
locations when I was on duty. Basically, our unit was on duty 24/7 and we worked each day
until the duty assignment was completed.

The status and missions of the MPs changed in Vietnam. In the initial attack on the U.S.
Embassy in Saigon during the Tet Offensive of 1968, the first two casualties were MPs killed
defending the embassy. Two more MPs were killed when responding to the fire fight taking
place there. Twenty-seven MPs lost their lives and forty-five were wounded fighting in and
around Saigon during the battle that raged for control of the city. The traditional duties of
town patrol, base security, and POW security had been augmented with armed river patrols
and convoy escorts, etc. Many MPs names appear on The Wall in Washington, D.C.

By the end of 1967, U.S. troop levels reached 463,000 with 16,000 combat deaths. By that
time, over a million American soldiers were rotated through Vietnam, with length of service
for draftees being one year, and most Americans serving in support units. An estimated
90,000 soldiers from North Vietnam infiltrated into the South via the Ho Chi Minh trail in
1967. Overall Viet Cong/NVA troop strength throughout South Vietnam during that time was
estimated to be up to 300,000 men.

16

The following 1968 map of Vietnam shows the dates (in blue) and locations where I was
stationed. I landed in Saigon in December 1967 to obtain my orders and duty location. I was
stationed in Nha Trang December 1967 to February of 1968. I moved to Qui Nhon for a short
time. Then I was stationed at Camp Evans, March 1968 to April 1968, mostly running convoys
to Dong Ha near the DMZ. My next station was Hue from April 1968 to September 1968.

17

I arrived in Saigon, Vietnam, in late
December 1967 on a commercial airline out
of San Francisco with the usual civilian
pilots and stewardesses, which seemed like
we were going on a vacation. The old US
Embassy is pictured at left.

We landed in Saigon at Tan Son Nhut
Airbase and were immediately taken
to the local Army base. As usual in the
military, I formed up in line with
about a thousand other soldiers in

front of tables that were marked A-C,
D-F and so on to receive my orders.

As I stood in line,
PFC Terry L. Riegel,
who was one of the
205th MPs from Fort

Leavenworth to
receive orders to
Vietnam at the same
time I did, found me in

line. He had arrived a
day before and was
assigned to the 716th
MP Battalion in Saigon

and he ended up doing
US Embassy security.

At that time, we thought we would be doing duty together in Saigon, but I was assigned to
another unit. Sadly, a few months later I learned from another Fort Leavenworth friend in
Vietnam, that Terry had been killed at the US Embassy while on duty, when the Viet Cong
attacked the Saigon Embassy during the TET offensive in January of 1968.

18

After I had received my orders in Saigon and was on my way to the barracks, Lt. Paul Kaiser,
who I graduated with from Mater Dei High School, spotted me and invited me for a drink that
night in his room. I cannot recall what we discussed and did not see Paul again during my tour
of duty.

My new orders were for the 18th Military Police Brigade, 16th Military Group, 504th MP
Battalion, Co. A. with the duty station in Nha Trang. The following is a brief overview of my
unit’s history in Vietnam:

On 20 May 1966, the 18th Military Police
Brigade was established. The brigade arrived
in the Republic of Vietnam on 8 September
1966 and was in Long Binh. The Brigade
departed on 29 March 1973.

18th Military Police Brigade Unit Crest

The brigade was responsible for the command, coordination and control of all military
police operations performed by groups, battalions, and other attached units from the de-
militarized zone (DMZ) to the Mekong Delta. The brigade was also in a combat support
role and provided convoy escorts, bridge and highway security, refugee and detainee
evacuation, and traffic control. .

From securing military checkpoints, guarding POWs, patrolling the streets of Hue,
keeping the highways of the Delta open, and to providing port and river security, the role
of the 18th Military Police Brigade in the Republic of Vietnam was diversified.

16th Military Police Group Unit Crest The 16th MP Group arrived in Vietnam on
11 Sep 1966 and was headquartered in Nha
Trang (Sep 66 - Sep 70) and in Da Nang (Oct 70
- Dec 71). The Group departed Vietnam on 20
Dec 1970

Command, control, staff planning, and coordination was provided by the 16th MP Group to
all military police units that had been attached and assigned to it in the I and II Corps Tactical
Zones of Vietnam. Under its control were the 93rd, 97th and 504th Military Police Battalions.

