Viet Nam War 1970-71 - One REMF's story of a year in Nam
CHRISTMAS DAY 1970 with BOB AND BABES!
As a journalist and as Editor of the newspaper of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment I held a US Army press pass that entitled me to close-up seating and access to post-event press conferences. May God bless the Vietnam veterans on all sides of the conflict! May the Vietnamese people always live in peace! © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINHCHRISTMAS IN VIETNAMAFVN© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE
GIs welcome the cast of the Bob Hope Show from Long Binh on Christmas Day, A few hours of enjoyment in the middle of a 365-day tour of duty. You cannot possibly imagine the energy in this crowd! © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINH© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
FULL HOUSE
Long Binh audience at the Christmas Day Bob Hope Show. You will note the American civilian women in the audience. These were the spouses of senior military flown in for the party! Thanks for that memory! © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINH© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
LOLA!
Lola Falana takes the stage at Long Binh, amid a torrent of cheers! The ground literally shook as she came into view! © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINHLOLA FALANA© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
HIGH KICKING
The Golddiggers dance with Bob. He is struggling to give a strong, high kick, but I'm not sure anyone noticed. © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINHGOLDDIGGERS© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
MEMORIES
The "Goldiggers" from the Dean Martin Show take the stage at Long Binh behind Bob Hope. Les Brown and "His Band of Renown" provides musical support. Our young performer far right rushed to get to the stage on time! © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINHGOLD DIGGERS© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
HARMONIES
The Golddiggers sing a tune. The group of singers/dancers originated on the Dean Martin Variety Show and toured with Dean in Vegas and other locations. Not sure if they ever again enjoyed an audience as welcoming as this one in Long Binh. © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINHGOLD DIGGERS© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
IMPRESSING THE HEROES!
Gloria Loring, 23, thoroughly impresses the enthusiastic troops even before singing a note.
LORINGbob hope show 1970LONG BINHCHRISTMAS DAY 1970 VIETNAM© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
BABES, BABES, BABES
Lola Falana, Gloria Loring, Hope, Country Singer Bobbi Martin and Jennifer Holsten (Miss World 1970 from Grenada), take center stage. © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINHGOLD DIGGERSGLORIA LORINGCHRISTMAS DAY 1970 VIETNAM© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
SILENT NIGHT, GREAT DAY IN THE WARZONE!
Gloria Loring leads the cast, band and audience in "Silent Night" in an unforgettable Christmas Day Carol for these GIs. Johnny Bench stands to Gloria's right. © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINHJOHNNY BENCH© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
POST HOPE SHOW PRESS CONFERENCE, LONG BINH
Bob poses next to Lola Falana at the press conference following the Christmas Day Show at Long Binh. © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINH© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
A PITCHER AND A CATCHER
Bobbi Martin, left, pitches a fastball to Johnny Bench, later a first-time ballot baseball Hall of Fame inductee, I had a chance to discuss the upcoming National League season with Johnny. He said the Cubs were okay but his Cincinnati Reds were destined to win the series. The "Big Red Machine" would go on to dominate baseball in the mid-seventies! Lola Falana must be a football fan!
JOHNNYBENCHBOB HOPE SHOWBOBBI MARTINLOLA FALANAJOHNNY BENCH CINCINNATI REDS© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
RENOWNED
Jennifer Holsten, Miss World, 1970, orchestra leader Les Brown and singer and actress Gloria Loring (from a damaged 35mm Ektachrome slide). © 1970, MJ Roche.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINH© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
FOR OUR U.S. POWs
Bob, Gloria Loring, Jennifer Hosten from Grenada (Miss World, 1970), and others show off their POW bracelets at the press conference following the Christmas Day Bob Hope Show at Long Binh, RVN.
BOB HOPEVIETNAMUS ARMY VIETNAM 1970BOB HOPE SHOWLONG BINH© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
MY FIRST HOME IN VIETNAM
Củ Chi Base Camp was established in 1965 near Highway 1, just 25 km northwest of Tan Son Nhut Air Base and 50 km southeast of Tây Ninh. The camp was located south of the Vietcong stronghold known as the Iron Triangle and was near and in some cases above the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels. The 25th Division redeployed to Hawaii on Dec. 8, 1970, while I was flying to Chicago on emergency leave for a family funeral. I would not see Cu Chi again until 2002 on a private tour. Source: Wikipedia.
CU CHIBASECAMP25TH INFANTRY DIVISION1970© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
FIRST MAIL CALL CU CHI
Mail call in front of the hootch at Cu Chi. The 3/13th Field Artillery basecamp area was noted for having red and yellow accents painted throughout the HQ unit, including rocks lining the walkways. The nickname of the unit (unbelievably to me) was "The Clan." CSM Monsees was a very serious soldier. Since we were all prettied up (note the spit-shined boots and bloused pants) and directly next to the wire, was the 3/13th a target for VC rockets? Being so close too the Cambodian border, the base was frequently targeted by the enemy. In Tet 1969 (Little Tet) 10 Chinook helicopters were damaged or destroyed on the Cu Chi airfield by sappers who infiltrated the base. Five days after I arrived, we were rocketed during an outdoor cookout celebrating the departure of my predecessor. Jim Duran lived to greet his Freedom Bird at Bien Hoa. © 1970, MJ Roche.
