- After a hectic 30 day leave (got married) we found ourselves at
Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, where we went through a refresher course on the AN/TPS-25
(nicknamed Tipsy 25) battlefield ground surveillance radar. I hadn't operated
a Tipsy 25 since training
at Ft. Sill 14 months prior, so the refresher was welcome. In addition, we
received training that was specific to Vietnam which included helicopter
operations and qualifications with weapons such as the M-16 rifle and M-60
machine gun. We also received some indoctrination
material. As the 6 weeks of intense training progressed, I could see
faces taking on serious expressions. During brief rest breaks in training I
would often see some of my buddies staring off into the distance, no doubt
wondering what the next 12 months had in store for them.
- When the training ended our group was divided into thirteen 5-man radar
teams. My buddies from Germany, Mark, Rick, Ken and I requested to be assigned
to the same team, but a paper work error put Rick on another team and he
ended up going to an area very close to the DMZ. Mark, Ken and I were
initially on the same team but shortly after we arrived in-country Mark
and I were assigned to a team already in the field. Mark and I and served our
entire 12 month tour in Vietnam together. I was glad to have him with me. His
keen wit and occasional sacarism was much appreciated during some of our darker
moments in Vietnam.
- We weren't scheduled to leave for Vietnam for a few days so I was able to
pack up and take my new wife back home to California. During the trip my
car blew a head gasket, but we managed to limp into town after 2 days on
the road. I immediatedly booked a flight back to Lawton, Oklahoma and got back to
my unit at Ft. Sill just in time to convoy to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. There, we loaded
up our gear into a C-141 aircraft. Our equipment included one jeep, one
3/4 ton truck, one deuce and a half truck and, of course, the radar system.
- Our route took us to Anchorage, Alaska, for a crew change and fuel, then
on to Japan for another crew change and fuel. The last stop was Bien Hoa
AFB, Vietnam. During the flight, we were allowed to wander around inside
the cavernous cargo bay and also visit the flight deck when we needed a
break from the noise. The size of flight deck was very impressive; I
counted as many as 10 people up there at times.
- I'll never forget my first impressions of Vietnam. When the cargo door
swung open we were greeted by high heat and high humidity and some very
strange smells. As I looked around I could see many soldiers who were
obviously on their way home. Their whistles and cheers reminded me that I
had a long way to go before I would be in that crowd. At this moment, 12
months seemed like an eternity.
- Our team was sent to Cu Chi base camp in the III Corps area for initial
staging. I think we were the only team out of the original 13 sent to Cu Chi.
Our drive from Bien Hoa AFB to Cu Chi was quite an eye-opener. There were
small fires here and there and evidence of recent fighting. And the strange
smells were at times overpowering. None to soon, we drove through the Cu Chi
base camp main gate and found our way to HHB (Headquarters, Headquarters Battery)
of the 25th Infantry Division Artillery. We were assigned temporary
billets and then prepared for 3 days of Charm School.
-
Within a day after completing Charm School we received our field assignment.
To make the transition to the field a little easier and safer, our
team and an experienced field team were each divided and formed into 2 new
teams consisting of half FNG's (fine new guys, funny new guys — you pick
your euphemism) and half veterans. It worked quite well as we now could learn
from the seasoned crews. Now it was time to spend the next 12 months doing
what we were trained for. God help us.
Copyright © 1995 David C. Stafford
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