Vietnam 1967-68

CO C, 15th TC Battalion,1st Air Cavalry Division, Vietnam. The unit was in Camp Evans near Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam. 1968.

1 Camp Evans Hue Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	2 My home for six months at Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai. Viet Nam. 15th TC Battalion, First Air Cav. Jan 1968 to Sept 1968. The sand bags piled down the center of the row of tents was for protection against mortar or rockets attacks in the camp. The camp was on the perimeter of Camp Evans.	3 Camp Evans near Hue / Phu Bai, Viet Nam 1968. A very nice mud hole during the rainy season. 1968	4 Jim Shaffner Greenline duty. Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967. The Greenline was the perimeter of the camp which had been cleared of jungle plants. I suspect Agent Orange was used to clear the area of plants. Contact me at jwshaffner@aol.com	5 Jim Shaffner Greenline duty Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967	6 This soldier was my bunker mate and long ago have forgotten his name. Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967.
7 Jim Shaffner Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	8 Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967. The older Vietnamese wore black pajamas exclusively. This photo is a road side eatery. I am not sure what was served.	9 During a rocket attack there was always an alert that required that flak jackets and full gear be put on. Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967	10 Mosley with several Chu Lai children. The ever present M16 rifle hangs from Mosley's shoulder.	11 Flying over the Hue area 1968.	12
13 Flying over farms in Hue 1968.	14 Flying over farms in Hue 1968.	15 Bunker on the coast near Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967.	16 Bunker on the coast near Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967.	17 Bunker on the coast near Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967.	18 Mosley and couple other guys on the beach at Chu Lai.
19 Jim Shaffner, Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967	20	21 Hanging out in the evening Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967. L-R Huntley, Noah Harrelson, Dennis Tuckosh and David Walker. I saw Huntley when I returned from Vietnam at Fort Riley, Kansas 1969. He was with a group being sent back to Vietnam. I never saw him again.	22 Hanging out in the evening Chu Lai, Vietnam 1967. L-R Mosley, Sgt. Schuj (C on his baseball hat), Huntley, Noah Harrelson, David Walker. I always thought Schuj was a spy because he had no function but watched all the time. That is another time I should have kept my mouth shut. I saw Huntley when I returned from Vietnam at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was with a group being sent back to Vietnam. I never saw him again.	23 Back Brinkley (Birds), L to R Meech, Pop, Bondurant, standing- Stookey next to the dog and Harrelson, kneeling L to R Dennis Tuckosh, Graves. Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Viet Nam 1968. 15th TC Battalion, First Air Cavalry.	24 Jim Shaffner kneeling and Graves. Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Viet Nam 1968. 15th TC Battalion, First Air Cavalry.
25 Jim Shaffners foot 2,000 feet above Vietnamese rice paddies. We never flew with the doors closed, it was way to hot. You will notice that I had on leather boots that were totally rotten because of the constant moisture. My unit received canvas boots a few weeks after this photo was taken.	26 Stockey and Mosley near a well in a Vietnamese village called Chu Lai 1967.	27 Hanging out in our tent Hue/ Phu Bai, David Walker. Vietnam 1968	28 Bacon, Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Viet Nam 1968.	29 Camp Evans near Hue / Phu Bai, Viet Nam 1968. This smoke is from diesel fuel in 55 gallon half barrels. These barrels where placed under the seats in the outhouses and filled with diesel fuel. Most outhouses had four to six seats. The "Refuse Burner" (also called the Shit burner) would pull out the barrels of fuel every day and set fire to them, let the barrels cool, then add more fuel and insert them back into the outhouses. It was a favorite trick of the locals to drop live grenades and ammunition into the fuel. The "Refuse Burner" would light all the barrels and run, just in case there were live rounds or grenades in them.	30 Camp Evans, Hue. On the night of 19 May 1968 the ammunition dump at Camp Evans was hit by NVA rockets and exploded causing a chain reaction and fire that lasted more than 12 hours. I saw the rocket going over our camp before it hit the ammo dump.
31 Camp Evans, Hue / Phu Bai. On the night of 19 May 1968 the ammunition dump at Camp Evans was hit by NVA rockets and exploded causing a chain reaction and fire that lasted more than 12 hours. I saw the rocket going over our camp before it hit the ammo dump.	32 Camp Evans, Hue. On the night of 19 May 1968 the ammunition dump at Camp Evans was hit by NVA rockets and exploded causing a chain reaction and fire that lasted more than 12 hours. I saw the rocket going over our camp before it hit the ammunition dump. That night we were all outside our tents in full gear on an alert, when we saw the explosion. We thought the Viet Cong had used a Nuclear bomb on us because the explosion created a gigantic column of smoke and light 3 miles high with a mushroom cloud at the top. It was the strangest thing I ever saw in my life. The sound wave caused the air to ripple and roll towards us at about 20 feet high. As strange as it sounds, we could hear the sound wave coming like a distant freight train. When the sound wave hit us there was a gigantic boom as the rippling air passed over us going down the hill. We could hear the sound wave leaving away from us like a distant freight train. We could see the rippling air as it moved away from us down the hill.	33 These artillery guns used on enemy soldiers (Viet Cong) were so powerful that it was impossible to hold the camera steady. The picture was taken the instant the gun went off shaking the ground and rippling the air.	34 Dennis Tuckosh Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	35 Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	36 Bacon cocking a 50 caliber machine gun. Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.