19

The 504th MP Battalion arrived in
Vietnam on 31 Aug 1965 and was located
initially in Qui Nhon. The Group departed
Vietnam on 31 Jul 1972.
504th MP Battalion (DragonFighters)
The 504th MP Battalion was sent to Vietnam from Fort Lewis to enforce military law, order,
and regulations; control traffic and stragglers; maintain circulation of individuals and
protection of property; manage prisoners of war; operate checkpoints and route security; and
fight as infantry when required. The battalion was initially located at Qui Nhon, but moved to
Phu Thanh (1967), to Phu Bai (1968), to Da Nang (13 Aug 1970) and finally to Long
Binh(1972).
At its height, the 504th MP battalion (comprising A, B and C companies and headquarters)
had 650 men and 22 combined patrols operating daily. The 504th was the only combat MP
battalion (except for infantry MPs) operating in Vietnam, and until early 1967, the highway
elements were eligible for the Combat Infantry Badge. The 177th Police Detachment provided
command and control for the 504th Military Police Battalion in Vietnam from 1967-1968.

18th Military Police Brigade Patch worn in Vietnam

20

Nha Trang

December 1967—February 1968
Camp McDermott

The next day I was on my way up the coast to Nha Trang as a driver for a lieutenant from
our unit. Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khánh Hòa Province, on the South Central
Coast of Vietnam. Nha Trang's Camp McDermott was a very nice base with wooden barracks
and access to the beach just outside the Main Gate. One could walk to the beach from the
barracks in just a few minutes. Nha Trang was somewhat of a French-Vietnamese resort town
with palm trees, a white sand beach, French villas and architecture, and a good French-
Vietnamese restaurant.

In early January, I had not seen any action, and as Nha Trang was my first duty station in a
combat zone, I was amazed when I saw soldiers in pressed uniforms getting on a military
shuttle bus without weapons. When I asked where they were going, I was informed that these
soldiers were off duty and going to bar hop in town. My next response was “Where’s the war?”

View of Nha Trang and Camp McDermott 1968
Nha Trang Buddha >

21

I was soon to find out that downtown Nha Trang was very alive with numerous clubs where
an underage soldier could go to drink and socialize with the Vietnamese ladies. Many MPC
dollars were spent at the bars in Nha Trang. MPC (Military Payment Certificates), were a form
of currency used to pay U.S. military personnel in certain foreign countries, since using U.S
dollars was discouraged.

My Duty station in Nha Trang Dec-Feb 1968 MP Art 1968

As I recall, I arrived in Nha Trang just before Christmas 1967.

It was December 1967, and
30,000 US servicemen were
packed into the Phu Cat air
base just outside Qui Nhon
(also spelt Quy Nhon) on the
northeast coast of South
Vietnam. Les Brown and his
Band of Renown played up a

storm, while Raquel Welch
entertained the homesick and
battle-weary. I was a new guy
on the block in Nah Trang
and could not travel north to
Qui Nhon as someone had to
man the fort, so I missed the
show.

22

My first duty in Nha Trang was to police the bars and break up fights between soldiers. I
was somewhat relieved that I was not being shot at, but that feeling disappeared when the
TET Offensive started on 29 January 1968, and the town was attacked by Viet Cong.

There had been casualties in the bars that were booby trapped with Claymore mines.
When the town of Nha Trang was attacked, I was not on duty. When I inquired about going
on duty, I was told to get my gear and wait to be assigned to duty. I did not go on duty until
30 January 1968 and had not worked with many of the MPs in my unit during most of the
initial attack on Nha Trang. I was unsure exactly what was going on, so here are some of the
details of the TET Offensive in Nha Trang that I found in the military archives.

The onset of the 1968 Lunar New Year Aca,!A"TetAca,!A? or TET and a
cease fire for the holidays. The enemy did not honor the cease fire and
launched an offensive attack with the heaviest enemy attacks taking place
in I and II CTZ. In the Southern region of II CTZ the heaviest attacks
occurred in Nha Trang, Ban Me Thout, Quin Nhon, Tuy Hoa, and the national
capital at Saigon. The TET offensive would be the largest military
operation yet undertaken by either side up to this point in the war.

On 29 January 1968 at approximately 1400 hours’ information was
received from intelligence sources that a large enemy force was expected
to move on the City of Nha Trang later that night. This information was
apparently received from a reliable source in or near the City Nha Trang.
During the afternoon and evening of 29 January 1968, elements of the
enemy force apparently infiltrated into the city, but no action was
observed through 2400 hours that day. At approximately 0100 hours 30
January 1968, the central Canh Sat headquarters located in Canh Sat
Circle in downtown Nha Trang was taken under fire. During this fire
fight, two MP patrols consisting of eight men on regular patrol went to
assistance of the Canh Sats and at the completion of the fire fight,
three enemy were known dead, and an undetermined number had escaped the
scene.

