Photos 01-06 were taken when Co.
D moved from Phan Thiet to Bong Son. The Company had a pallet of beer that they had no way
to move, and as a result, everyone had a case of beer to consume during the trip. There
was a lot of partying from Phan Thiet to Bong Son. |
01 ![RTO Williams is benind the guy holding up a bottle of beer.](images/Hull/hull001_small.jpg) |
02 ![SGT Charles Atkinson and Harry Harrell](images/Hull/hull002_small.jpg) |
03 ![Troopers waiting for their flight to Bong Son.](images/Hull/hull003_small.jpg) |
![hull000.jpg (61404 bytes)](images/Hull/hull000.jpg)
Dick Hull, 1968 |
04 ![RTO Williams and others waiting to depart.](images/Hull/hull004_small.jpg) |
05 ![John Lisic, Tom Locklear, Abe Gooley, Frenchy Ballou, Charles Atkinson and David Martin](images/Hull/hull005_small.jpg) |
06 ![Phan Thiet Airfield on the day of departure to Bong Son.](images/Hull/hull006_small.jpg) |
Photos 07-21 were at an LZ where the Company
spent several weeks before moving into Bong Son.
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07 ![Richard Hull](images/Hull/hull007_small.jpg) |
08 ![Tom Locklear and our medic, John Lisic.](images/Hull/hull008_small.jpg) |
09 ![Dick Hull and a resident on the LZ who had a daughter studying in the U.S.](images/Hull/hull009_small.jpg) |
10 ![Countryside near LZ outside of Bong Son](images/Hull/hull010_small.jpg) |
11 ![Countryside near Bong Son.](images/Hull/hull011_small.jpg)
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12 ![Tom Locklear at LZ near Bong Son](images/Hull/hull012_small.jpg)
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13 ![A bridge over a river near Bong Son.](images/Hull/hull013_small.jpg) |
14
![Good ol' Huey transport chopper.](images/Hull/hull014_small.jpg)
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15 ![Sandbag bunker at LZ near Bong Son.](images/Hull/hull015_small.jpg) |
16 ![Abe Gooley, John Parkey, Charles Atkinson and Jim Hughes.](images/Hull/hull016_small.jpg) |
17 ![Our medic John Lisic, John Parkey and Tom Locklear.](images/Hull/hull017_small.jpg) |
18
![Tom Locklear and Dick Hull.](images/Hull/hull018_small.jpg) |
19 ![Dick Hull, John Parkey and Tom Locklear.](images/Hull/hull019_small.jpg) |
20 ![Dick Hull digging in.](images/Hull/hull020_small.jpg) |
21 ![Dick Hull with M-16 in carrying rifle in traditional position.](images/Hull/hull021_small.jpg) |
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Photos 22-39 show the Observation LZ that
looked over a valley between two mountains near Bong Son. It was on top of a small
mountain . When the unit moved off that post, mines were pulled in and big weapons like
.50 caliber machine guns were sent back to base camp. The LZ was one of the safest ones
that were set up during this period. Upon leaving the area, surplus 55 gallon barrels of
napalm were ignited.
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22 ![Bunker and observation tower at the LZ.](images/Hull/hull022_small.jpg) |
23 ![A 55 gallon barrel of napalm that was detonated before leaving the LZ.](images/Hull/hull023_small.jpg) |
24 ![The napalm upon detonation.](images/Hull/hull024_small.jpg) |
25 ![Napalm burning.](images/Hull/hull026_small.jpg) |
26 ![Napalm burning.](images/Hull/hull028_small.jpg) |
27 ![Napalm burning.](images/Hull/hull029_small.jpg) |
28 ![Napalm burning.](images/Hull/hull030_small.jpg) |
29 ![Napalm cooling down.](images/Hull/hull027_small.jpg) |
30 ![The results of the 55 gallon drum of napalm that was detonated.](images/Hull/hull025_small.jpg) |
31 ![Tom Locklear, Dick Hull, David Martin, Platoon Leader?, Jim Hughes, Frenchy Ballou, Charles Atkinson.](images/Hull/hull031_small.jpg) |
32 ![Dick Hull with M50 machine gun at hilltop observation point.](images/Hull/hull032_small.jpg) |
33 ![View of the valley from the observation post near Bong Son.](images/Hull/hull033_small.jpg) |
34 ![View of the valley.](images/Hull/hull034_small.jpg) |
35 ![View of the valley.](images/Hull/hull035_small.jpg) |
36 ![Dick Hull.](images/Hull/hull036_small.jpg) |
37 ![Another view of the valley.](images/Hull/hull037_small.jpg) |
38 ![View of the valley.](images/Hull/hull038_small.jpg) |
39 ![View of the valley.](images/Hull/hull039_small.jpg) |
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Photos 40-51 were taken when the unit left the
hilltop observation camp and went on patrol in the mountains. After the patrol, it was on
to Quang Tri for a short period of time and then to Hué. As can be seen in the pictures,
the patrol was mostly in thick, jungle vegetation.
