Ha Thanh 1967 - 1968

Standing L to R: Duke, Dudley, Medina, Ward, Overton, Gesregan, Jones (CAPO), Gleason
bottom L to R: Thornton, Davis, Holman, Eagle, Dumas, Vietnamese, Wilbert
(Team photo & ID thanks to Ivan Davis and Melvin Thorton)



Front Row
Team Daddy, MSG Tom Claus, SFC Bill Abe, Sp5 Bob Stepanian, SFC George RACZ

 Back Row
Sgt Bob Hunt, Lt Bob Gilmartin, SFC Juan Medina, Sgt Rich Dumay, Capt Phil Lugo, Sqt John Landry, Lt Enrico Vargas 
(ID thank to Bob Stepanian)

HaThanhopsroom.jpg A-104Banner.jpg group2054.jpg group053.jpg Christmas 1967.jpg
christmas052.jpg dinner045.jpg dinner2046.jpg girls043.jpg girls051.jpg
girls2044.jpg sitting2042.jpg sitting041.jpg HaThahn037rec3small.jpg vietnam5055.jpg
vietnam7057.jpg vietnam9059.jpg vietnam8058.jpg wall040.jpg wall2050.jpg
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Photos & narrations thanks
to Sgt Ivan Davis

 

A 104 aerial copy.jpg A 104 copy.jpg 104camp185 copy.jpg Looking at O P copy.jpg from runway copy.jpg
Looking at OP2 copy.jpg looking into camp copy.jpg road into camp copy.jpg teamhouse copy.jpg shower room copy.jpg
Eagle and Davis copy.jpg Lt. Eagle Sgt. Davis copy.jpg Sfc. Zinkfoose copy.jpg SSG Gleason copy.jpg

Album No2
thanks to 
Sgt Ivan Davis

uploaded 09/07/09

Please note A-team rotated in and out as individual and not as full team 
which make the task of keeping a Roster difficult

Team Roster 1967 - 68 
see A-104 roster page

 

Team members in touch with

In touch

 
Cpt R Gesregan 11/67-5/68
CO -Cpt Filberto Lugo 08/68 - 06/69
XO -1st Lt Robert P Gilmartin  (09/22/68 on, acting  CO 12/68 - 04/69)
Jr/Sr Demo Sp4 Robert J Stepanian - Call sign "Dirty Drawers"
Sr Medic SGT Melvin Thornton
Jr/Sr Medic SGT Stafford J Landry Jr - Call sign "Big John
Commo SGT Rich Dumay- Call sign "Du Mammy"
Commo SGT Ivan D Davis
Commo SGT Phil Jacques
1st Lt, Gary J. Honold C-1 Intel Officer - Call sign "Fuzz"

L to R
Hunter Harold L CP  08/10/68 08/10/69 DET CO
Racz George "Buddha" SFC 09/01/68 LT WPNS DEC
Dickey John W SSG 11/01/68 07/01/69 RAD OP medevaced
Vietnamese –Nua
Hyde Jordan L SP5 01/01/69 07/01/69 DEMO
Vargas Enrique T 1LT 10/16/68 10/15/69 DET XO
Abe William S SGT 01/01/69 INTEL

Any one remember when the photo was taken??

The two above photos thanks to Phil Jacques

 

Photo thanks to Bob Stepanian
Copy of 50 caliber looking into nvn and Laos.jpg toc1 copy.jpg bob1 copy.jpg pet copy.jpg
Plenty more photos from Bob Stepanian on the Special Forces List website

This is the first of several photos albums, thanks to Bob Stepanian

The photos were taken with the camp SF issue Olympus EE from Aug 1968 to March 1969
Bob and I are trying to put photo captations to most photos if you can also help, please get in touch,

All photos are thanks to Bob Stepanian © all rights reserved

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SFC Juan Medina,  Ha Thanh Heavy weapon Sgt, inspecting the camp 106 recoilless rifle. 
Interesting factor is that it is mounted on a trailer, for added mobility in case of an attack.
"Fearless and a leader" Sgt Bob Stepanian description of SFC Juan Medina! 
Call sign  "Little Joe"
  Sgt Bob Stepanian, photo taken after an Operation,
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   From this photo, you can see Ha Thanh Outer defensive barrier which would have consisted
Claymore belt, Punji Moat/ Field
Tangle Foot, Controlled Mine, Concertina Wire Fence
Trip flares and other niceties for the attackers. Keeping the vegetation down was always a struggle !

