While stationed at N.A.S. Glynco, Ga. I received orders to the Republic of South Viet-Nam, approximately May of 1967. I left Glynco and went to Camp Pendleton, Calif. for refresher training, before heading to "the Nam."

Upon arrival at Marble Mountain, in S. Viet-Nam, I was assigned to HMM-163 based at Hue/Phu-Bai. It was a UH-34D squadron. I checked into Avionics shop and met MGySgt. Frye, the Avionics NCOIC. We had been stationed together at N.A.S. Memphis, while undergoing advanced electronics training. After about 3 months, we went afloat on the helicopter carrier, "U.S.S. Okinawa." We were aboard with the B.L.T. 1/3. We complained bitterly about the chow, etc. aboard ship and actually wanted to go back "in country." We got our wish.

Imagine our thoughts, when we were told we were going to base 'X.' Seems like Dong Ha was within mortar range of the DMZ, so they built this new base at Quang Tri, just south of Dong Ha. Needless to say the base was named Quang Tri. When we arrived, we pitched tents, built bunkers and started operations. We were flying in and out of Khe Sanh, during the siege, in no time.

I left on R&R in January of 1968. On my last night of R&R, we (my wife had met me in Hawaii) saw on the news that TET had started. I was in for quite a welcome on my return. The U.S. military kicked tail and took names during the TET offensive, but the news media had the American public convinced we'd lost our tails. They sure didn't see what we saw. I have NEVER had confidence in the news media since.

Right after I returned from R&R, I transferred down to DaNang with HMM-364.