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40 ![Troopers taking a break in the jungle.](images/Hull/hull040_small.jpg) |
41 ![A quiet jungle stream.](images/Hull/hull041_small.jpg) |
42 ![Dense jungle.](images/Hull/hull042_small.jpg) |
43 ![An open clearing in the thick jungle.](images/Hull/hull043_small.jpg) |
44 ![Hacking through the heavy vegetation.](images/Hull/hull044_small.jpg) |
45 ![More jungle vegetation.](images/Hull/hull045_small.jpg) |
46 ![On the heavily wooded bank of the stream.](images/Hull/hull046_small.jpg) |
47 ![More jungle.](images/Hull/hull047_small.jpg) |
48 ![The cascading creek.](images/Hull/hull048_small.jpg) |
49 ![Following the cut path.](images/Hull/hull049_small.jpg) |
50 ![More jungle.](images/Hull/hull050_small.jpg) |
51 ![So thick and dark you can barely see ahead of you.](images/Hull/hull051_small.jpg) |
Photos 52-55 depict the French fort the unit
was sent to secure. The fort was 11 miles from Hué and had an artillery battery of
self-propelled 8" guns which were very loud. The artillery fire was very effective,
even firing towards Hué to a distance of 11 miles or more. Like a magnet, it constantly
attracted enemy mortar fire in hopes of silencing them.
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52 ![The 8" artillery guns preparing to fire.](images/Hull/hull052_small.jpg) |
53 ![Troopers covering their ears to protect them from the loud artillery.](images/Hull/hull053_small.jpg) |
54 ![One of the 8" guns repositioning to fire again.](images/Hull/hull054_small.jpg) |
55 ![The guns repositioned again at the French fort near Hué.](images/Hull/hull055_small.jpg) |
Photos 56-69 were at a staging area at Khe
Sanh. The unit camped in the field and prepared to enter Khe Sanh. Note the temporary
shelters set up with ponchos and some of the curious local people checking out the area.
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56 ![A LOCH flying into the Khe Sahn air strip.](images/Hull/hull056_small.jpg) |
57 ![Another chopper flying overhead at the Khe Sanh air field.](images/Hull/hull057_small.jpg) |
58 ![Harold Harrell](images/Hull/hull058_small.jpg) |
59 ![Roy Brantley, Jim Hughes, Tom Saurer and Dick Hull.](images/Hull/hull059_small.jpg) |
60 ![Staging area near Khe Sanh.](images/Hull/hull060_small.jpg) |
61 ![Jim Hughes, Dick Hull, Abe Gooley and Tom Saurer.](images/Hull/hull061_small.jpg) |
62 ![Dick Hull smiling.](images/Hull/hull062_small.jpg) |
63 |
64 ![More of the staging area.](images/Hull/hull064_small.jpg) |
65 ![Tom Saurer preparing his backpack.](images/Hull/hull065_small.jpg) |
66 ![Jim Hughes, John Parkey, Tom Saurer, Abe Gooley and Dennis Slade.](images/Hull/hull066_small.jpg) |
67 ![Dennis Slade](images/Hull/hull067_small.jpg) |
68 ![Local residents visiting the staging area.](images/Hull/hull068_small.jpg) |
69 ![Vietnamese people who lived near the staging area.](images/Hull/hull069_small.jpg) |
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Photos 70-81 recall the few days the Company
spent at Khe Sanh and the Khe Sanh Airfield in April 1968 before heading for the Ashau
Valley. The evenings were relatively peaceful and not like the siege the Marines
experienced in the short period before. During the stay, a pilot of a C-130 aircraft
overshot the runway and crashed into some construction equipment. It was one of the first
planes to land after the siege and probably contributed to the pilot's nervousness and
misjudgement.
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70 ![Flying near Khe Sanh.](images/Hull/hull070_small.jpg) |
71 ![Khe Sanh Air Strip](images/Hull/hull071_small.jpg) |
72 ![Khe Sanh.](images/Hull/hull072_small.jpg) |
73 ![More Khe Sanh Air Strip.](images/Hull/hull073_small.jpg) |
74 ![A rifle platoon assembled alongside the Khe Sanh Air Strip.](images/Hull/hull074_small.jpg) |
75 ![Inoperable trucks at the air strip.](images/Hull/hull075_small.jpg) |
76 ![Truck junk yard.](images/Hull/hull076_small.jpg) |
77 ![Smoke billows from a crashed C-130.](images/Hull/hull077_small.jpg) |
78 ![Nobody was hurt, but the crash was spectacular.](images/Hull/hull078_small.jpg) |
79 ![More of the burning C-130.](images/Hull/hull079_small.jpg) |
80 ![Tom Saurer and Dick Hull at Khe Sanh Air Field.](images/Hull/hull080_small.jpg) |
81 ![A little strategizing before leaving Khe Sanh for the Ashau Valley.](images/Hull/hull081_small.jpg) |
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