SFC Juan Medina a in operational gear

 Interesting to note the old WWII  "BAR gun ammo" belt was favored by some
 of A-104 NCO's in effect doubling the mags carrying capacity!

 

In white in the center is Dr Stuart Haverson famous for trying to help the HRE montagnard
Shirtless is Captain Phil Lugo,  back to us  is Vietnamese Captain and behind Cpt Lugo
 is an indigenous who was a deaf mute and supposedly a dual agent
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CIDG instruction     Sgt Bob Hunt, Medic
This is the wall we started to erect after the team house was rocketed
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      Lt Bob Gilmartin, -,Sgt Dumay
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Sgt Bob Stepanian back 
from  an Operation
Ky always chased planes and one day got too close the prop and ended up in many pieces. East wall outposts (back side of the camp) Black dog was Ky the small one Willy Pete 
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Sgt Paul Curtis

Team Sgt Thomas Klaus

SFC George Racz

Team Sgt Thomas Klaus

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Bob Stepanian &
 Lt Bob Gilmartin

  Bob Stepanian back from operation & Cpt Phil Lugo  
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Bob Martha Raye with her back to us. This was taken during her visit, see "Colonel Maggie" page 
Command Sgt Major George Vidrine, is facing us, Lt Gilmartin in back with the cigarette and Cpt Phil Lugo on the right
Camp entrance

Outer perimeter gates,  I think the decorations were for New Year 1969

 

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  SFC Racz    
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Team Sgt Thomas Klaus

 

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Lt Bob Gilmartin, Sgt  Dumay and SFC Racz ? Lt Bob Gilmartin, Sgt Bob Stepanian, Sgt  Dumay and SFC Racz, photo beleived to be taken during the construction of the new TOC Lt Enrico Vargas

I believe this was Lance Lolini He was the C Team Veterinarian He traveled allover the I Corp taking care of the indigenous animals  He was part of the group that came to Ha Thanh with Martha Raye

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  Bob
Following photos were taken during repairs to the dispensary roof.
Any idea what is the (chimney  type ) contraption seen behind Bob and in other photos. 
(water container??)  Jean-Luc
 
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The "stolen" jeep incident.
Someone from A-104 was going back to the Da Nang airbase via the 3 MAF area.  
Low and behold, this jeep was sitting in the front of a bar with the engine running and not secured.  This individual, being a kind and wonderful person didn't want anyone to confiscate the jeep, got into the jeep and somehow it wound up at the air base.  
You know, the air force would transport any thing for us for a price, like a captured weapon, NVA flag. That is how the jeep appeared at our camp.  We had our mechanic do a work over, remove the insignia, decal and make it look as tho it has been at our camp for a long long time. Sgt Ivan Davis

"Burned out clutch "
Our 2 1/2 ton truck had a burned out clutch from trips to and from the runway for Caribou off-loading.  Our team leader had acquired a new clutch and pressure plate in a deal with a Caribou crew and someone in Da Nang, but no one knew how to replace it with the few tools we had in the camp. Fortunately one of our camp medics, SGT John Landry, had grown up in his dad's auto wrecking yard in New Iberia, Louisiana. He and the local Vietnamese mechanic used a couple of crescent wrenches, screw drivers, hammers, and pliers to loosen and remove the drive shaft, transmission, clutch, and flex plate. Then they replaced the flex plate, the clutch, the transmission, and the drive shaft with the same few tools. It was still working when the medic shipped him out to the big PX.
SGT Stafford J Landry Jr

 


 

 

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