Some bits and pieces: fragments of things past, restored film images, a few small artifacts and personal recollections, from a time when, well, when I was younger, in Vietnam, and never imagining, any of this ...
LINKS:
"Hey, it's snowing!"
"Divers are always happy, and never tired!"
Chief Powell, USN Diving Instructor, 2nd Class Divers School, San Diego, CA 1969
Kneeling L-R: Allan Yanaros, Daniel McHale, unknown, Christopher Chulamanis, John Madigan.
Standing L-R: Michael Saxton, unknown, William Weaver, Robert Clark, Jeffrey Haun, Jon Doubek,
Richard Rodgers, James Anderson.
US NAVAL DIVERS SCHOOL 2ND CLASS
I avoided the, "2nd door on the right."
"Thanks for the trust Chief."
Recollections: 3 Mar 69 - 9 May 69
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IN COUNTRY:
9 APR 70 - 20 APR 71
Never went anywhere without my Nikonos. To say it took a lot of abuse would be an understatement. It got bumped out of a Huey once, right after take off, and hit the ground from about eight feet high. Like me, the camera is still around, little worse for the wear and tear.
Hueys ferried us to and from jobs.
This one is from the 20TH ENGR BD
SPC 5 Chulamanis, all smiles because it was always good to get back.
SPC5 Danny McHale coming to help unload diving gear.
The helicopter pilots were all as fine as they come.
I was always impressed by their flying abilities and good nature.
Check out Snoopy!
A Kiowa from the 20TH ENGR BD
Flying home.
Our Self-Propelled Dive Barge was tied up to a sea wall.
Sgt. Davis
The Sarge was in charge. We had no officers with us.
Sgt. Davis, was an exceptional man.
I will never forget you Sarge!
Our Dive Barge was ship shape and ready for duty.
We had it relatively easy ... most of the time.
We were very fortunate to be in a place, at a time, when all was quiet. The only dangers we faced were those encountered underwater in the dark.
I was shot at only once ... but that's another story.
Sieler(sp) or "Ma" was our mechanic, and only non-diver on the barge. I remember him as being a great guy. He was like a brother to us all. He maintained the generators and all the rest. We always had electricity. We had fans, reel to reel tape players, TV, running water in the kitchen, and plenty of potable water for showers.
Seemed, it was always hot.
We were more or less on our own, in what seemed to be a relatively "quiet" area. We took guard duty seriously. Weapons were at the ready at all times, and we had a nasty little sawed off shotgun as a back up for the guy on guard duty at night. We stayed in contact with headquarters by radio. We had a jeep and a deuce and a half. Every twelve days one's name came up on the duty roster for "house duty" and that meant doing guard duty for the night, and the next day doing house chores and making the evening dinner for all.
I enjoyed "house."
Guard duty was always tense.
At night, sometimes, I would hear far off explosions; see and be awed by brilliant red streams of tracer rounds, fired from mini guns, descending to earth in fiery clusters.
I remember having coffee, fresh eggs and bacon on most days for breakfast; otherwise it was dehydrated eggs. We cooked in an electric skillet.
Bachelor would regularly down a can of Coke to start his breakfast.
Lunch was usually C- Rats, or when I had scrounged them from an ESB or FSB, LRRP Rations. I still have a bag of LRRP rations from FSB GRANITE around here. FOOD PACKET, LONG RANGE PATROL, BEEF WITH RICE, MENU NO. 4.
When I could, I would whip us up a nice dinner ... I used to make a mean pot roast but, they called me "Spaghetti Man."
Clowning for the camera.
Heading down US 1 in our Boston Whaler dive boat on a deuce and a half.
We used the boat for work and play.
We water skied a bit too.
Additions, corrections, comments, clarifications, and howdys are welcome.
I have larger picture files available.
Email: ccspevam@aol.com
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