From this point until approximately 0400 hours, numerous sniping
incidents took place throughout the city, mainly centered in or around
the train depot, main bus station, and at several convents throughout
Nha Trang. During the period of these sporadic incidents, a large enemy
force consisting of thirty to forty NVA and Viet Cong made a major attack
on Roberts Compound and the compound of the 272nd MP Company across the
street from Roberts Compound.

23

From 0245 hours until 0730 hours the 272nd MP Co could hold off the
enemy without assistance. After receiving several casualties, the unit
was subsequently pinned down behind a concrete wall at the front of the
compound by fire from the enemy located in a house across the street.
Part of the enemy force was successful in infiltrating the compound.

Assistance was called for, to repel the enemy and was answered by
members of the 504th MP BN> Co. A, and 218th MP Co. personnel who were
at that time scatter throughout the city. On arrival of supporting units,
the enemy’s location was taken under fire. Supporting units arrived at
approximately 0800 hours. At 0930, Capt. Garner (CO,218th MP Co.)
notified the Battalion S-2/S-3 office that he had received a call from
Capt. Hadlock (CO A Co, 504 MP Bn.) who stated they needed more ammunition
in Nha Trang. Major McDonnell, S-3 16th MP Group directed the Battalion
S-2/S-3 office to have the 218th MP Co. to assemble one platoon with
combat equipment for movement to Nha Trang ASAP. The ammunition for CO
A/504 MPs had departed by helicopter to Nha Trang. At approximately 1030
hours, after a heavy fire fight, the enemy force was silenced.

Observation showed eighteen enemy had been killed, five wounded, and
seven taken prisoner. Several small arms, grenades, automatic weapons,
and satchel charges were confiscated. Almost immediately after leaving
the scene of this incident a call was received that the Canh Sat
headquarters had again been taken under fire by enemy forces. Three MP
patrols consisting of twelve men answered the call for assistance, and
upon arrival at the scene, gave assistance in the fire fight which
resulted in three enemy killed.

At approximately 1230 hours 30 January 1968 a platoon of MP’s from
the 218th MP Co., Cam Ranh Bay, arrived on orders from the 16th MP Gp.,to
reinforce the MP units already in Nha Trang. This platoon was met at the
air base and given transportation to Camp McDermott; at which time they
were billeted in the transient barracks operated by the 54th Supply
Company. For the remainder of the day until 1800 hours’ sporadic sniper
fire was reported throughout the city and was responded to by various MP
units. At 1800 hours 30 January 1968, 20 personnel from the 2nd platoon,
218th MP Co., were sent to the PMO to provide security. An additional 10
personnel were sent to the King Duy Tan Hotel as security.

24

At approximately 0100 hours 31 January 1968, the personnel at the King
Duy Tan Hotel came under fire from an unknown sized enemy force located
in a convent adjacent to the hotel. At the same time, additional enemy
fire was received from the beach on the opposite side of the road. The
enemy force was taken under fire, but no determination could be made as
to enemy casualties. During the fire fight, one MP was wounded and
evacuated to the 8th Field Hospital, Nha Trang, by ambulance. For the
remaining hours of darkness both the PMO and the King Duy Tan Hotel
received sporadic sniper fire which was returned when possible. No
further casualties were sustained by friendly forces. Enemy casualties
were unknown.

When Nha Trang was hit on the first day the LLDB Headquarters was
protected by 91 Airborne Ranger Battalion, recently returned from one of
its Project Delta assignments. At only 60 percent strength the Airborne
Rangers turned in an excellent performance, pushing the major Communist
elements out of Nha Trang in less than a day. The battle, however, cost
the life of the battalion commander and wounded the four company
commanders.

At approximately 0600 31 January 1968 SARVN were moved into the city
to establish martial law. MP units in Nha Trang continue the
responsibility of safeguarding the PMO, King Duy Tan Hotel, and other
compounds occupied by US Forces.

Now, I am going to relate to you the experiences of Sergeant Willis Peters who was a clerk
in the 272nd MP CO. in Nha Trang during the TET offensive in 1968. Willis and I shared our
Vietnam experiences on Sept. 26, 2015, when we were volunteering for the Stand Down for
homeless veterans in Compton, CA. Willis was with the 272nd MP Co. compound when the
Viet Cong attacked.

