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Vietnam Christmas


Christmas Day 1970

It was going to be another hot sunny day in Vietnam, but this would go down as one of my most memorable days by far.

A hand full of Charlie Troopers including Roy McDonald and myself hitched a ride in the back of a 3/4 ton Jeep and headed to Long Binh to attend the Bob Hope USO Christmas Show.

This is where I sat on that hot and sunny Christmas Day. A few GI’s climbed trees and telephone poles to get a better view of the stage. The show ended with everyone singing “Silent Night” and not a dry eye anywhere.

Curry Amphitheater on Long Binh Post – Photo by Dave Ondrey

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Vietnam “Santa Claus” with a group of hospital patients during one of the 1970 Bob Hope Christmas Shows.
Photographer unknown

Santa visits Phuoc Vinh
The man to the right of Santa is CPT Enn Tietenberg, 1/9th’s XO.
Photographer unknown

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A Short Move


No longer with the Blues

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I moved out of one of the Blues hooches on the left to the most distant one across the road.

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In my new AO with Roy McDonald and Robert Porter.
Porter was with the Blues, and I could never figure out exactly what McDonald did. All I remember is he hung around Major Nelson a lot.
In front of us is a stack of 33 1/3 rpm records left behind by fellow Blues when they went back to the ‘World’.

I still have these old record albums in my closet but haven’t played them for thirty-nine years. One of these days I’m going to purchase a turntable so I can listen to some of my old favorites, among them is an album called ‘HARRY’ by Harry Nilsson. That record album was given to me by John (Mike) Cody a fellow Blue.

John is second from right in the picture below…

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Our medic (?), Cadenhead, Struck, Cody & Roger
‘Cavalier Blue’ Mike La Chance is stooped down in front of Staff Sergeant David Roger perhaps studying a map to locate our position. We all look a bit lost…

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Here is a picture of Roy McDonald in front of Charlie Troop Operations bunker. Maybe he was Operations Sergeant, but as I recall he was a Specialist 5.

I just spent an hour on the phone today with New York State Senator Roy McDonald. Roy was one my best friends in Vietnam and after all these years, we had plenty to talk about.
I wasn’t one bit surprised when I found out he entered politics. I had a feeling that was his calling.
Roy told me his MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) in Vietnam was an Artillery Forward Observer.
And now we know…

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The Operations bunker was heavily fortified in the event of a mortar attack.

Another trip to Binh Hoa.

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