FMD Band led by GSgt. Sunderland.Up front on clarinet LCpl. Victor A. Rabel KIA
FMD Band playing for civilians. Cpl. John P. Ziegler (wearing shades) KIA.
Thanks for the photos Ruben.
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Memorial Detachment No.2 Hudson Falls N.Y.
The camera I used in Vietnam
A Marine looks back to 1969 and also remembers those gone before and those serving today to preserve our freedom
"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!"
Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945
Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945
1st Marine Div. Sign
Thanks for visiting
Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.
Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985
Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985
About Don
L/Cpl. Don Cooper 0331, enlisted in the USMC April 1968 after graduating from Parris Island I went on to Camp LeJune and Camp Geiger for my M60 machine gun training. Later it was off to Pendleton where they shipped me out to 29 Stumps aka 29 Palms for 50 Caliber training then back to Pendleton to Las Pulgas a quick stop in Okinawa and then Viet Nam. I was assigned to the SVC CO, HQS BN, 1ST MARINE DIV, 3RD MAF with the FMD band from March 1969 to Feb. 1970 on Hill 327 Alpha line. As you can see I always carried a camera with me.
My family also served their country;
My grandfather Fred Cooper was an US Army infantry man in WWI.
My father Frederick Cooper served in the US Navy in WWII on LST ships.
My uncle Paul Linkey served as a gunner in the US Army Air Force on B-17's
My uncle Frank Decker served in the US Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS RANDOLF CV 15
My son Aaron was a US Army combat engineer during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I am retired after 26 years in law enforcement.
My family also served their country;
My grandfather Fred Cooper was an US Army infantry man in WWI.
My father Frederick Cooper served in the US Navy in WWII on LST ships.
My uncle Paul Linkey served as a gunner in the US Army Air Force on B-17's
My uncle Frank Decker served in the US Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS RANDOLF CV 15
My son Aaron was a US Army combat engineer during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I am retired after 26 years in law enforcement.
This Site is Dedicated to Three Who Gave All
Cpl. Paul J. Mitchell, 1st Marine Division Band
KIA Feb 23 1969
L/Cpl. Victor A. Rabel, 1st Marine Division Band
KIA Feb 23 1969
Cpl. John P. Ziegler, 1st Marine Division Band
KIA Feb 23 1969
These three died defending Hill 327 Alpha Line Republic of Danang South Vietnam
KIA Feb 23 1969
L/Cpl. Victor A. Rabel, 1st Marine Division Band
KIA Feb 23 1969
Cpl. John P. Ziegler, 1st Marine Division Band
KIA Feb 23 1969
These three died defending Hill 327 Alpha Line Republic of Danang South Vietnam
"Once a Marine, Always a Marine"
Memorial Detachment No.2 Hudson Falls N.Y.
Email me at Scoop748@yahoo.com
Yashica TL Super 35mm
The camera I used in Vietnam
© 2011 Remembering Vietnam All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder.
14 comments:
I have always wondered what happened to everyone after we left. Doyle Warren went back to Stephenville and I never could get hold of him again. CWO Orsack (sp?) came back to the stumps, I believe.
I might add that the "tent" covered up a VORTRAC device to guide in the bombers for arclight strikes across the valley. I remember looking at the tent the next day after we had been hit and it had a hole in it just about every inch or so. That's what they came after and they got it. We found wires leading from our lines back down to a cave in the mountain below our positions. I wanted to blow the cave, but we never did.
The tent you see had a TPQ-10 radar inside.We had them at Chu Lai,An Hoa,Quang Tri also.They were for high altitude precision bombing.I was in Mass-3.The night of 23 Feb when we were over run that was the target.My Lt. & Sgt were wounded at that spot.I was positioned on opposite side of your pic.Thats where NVA came through. Semper Fi
We also had radar at Khe Sanh.The Lt. had just returned from there.I think Ziegler was KIA about 20 feet from my position.2 of us checked the body and he was loaded into ambulance with Lt.Matusic& Sgt.I also saw the truck Mitchell waas KIA in i waas probably 30 Yds away when a rocket hit and caught truck on fire.Was a night of HELL Semper Fi
Who ever was beside me that night saved my life!I did not know members of the band we were sent up because of high alert.So if Rabal was KIA in bunker then has to be Ziegler with me!If anybody can clear this up after 41years i would like to know for sure.My name is Billy Alford Was L/cpl 1st MAW.Go to MASS-3 Marine Air Control Squadron and you can find more info. Semper Fi
It's hard to remember after 40 years. I knew there was some type of radar in the tent when I looked at it right after it was set up. I was thinking that Ziegler was shot above my bunker (the bunker right below the big rock)when he was checking posts. Rabal was shot in the chest and had an M40 gernade launcher that he shot in the bunker when he got shot. It blew a hole in the bunker wall. He managed to crawl out of the bunker and reload before he died. Michell was in the PC and I remember being told that they threw a satchel charge in the cab when he was driving by an big rock on the road.
