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VN 69-70

I lived and grew up in Crystal Mn and was drafted into the Army in 1969. I was working at General Mills at the time as a computer operator.

After basic training at FT Bragg and then Advanced Infantry training at Ft McClellan I was finally shipped to Chu Chi VN.

The following are the pictures I took in Nam and Cambodia.

A close up of a tank's markings, which read: "39 On The Way" with a Mars/male symbol.

The Mortar Track (APC) I drove in VN.

Tank in the foreground, explosion in the background.
Three soldiers eating alongside a tank, in a field.
Two young soldiers outside an encampment.
A Vietnamese civilian walking through fields.
U.S. soldiers stand and lean on tanks watching a young Vietnamese woman walk by.
Two soldiers, one writing in a bunker, one peeking and smiling down from the opening in the roof.
Young U.S. soldiers resting among mortars in a bunker.
Three soldiers sitting inside a bunker, looking serious.

The enemy detonated a tank mine under the Mortar APC while I was driving and I was dusted off in a chopper and spend some time in the hospital. The APC was junked and we were issued a new one. I was awarded the Purple Heart. I was also awarded 4 Bronze Stars.

39 is the APC is drove in the 3/4 Cav c-troop. We traveled well into Cambodia on one of our missions.

After VN, I served at Ft Hood as a training instructor for 6 months and then returned home to Crystal, MN. A few years back I moved to Sun City, AZ.

Soldiers being presented with medals.
Commanding Officer Jeep with a tire cover that has Lucy from Peanuts saying "Damn you Charlie Troop."
A young G.I. holding a Coke, Vietnamese children reaching up all around him.
Young U.S. soldiers, shirtless in the jungle.
A Chinook helicopter on the ground.
A military vehicle from the rear, driving into the jungle.
Group photo of more than a dozen U.S. soldiers in an encampment.

Right side bottom row with hand across his front is Patrick Clark, bottom right is Jerry Reeves, 1st row, second from left is Lee Tipton (one of my TCs). Second row, far left Bob Baer, fourth man Steve (TCs), Bill Cox, Big Red from Toledo, guy waving Jeffery Schinaman, right corner, Ward, from Colorado, sitting in the front with dark hair is named Black, guy in back row with L hand on hip and wristwatch is Dave Maue.

Biographical Details

Primary Location During Vietnam: cu chi, Vietnam Vietnam location marker

Story Subject: Military Service

Military Branch: U.S. Army

Dates of Service: 1969 - 1970

Veteran Organization: John J Morris Post 62 American Legion

Unit: 25th Infantry 3/4 Cav C-Troop

Specialty: 11-B

 

 

Foreign currency.

 

 

Foreign postal stamps.

Stamps from a NVA guerrillas.

Foreign currency.

MPC is the money we used in VN.

View even more photos from David's collection:

An encampment in the jungle.

Story Themes: Arizona, Bronze Star, Cambodia, Crystal, Cu Chi, David Sjogren, Draft, Fort Bragg, Fort McClellan, Medals of Honor, Purple Heart, Sun City

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