EdJ0307 Loc: out west someplace

When I went into the Air Force in 1963 and went thru basic training at Lackland AFB we had to use the M-1 Carbine at the rifle range. Could barely qualify with that thing. When I was transferred to Hickam AFB, the first time I was sent to the range they had the M-16. I got a marksman ribbon with that weapon. However, when I went to the range after that they were back to the M-1 Carbine since the M-16s were sent to Viet Nam. So I was back to barely qualifying again.

Rightstuff

Within each Special Forces Camp there were American Special Forces soldiers, Vietnamese counterparts (LLBD), & Montagnard tribesmen (soldiers) and their families defending the camp. It was important to have the families of the Montagnard defenders living within the camp for various reasons, not the least was to add a reason for the defender not to leave the camp or to give up fighting when under attack. There were many advantages for the families--medical care, food, schooling for children, defense against the Viet Cong who would often raid their village for food, search for weapons, conscript for labor, etc. In this Photo the Vietnamese Special Forces Team Sgt is with me and the son of the village Chief. The son is in traditional clothing, perhaps a little better clothing than the average tribesman in the village. This photo is a bit washed out. Many of my photos have been used in lectures--copied many times and have lost quality over the past 53 years. I am presenting here only to continue photo chronology as requested not for pride in the perfection of the photo.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Keep them coming.

sakitson Loc: Goleta, CA

Still loving the stories! Thanks.

Rightstuff

You ask for more--how about this story. You might ask why I am showing a photo of rats. These were captured (Poisoned) at the Special Forces Camp, Dak To. It was in the Spring of 1967 that a rather larger outbreak of Bubonic Plague was discovered within the Camp. Rodents such as these rats were the host to flees that carried the bacillus. There were deaths within the camp. I will send photos (I am having a little trouble uploading right now) in later postings.

Attached file:
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Rightstuff

Photo shows two of my teammates combing the fats for flees (ectoparasites) inorder to find within the flees the bacillus for Plague. More to come of this story. Disease was a big problem in Vietnam. Chloroquine resistant falciparum malaria was a major culprit beginning in 1965.

Rightstuff

During the Plague epidemic there were very sick individuals. First photo shows a very sick child from which I am obtaining blood for examination and in second photo it shows aspirating plague bacillus from an Inguinal Bubo (a lymph node filled with the plague bacillus) to verify and substantiate the disease.

Rightstuff

This photo should say it all. Here a Montagnard wife or mother is grieving for her dead relative caused by the Plague Bacillus.

Rightstuff

This photo shows a large Bubo on neck of daughter of the Vietnamese Special Forces Commander. She was treated (Streptomycin and Chloramphenocol) and survived.

Rightstuff

These few photos show some of the diseases encountered. The child in first photo has a spirochete infection of lower lip which has completely eroded lower lip and he is unable to suckle milk from mother. Lady showing legs is an example of Filariasis with swollen lymphatics. Next photo is of child with malnutrition and swollen liver and fluid in abdomen. Same with next child standing beside father and then photo of mother with child infected skin with Strep, then Montagnard with Tuberculosis of Skin and tissue of back (Scrofula). Finally phot show a Montagnard soldier vomiting up a worm.

Please understand that I do not need to show these for my own ego. I have other things I can be doing. If you want more I will try to send some interesting ones, but if this is enough just tell me and I will quit.

sakitson Loc: Goleta, CA

Pretty grim. Always a part of war. I suppose there was malnutrition as a contributing factor as well as lack of medical facilities. Were you a doctor there?

Rightstuff

Yes, I was a doctor assigned to the unit described-- The United State Army Special Forces Walter Reed Army institute of Research Field Epidemiological Survey Team (Airborne)--attached to the 5th Special Forces Group, Republic of Vietnam.