Billy, it is interesting that another Alford was on the hill that night.
I do know that Ziegler was due to go home the next week. He had a nurse he was going to marry.
I still have the belt buckle of the NVA we blew up above my bunker. He had a sachel charge on his back and our gernade set it off. It blew his belly under the rock along with his belt buckle. The rest of his parts were scattered around. I spent the next few days blowing up live rounds with C4 all over the hill.
Hey that great!!The one i wish i could have got that night is the one i dream about most every night.If my rifle hadnt had a bad round maybe Ziegler would still be here i just dont know but it will haunt me till my grave.I can take some satisfaction tht i know from the bombs i helped guide we killed 100s if not 1000s.I even went back for 2nd tour and my last 2 months was back at 327 with a new radar!Left Nam after 2nd tour June of 71.
Thank you guys for visiting my blog and sharing this information.
There was a rumor that I heard when I arrived a week or so after the attack and that rumor was that some guys had M-14s and some had M-16s and that they couldn't swap ammo, is that true?
Don
I was in Mass-3We were issued M14 rifles i think the band had M16s.Ammunition was never an issue during the firefight.The Nva must have had good recon they came up between the 2 fortified bunkers right at the radar.We were thrown on line because of high alert.I was assigned a position with no cover just like walking post that was one thing wrong.(Ithink the Lt. who put me there got a silver star)Anyhow there was an investigation about the M14s i remember video cameras a lot of questions and some people in civilian clothes to the best of my memory Billy
Hey David you are right that they were 2 Alfords on the hill!Get this we had a Lt. in Chu Lai in s-3 by the name of Don Alford.That is really weird cause our name is not common at all.I was born in Georgia.Grandad was with 7th calvery chasing Pancho Villa in Mexico.Was wounded in France 1917.Dad was in paratroopers in France WW2 far as i know all my family as far as i trace from Ga.Great grand father Enoch alford from Bartow county as far as i could trace back. Semper Fi
James L. Kring -- I was Squad Leader for the 1st Div Band that night. Baldwin was the drummer you see in photos with Ziegler. Mitchell was taking him down to the aid station in a PC. I was on the back with Sgt Napparan. He jumped off, I jumped off. The two of us charged the hill at high port (not smart). The satchel charge went under the PC and blew it on its left side. I was blown off the road on the "friendly" side in elephant grass. NVA had me pinned down. M-16 inoperable under me. I had grenade & .45 waiting to die and take NVA with me. Baldwin got out of PC and back to Napparan who had the M-79. Mitchell got killed heading back to Alpha 10 for cover. I've got and "Overseas Weekly" feature article on the attack. I hope someone reads this. I have info and want more from you guys. Also a great story about Gilinskog's best friend from Utah who got me a job in Seattle where he was working for the summer.
James L. Kring -- I was Squad Leader for the 1st Div Band that night. Baldwin was the drummer you see in photos with Ziegler. Mitchell was taking him down to the aid station in a PC. I was on the back with Sgt Napparan. He jumped off, I jumped off. The two of us charged the hill at high port (not smart). The satchel charge went under the PC and blew it on its left side. I was blown off the road on the "friendly" side in elephant grass. NVA had me pinned down. M-16 inoperable under me. I had grenade & .45 waiting to die and take NVA with me. Baldwin got out of PC and back to Napparan who had the M-79. Mitchell got killed heading back to Alpha 10 for cover. I've got and "Overseas Weekly" feature article on the attack. I hope someone reads this. I have info and want more from you guys. Also a great story about Gilinskog's best friend from Utah who got me a job in Seattle where he was working for the summer.
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