CU CHIBASECAMP25TH INFANTRY DIVISION19703 13TH FIELD ARTILLERY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
QUONSET PAINT PARTY & "FRIENDLY" CASUALTIES
Admin Office, 3/13th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division, Cu Chi, RVN. Our quonset hut office during a repainting party in the evening. Digital scan from a damaged 45 year-old Polaroid print. October 1970. The afternoon following this photo, a PFC committed suicide against the side of this building with a "Dear John" letter from his sweetheart back home found by his side. I had been in-country for two weeks and had experienced a soldier suicide and the murder of a volunteer Donut Dollie by a GI. Welcome to Vietnam. © 1970, MJ Roche.
CU CHIBASECAMP25TH INFANTRY DIVISION19703 13TH FIELD ARTILLERYsoldier suicide© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
LETTERS FROM HOME
Charlie Johnson, from Ohio, helps me read a letter from home. The wallpaper was ordered from the Sears catalog! © 1970, MJ Roche.
CU CHIBASECAMP25TH INFANTRY DIVISION1970313TH FIELD ARTILLERY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
REMINGTON RAIDER
Speed typing at Cu Chi, 1970. Our job was to travel the field by helicopter to record brave and humanitarian deeds accomplished by our troops. Articles we created and photos were released regularly to hometown newspapers to support the war PR effort back home. At times we were called upon for "forensic" photography to record the scene of a downed chopper, a=damaged personnel carrier or simply to verify enemy KIA counts for the Army brass. Most REMFs did their best to complete their assignments. By late 1970, the evidence was clear that the US public wanted our participation in the war to end. Casualty counts around Saigon diminished markedly during the period.
CU CHIBASECAMP25TH INFANTRY DIVISION19703rd OF THE 13th FIELD ARTILLERY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
CAPTURED 155 ROUND!
Overlooking the Michelin rubber plantation just west of Cu Chi a 155mm self-propelled howitzer fires a round in support of 25th Infantry Division troops (3/13th Artillery Battalion). Photo by Mike Roche with an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic (1/1000 sec.), one of the first, popular 35mm single lens reflex cameras, with TriX Pan 400 ISO film (in October 1970). This photo was accepted into the official permanent collection of the Veteran's Art Museum, Chicago, IL, in 2016. © 1970, MJ Roche.
AIR AGUA
Water delivered by a 11th ACR Chinook, "Shithook", helicopter in the field. © 17th PIO, 1971.
AIRLIFT
25th Divison 2/14th Infantry troops depart an LZ.
Source: NARA.
TUNNEL
A 25th Division squad leader begins the inspection of a tunnel.
Source: NARA.
25TH DIVISION PAPER
An article and drawing that appeared in the "Tropic Lightning News" on September 28, 1970. This publication was the weekly newspaper of the 25th Infantry Division. Major Robert E. Kelso was the CO. Note the "Clan" unit nickname top, left. Hard to imagine!
TROPICLIGHTNINGCU CHIBASECAMP25TH INFANTRY DIVISION1970313TH FIELD ARTILLERY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
MOBILE FIREPOWER
The M109 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer at a fire support base near the border of Cambodia. The "3F13" marking on the front refers to the 3rd Battalion of the 13th Field Artillery, embedded in the 25th Infantry Division. Taken in August 1970. © 1970, MJ Roche.
CU CHIBASECAMP25TH INFANTRY DIVISION1970313TH FIELD ARTILLERY155mm selfpropelled© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
A 155mm Howitzer from the 3/13th Field Artillery of the 25th Infantry Division at their basecamp at Cu Chi. The battalion had three 155mm self-propelled (track mounted) companies and one self-propelled 8-inch gun company. There was overwhelming intelligence that the enemy avoided contact with armored units and powerful artillery at all costs. Photo: 25th Inf. Div. 1970 yearbook.
CU CHIBASECAMP25TH INFANTRY DIVISION1970313TH FIELD ARTILLERY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
ARTILLERY FSB
A 155mm Howitzer from the 3/13th Field Artillery of the 25th Infantry Division at a Fire Support Base. The range of this gun was over 17 miles! Photo, 25th Inf. Div. 1971 yearbook.
CU CHIFSB25TH INFANTRY DIVISION1970313TH FIELD ARTILLERY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
COMMANDING VIEW
Waiting to move out.
Photo: 25th Infantry Division Yearbook.
NIGHT TIME
Silhouette of a 155mm Howitzer from the 3/13th Field Artillery of the 25th Infantry Division at their basecamp at Cu Chi at dusk. Photo: 25th Inf. Div. 1970 yearbook.
