Vietnam War Photos From Stanley Hall
Posted on Sep 8, 2018 (last modified Dec 18, 2018)
A collection of photographs from Stanley "Doc" Hall (a Corpsman in Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines) taken during his tour of duty in the Vietnam War (around April 1967).
Door Gunner's M60
Inbound from a helicopter ship on a mission over the South China Sea.
LST-649
"Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, supported amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore. The bow had a large door that would open with a ramp for unloading the vehicles. The LST had a special flat keel that allowed the ship to be beached and stay upright. The twin propellers and rudders had protection from grounding." - Wikipedia, Sep. 2018
UH-34 Supply Run
UH-34 bringing in supplies with a sling-load. The sling-load allows the Uh-34 to drop supplies without having to land.
Waiting for a Lift
Marines waiting for transport on the UH-34s. This may have been during Operation Beaver Cage; but I can't be sure.
Hovering in I-Corps
A Marine UH-34 somewhere in I-Corps, where South Vietnam meets North Vietnam at the DMZ.
South China Sea
Probably an inlet of the South China Sea. They had some beautiful white-sand beaches in Vietnam.
USS Duluth (LPD-6)
The ship in the background is an LPD (Landing Platform Dock), the USS Duluth (LPD-6). I think they now call those "LPH"), but back then it was called an LPD. They lower the gate, flood the well deck and either the Mike Boats or Amtraks can be released. Above there is space for chopper landing.
Sunset in the Nam
Sunset over Vietnam behind trees that have been stripped bare. Agent Orange?
Sandy Terrain
Sandy terrain with mountains in the background. It was flat like that all the way back to those mountains. Pretty typical of South Vietnam until you got down further south to all the swampy waterways and such.
Platoon Command Group
Standing: Lieutenant Berkheiser (I think). Laying on the rubber mat: Staff Sergeant Amos. Other two: unknown. This is probably the Platoon command group. Precise location unknown.
Offshore
In between operations, up and down the coast of I-Corps in the South China Sea.
Cleaning .45
James (Jim) Haight cleans his .45 caliber pistol on ship. At Camp Schwab in Okinawa, when they turned in their M14s for the M16s, Jim didn't want "that piece of junk," so he opted out for the 45. Being a Battalion radio operator, his main job was to keep comms. up and his head down. When humping in country, he carried extra M16 ammo along with his radio and extra batteries.
Amtraks on the Move
Amtraks moving inland (more than likely). Ocean may be behind the scrub-line (no tracks in the foreground).
The Helmet that Saved Me
At right: Me - Corpsman, Stanley Hall. Other: unknown. Notice the dent on the helmet? Yeah - that's from a bullet.
Chopper Down
We were on a company-sized patrol North of Da Nang near the ocean. Engineers had cleared a landing spot. The helo was coming in to a ridge and, while the chopper was about ten feet from ground, the rear tail hit a stump and flipped him nose down on the side. She went 40 or 50 yards. Flying debris. Nobody was hurt.
In the Bush
A hillside in the jungles of Vietnam (same time frame as that chopper crash).
South China Sea
Another shot of the South China Sea. Barring the circumstances, it was beautiful country.
Just Another Hill
A small hillside in the country. Hills were named by number according to their height.
Break
At left, sitting: Berkheiser. Center: Staff Sgt. Amos. Other two: unknown.
Marine Sitting
Marine (unidentified) rests with what looks like ocean or inlet in background.
Huddle
Marines huddle around a task; maybe map reading. At right: Corporal Hebsch (fire team leader); not 100% sure. Others: unidentified.
C Rat Resupply
Resupply of C rations. At left: Lt. Berkheiser (pretty sure); others: unidentified. I was told we had C rats that were left over from the Korean War. I liked the pound cake and fruit cocktail. Hot sauce would cure a lot of ills.
Brothers
51 years later, I have trouble remembering some of the names. Is that Stanley Wilson? I can't be sure. Others: unidentified.
Terrain 1
Terrain 2
Terrain 3
Ocean and Inlet
Arial view of an inlet with the South China Sea in the background.
Huey
Huey with rocket pods. Not sure if it's a Marine chopper or Army; I suspect it's Marine.
Hooch
Sitting at left: Staff Sgt Amos, standing next: Lt Berkheiser, other 3: unidentified.
CH-47 Transporting Jeep
CH-47 twin rotor / Sea Knight transporting a Jeep. This is a Navy / Marine version. The Army had a similar version. The CH-47 had 3 wheels, the Chinook had 4.
Getting Some Shade
At right facing camera: Staff Sgt Amos, others: unidentified. Amos came to the company in Okinawa;he'd been a drill Sgt in San Diego at the recruit training depot. He was a hard-ass, but he was a good man and fair to people. He didn't put up with a lot of nonsense.
Foilage
A Rare Casual Day
Secure in some town, it seems (no helmets and gear). We didn't have many times like this.
Underway Replenishment (UnRep) 1
An "Underway Replenishment" (UnRep), also known as "Replenishment at sea" (RAS) - moving fuel and other supplies from one transport to another. It can be a risky operation.
UnRep 2
UnRep 3
UnRep 4
UnRep 5
One part of the UnRep involves putting tag-lines between ships and, with manpower, dragging them across through open doors on the side of the ship.
UnRep 6
UnRep 7
