People I Knew

"He had rid himself of the red sickness of battle. The sultry nightmare was in the past. He had been an animal blistered and sweating in the heat and pain of war. He turned now with a lover's thirst to images of tranquil skies, fresh meadows, cool brooks - an existence of soft and eternal peace.

Over the river a golden ray of sun came through the hosts of leaden rain clouds."

"The Red Badge of Courage."

These are some of the faces of the 366th SPS while it was at DaNang. After the 366th TFW departed to Thailand in 1972 the 366th Air Base Wing, became the 6498th ABW and the 366th SPS became the 6498th SPS.

Some of the names I remember and some, sadly, I do not. Some remain life long friends who I maintain contact with today a quarter of a century later. Others whom I shared a part of my life with are never gone from my heart, even when the names and the faces become dim memories of a war that itself fades with time.

My time in Vietnam was comparatively easy when considered against those were out hunting for the enemy. In a base defense role we waited for the enemy to come to us. While we lost the element of surprise we gained in sitting on a vast ammo supply; having a Stinger gunship overhead all night long; and in having developed fighting positions to engage from. Our biggest threat was generally sniping, stand off attacks by rockets, infiltration attacks by sappers and during TET of 1972 concern that the NVA overrunning the DMZ and most of Quang Tri province to the north of us would make it to DaNang.

"QC" RVN Military Police patch as worn by USAF Security Police

We are all brothers in arms: grunt, sailor, airman and gyrene. God bless them one and all. God bless and watch over those who came home. Bless and keep those who came home damaged by the war; and may He forever hold in His grace those who never really came home and who, to quote Lincoln, "gave their last full measure of devotion."

	Steve Wollin. Knew him from Security Police Tech School. He went to Cam Rahn Bay, and when that closed in 1972 came to DaNang as a mortar man. Vehicle is an M-35 2-1/2 Ton truck, with an M-16 clamped to windshield. Today, he's a retired Police Sgt. in Jefferson County, Wisconsin and still one of my best friends. I will never forget those big green cigars he always smoked......
	At the 366th SPS Armory, Camp Swampy. . Left to right Reuter Korzekwa---(we just called him "Alphabet") One of the 366th SPS armorers
	One of our sandbag emplacements on top of an old French concrete bunker located on the south-end of the base.
	Jackson - He worked the tower (ASP-8) next to my bunker (ASP-7 Alpha) at the off-base bomb dump as I recall. I also recall when the sniper nearly took his head off. Jackson cussed pretty loud when the round bounced off the side of the steel armor of his tower.
	The entry control point ASP-1 at the off-base bomb dump: ASP TSgt Ruth, SSgt Sullivan, A1C Martinez, and others.
	Airman Paul Smith with M-60 and ammo in the pre-dawn hours at ASP and who preceded me as the ASP SAT member.
	Dennis Tubbs. Tubbs was....well Tubbs. Some of the photo's I have were copies of Tubb's shots. He never seemed to lose his enthusiasm for taking pictures.
	SSgt Campbell unloading at the 366th armory in the morning after coming in off post. I think at the time he was Victor area supervisor. He's carrying an XM-148 a forerunner of the M-203 grenade launcher.
	A1C Wilson in the "hootch", slang for the small huts that were used for quarters in Camp Swampy. Wilson was a QRT member.

"He had rid himself of the red sickness of battle. The sultry nightmare was in the past. He had been an animal blistered and sweating in the heat and pain of war. He turned now with a lover's thirst to images of tranquil skies, fresh meadows, cool brooks - an existence of soft and eternal peace.

Over the river a golden ray of sun came through the hosts of leaden rain clouds."

"The Red Badge of Courage."

These are some of the faces of the 366th SPS while it was at DaNang. After the 366th TFW departed to Thailand in 1972 the 366th Air Base Wing, became the 6498th ABW and the 366th SPS became the 6498th SPS.

"QC" RVN Military Police patch as worn by USAF Security Police

Steve Wollin.

Knew him from Security Police Tech School. He went to Cam Rahn Bay, and when that closed in 1972 came to DaNang as a mortar man. Vehicle is an M-35 2-1/2 Ton truck, with an M-16 clamped to windshield.

Today, he's a retired Police Sgt. in Jefferson County, Wisconsin and still one of my best friends. I will never forget those big green cigars he always smoked......

At the 366th SPS Armory, Camp Swampy. .

Left to right

Reuter

Korzekwa---(we just called him "Alphabet")

One of the 366th SPS armorers

One of our sandbag emplacements on top of an old French concrete bunker located on the south-end of the base.

Jackson - He worked the tower (ASP-8) next to my bunker (ASP-7 Alpha) at the off-base bomb dump as I recall. I also recall when the sniper nearly took his head off. Jackson cussed pretty loud when the round bounced off the side of the steel armor of his tower.

The entry control point ASP-1 at the off-base bomb dump: ASP

TSgt Ruth, SSgt Sullivan, A1C Martinez, and others.

Airman Paul Smith with M-60 and ammo in the pre-dawn hours at ASP and who preceded me as the ASP SAT member.

Dennis Tubbs. Tubbs was....well Tubbs. Some of the photo's I have were copies of Tubb's shots. He never seemed to lose his enthusiasm for taking pictures.

SSgt Campbell unloading at the 366th armory in the morning after coming in off post. I think at the time he was Victor area supervisor. He's carrying an XM-148 a forerunner of the M-203 grenade launcher.

A1C Wilson in the "hootch", slang for the small huts that were used for quarters in Camp Swampy. Wilson was a QRT member.