Don Collins 67

Don Collins 67

These pictures were taken at An Loc during Junction City II.

I got up a little earlier than everyone else one morning and got a
picture of the sleeping arrangement. Notice the shower hanging from the
50 Cal on the track.

The second one is out "Operations Area" at An Loc.

The last one is one of the 155's firing. Yes they were that close.

1 An Loc 1 Junction City 2

2 An Loc 2 Junction City 2

3 An Loc 155s Firing Junction City 2

The first one is of several guys waiting to move out at the end of
Operation Manhattan. This was taken on the Michelin Plantation.

Number two is Rick Dawe. He was a lingie that, like me, started out in
the 404th and was transferred into the 409th to break up the unit.

The guys on my track at the end of Manhattan. The one on the right is
T-Bird Thompson. the one on the left is a new Staff Sergeant who had
arrived a few days earlier.

And last but not least is John Clark cleaning a 50 Cal. John was also a
lingie.

4 Waiting to leave - end of Manhattan

5 Rick Dawe

6 T-Bird End of Manhattan

7 John Clark Cleaning 50 Cal

These are some pictures from Operation Manhattan, late April, early May
of 1967.

The first picture is going through the woods with the 3rd Squadron. A
M48 tank would break the trail and we would follow it.

Next is a lunch break on the first day.

On one of the evenings when we set up camp, a VC patrol was detected in
the tree line on the other side of the field. They called in artillery
and you can see it hitting. It was dusk and the picture isn't too good,
but you can make it out.

And last but not least is a picture of 3rd Squadron in the morning,
waking up and getting ready to go.

8 Manhattan Trail

9 Manhattan Lunch

10 Manhattan Shelling

11 Manhattan Chopper

These pictures were taken in Lai Khe on the morning of the first day of
Operation Manhattan. Manhattan followed Junction City II by a few days.

The first is one of the crews waiting to go.

The second is several of the guys breaking camp.

The third is one of our jeeps waiting to go. The guy in the passenger
seat is named White.

12 Lai Khe 1 Start of Manhattan

13 Lai Khe Breaking Camp Start of Manhattan

14 Lai Khe White in Jeep Start of Manhattan

During Operation Manhattan the 3rd Squadron captured two VC radios.

The first picture is what appeared to be a Korean War or possibly WWII
vintage American radio. Little plates with French labels had been
riveted on to the faceplate over what we assumed was English labels.
Obviously they couldn't get batteries for it anymore, so they had some
blue wire coming out the side which probably hooked up to a hand-crank
generator. You can see the wires coming over the top of the radio.

The next radio is was a current model Chinese transmitter-reciever. It
was in very good condition.

Last is a picture of them together on the back of our track. Yes that
is a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon under the seat of the track. We
always stocked up with a three week supply of beer and pop before we
went out.

15 Manhattan Captured American Radio

16 Manhattan Chicom Radio

17 Manhattan Captured Radios

My tent at the 409th. I know it's not much, but that was how we lived.

Picture two is an aerial shot of our compound taken on one of my courier
runs.

Number three is another shot of the tent area.

The last two pictures were taken at the forward base during Operation
Junction City 1.

Don

18 My Tent

19 Area Aerial

20 Area 2

21 Forward Base Junction City 1

22 Forward Base 2 Junction City 1

Here are some more from Operation Manhattan.

The first picture is of the 3rd Squadron Headquarters sometime during
Manhattan.

Number 2 is the 3rd Squadron Headquarters preparing to move out.

And last is a regular cavalry troop moving out. You can see part of our
PRD-1 on the right.

23 Manhattan 3rd Squadron HQ

24 Manhattan 3rd Squadron Ready To Move Out

25 Manhattan Troop Moving Out

These are some pictures from the end of Operation Manhattan, when we
were in the Michelin plantation at Dau Tieng. This was the end of my
tour in Vietnam and so these are the last pictures that I have.

The first picture is of the tracks at Dau Tieng.

Next is our operations area at Dau Tieng.

The last two pictures were actually take at Lia Khe between Junction
City 2 and Manhattan. They're in the wrong order in my album.

One is of T-Bird Thompson and Rick Dawe. The other is my track at Lia
Khe.

Just for the record:

I enlisted in the Army in mid-June 1964, and took Basic Training at Fort
Dix, NJ.

Went through Terminal Intercept Repairman School (286) from August 1964
to February 1965 at Fort Devens, MA.

March 1965 joined the 5th RRU in Bangkok, Thailand. There I was
assigned to the advanced party going to Udorn to start Detachment D.
Det D eventually became the 7th RRFS.

Left Det D in March of 1966 and went to the 3rd RRU in Saigon, where I
was assigned to Detachment 1 with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Det 1
became the 404th RRD a few months later when the 303rd RR Battalion
arrived.

February through May of 1967 was assigned to the 409th RRD supporting
the 11th Armored Cavalry.

July 1967 to May 1968 was assigned to the 54th ASASOC in Berlin,
Germany.

Discharged the end of May 1968 at Fort Hamilton, New York.

Don

26 Dau Tieng Tracks

27 Dau Tieng Area

28 Lia Khe T-Bird Rick Dawe

29 Lia Khe My Track

These pictures were taken on the first day of Junction City II in April
1967, on the way to An Loc. The first two are a lunch break taken in
the vicinity of Di AN, near Saigon.

The last picture was a village on Route 13 on the way to AN Loc.

30 Lunch 2 Day1 Junction City 2

31Lunch 1 Day 1 Junction City 2

32 RT13 Day 1 Junction City 2