Vung Tau, Vietnam (Cap St Jacques)
photos of Vung Tau by QT Luong
This is the start of a homepage for those who were with the 258th Signals Det. in Vung Tau.
If you were with the 258th, drop me a line and I will include you on this page.
Lets see if we can locate some old friends! <>Lyman Duggan Canadian Marconi Company
Tech Rep in Support of ASN-64 Doppler Navigation System
lyman@naval.comLinks
I am now starting to put up info on my 99 revisit and will include my 2 week train trip across China to North Vietnam and a stay with the Mountain people of the Northern Highlands. Several enjoyable days in Hanoi with no Jane Fonda in site. I loved the city and the people and although i was anxious dragging my suitcase across the Red River Bridge I found nothing but friendly happy people everywhere. I met lots of turists in Hanoi but no Americans. There was serious flooding in Hue and the train was not running so I had to fly to HCM City and take the high speed ferry to Vung Tau where I found a fine hotel for 25/day and a good honda 100 for 14/day. More on this later.
Low tide on Front
Beach
.
..Viet Navy
This old Russian Hydro-foil (below) jets you from Saigon (HCM City)
to VungTau in 75 minutes for 10.00 USD
We had to stop twice and reverse to get the weeds and crap off the
foils :-)
It is rather startling to make the trip so quickly.
My first time on the Mekong River. It is dirty and there is really
nothing interesting to see until the approach to Vung Tau. I was
surprised
to see an oil drilling rig!
There are some very nice hotels there now and I paid only 25 per night
for a nice modern room a block from Front Beach.
I rented a motorcycle for 16.00 a day
The ship that was aground at French Beach is gone now. I found someone
who had heard that it was cut up for scrap about 15 years ago. Everyone
else I spoke to about it were not even aware that it ever existed. No
one
is interested in talking about the war. I was a long time ago and a
boring
conversation for them.
I entered the country from the north via China and went into the
mountains
to see the mountain tribes, then off to Hanoi for a few days R&R!
Can
you imagine?
I enjoyed Hanoi and would like to return for an extended holiday.
.
.
Some old friends that I would like to hear from:
Canadian Marconi Company
Rheal Boulanger, CMC Tech Rep
.. now Montreal landlord
Tony Deveau, CMC Tech Rep
..Now with L-3 in Toronto
Marshall Vincent CMC Tech Rep
Jim Dunlop CMC Tech Rep
Marshall Tate Test Equipment Repair Van
Paul Butler Dynalectron Tech Rep (Minneapolis?)
Mike Day US Army
Charlie Day US Army
Harry
Weir
HRB Singer?
Me on my
Honda
I WAS A TO W/73rd IN 70-71-72, FLEW IR. ALSO WITH 73rd IN GDR 79-81,
SLAR SUCKS-EVEN WITH DRY SILVER! HERE'S THE PLANE THEY'RE USING NOW
SINCE THE OV-1S ARE GONE. IT HAS FLIR, DLIR, DIS, SAR, & FLUSH
TOILETS!!
I WROTE THE LESSON PLANS & DID THE GROUND/AIR INSTRUCTION FOR THE
FIRST
CLASS OF TOs & PILOTS. IT'S GREAT TO WALK TO THE CAN.
I GOT TO SPEND 3 DAYS AT VT BEFORE I WENT WITH THE ADVANCE "PARTY"
TO
LONG THAN NORTH. GOD BLESS? THE AN/ASN-64!
TO/IR/70-71-72(ALL
73rd)
Danny Wayne Mohon <mohon@pop.goodnet.com>
Hi, My name is Dan Wiese. I was with the 258th sig. det. from
May of 68 to May of 69 . I was a buck sgt. Supposed to be an
avionics
tech. but was put in charge of shipping and receiving and motor
vehicles.
I knew Mike and Charlie Day. I think the Paul guy you want was a black
guy with dynalectron last name Butler. One nice guy he was.
I am in Spokane Washington .
tjwiese@aol.com
I can give you a bunch more names if you want
them.
Dan
Paul Butler Dynaelectron and Larry at
French Beach, Also called Windy Beach.
My name is Bill. I was in Vung Tau 1965-1966. I was the site NCO for
the Stratcom site that was built on the hill there. We had a Det of
signal
personnel from a Sig Company just outside Vung Tau. They had a long
lines
site in the same compound as we were building our site. I left Vung Tau
in Nov 1966 and at that time the Stratcom site was not finished.I never
got to see the site in full operation.It was a very big setup.We built
hugh Tropo scatter Antenna"s and a lot of Microwave systems. Was
wondering
if while you were there if you ever got up to our site? Well i enjoyed
looking at your pictures.I think the first one is a picture
of the Hill i am talking about.But without seeing those big dishes
can not be sure. But very glad that you have started this site.If you
hear
from anyone else that was in Vung Tau i would be happy to hear from
them
By the way i am now living in France.
