II Field Forces Patch!

This is the patch we wore at French Fort. The 2/32 was attached to the II Field Forces. Our Nam patch was "subdued", that is it was black and OD Green in color, not red, gold and blue.

Welcome to French Fort!

I just noticed that the sign does not mention French Fort, or the new name; Camp Saint Barbara. I believe it was officially called the FSB St. Barbara. Here you can live like a rat in a hole, and be mortared by Charlie every night, and even sometimes during the day!

Welcome to Battery A!

We were at FSB Santa Barbara(aka French Fort), north of Tay Ninh. The place was called French Fort because years ago the French had a camp on this site. The "town" nearby was Bau Co. That's Frenchie up there by the sign.

French Fort From the Air!

This photo is courtesy of Dennie Wolfgang (FDC). This was during the rainy season. This is the original camp. You can see FDC right in the middle, with four gun pads around it. Thanks Dennie!

French Fort from a Chopper!

Photo by Dennie Wolfgang. Here you see the extended camp. The original four gun comfiguration on the right, and extended camp on the left. This is also in monsoon season, note standing water all around the perimeter. Thanks Dennie!

Dry Season Fires!

During the dry season the Quad 50s would start fires in the dry grass of the perimeter.

Rebuilding a Gun Pad!

The engineers came in to "rehabilitate" the place.

Merry Christmas, 1968!

Notice the little Christmas tree atop the bunker.

Christmas Serenade!

This little guy came in over camp on Christmas day. He was playing Christmas caroles on his loud speaker system. We contemplated taking a shot at him, but gave him the benefit of our Christmas good will! He got bored and flew on to harass some other camp.

Nui Ba Den!

The Black Virgin Mountain. We held a camp on top for communications, Charlie owned the sides. It was a 3,000 foot mountain, all by itself in the flat rice lands.

Lt. ???

At the door of the FDC (Fire Direction Center).

First Sgt. Price & Ssgt. Woodard

Price was First Seargent for the battery, Ssgt. Woodard ran the No. 1 gun (Alley Oop).

Yard Police!

Every morning we picked up everything in the yard. As you can tell by the looks of the place, we kept a clean yard, ha!

Horseshoes!

Here you see Prokop standing by the horseshoe stake. In the background is the fire direction center.

Horse Shoes!

Our recreation was limited. Our favorite sport was filling sand bags! That's Miller showing off his form.

Horse Shoes!

I think that's Sgt. Woodard tossing a pair.

More Horseshoes!

Shooting Hoops!

We did have a basketball and a hoop at French Fort.

Eight Inch Gun at Rest.

The gun pad was torn up, so this gun is just sitting in the yard. In the background, directly in front of the gun you see a guard bunker, and just to the right of the gun you see a 50 cal. machine gun nest.

Eight Inch Gun!

Gun pad in the foreground, living quarters bunker behind it. Lying beside the bunker you see a new barrel for a 175mm long gun. It's 36 feet long!

Sp.4 James Brown!

A photo for his girlfriend.

Rehabilitation!

The engineers were helping us out. They drilled a well, and built a shower house. And a new bomb proof mess hall. Wow, all the comforts!

Trench Machine.

Trench Machine at Work!

Drilling a Well!

Once we had good water, the shower house was much appreciated, but it made us all targets when we went to shower.

Ammo Bunker

The ammo bunker sat immediately behind the gun pad. That way we didn't have to lug the rounds far to get them up to the gun. It added a great deal of danger but it was quite well protected with sand bags and canisters.

Mess Hall Going UP!

The New Mess Hall!

This place was bomb proof! It had double walls, and between these walls was a layer of dirt three feet thick. On top was three layers of sandbags. The only openings were the doors.

Ammo Bunker!

This was the bunker where special ammo was stored.

Tin Roofing!

A view out over the tin roofing that covered a living quarters bunker.

Living Quarters Bunkers!

Living quarters bunkers were built into the burm (wall) of the fort. They provided reasonable protection for sleeping men. There was only one instance when a soldier was hit (a mortar round) while sleeping.

New Shower House!

Water came in through that rubber hose. The floor was covered with rubber and the water drained out to that gutter you see in the foreground. Water from the well was warm enough to shower in. Nothing was cold in Vietnam.

Headed for the Showers!

It was the highlight of the day! It was impossible to keep clean in Nam, so the showers were a blessing.

Building the Latrine!

It took the whole crew to get that latrine built, Ha!

New latrine!

Again, someone doing his business right out in the open!

Framing the New Latrine!

You can see the walls of the new latrine taking shape. Of course, that did not stop the need for services, so you see the guy sitting on the throne right out in the open, talk about limited privacy!

The Old Latrine!

As you can see Charlie used it for target practice. It was located outside the berm! It wasn't a safe place to do your business!

Sunset over the Perimeter!

Watch the sun go down, then pull guard duty and get ready for whatever Charlie had to throw at us.

First Seargent!

That's first shirt Teddy Price. Resting on his bunk in the Fire Direction Center.

Prokop!

One of the oldest men in the camp. He must have been all of 25 at the time. This is a photo taken for his girl. He loved his girl and his '63 Pontiac Grand Prix, but I'm not sure in which order! At least I'm sure that the Grand Prix was waiting when he went home!

Perimeter Defense!

That's the perimeter looking out over the barrel of an M60 light machine gun. This is the place where you sat all night and watched things, both imagined and real, move around in the darkness. Then you just guess which one to shoot at! It was troubling if you were inclined to believe in "things that go bump in the night".

Perimeter Defense!

This is a recoilless rifle. Basically it fired a rocket propelled artillery round. I believe this to be an M47, 90MM recoilless rifle.

Perimeter Defense!

This is the M40, 106mm recoilless gun (it was actually a 105mm tube). Again it is a rocket propelled round. On top of the tube sits a .50 cal. spotting rifle in which a special round was fired to simulate the trajectory of the 105mm round, thereby allowing you to aim the weapon. This is a rifled tube, and the rounds come "pre-engraved" so as to match the rifling.

Perimeter Defense!

The perimeter from the bunker. The gun crews pulled guard duty every night, as well as working all day long. Guard duty was two hours on and two hours rest (that is trying to sleep in the guard bunker) while your buddy pulled his two hours on.

Perimeter Defense!

Here we see Mel Major loading the M40 Recoilless gun. Photo by Mel Major.

Perimeter Defense!

Mel and his team pulling guard in the M40 bunker!

Photo by Mel Major.

Knife Throwing!