Their fire fight lasted almost two days, and Sergeant Peters and Sergeant William Turley
had to make an ammo run to Camp McDermott. Later in the year Sergeant Peters was
transferred back to the U.S. The clever clerk that Willis was, he had his MOS changed to
Military Policeman and arranged to be transferred back to the 272nd MP Co. in Nha Trang
within a few months.

25

After preliminary attacks by the Viet Cong the following two-sided South Vietnamese leaflet was
distributed in the local area:

Citizens of Nha Trang Provence
On the night of 01/29/1968 which was the first day of Tet the Year of the Monkey, while all families were
celebrating, a force of Vietcong of the 7th battalion attached to the 18th division of the main communist Army of
the North, taking advantage of the dark of the night and the noise of the firecrackers, infiltrated Nha Trang
province. They viciously attacked a few military and governmental locations. But due to the highest level of
resistance and the courageous sacrifices of our soldiers, the Vietcong force was repelled and annihilated. They left
behind 120 corpses, 20? (the number is smudged here) prisoners, among them 2 officers and one spy. We collected
60 weapons of many classes, with 4 big guns among them.

On our side, a few soldiers sacrificed their lives and 20 were injured. Our force continues to pursue and
eliminate the surviving and retreating enemies. We will notify the results to you.

We entreat all citizens to remain calm but alert and immediately report any Vietcong hiding among your
houses so our military can soon eliminate them so as to return peace to citizens in our province.

Our military personnel are committed to protect lives and properties of our citizens.

The South Vietnamese ARVN propaganda leaflet above, translated by Father Sy Nguyen, St
Martin de Porres Catholic Church, Yorba Linda, CA.

26

At top of King Duy Tan Hotel in Nha Trang on guard duty Jan. 31, 1968

ARVN Headquarters or Luc Luong Dac Biet (LLDB)

27

Photos taken after the TET Offensive in Nha Trang 1968.
This was about the time I finally started regular duty with other MPs of my unit for guard
duty and security patrols at various locations in Nha Trang. By February 3, 1968, the civilian
population began moving from the area. For several days, resistance was strong within the
city, but it subsided gradually until approximately 7 February 1968, when operations
returned to normal. The rapid reaction of the MP units during this engagement succeeded in
delaying the enemy forces and diverting the direction of their ground attack.
During February of 1968, I began doing more patrols and setting up checkpoints around the
perimeter of Nha Trang with members of my MP unit.

At the checkpoints, we would inspect
Vietnamese Lambretta buses and small

trucks for weapons.

28

Translation:
Money will be
rewarded for
weapons and
mines. Your
identification will
never be revealed.
Translated by
Father Sy Nguyen

The above leaflet was distributed in the Nah Trang area to Vietnamese civilians. I was never
asked to collect weapons and mines or pay a reward. Somehow the thought of a Vietnamese
man approaching me with hand grenades for a reward, seemed like a very dangerous
proposition.

We also ran patrols in our Jeep with a "QC" (QUAN CANH) Vietnamese MP and a ROK Army
MP. (Korean Army Corps Headquarters were in Nha Trang). One day we were in a remote
area at a checkpoint with no traffic. After finishing my soda, I put the can 50 yards down the
road, and walked back to the Jeep. I communicated to the Vietnamese and Korean soldier that
we were going to do some target practice. I had a hard time convincing them to participate,
so rather take an easy shot with the M-16, I pulled out my 45 pistol, quickly aimed, and shot
the tin can in the air, to which the Vietnamese soldier said, "Numba One!” Pretending it was
an easy shot, I put another can at 50 yards, and they took a few rounds with their carbines to
eventually hit the can. Fortunately, they did not want me to shoot the can a second time.

One day after we dropped the Vietnamese QC at his camp, I convinced the Korean soldier
to allow us to have lunch with him. It was interesting in that they had a similar mess hall to
ours. They used the US Army tan Melmac trays from the 1950s, and they served their Korean
food with a 22-oz. bottle of beer. I found out why, when I sampled all the food items offered,
which were very spicy. One of the food items was so spicy that although it was delicious, it
was so painful to eat, that it seemed to cause my mouth to swell. The beer helped!

