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50th Anniversary Of Arriving In DaNang

50th Anniversary Of Arriving In DaNang

Sgt. Grit, I arrived in DaNang on Aug 26, 1966, 3 months shy of my 20th birthday. I still remember the flight from Okinawa and looking at my fellow Marines and wondering which one of us was coming home. Fortunately, most of us made it. I found this travel voucher from October 1966. I was originally scheduled to go to Viet Nam from Camp Pendleton to the Third Marine Division on June 1, 1966 but 63 of us were diverted to 12 weeks of Vietnamese Language School at the Presidio of Monterey. Upon completion of language school my new orders were to the First Marine Division. I ended up as an Intelligence scout/assistant with the S-2 Section, Hq Company, 1st Marine Regiment south of DaNang along the Song Tu Bon river. The only major operation was Union 1 and 2 from April to September 1967. I know of two of my classmates who were killed in action during that operation, Bruce Parmalee and Glen E. Sanders. John Wayne Jarrell died earlier. In all, five of the 63 language school graduates were killed.

Semper Fi,
J Kanavy
0311 Cpl USMC

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Comments

Carlton King - June 24, 2020

I went over sept. 65 aboard U.S.S. GEN. WILLIAM MITCHELL . She was an old MSTS troop ship from ww1 I think . out of san diego via staging battalion.

Carlton King - June 24, 2020

Anybody from 2/3 66-67

Robert Barry Harper - June 24, 2020

Went to Vietnam in 1965 with the 1st Mar. Div.
We did 63 days sailing back and forth in the Gulf of Tonkin on the USS Valley Forge,an LPH, waiting for some-one in Washington to say ” Put boots on the ground “.
I was a Corporal with the 81 mm mortars, H&S company, 1st Bn. 1st Marines, 1st Mar. Div.
We made a beach landing in the Da Nang area, and never fired a shot. The locals new we were coming before we did. That changed rather quickly.
After about a month, the Brass decided to split us up and put us all on an individual rotation basis.
My mortar squad and I were assigned to India Co. 3rd Bn. 9th Marines.
We pulled Perimeter Duty at the Da Nang airstrip just before Christmas 1965, and returned to the field
shortly after New Years 1966.
I eventually became Forward Observer with the 81s and was promoted to Sergeant on June 1, 1966.
Then I rotated out of Vietnam in August 1966, and was released from active duty on March 27, 1967.

Roy Williams - June 24, 2020

I got my all expense paid trip to the Orient in May of 1967. First firefight the night before Mothers day. What a wakeup call.
Semper Fi

david althaus - June 24, 2020

Looking For Marines In Plt 2187 Oct 9 1969

Bill Craig - June 24, 2020

Looking for Marines who served with 2/26 when they left by ship, around July 1966 to Vietnam, USS Henrico. I was with H&S Co. 81 Mortars. Also looking for Marines with 2/4, I was transferred from 2/26 to 2/4 January 1967, moving from Phu Bai further up north. I became Forward Observer for 81 Mortars, I believe I was attached to E Company.

Rick Thornell - June 24, 2020

Looking for Marines that was with me in H 2/9 and L 3/3

Rick Thornell - June 24, 2020

Early summer of 1965 Hotel 2/9 made a beach landing in DaNang with no resistance, we spent two weeks setting up out living quarters. My MOS was 0351 and we began to engaged in search and destroy operation. October of 1965 was transferred to Lima Company 3/3 south to Chu Lia and remain there until I rotated back State Side. December of 1965 we boarded a Frigate ship and made a beach landing between ChuLia and DaNang, spent a day on search and destroy then return back aboard the ship and headed to DaNang. I then was based in DaNang and engaging in operation and search and destroy of the VC and NVA. Spent rest of my tour in Cambodia (classified operation) on search and destroy of supply lines and their troops. This is a brief summary of my tour with a lot left out. Maybe one of my Marines will remember being with me.

Amtracker - June 24, 2020

Should have shown the ARVN the proper method of staying awake.

Ernest Wawrowicz - June 24, 2020

Went to Vietnam in 1966. We went from Long Beach CA to Okinawa via: the Naval Ship the Teledaga, it took 30 days to cross the Pacific, ended up in Camp Hansen with my unit the 1st Antitank Bn. Spent a few weeks at Hansen training and got aboard the LSD Wetstone for the trip to Chu Lai. Spent a few weeks in the sand of the beach area near the Airstrip, then moved to our new location on Hill 245 (I think) We spent some time their and then moved again to the DaNang Area to Happy Valley where Tanks, Amtrack, were located (don’t know the number of that hill). Was sent to a place called OP FALCON on top of Hill 327 overlooking Happy Valley (excuse me if I mis-named the Valley where we were located) , Faclon was a trip, Their were only 4 Marine on Falcon with a 360 area we had to protect at night. We would go to the ARVN Training Camp to pick-up our Guard squad every night. Some of them were RAW-Recruits, boy were tthey Scarry. We would find them asleep on guard duty sometimes. Our job was to watch for any gun fire down in the Valley below. We could see all the way to the river and beyond. It was scarry because I was not artilery trained!!!!!! Thank God nothing happen during my time there. Was sent on many operations during my time in country usually in the REAR with the gear. Someone had to do it. Hope someone from my old unit will read this a write back. Semper Fi.

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