37 We had a 50 caliber machine gun in our tent which my friend turned around, pointed it at me and pulled the trigger. Needless to say I had to clean out my shorts and didn't think it was funny.	38 Chu Lai Vietnam 1967. Mitch on the left and Brinkley on the right.	39	40 Farm on Highway 1 between Da Nang and Hue/Phu Bai 1968.	41 Stokey, Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968	42 Brinkley holding a funnel while the helicopter is refueled.
43	44 Brinkley holding a funnel while the helicopter is refueled. Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968. I saw Brinkley at Fort Riley in about 1969. He was preparing to go back again to Vietnam. I never saw him again.	45 Small villiage south of Hue 1968	46 Small village on Highway one between Da Nang and Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	47 Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	48 Dennis Tuckosh on the right. Camp Evans Hue, Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.
49 Dennis Tuckosh playing with the camp dog "Cherry" Hue, Vietnam 1968. The ever present M16 rifle is close by. I do remember Tuckosh told me a story about flying to Da Nang in a Huey helicopter gunship, piloted by Mr. Dunn to pick up several civilians. On the way back from Da Nang the pilot ,Mr. Dunn said, "lock and load, there is an emergency we must attend to." The problem with that statement was, Tuckosh didn't take his M60 machine gun with him on this mission just to pick up civilians. Tuckosh then reached over, picked up his M16 rifle, and chambered a bullet. Tuckosh looked at the civilians that were with him and told me "they were terrified, their eyes were as big as silver dollars" after he chambered a bullet in his M16. Tuckosh told Mr. Dunn the pilot, he "didn't have his M60 machine gun with him" and all of a sudden the Huey helicopter gunship slowed to a crawl because the helicopter pilot knew it would be very hard to defend without a machine gun on board. Tuckosh said he "didn't know that helicopters flew that slow." In a few minutes Tuckosh got an "all clear" message in his head phone from the pilot and the Huey gunship speed increased dramatically going back to Hue. The civilians didn't have head phones on so weren't privy to the Tuckosh and the pilots conversation. Mr. Dunn ,the Huey gunship pilot was my favorite among all the pilots I knew.	50 Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	51 Construction on Highway 1 between Hue and Da Nang, Vietnam 1968.	52 Sampans in the harbor near Da Nang 1968	53 Young Vietnamese child walking on Highway 1, between Hue and Da Nang 1968.	54 Small village south of Hue, 1968
55 Small village south of Hue, 1968	56 Small village south of Hue, 1968	57 Small village south of Hue, 1968	58 Vietnam coast 1968. Small village south of Hue, 1968	59 Beach near small village south of Hue, 1968	60 On Highway 1 from Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam to Da Nang. 1968.
61 Rice field between Hue and Da Nang on Highway 1 which was unpaved.	62 Rice field off highway 1 between Da Nang and Hue 1968.	63 Rice paddy near Highway 1 between Da Nang and Hue, Vietnam 1968	64 Vietnamese cowboy. Taken from highway 1.	65 Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	66 Huey helicopter with M79 grenade launcher installed on the front. Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968
67 Camp Evans Hue Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	68	69 Huey helicopter shot down and was picked up and returned for repair Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	70 Huey helicopter that was shot down picked up and returned to base.	71 This helicopter was called the Loach and was shot down near Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	72 This helicopter was called the Loach and was shot down near Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.
73 This helicopter was called the Loach and was shot down near Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	74 Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	75 Huey Cobra helicopter a really awsome weapon. Hue Vietnam 1968.	76 The Huey Cobra with rocket tubes on both side and M-79 grenade launcher on the turret underneath. Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	77 The OH-13 observation helicopter. Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	78 This helicopter was called the Loach and was shot down near Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.
79 This helicopter was called the Loach and was shot down near Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	80 Huey shot down near Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	81 Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	82	83 Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	84 Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.
85 Highway 1 between Da Nang and Hue 1968	86 Beach front property Da Nang 1968	87 Da Nang coastline 1968.	88 Da Nang coastline 1968	89 On the road to Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	90 My friend Mosley. I never saw or heard from him again after I left Vietnam. I actually saw him the night I left Vietnam and credit him for saving my life.