29

Mail Call

“Since the beginning of formalized postal delivery, mail delivered to deployed military
personnel has been an enormous part of a soldier’s day. The adrenalin rush of receiving a
package from mom, photos of children, and letters from a sweetheart always made the daily
anxiety of separation easier with mail call.” Timothy P. Kerner, CMDSM, MQC

One of the most import occasions for us in Vietnam was mail call. Mail was a critical morale
booster for all of us. I kept most of my letters and could reread these letters at night to bring
me closer home and relieve the stress.

My letters to Anne, and my mother let
them know all was well with me. This was
a typical letter to relatives to let them
know what I was doing and where I was,
as I had various duty stations in Vietnam.
My letters to Anne were more intimate,
and we enjoy reading them occasionally

I especially remember the parcels of
homemade cakes and cookies from my
Aunt Mary and so did the other MPs in the
unit who enjoyed the home-made food.

Seems the government let all my mail through and did not censor the content. No matter
where I was, mail call reached me using the following address:

SP4 Ramon Evans
Co. (A) 504th MP Bn
(Hq. Provisional Corps Vietnam)
APO San Francisco 96308
When I returned home, I was amazed to learn that Anne and my relatives were more
informed and worried, as they had the latest news about the war going on at my duty
locations.

30

Qui Nhon,

February 1968

The monsoon season was wet, and the roads turned to mud in the short time I was in Qui
Nhon. The effect of the monsoon strikes on Inland and coastal areas at different times of the
year, due to the inland mountains. This caused numerous accidents on RT 1 for convoys. I
remember that I was driving a Jeep in a convoy, and we spent a few days in Qui Nhon to pick
up other members in our unit on the way to Camp Evans.

Monsoon season in Qui Nhon 1968.
The heaviest rain and poorest visibilities were generally from Cam Rahn Bay to Qui Nhon in

the Spring.

31

Camp Evans

Feb.1968-Apr.1968

The photo at right was taken by the
504th MP, 3rd Platoon company C.
As I remember, our platoon did not
work much with them during our
stay at Camp Evans.

The 218th Military Police Company had moved its headquarters and two platoons to Nha
Trang to replace A/504th MP Battalion (my unit) 30 January 1968. By early February 1968,
I was part of the 504th MP Battalion Co A that received orders to move North to Camp Evans.

Camp Evans 1968 by Tom Wilson
Camp Evans (Phong Dien District) was a large U.S. base off RT 1, halfway
between Hue City and Camp Barnes near Dong Ha, just South of the DMZ.
All this was in I Corp, in the Northern most Province of Thừa Thiên–Huế.
Camp Evans was established by the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines in late 1966
as part of Operation Chinook. The camp was named after Marine Lance
Corporal Paul Evans who was killed during Operation Chinook.
Once I reached Camp Evans our platoon came together and we set up a large tent, with each
member building his own sandbagged sleeping area (hooch) in the tent as protection against
periodic mortar attacks. The next couple paragraphs from historical archives describe the
conditions of Camp Evans when we were there.

32

Camp Evans, just a few minutes’ flight from the Demilitarized Zone
(DMZ), was so big there was little chance of it’s being overrun, but the
VC tested the perimeter on a regular basis. The camp was crammed full of
the 1st Cavalry Division, dozens of its support units, and several other
U.S. military units as well. There were mortar, RPG, and rocket attacks
almost nightly.

In the weeks following the Tet Offensive, there was a lot of action
in the area surrounding Hue and numerous attacks on U.S. camps and
installations. During the evening of 25 March 1968 there were the usual
mortar explosions, followed by 122mm rockets whistling in. Capt. Casey
of the 371st Radio Research Company and Spc.4 Ross Applegate, an
intelligence analyst (96B20) in the 583rd Military Intelligence Co. (1st
Cav) had both been killed by mortar explosions that evening.

After this attack, I visited a friend I had known at Fort Leavenworth, and a tent near his
looked like Swiss cheese from a mortar hitting the tent. I was amazed they did not have the
sandbagged hooch we had built in our tent. Now our Lieutenant decided we needed a bunker
dug outside our tent.

The living conditions were a bit primitive as the latrine was a wood outhouse. The luxury
here was a toilet seat, but human waste ended up in a cutoff 55-gallon drum that was burned
with diesel fuel each day after being taken from the latrine. The smoke wafting through the
camp was pungent. Fortunately, taking a leak did not require using a latrine, but partially
buried artillery shell casings did the trick. Another problem was getting a shower nearby,
which had only cold water. We used a jerry-rigged shower with a 55-gallon drum that had a
heater for hot water near our tent. Unfortunately, the unit nearby had set up this shower, so
we used the shower late at night.