Looking forward from hearing from
you.
bmess30957@aol.com.
http://www.geocities.com/ladyjosephinequach/index.html
i remember clearly still, Vung Tau is a place where love to visit the
Buddah Pagoda where he's laid to sleep. im glad we are family.
hope you get to visit
vn again soon.
love
kim josephine le
These are the names of the guys I did time with in Viet Nam at the
258th
sig det.
-John Boehme
-Calvin Jacob Newcomer III
-Charlie Mangum
-LeRoyDawson
-Jim King
-Jerry Ross
-Snuffy Smith
-Crash Whalen
-Robert Dushaw
-Sgt.Cuba
-Sgt Segari
-Andy Mueller
-Dick St.Germain
-Richard Barry
-Maj. McDonald
-Maj. Walton H. Osborn
-Spec 4 Gates
-Mike Gardiner
-Jack O. Honeycutt
-Roland Buckles
-Tom Barber
-SSG Douglas
-Tom Hooker
-Bob Prosch
-Tim Millsaps
-Jim Gindt
-Bill Maher (Dynalectron)
-Les Jones
-1st. Sgt. Nickerson
-Matthew Taffel.
-Lt Jeffery Casper
-Bruce Seifers
There were some more but I will have to think on them
for
a time. Mike Day and Charlie Day you already have.
Dan
Wiese
i scrolled down to dan weis e mail after i wrote to you. i am
the one he referred to as snuffy smith. one of the tech reps from
ITT GILLIFLAND called me that. his name was harry
weir. i remember a guy named john cannon an ex marine that
worked for them. matthew taffel was tha ncoic for the radar shop
when i arrived. i took over when he left. one guy with me
was named orick kelly a true irishman from charleston mass. i am
on the road right now. i live in memphis tn but travel to
nashville on monday and tuesdays. i will let all of this rattle
around in my head while i am driving home. i remember when the
mohawks arrived in vung tau we had to stand guard over them. i am
sure more will come to me as i think more. i just discovered your
site last night. i have searched vung tau on and off for a couple
of years and this is the first time i have seen your site. i!
will write more in a couple of days. thank you for your
response.
richard smith
-
From: Lyman Duggan <Lyman@naval.com>
To: RAS3346@aol.com
Sent: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:05:57 -0400
Subject: Re: VUNG TAU
Richard who worked with you in GCA?
Give me all the names you can ok?
What company were your tech reps working for.
ie who was the manufacturer?
Would like to add this to your letter below :-)
lyman
From:
RAS3346@aol.com
Date sent: Sun, 9
Apr 2006 23:58:50 EDT
Subject:
VUNG TAU
To:
lyman@naval.com
my name is richard smith. i was in the 258th from June 1968 until
may 1969. i was in charge of the gca radar repair shop. i returned
to the 258th tdy on my second tour. i transferred to the first
aviation group but returned as a liaison for the gca radar on the
airfields. i have seen many sites about vung tau but they were
mostly by the australians. during my second tour i was stationed
with the 125th aviationcompany that ran the airfield. i knew i was
very fortunate to get assigned to vung tau. i attended the first
signal corp nco academy at ft monmouth new jersey. one on my
instructors was a sgt cewe. he had previously been stationed in vung
tau and ran the same radar shop i ended up running. the pictures
posted caused many memories. if i can find any pictures i will be
very happy to post them. thank you for this site.
richard a smith
TONY DEVEAU WITH THE SHADES CANADIAN MARCONI COMPANY
Date sent: Fri, 13 Sep 2002
09:17:30
-0500
The Ship on the Beach
From:
Joe Barlow <PilotJoe50@comcast.net>
Dear Lyman, I served in the U.S Army with the 330th Trans Co.
(CHECKMATE) from 1967 to1969. At that time I was an Airframe Repairman.
I worked with Charles Clayton, who was a civilian contractor for
Dynalectron
(I think that is a an in-correct spelling) We repaired Huey tail booms,
and worked on a
mini-gun mount for the Hueys. I left the Army after returning home
to Kansas City, Mo. Oct 1969, bu re-joined the Service in 1975 and
became
a Huey Pilot and Maintenance Test Pilot. I retired from Active Duty
July1
1993. I am looking for anyone who served with me during that time
frame.
