Engineer Memoirs
a daily basis. Our program was called "Operation Last Chance" because the troop
had
begun. We were soon to lose two battalions [the 70th and the
so this was our last chance
to get the LOC working.
To kick off "Operation Last Chance" we took time to get our plants, supplies, and equipment in
good shape. Then we went to work. I don't remember the mileage or anything, but the results
were many miles of good roads in record time.
Jim Donovan came up with a plan to use cold mix which could be stockpiled for use as a base
course. When needed it could be spread cold and compacted. It wasn't bad. In fact, it was quite
good, and we could place a lot more pavement in the same length of time. An innovative idea that
paid off. Cold mix also deterred mining once spread and compacted on the roadway. By the time
we left, I estimate we had finished about 80 percent of the roads that we were to build.
When I left, General Jack Dillard got me to Tan Son Nhut where I boarded the airplane. All
aboard the plane were cheering getting ready to leave. We taxied down the runway when
plane stopped, turned around and went back. We thought, "This can't be happening to us." I don't
remember now why it went back, but it was a minor problem, fixed, and away we went. That was
the end of that. Next stop USA at BWI [Baltimore-Washington International].
On the personal side, everybody was entitled to two weeks off, and it was important to take the
two weeks because of the pressures. As I mentioned, we suffered more casualties than any other
unit in Vietnam for 3 of the 12 months I was there.
My cousin from California wrote a letter saying she and her husband were going to be in Hong
Kong 20 November 1969 and asked if I could come and spend the weekend with them. Well, that
was some idea. I mean, right here in the middle of the war to take off for a weekend to Hong
Kong! I had enough notice and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea.
So I did that. We spent several nice days together. It was short, but I was there long enough to get
into the oriental rug business. The Star Ferry Terminal, Kowloon, contained many shops, one of
which sold oriental rugs. So I picked out three rugs, and I told him I'd come get those later. A
month or so later I used another four days, returned to Hong Kong, and then I really got into the
rug business.
Another officer in the battalion and I went to Australia and used my last week. The trip was so
nice Gerry and I went back some years later.
I had used my 14 days, and except for one Sunday, there were no other days off. On that Sunday
afternoon General Parker and I and some others went snorkeling in the South China Sea off of
Na Trang. I don't remember another single day we didn't work. For recreation we played
volleyball in combat boots in the evenings. One of our players, Captain Joe Ballard, later
commanded the 18th Brigade in Europe and Fort Leonard Wood as a major general and is now
Chief of Engineers.
Q .. You said you wanted to go back to Nixon's beginning to withdraw troops in June 1969.
Thank you. One unit worth noting was the 116th Engineer Combat Battalion from Idaho. I think
A
it was the only National Guard engineer battalion in Vietnam, and it was an outstanding battalion.
They were located on the far western edge of the brigade area at Bao
They had their own little group of Vietcong that messed around with them at first. Those
engineers were excellent shots, and during the first couple of attacks they knocked off a bunch
of Vietcong. That cooled down the situation, and they weren't bothered too much. Also their
equipment deadline rate was fantastic, I mean, like 2 or 4 percent, which was unheard of in
Vietnam. Discipline was good. The battalion commander was sharp. I can only say nice things
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