Typical housing at Camp Evans 1968 Our tent area with shower at left

33

Primitive latrine with waste disposal burn

Ray at mortared Artillery Round Urinal
The food at the mess hall was the worse yet, but fortunately we had the option of the MCI
(Meal, Combat, Individual Rations) which we called "C-Rations" (or "Charlie Rats"), which
were in barrels of hot water outside the mess hall. Breakfast was not too bad, if milk and cereal
were available.

Talking with a friend in an artillery group stationed out in the boonies, he said that the
pound cake ration covered by the canned peaches was the item he traded for cigarette rations.
The MRE replaced the canned MCI in 1981. The lighter LRP ration, developed by the United States
Army for Special Forces and Ranger patrol units in Vietnam, was preferred to the MCI.

Military Combat Individual Meal or C-Ration with P-38 C-Ration rat trap in our tent
opener used since WW II

34

504th MP Battalion CoA Headquarters Chapel at Camp Evans

The 504th MP Battalion (Co. A) was one of the MP battalions that ran convoys of
supplies and ammunition up and down RT 1, but we mostly went north to Dong Ha.

Dong Ha Forward Combat Base, RVN,
was located approximately eight miles
south of the Demilitarized Zone which
was in Quang Tri Province in the I Corps
Tactical Zone. The Dong Ha base was a
major source of ammunition, fuel, and
food for U.S. Marine outposts. We spent
the night at nearby Camp Barnes with the
Navy guys.

I wrote to Anne on March 22, 1968, that I was still
in Dong Ha since we had a traffic accident in the
middle of the convoy on a bridge. Convoys are never
held up overnight due to enemy control of the roads
at night. Another incident involved two military
vehicles colliding in our convoy. We arranged for 1st
Cav helicopter air cover, while a medivac helicopter
took the wounded truck driver back to Camp Evans.

Vehicle in convoy hit mine, near Quang Tri >

35

We used this type(M151A1) of armored Jeep Ray Evans sandbagging the Jeeps
occasionally for convoys without armor.

I was usually the ranking member of the Military Police team as a SP4. We ran two patrol
Jeeps that were mounted with M-60 machine guns. Sandbags were also used on the
floorboards for some protection against mine explosion, and we each carried an M-16, a 45
pistol, and usually one grenade launcher. I was in the Jeep that would lead the convoy and the
other Jeep would follow at the end of the convoy, as shown in the following photos:

Ray Evans in lead convoy Jeep Crossing French Bridge on RT 1

36

One time we had a long wait at the old French Bridge for passing traffic, as it could only
handle one-way traffic. Since we had time, I opened an MRI can with a P-38 opener for a
quick snack. As traffic let up, I quickly I put the P-38 in my helmet band as shown next.

P-38 can opener Ray with a P-38 lieutenant
promotion.

As I was passing other vehicles down RT 1 with two-way traffic, the passengers in other
Army vehicles would salute me. The guys in my unit thought this was humorous, and
sometimes allowed me to direct slower vehicles out of the way of our convoy. Usually, these
trips were required to be completed during the day, as the Viet Cong generally controlled the
road at night. We would then stay at Camp Barnes, Dong Ha at night, have a few drinks and
play poker with the Navy guys, and the next morning take a convoy south back to Camp Evans.

One day while forming up a convoy on RT 1 just outside Camp Evans, we noticed a group
of vehicles coming out of the jungle towards us. As they sped past us towards Camp Evans,
they had body bags in the back of the Jeeps and trucks. You could tell by the faces of the
drivers; it had been a horrific day for them. Other than the wounded we saw in the Nha Trang
hospital, these were the first soldiers we saw that had been killed most likely protecting our
convoys and the Camp. Not something we forget, when confronting the realities of war.

It was the 504th Military Police Battalion (Co. A and Co. B) units in the area that checked
RT 1 for mines and made our convoys possible. Little has been written about these combat
highwaymen, but they performed important and often dangerous tasks, such as keeping a
check on military traffic, civilian vehicles, and pedestrians, and maintaining route security. I
know that many other Military Police were killed sweeping mines on RT 1, while I was on
convoy duty.

37

The next few pages show photos taken from Camp Evans to Camp Barnes.