I found your Web site Very interesting and it brought back memories.
Thanks
Joseph W Barlow J
Hi, I was running a google search for an old high school buddy and ran across your site tor the 258th. There was a T.J.Wiese looking for people from that unit, wonder if he ever located Cal Newcomer. If anyone hears from Cal, give him this email address and this phone #, please. 916 441 7116. Dan Weise apparently let his email at aol dry up, unable to contact. Thanks, Gene Bird Sacramento, Calif.
My friend is trying to locate her vietnamese family from Vung Tau. She was taken from there when she was four years old from American soldiers because she was1/2 American 1/2 vietnamese. She was adopted in America, but has never known anything about her real family. She is still considered a political refugee. She was brought to the U.S.A. in 1974/75. If you could help us with some sort of contact information to help her find her real family, she and I would be truly greatful. Thank you. Aimee Richard
Hello Mr. Duggan,
My name is Monty Spears and I am trying to find unit history on the
255th Signal Detachment. I am wondering if you heard of them or can
cross
reference me to someone that can help me. Thank
you Monty Spears
Lyman Duggan,
My name is Sisto Sandoval. I just read your page on Vung Tau,
Viet Nam and I read a person by the name of Bill at bmess30957@aol.com
who assisted in building the micro-dishes and antenna's at what we call
VC Hill, in Vung Tau, Vietnam,in 1966. I was in Viet Nam with
Long
Lines Battalion South and assigned to VC Hill (Vung Tau, Vietnam) from
May 1968 to May 1969. Also during Tet. I remember those huge
communication
dishes and antennas. I should have pictures of them and the road
that led up to the hill. I was with Quarter Masters at that time
and dealt with the Navy at the bottom of the hill. I still recall
the oil-rotten fish smell just before one went up the hill. The
beautiful
Beaches at the bottom of the hill and the in-country R&R places. I
remember a rocket hit one of the communication dishes and made quite a
hole in it. I was also on temporary duty with Long Lines
Battalion
North Signal Division Central Viet Nam and worked close to Qui Hnon
supply
base. I was also in Pleiku and have photos of that area also. My main
Headquarters
was Long Lines Battalion South Vung Tau, Viet Nam. Thanks for
the memories of a bunch of good guys.
<<Hi Sisto, I remember the dishes, and in 99 i went back up
the
hill and visited the light house there. It was off limits in 68-69. I
thought
that microwave site was managed by PAGE and used to know a few of the
engineers
as some were from Canada.. We are into troposcatter in the far north
:-)
>>
Your Vung Tau homepage and message board are neat, especially the
pictures!
I'm was not in the 258th, but I was in the 36th. The 36th was the
US Army hospital in V.T., down by the airfield. I was an Army
nurse
there from Feb to Aug, 1967. I was then transferred to Long Binh to the
93rd Evac Hospital. Long Binh was about 20 miles north of Saigon and
had
been carved out of the jungle for the USARV headquarters and many other
units, such as a U.S. Army stockade and others, such as the 24th Evac
Hospital,
a mile or so from the 93rd. It was there where I met the man I
married
and we "thumbed" rides on choppers to and from Vung Tau until the Tet
put
an end to that sort of stuff. We usually ate at Cyrno's (correct
spelling)
across from Front Beach and behind the grenade fence. The
owner/chef
had learned his trade in France and the food was super. Alas, going up
the hill to that communciations installation was verboten
for us, but we were always curious about it, so it's interesting to
read the various comments about it that you've collected. Were you
aware
that Madame Nu's (?spelling. My memory, ala, fails me on this
one)
mansion was between it and downtown, on the hillside and quite visible
from the road that ran along the harbor from French Beach to
downtown.
Somewhere, we have a picture of it, probably a slide. Please don't post
my e-mail address, but I thought you might find the
above of some interest.
I was stationed in Vung Tau from March 1966 to Jan 1967. I went
there
with the 335th Sig Det from Fort Lewis WA. Once we landed in Vung Tau
we
joined
up with the 258th. The best part of the story is that my brother (Ross
Allen) was in the group that took the 258th from Sacramento Army Depot
to Korat Thailand. They left Sacramento In 1962 I think in the fall.
They
then flew to Viet Nam as a unit and drove down to Vung Tau. He then
left
Viet Nam and went to Fort Gordon. When I got to Vung Tau the unit was
still
working out of trucks but soon a building was built, not far from the
Post
Office, where we supported all the air craft. I was a radar repairman
that
support the weather radar. I would like to hear from the guys that were
there while I was there. thanks for you effort.
