How many of you got started in Vietnam?
Nov 20, 2014 14:54:53 #
collhart wrote:
... He was in the Marines. Force Recon....
He is the brand of vet I would like to send all my recently found "Respect for Vets". He earned it, I did not. My ride was a cake walk. His could not have been.
Nov 20, 2014 15:04:32 #
Saigon PX, ?65. Topcon. Noticed it was selling for about $40.00. Now I had been drooling over it for several weeks, but then it was $400 +, so I called over the PX manager and quizzed him why the difference in price. The surprised look and near panic obviously told a story that one of the Thai clerks and missed placed the . and was off by one costly decimal point. He now understood why he had been selling so many. I asked if I could still buy it at the 'as marked price' to which I got only a 'you gotta be kidding'looking. Well, I bought it and a few lenses, rolls of film. I also just discovered that the battery that powers the light meter is still working as is the camera. Now I need to shoot the last few frames and see what I was shooting back a couple of decades ago. Thanks for jostling my memories...
Nov 20, 2014 15:21:17 #
Bought a Canon FT QL in 66 about nine months before enlisting, carried it in Vietnam took several rolls of film in the first couple of months there, but it got shot and killed, I buried it in an unmarked grave. Did not shoot with Canons, used Nikon, Hass. and Sinar, went back to Canon again this year.
Nov 20, 2014 15:22:53 #
FJS IN THE AV
Loc: Palmdale, CA.
Am a Viet Nam era vet. Did my overseas time in Korea 1965 to 1966. First 35mm camera was a Petri, sold that and bought an Asahi Pentax SLR. Did some darkroom work and still have a ton of B&W photos I took.
Nov 20, 2014 15:25:29 #
I served in the 9th Inf Div, 2nd Bn 1st Inf Div, 1968-1969,most of the time we were in the rice fields, and in the Tet offenses and then in the hospital three times, camera were not on my mind at that time of my life.
Nov 20, 2014 15:27:02 #
Nov 20, 2014 15:27:35 #
Nov 20, 2014 15:31:54 #
I was in Schwetzingen Germany, just outside of Heidelberg at the same time you were in.
Zookeeper wrote:
US Army, ASA, 1964-1968, Germany, Intelligence ...... (show quote)
Nov 20, 2014 15:34:28 #
Landed with First Air Cav in Quinon, pushed west to the 85 Mash Hospital in Pleiku in March, 1966. Not allowed personal cameras. Had a C130 jockey bring me a Minox from PX at Clark. Three months in, bought a Nikon Photomic T at Px in Pleiku. R and R in Tokyo, came home with entire Nikon system: five lenses, slide coppifer, bellows attachment, etc. Always had my own darkroom. Interestingly, switched to Canon system and their "L" lenses and have remained a Canon backer and user. Still have all Nikon eqpt. New Nikon DF will use all my old lenses, may give it a try.
Nov 20, 2014 15:36:52 #
Nov 20, 2014 15:54:45 #
It is funny were I was going threw the photos and I looked at the one of the APC and that was of us the 2/24th Mech Inf, boy did that picture bring back the PTSD and fast.
Nov 20, 2014 16:00:03 #
Nov 20, 2014 16:17:08 #
steve1949 wrote:
I got to Long Binh twice myself...Had a cousin stationed there. Tom Murphy.
I worked at a headquarters company for MACV on the SAIGON RIVER near Tudo Street (which I AVOIDED) .....Teletype Operator. Pretty quite in 69 eh? Not so for my brother in law George Medders during TET of "68"
I worked at a headquarters company for MACV on the SAIGON RIVER near Tudo Street (which I AVOIDED) .....Teletype Operator. Pretty quite in 69 eh? Not so for my brother in law George Medders during TET of "68"
So thankful I went in 69! Early 68 was not a good time. Also, I just wandered Tudo street. Stayed out of the bars. I got married in April 69 and drafted in June 69 so I was good boy.
Nov 20, 2014 16:17:34 #
sorry I miss typed that I was with the 2/Bn 47th Mech Inf 9th Inf in May 1968 to May 1969, and when I got back to the States right before I retired the Army put me back in the Inf, with a unit of the 9th Inf 2Bn 1st Inf Div,I was the only NCO with the same patch on both arms, the only pictures that I have, are of dead VC and all of the damage that we did on the search and destroy missions that we were on.
Nov 20, 2014 16:25:42 #
I received my Minox B as a HS graduation present from my Uncle...1962. Then purchased my first Pentax Spotmatic by mail from Hong Kong...questionably imported to Pensacola where I was doing the 75 day wonder thing in 1967. Bought the second one in Sasebo, Japan the first time we ported on the Ranger in 1969. In truth, I really started as a kid with the Polaroid.
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