The Monsoon season made for terrible road
conditions

SP4 Ray Evans at convoy start on RT 1

Ray Evans directing convoy traffic. Two convoys passing on RT 1

38

Convoy formed up outside Camp Evans in May 1968

RT 1 convoy traffic near Quang Tri Minor Jeep breakdown 504th MP

39

2 1/2-ton truck in convoy takes a right turn in middle of a fifty-year-old bridge, Quang Tri

504th MP moves convoy around swaying bridge with tow truck clearing bridge

Late afternoon we decide to take the convoy across the river

40

We decided to test the waters with one of our two Jeeps, as we needed to maintain our
position at the front of the convoy. We did not have breather tubes for the carburetor, but we
took it slow as the water flowed across the interior of the Jeep up to the bottom of our seats,
but we made it across. Fortunately, we had a backup tow truck from the Transportation unit
as a couple of the USMC Jeeps stalled out midstream and had to be towed across. All went well
as we arrived at Dong Ha at dusk.

In Vietnam, various techniques were used for road mine clearing for convoys. At Camp
Evans, I believe that the 14th Engineer Battalion conducted daily mine sweeps before the
beginning of convoy operations. I understand that mine detector operators walked at a
normal pace, sweeping back and forth. The hasty sweep would cover one to three kilometers
per hour.

It should be noted that we were in constant communications with the 1st CAV helicopters
that patrolled RT 1 to protect the convoys. The Transportation unit and Sea Bees trucks we
had in our convoy took care of any vehicles in the convoy that occasionally hit a mine, and we
would have to stop the convoy. I always wondered why the Viet Cong did not blow our Jeep
up and stop the entire convoy. Looks like the mines were probably set off for a heavier vehicle.

The lieutenant in our group
chewed me out a couple of
times for not wearing a flak
jacket. During a convoy I
preferred to put sandbags on
floorboards of the Jeep and sit
on my flak jacket to avoid a
mine taking out my privates.
The pictures at right
illustrates why I disobeyed
orders occasionally.

Photo taken by 504th MP Co. B - all MPs
survived!

41

Also, the trucks in the convoy mounted with M-55 quad fifty caliber machine guns also
discouraged Viet Cong from ambushes while I was on duty. The M113 personnel carrier
below was not available for our MP company.

An M113 armored PC used by the 720thMP
photo by Sgt Phillip Beaver

“As more MP units arrived convoy escort became a very large part of their overall
mission. By 1966, most largescale convoys, those from the major ports and logistical supply
bases to the main combat bases, were escorted by MP units. Security for further ground
transport and distribution of logistical materials from the main combat and support bases to
their outlying fire bases and detachments fell upon the divisional MPs when available, or the
units themselves provided the needed organic escorts.” Notes from the 720th Military Police
Battalion Reunion Association.

These type of iron bridges were built by the French in 1900s, Generally, pontoon bridges
and were easily destroyed by the NVA (not my photo) replaced destroyed bridges.

42

As convoys backed up occasionally going through villages along RT 1, the local Vietnamese
vendors offered to sell us cold soda ($1.00) and beer ($2.00), and Japanese whisky ($4.00).
At Camp Evans, we had very limited access to these items, as there were no PX services, but
we occasionally got warm beers at our tent.

American beer, soda, and Japanese whiskey for sale on RT 1.

Vietnamese cigarettes for sale Ray getting a haircut in barber shop

43

Home damaged during TET Pagoda above seen near Quang Tri when
running convoys along RT 1.

The following is an interesting experience I had with village outpost liaison duty while at
Camp Evans. MACV recommended that the Foreign Claims Act be amended to allow payment
of certain claims indirectly related to the combat activities of U.S. forces, and Congress made
such a change to the law in 1968. Consequently, claims by Vietnamese civilians could now
be paid, and our unit participated in some village outpost liaison duty. Our trip out to a village
was led by a captain who was to access the claims and pay for the claim. He told us he was
going to pay a farmer for the water buffalo supposedly killed by American soldiers. He also
informed us of the procedures used of the to determine payment, were as follows.

A farmer would be paid the Vietnamese piaster equivalent of $1,000 for
his dead male water buffalo if it had been used for target practice by
soldiers passing by on patrol. This amount, roughly equivalent to the
amount paid for wrongful death of a woman or child, was increased if the
dead water buffalo was a female carrying a calf. If the farmer butchered
the water buffalo and ate it, then USARV claims judge advocates deducted
salvage value from the monies paid.