91	92 Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968. Painting on the front of a Huey helicopter.	93 Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968. Front of Huet helicopter.	94 Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968. Painting on the front of a Huey helicopter.	95 Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968. Painting on the front of a Huey helicopter.	96 Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968. Painting on the front of a Huey helicopter.
97 Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968. Painting on the front of a Huey helicopter.	98	99 Bondurant with a M60 machine gun next to his bed. Hue/Phu Bai, Vietnam.	100 David Walker Hue/Phu/Bai 1968.	101 Hanging out Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968. Sgt Schuj and David Walker.	102 Jim Shaffner after a cold shower Hue/Phu Bai Vietnam 1968
103	104	105 Bob Hope show Hue / Phu Bai, Viet Nam 1968	106 Bob Hope show Hue / Phu Bai, Viet Nam	107 Bob Hope show Hue / Phu Bai, Viet Nam. The young trooper in the lower right hand corner is Brinkley.	108 Beach at Da Nang 1968
109 On the coast near Da Nang, Vietnam 1968.	110 Highway 1 to Da Nang from Hue/Phu Bai 1968. Vietnamese teenagers on Highway 1 between Da Nang and Hue/Phu Bai	111	112 Rice paddy between Da Nang and Phu/Phu Bai 1968.	113 Rice paddy between Da Nang and Phu/Phu Bai 1968.	114 Rice fields near Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.
115 Vietnamese home on Highway 1 between Hue and Da Nang, Vietnam 1968.	116 Vietnamese home on Highway 1 between Hue and Da Nang, Vietnam 1968.	117 Vietnamese village on Highway 1 between Hue and Da Nang, Vietnam 1968. Concertina wire surrounded the entire village. The wire was coiled barbed wire.	118 Vietnamese home on road to Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968 from Da Nang	119 This building in Hue where some of the fiercest fighting of the Vietnam war took place. Beginning the night of January 31, 1968 during the celebration of Tet (Named for the lunar new year holiday called Tet). 150 Marines, 400 South Vietnamese troops and an estimated 5,000 Communist soldiers were killed.	120 This building in Hue where some of the fiercest fighting of the Vietnam war took place. Beginning the night of January 31, 1968 during the celebration of Tet (Named for the lunar new year holiday called Tet). 150 Marines, 400 South Vietnamese troops and an estimated 5,000 Communist soldiers were killed.
121 Vietnamese grave near Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968. Meech	122 Vietnamese grave near Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	123 Vietnamese grave near Camp Evans Hue, Vietnam 1968.	124 The entrance to a cemetery near Camp Evans Hue / Phu Bai, Vietnam 1968.	125	126
127 Flight training, Fort Eustis, Virginia	128 Jim Shaffner suiting up for the first flight on a Huey helicopter being trained to load and fire a M-60 machine gun, Fort Eustis, Virginia. My next assignment after this training was finished was a tour of duty in Vietnam	129 Jim Shaffner Ft. Eustis, Virginia. Helicopter machine gun training. Instructors are loading a M-60 machine gun before flight on a UH-1 Huey helicopter 1967.	130 Crew Chief during training at Fort Eustis, Virginia.	131 Ft. Eustus, Virginia Butch holding M-60 machine gun rounds on a day of actual M-60 machine gun training.	132 Ft. Eustus, Virginia. M-60 machine gun training.
133 Sorting M60 machine gun shells after training. Fort Eustis, Virginia 1967	134	135 Graduation day from Huey helicopter gunship training at Fort Eustis Virginia August, 1967. I am not sure why all the M60 machine guns were lined up against the wall. I was sent straight to Vietnam in September 1967.	136 My friend Joe Turner getting ready for M60 machine gun training on a Huey helicopter gunship. Joe had his pilots license and would rent a plane and fly around the Fort Eustis area. I suspect that the army would have talked him into becoming a helicopter pilot August 3, 1967, Ft. Eustis, Virginia.	137 My friend Joe Turner getting ready for M60 machine gun training on a Huey helicopter gunship. Joe had his pilots license and would rent a plane and fly around the Fort Eustis area. I suspect that the army would have talked him into becoming a helicopter pilot August 3, 1967, Ft. Eustis, Virginia.	138 My friend Joe Turner getting ready for M60 machine gun training on a Huey helicopter gunship. Joe had his pilots license and would rent a plane and fly around the Fort Eustis area. I suspect that the army would have talked him into becoming a helicopter pilot August 3, 1967, Ft. Eustis, Virginia.
139 Graduation day Ft. Eustis Virginia. Butch kneeling, Jim Shaffner standing in the center.	140 Jim Shaffner August 1967. Shortly after this picture was taken I was sent to Vietnam September 1967.