Gallery 17 - Lagimoniere's Pictures

After the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment was reassigned to the north in early 1968 and left Phan Thiet, units of the 101st Airborne Division took their place. The new units rebuilt LZ Betty. New wooden buildings were constructed, quonset huts were set up, many of the roads were paved, additional guard towers were erected and different and enhanced security measures were established.

Bryan "Frenchy" Lagimoniere was assigned at LZ Betty from 1969 to 1970 and served as an infantryman with Co. B and Co. D, 1st Bn (Mechanized), 50th Infantry. He sent me the pictures below to show how LZ Betty and Phan Thiet looked 2-3 years after I left.

In January 2005, Frenchy visited Phan Thiet and LZ Betty. Phan Thiet now has a population of 4 million and LZ Betty has been abandonned, is overgrown with weeds and in ruins. Some of his photos of today follow the ones from 1969 and 1970.

Battalion ammo dump
facility.

This was Bunker 6 on the
Betty perimeter 5/3/70 just
before going on patrol.

C-130 landing at Phan
Thiet Airfield.

A Phan Thiet cabinetmaker
delivering his product.

Choi Hoi Center at Phan
Thiet where surrendered
VC were processed.

Another photo of workers
in front of the Aid Station.

The Company compound.
Note the wooden structures
that were built.

An APC traversing
the Co. D compound
area.

One of the open air
markets that were
common in Phan Thiet.

A fishing boat on the
Ca Ty River at Phan Thiet.

Fishing nets set out to dry
and possibly repair.

Some of the Vietnamese
houses along the river.

Many orphans were housed
at this orphanage in town.

One of the residents of the
orphanage poses.

Coconut trees grew everywhere,
including the orphanage's yard.

A political banner.

Early morning on the river.

A view of the east side at LZ Betty.

Headquarters Company
compound area.

The mechanics'
barracks (hooch).

North end of Phan
Thiet Airfield.

South end of Phan Thiet Airfield.

A map of Viet Nam.

A Chinook passing Tower 7
on the perimeter.

A machine gun in position
on Tower 7 (West side).

A view of the west side
of LZ Betty.

The Enlisted Men's Club
(red brick bldg.) at LZ Betty.

Helipad and landing area
at LZ Betty.

Looking north at the South
China Sea.

A Phan Thiet brick factory.

Looking towards Phan Thiet, view of Whiskey Mountain in background.	Entering Phan Thiet from north. Photo taken from toll road (something new!).	Phan Thiet Hotel (green bldg on left). It is on former site of MACV compound.	Choi Hoi center down- town near Ca Ty River. It is now a park.
Buildings about two miles west of Phan Thiet on Hwy 1.	Another photo two miles west of Phan Thiet on Hwy 1.	Palm trees swaying in the morning breeze at 6 A.M.

Hwy 1 near Tra Mon, east of Da Mai.	A fishing boat at 5:30 A.M.	The old road leading to LZ Betty.	Old archway at entrance to LZ Betty.
The old cemetery near LZ Betty.	The erosion ditch in front of Tower 7.	Erosion ditch running from east side ramp to ocean. HQ and Aid Station were once here.	View from northeast corner of LZ Betty towards the old ARVN compound by the MP gate.
Looking south towards Vung Tau from where one of the towers used to be.	Remains of one of the old French bunkers.	Runway facing south. Painted lines were for Communist aircraft. Runway was paved over.	Graveyard today in front of Bunker 2 where sniper was killed in June 1970.
			MORE PICTURES