Combat Engineer when I transferred to the
104th, I had spent 12 months with the 919th
Engineer Company, 11th Armored Cav Reg
Base Camp Xuan Loc. When I arrived at Chu
Chi my platoon Sgt ask me what a demo spec
doing in a trucking outfit???? I told him I can
104th Eng Co
Chu Chi
Long Binh


I spent 12 months with the 919th Engr Co. 11th
Armoured Cav Reg. I extended for 6 mo to get
out of the field because my company clerk told
me if I extend my tour for 6 months I could pick
the outfit so like a dummy I extended for the
104th Engr Co (DT) in a safe secure place called
Long Binh where they had hooch maids etc etc.
Most of the men I trained with at FT Leonard
Wood Mo,( combat Engr A.I.T. ) were sent to
the 104th........but guess what????? My company
clerk told me my extension was approved so I
jumped for joy and headed toward my hooch
and my company clerk ask where you
going?????? I said to pack my bag...thats
whence notified me I had to Finnish my year
with the 919th first!!!!! Always read the fine
print first..........Oh by the way I finished my
year then when I went to the Co area in Long
Binh there were no one there! I then went to the
20th Engr brigade headquarters and found out
that they had moved to Chu Chi !!!
So much for safe places to be..I was there 3
days when we received over 200 mortars and
rockets and we were over run by a mess of
gooks (VC) We all thought that some of the
guards on the perimeter were caught asleep and
were killed..but it was only after the war was
over we found out that the US Army was the
only outfit that could go out in the middle of
nowhere and build a base camp for the 25th Inf
Div right on top of a Viet Cong under ground
city. I spent my 6mo and before I shipped out
we moved back to Long Binh where we would
get some new commercial dump trucks along
with our 5 ton dumps.I left in Oct or Nov 1969
and went
to the states. I have a few photos that after
I get a chance to scan them I'll try to post them.
I went before the board and made SP5
(E-5)while in Chu Che. If anyone remembers
me I think I was the only red head there. You
have a great website here so keep up the great
work.