Wildcat One,heavy( with a couple of extra guys.) A new 2nd Lt. wanted to go out with us(he's kneeling in front on the left) so Al Loh, the team leader, brought him and an extra scout. The team always carried quite an arsenal and this mission was no different. The Lt. carried a 45 auto and an M-16. Doc Laymon (front, right) carried an M-16. (back, left to right) Jeffords was our sniper and RTO this mission and carried an M-14. Armstrong was the extra scout with a Swedish-K and my M2A1 Carbine as back-up. Team Leader, Al Loh carried the M-60. Acton our Pointman had an AK-47. I carried a spare radio, a CAR-15, and an M-79. As it turned out we needeed everything we had... Below, a couple of wet wildcats, just in from a mission. I can't remember the name of the Wildcat on the left but, I know Cranick is on the right...

"Doc" Celaya and Billy Soza.

Ken Acton from Jackson, Mississippi, on a break. I recently spoke with Ken. He's a retired educator, still living in Jackson.
(below) calling card, side B...

Wilcat One Teamleader, Al Loh, 1970.

(Above) Combat Infantry Badge. (Below) Charlie Rolon, Ray Norton and "Swabby" Shelton.

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(above) "Recon Grunt", 2001 (below) Smitty from Canada enjoying a LRRP meal...

Sgt. Grover, (me), " In The Bush", 1971.

(above) Wildcats Calling Card, side A...

Porter on a mission out of LZ English, 1970...The last time I saw Porter he was being medivac'd with Al Voikedes after they were both injured in a grenade accident while packing for a mission.

Once each month or so all the teams would be brought back to LZ English and we'd have a Bar-B-Q and beer party. Here are some photos of one of those partys. Judging by the pictures , I must have been into the beer pretty well. I can't remember the names of most of the guys in this group of photos so if someone sees these pics and can name anyone I'd appreciate the info...

SSG Plank at one of the Recon bar-b-ques.

Another of my paintings,"Recon Wildcat One", 1995.

Sgt. Grover and Dave "Doc" Laymon, LZ English, 1970. I just got the bad news that Dave Laymon died in 1975. He was a great guy and I regret that I waited too long to reach out to him.

Posner(The Mad Crpl), SSG Plank, and Doc McDonald.

(above) Sgt. Beck at LZ English...(below) Acton looking for the LZ...

The Hamlet Chiefs daughter speaking to the captured VC snipers...

Just before Christmas, 1970, we moved to An Khe and ran missions all the way to the Laotion and Cambodian borders. (below) Doc Bill Haunsberger, Doc Laymon, me, Buckholz, and "Bean" Gottschalk on Christmas day.

In early 1971 we moved again, this time to Phu Mi.
(below) Armstrong and Tom Patch on a break...

Hurley(above) had gone on R&R to Australia and stayed for something like 3 months(AWOL).When he finally came back, he was busted to private and sent out with a line company , where he showed his "mud" enough to earn a Silver Star.He asked to come back to recon and was sent back still a private.In this photo he's waiting at the gate of Phu Chat Air Base, with other Wildcats, for a truck to carry us back to Phu Mi. Ours, which we had convinced our new 2nd Lt. to sign for, had mysteriously broken down causing us to spend the night there. Hurley had spent the night in the stockade after sneeking into the NCO club, getting plowed, and jumping on stage during a live show to grab the go-go girls. I don't remember what happened to him after that, but what a character he was! (below) Another Wildcat, Ramos, at Phu Chat. I remember he knew some type of martial arts and could break tiles with his fists. He was wounded when Doc McDonald and King were KIA.

In early 1971, Doc McDonald,was Wildcat One's medic and my friend.We had spent alot of time talking about home and what we'd do when we got there. Doc extended his tour so he could get out of the Army on return to the States. While on a mission, that I wasn't on, he was KIA, along with Jack King, while performing lifesaving first aide on another team member. He was awarded the DSC posthumously. I still miss you, buddy.

Waiting for a "Freedom Bird", Cam Ranh Bay, 1971.

(above) Packing for a mission outside the Recon Hooch at LZ English, 1970. (below) Kay from Taipei.

(above) Sgt. Charlie Rolon, from New Jersey, The last time I saw him he was being treated at B med after being wounded by a booby-trap...I just got an E-mail from him. It's great to know you made it home, Bro. (below) Laymon and Patch and Sgt. Dee with me outside the Recon Hooch at LZ English. I remember Sgt. Dee was recuperating from a punji stake wound to his knee when this photo was taken...

In late 1970, after several missions as a scout, usually team rear security, I was sent to Mac V~Special Forces Recondo school in Nha Trang. The school was 3 weeks of intense physical conditioning combined with classes in first aid, survival tecniques, map reading, rappeling, intelligence gathering, quick-kill techniques, demolitions,etc. It was attended by representatives from all the military branches and all of our allies in Vietnam. After graduating I was appointed Team Leader of Wildcat One. Our 1st mission, with me as leader, was to an RF/PF camp outside North English that was taking sniper fire every night. We were there several nights without any incoming fire. Then one night we noticed a torch-lit procession coming up the road toward the camp.It was a group of women from the local ville. One of them was carrying a sick baby. The team medic, Doc MacDonald checked the baby out and decided that he needed help as the baby's condition was serious. With me manning the radio and relaying directions from a doctor at LZ English, Doc MacDonald treated the baby in a desperate attempt to save his life. Noone would fly out there at night so we had to keep the infant alive until morning when a chopper would take the mother and baby to the nearest aid station. Doc worked all night to save that baby. The Medivac arrived in the morning and took mother and child away. We heard later that day that the baby passed away at the Aid Station. That night the camp came under attack by the snipers about two hours after sunset. I chose three of my team to go with me and left two at the camp to maintain radio contact with LZ English. We would be unable to talk directly with English because of the hills surrounding the ville.I walked point myself and we circled around out of the sniper's field of fire and surprised four V.C. with Chinese bolt action rifles. We captured them without firing a shot and a chopper picked them up the next morning. We stayed at the camp a few more nights and experienced no sniper fire.(below) Some of Wildcat One on a break at the RF/PF camp...

(left to right) Doc Laymon, Hurley, me and (in front) Roy Porter, from Austin, Texas...Some of us had been exposed to a possibly rabid dog at English and medics flew out daily to deliver Rabies shots to us at the RF/PF camp. Those shots were a bear!

Buckholz, Espinoza and me, at the RF/PF Camp.

(above)David "Swabby" Shelton, from St. Louis, Mo. (below, front,left to right) Doc Laymon, Buckholz, me, (back) Grantham, Acton, Jeffords, An Khe, 1970.

The wall over my cot in the NCO Hooch, Phu Mi, 1971.

This is 2nd LT. LeVay from the story about Hurley. I've recently heard from him and he's alive and well in Phoenix, AZ. He retired from the Army Reserve as a Col. and is now a Judge. Go Airborne!!!

" Jungle Nightmare", acrylic on canvas, 1998. I painted this to help silence "the demons"...

"Aftermath", watercolor, 1985.

I took a trip home in Feb. and a second R&R to Taipei, in June.This time I went with "Swabby" Shelton. We had a great time, eating, drinking, sightseeing and partying . I spent the week with Kay, (seen on the left), a beautiful and very succesful bar girl.She helped me spend over a grand while I was there!