We stopped our Jeep just outside a small village near a stream, and the captain went in by

himself to pay the farmer. Within a few minutes, mortar rounds started coming in our
direction about 500 yards away into the rice paddies. As they came in closer, we started the
Jeep and were going to pick up the captain, when he came walking up. I imagine the captain
was going to make another trip to this village after the mortar attack got another water buffalo

in the rice paddies.

44

In 2015, I talked with Tom Kangas at a parade honoring Vietnam veteran, and discovered
we were in the same location in 1967-68 and Tom was a truck driver in a transportation unit
involved in numerous convoys between Cam Rahn Bay and Dong Ha. We concluded that he
was probably in one of our convoys on RT 1 being led by the 504th MPs. I asked about soldiers
shooting at water buffalos from the convoy. His comment was that they used to shoot the
water buffalos from the convoy, especially if on the road and slowing down the convoy. So,
who knows if I might have been on that village outpost liaison duty to pay for the water buffalo
Tom shot?

Farmer at village Young village girl with buffalo

Destroyed French bridge during TET 1968 Artillery rounds coming in near us at village

45

Vietnamese village home in 1968
Young boy along RT 1 with convoy in the
background

Typical field using manual labor to grow vegetables for market

46

Tobacco for chewing or smoking Sale of wood for cooking

Carrying food to market Betel quid chewing is a Vietnam custom

47

Hue TET Offensive
A Short History

31 January—2 March 1968 - In the Battle for Hue during Tet, 12,000 NVA
and Viet Cong troops storm the lightly defended historical city, then
begin systematic executions of over 3000 "enemies of the people"
including South Vietnamese government officials, captured South
Vietnamese officers, and Catholic priests. South Vietnamese troops and
three U.S. Marine battalions’ counterattack and engage in the heaviest
fighting of the entire Tet Offensive. On February 24, U.S. Marines occupy
the Imperial Palace in the heart of the citadel and the battle soon ends
with a North Vietnamese defeat. American losses are 142 Marines killed
and 857 wounded, 74 U.S. Army killed and 507 wounded. South Vietnamese
suffer 384 killed and 1830 wounded. NVA killed are put at over 5000.

This map shows the locations of the military action in Hue. My unit the 504th MP Battalion,
were billeted in an old French Villa in early April at the location shown in blue.

48

Hue

April- September 1968

Our 504th Battalion, Company A,
2nd Platoon, was transferred in April
to the Vietnamese Imperial City, of

Hue.

Huế is a city in central Vietnam that
was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty
emperors and the national capital
from 1802-1945.

A major attraction is its vast, 19th-
century Citadel, surrounded by a
moat and thick stone walls. It
encompasses the Imperial City, with
palaces and shrines; the Forbidden
Purple City, once the emperor’s
home; and a replica of the Royal
Theater.

The primary river is known as the
Perfume River. Unfortunately, the
pungent odors I experienced on this
river were nothing to write home
about.

All Military Police duty functions within Provisional Corps Vietnam (PCV) during this period
were performed by the Division Military Police Companies, the only exception being the
attachment of the 504th Military Police Battalion, Company A, 2nd Platoon (a unit assigned to the
18th Military Police Brigade) to PCV to secure the Corps Headquarters area. This unit reported for
duty 3 February 1968 and was placed under the OPCON of MACV (Military Assistance Command,
Vietnam) FI Provost Marshal's Office and then the Provost Marshal. I believe our group was the
remainder of Company A that arrived in the PCV area on 10 April and provided Military Police
support to PCV. Our primary duty was security patrols 24/7 with 12 hour shifts of the city and
surrounding towns by Jeep and by boat in the local river canals. The city of Hue was off-limits after
TET to all military not assigned to duty in Hue, so we were also busy keeping the troops out of
Hue.

49

The MACV Advisory Team 3 had the mission of providing support, mostly fire support and
logistics, to the 1st Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) headquartered in
Hué as well as Thua Thien province forces. Our MP Compound was near the MACV Compound,
that allowed us to use their mess hall. The MACV compound was renamed the Doezema Compound
for U.S. Army Specialist Frank Doezema, who was killed during TET and was posthumously
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his valor defending the Compound.

MACV Compound above before TET
Photo © Tom Pilsch

Photo I took in April 1968 at
right>

MACV was the best mess hall in my tour of The MACV compound bar did not seem to serve
duty. Vietnamese chefs cooked the meals in alcohol, as I am sitting with friends drinking a
the French style with fresh local produce. DAD's root beer. Therefore, we built our own bar at
Vietnamese waitresses brought drinks and the MP compound.
waited on tables.

50


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