"A" Battery

Mike Jalone sent this excerpt from a diary he kept on his tour of duty in 1967-68. Hopefully more will follow in this interesting look at a year in Vietnam.

 

Date	Place		Name	Note
19-Sep-67	Travis AFB			Flying to Vietnam
22-Sep-67	Saigon			90th Replacement Battalion
25-Sep-67	Nui Dat			Assigned to A Battery as Fire Direction Officer
25-Sep-67	Nui Dat	SGM	Purol	"Two old friends from the  4th Battalion at Fort Sill are here, SGM Purol and Lt Giles."
25-Sep-67	Nui Dat	LT	Giles	"Two old friends from the  4th Battalion at Fort Sill are here, SGM Purol and Lt Giles."
26-Sep-14	Nui Dat	LT	Quigley	"…sent laundry to town with Lt. Quigley…"
27-Sep-67	Nui Dat	CPT	Fleming, Chuck	"Went to work in the FDC and processed my first Vietnam fire mission. Cpt Fleming wants to build a lounge outside our houch."
2-Oct-67	Nui Dat			"Charlie has been real busy around our compound the last couple of nights.  Seems that most everyone thinks he could take this place without much effort and they may be getting ready to try. Today 11-months seems like very long."
3-Oct-67	Nui Dat	LT	Thomas, Doug	"Lt Thomas (XO A Battery) is going to Long Binh today so Bob and I will have to work his shift in FDC."
4-Oct-67	Nui Dat			"…it happened last night, they probed us so much we had an alert.  It scared me but I am find this morning.  I went to Vung Tau today."
5-Oct-67	Nui Dat	CPT	Smith	Captain Smith who was to be trial counsel at today Court Martial got sick so guess who gets to run the show?"
7-Oct-67	Nui Dat			The trial is over and I am victorious, both men guilty.  I really worried about that and glad it is over."
7-Oct-67	Nui Dat			The battalion does have a good record but I am ticked at all the BS jobs that come up.  Now I am working on a Report of Survey and have to give more classes next week."
8-Oct-67	Nui Dat			"We had a  fire plan called 'Bill' which was a big VC base camp north of here.  We were supposed to fire two 175mm guns but one broke down, typical, so we only did have the job we should have."
10-Oct-67	Nui Dat			"Bob left today and it is going to be lonely around here with out him but maybe his fan will console me."
10-Oct-67	Nui Dat	ISG	Romekia	"Top does not like lieutenants but he knows I don't give a damn and treats me pretty well.  He likes to tease me about California."
10-Oct-67	Nui Dat		Schaffer	"I went to the Aussie PX today and bought a Kola bear for Melinda.  I will ask Schaffer to mail it tomorrow."
12-Oct-67	Nui Dat			"Played around with FACAC today and fired a registration."
12-Oct-67	Nui Dat	Cpt	Fleming	"Had  a beer with the BC and Doug moved to Bobs room and tried to take my fan."
14-Oct-67	Nui Dat			Went to Ham-Tan today to deliver a copy of the trail to the accused.
14-Oct-67	Nui Dat		Dunaway	"Tonight we were firing on 120 suspected VC and Dunaway, my radio-telephone operator gave 'rounds complete' and the AO flew in to see the damage.  Well we still had one round to go and almost killed the bloak.  They screamed to Arty Tac, damn it!"