CU CHIFSB25TH INFANTRY DIVISION19703 13TH FIELD ARTILLERY155mm SELF PROPELLED© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
NEXT ASSIGNMENT: ARMOR
Just outside "the wire" at Di An Basecamp, where I was stationed following 25th Infantry assignment. The colors red and white are the traditional cavalry colors and the rearing black horse alludes to the "BlackHorse" nickname of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. This same base is the former home for the "Big Red One" 1st Infantry Division.
© 1970, MJ Roche.DI AN BASECAMPVIETNAM11th ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT19701971© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
CHAPEL AND MONUMENT
The 11th ACR Chapel at Di An circa February 1971. The marker in front holds brass plates with the names of fallen troopers, many recently added from the incursion into Cambodia in May 1970. The 11th Armored Cavalry played a major role in destroying enemy weapons caches during the operation. © 1971, MJ Roche.
SAVED BY THE CAVALRY AT TET 1970!
Dusk at DiAn on the first night of the TET holiday. Intelligence reports said the base would be rocketed and troopers were told to prepare for and assault after nightfall. Not long after this photo was taken we heard a persistent roar from the perimeter outside the wire. M Company was circling the basecamp sending charlie a message to celebrate the holiday somewhere else. Small arms firs and parachute flares welcomed our brothers to DiAn and we slept in peace. © 1970, MJ Roche.
DI AN BASECAMP11th ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT19701971© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
WOUNDED / KIA
Mending a broken leg at Di An in front of our 17th PID (Public Information Detachment of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment). This little guy was dead a few days later. The speculation was from rat poison that had been placed around base buildings. © 1970, MJ Roche.
DI AN BASECAMP11th ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT19701971© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
ARMORED PISSER
The corrugated steel shell provides the ultimate in privacy for piss tube center left. The two-seater latrine is at upper left. Foreground, left, are the sand bags at the front of the 17th PID (Public Information Detachment) hootch and office building that were designed to minimize casualties during rocket attacks. At right, center, two Vietnamese contractors adjust the fuel tanks feeding the source of local electricity. The noisy generators ran 24 hours a day, but you only realized they were there when they were shut down for maintenance! When I arrived I asked on of the guys "how do you sleep with that?"Theye said "Sleep with what?" © 1971, MJ Roche.
DI AN BASECAMPDI ANVIETNAM11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT11th ACR© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
MUNITIONS SUPPLIED SHOWER
Fancy shower with torpedo tube filled every third day with non-potable water delivered by tank truck. Magically heated by 3pm daily. During the dry season, you could shower, walk to the hooch 35 yards away, and write your name on your arm in the red dust that would adhere to your moist skin. It was still quite a bit better than bathing in a pit created by one of artillery rounds like our brothers in the field. © 1970, MJ Roche.
DI AN BASECAMP11th ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT19701971VIETNAM© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
SHOOTERS ENGAGED
71Q (Army Journalist) drawing highlighting the exciting aspects of the job (11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Di An, Vietnam, 1970). Artist unknown, print provided by Ed Yocum.
FSB BATH
Post monsoon bath. Many field units kept dogs and took them along when they moved from place to place. A Vietnamese researcher hs indicated this location was likely at "Tonle Cam Camp" on the Saigon River in Tay Ninh Province, near the "Fish Hook". © 1970, MJ Roche.
RPG over C
11th Armored Cavalry Troopers examine an enemy RPG recovered on a mission near the Cambodian border following the Nixon-ordered incursion in 1970. US Army photo. Boxes packed with "C" rations are stacked beneath.
CAMBODIA11th ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT19701971VIETNAM© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
BASECAMP GOURMET
R.J. House applies seasoning on the barbie behind our hootch. You will note the sandbagged 17th PID bunker in the background. © 1970, MJ Roche.
DI AN BASECAMP11th ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT19701971VIETNAMRJ HOUSE© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
TREASURE FROM CAMBODIA
"The Things They Carried" after the Tim O'Brien novel of the same name (11th Armored Cavalry Regiment photo). Satchel charges, grenades, several rifles, RPG rounds, and anti-personnel devices. A trooper identified this group as belonging to G Troop in May 1970.
DI AN BASECAMP11th ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT19701971CAMBODIA© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
11th ARMOR FIELD
Moving through brush on a search and destroy mission, near Dau Tieng, January 1971. © 1971, MJ Roche.
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT11th ACRFIELDVIETNAMUS ARMY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
ARMOR POWER
11th ACR photo.
11th ACR11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENTFIELDVIETNAMUS ARMY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
11th ARMOR
11th ACR photo. The strategies of "guerilla" warfare dictated that you leave these armor guys alone.
11th ACR11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENTFIELDVIETNAMUS ARMY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
"VIETMANIZATION" AT WORK
Vietnamization, transitioning combat responsibility to the Vietnamese, was the strategy of the day in 1971. The transition was a slow process in 1971. Photo: 11TH ACR.
11th ACRVIETNAMIZATION11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENTFIELDVIETNAMUS ARMY© 1970 1971 MJ ROCHE
