aquadiver Loc: Planet Earth

Wow, thanks everybody. I started this thread yesterday, and it has been as interesting, moving and fun as anything I've seen on line in a long time. Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories and for not letting it just be about photography, nor about just Vietnam. Above all, thanks to all for your service, wherever and whenever.

I didn't say much about my own time, so I'll put in a little bit here. Joined Army in 66 after dropping out of college. Slated for payroll clerk, but someone decided I should be an officer and talked me into OCS (benefits: you get paid more and don't have to work so hard; he was a SSGT, as I recall). My eyesight kept me out of any of the combat OCS's, so I went QM, then POL school and volunteered for Vietnam shortly after Tet in 68. Ended up with the 514th QM Company (Pipeline) out of Qui Nhon as a 20-year old 2LT. Spent most of my tour as OIC of three pump stations between Qui Nhon and An Khe. My tour was pretty easy. I was lucky.

First camera was a Fujica Rangefinder, then a Yashica TLR before getting a Minolta SRT-101.

Went back to college after and majored in journalism. Worked for a small paper in SC as a writer, photographer and editor for about 10 years, then moved west and got into PR, and photography became a part-time hobby. Moved back east in 98, learned to Scuba dive in 2000, and decided to get back into photography with a passion.

Now retired, I'm working harder at photography than at anything I've ever worked at, and loving it. All digital all the time with a bunch of Canon bodies and lenses (including the new 7D2), shooting wildlife, underwater, travel, some portraits, etc.

Photography is therapy for me. Reading this thread has been therapeutic and cathartic. It's great to meet a bunch of people with whom I share two of the most important things in my life, for better or worse. Thank you all for contributing.

gc

Jhwii

My first was an Olympus Pen F half frame. I think I traded it for an older Pentax S1a. Still have the Pentax.

agedrunner

I bought a Canon 35 mm SLR with a 50 mm 1.2 lens in September 1969. I am grateful for the camera, meeting my future wife, and USAA.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Not stationed in Saigon, but we certainly flew into Ton Son Nhut often enough. We were Fireball Aviation. Our Tac Ops Center was in an old fishnet factory at the south end of Saigon.

Chip0950 Loc: Boise, ID

Bought my first camera in Hong Kong in 1971. I was on a Westpac cruise during Vietnam. I was on the aircraft carrier Constellation. I love airplanes and what better place than a carrier to photograph planes. Just needed a camera. Bought a Pentax.

Don Craig Loc: Saranac, NY

I've seen fishnet factories mentioned a few times, what is it about them?

Fogman Loc: Fields Landing, California

I was well started in photography before joining the Navy in 1965, having worked as a darkroom assistant for a wedding photographer in my home town and as a lab assistant at the local junior college. The Navy sent me to Taiwan as my first duty station and as luck would have it a Vice Admiral named Gentner had just lost his PAO photographer to the "needs of the service". I picked up that assignment and spent the next two years as his personal photographer (with my own darkroom) also doing pieces for Stars and Stripes and local English language papers. From there I was sent stateside to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard where I was assigned duty as the base photographer, then to the USS Oriskany (CVA34) and Yankee Station offshore Viet Nam. After the Navy I went to college on the GI bill and then for awhile taught photography in a local high school, shot weddings, and did some commission work. Today and for the last twenty five years or so all my photography has been personal. I've lurked here for several years but this thread finally got me to say something.

chuck barker Loc: reno nv

did my tour 67-68 combat doc usmc 3/3 2nd platoon lima ripley's raider's and a small 16mm that slid in and out from the sides fit in my flack jacket still have the black and wht photo's

veroman Loc: Florida

I was drafted in 69 took jungle training at Ft. Polk. Was one of 14 guys (out of 250) sent to Germany. Spent my time guarding nuclear weapons, got lucky. Bought a Pentax at the px and I have been shooting ever since. Got some kick ass stereo equipment at great prices also. I am retiring in March and looking forward to learning PP and wearing my D5100 out.

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

This was taken in Bangkok in June 1973. I was on R&R. We stayed at the Christian Missionary Alliance Guest House just outside of town & took tours every day we were there. This 1 was at 1 of the temples we stopped at. I was a SSgt at the time & yes that's a Hasselblad hanging around my neck. I bought it as a consolation prize in a divorce settlement. My ex was a legal secretary & all I had to pay was the filing fee.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

your mention of the 16mm reminded me:
stationed on flagships in the med for several years i made the tourist shots with the trusty leica but bought my buddy a 1/2 frame compact and sent him to the nude beaches.
When the slides came back we would trade them like baseball cards.

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

Welcome to the Hog, Fogman. You'll find lots of friends & plenty of good advice here.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

I actually got started at the age of 14, in 9th grade. My first 35mm camera was an Argus C3. While I was in the Navy I purchased a "Pentax Spotmatic ii" and a "Mamya/Sekor 1000 DTL" while at Subic Bay in the Philippines. Later on another trip into port I picked up a wetsuit, speargun and another 35mmcamera with an underwater housing to take some shots while diving. I was on the aircraft carrier Coral Sea (CVA-43) at this time.

bw79st Loc: New York City

That is amazing. I took that picture within two weeks of arriving in Vietnam. What are the chances that someone would recognize his own outfit in a stranger's photo that was taken by chance? I was there to interview 199th LIB GIs at Redcatcher Forward, or "Fish Net", and we just wandered out to the road when you guys came past. I'm not sure how serious you are about the PTSD but even I, who was not in a combat roll, was at a demonstration at Rockefeller Center a few months after returning and got brought up short by what sounded like an "Arclight" strike in the distance. I turned around and some idiot was sitting up on a mailbox and drumming his fingers on it rhythmically.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I think I got you beat in starting with photography, that is me holding my first camera, I believe I was 7 years old.