Marine Corps Vietnam Tankers Historical Foundation®

Marine Corps Vietnam-era Tankers and Ontosmen Have Made History.  Your Historical Foundation is Making it Known.

Vietnam Tankers Individual Personal Accounts(c)

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Vietnam Tankers

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"Brought to you by your Vietnam Tankers Historical Foundation"

 


 

During the August 2009 Vietnam Marine Tankers Reunion held in Charleston , SC , several Tankers volunteered to be interviewed by Foundation personnel to relate their personal story around their active duty time in the Corps and specifically their experiences with tanks in the Vietnam War. Ten interviews on video tape were conducted. Subsequent to the interviews, the Foundation completed a written summary of each of the interviews. The video tapes and written summaries have been archived with the Marine Corps History Division at Quantico , VA. For a copy of the interview CDs and/or the written summaries, please contact Ray Stewart at the Foundation.

 

As in the case with previous material gathered through the interview process, please note the articles printed in the Leatherneck magazine. December 2007: Marine Corps Tank Operations in South Vietnam's I Corps and Feb 2008 Marine Tanks in the Battle for Hue City : Tet 1968 which are replete with personal accounts related during Tankers and other Marines interviews. The interviews taken in Charleston , SC quite possibly will also find their way for inclusion in subsequent articles. And, one of the missions of the Foundation is to write a comprehensive History of Marine Tanks in Vietnam, which will draw heavily on Tankers personal interviews.

 

Presently, the Foundation is working a project to capture as much Tanker action as possible that took place during 5 years in the context of the Special Landing Forces (SLF) operations in Vietnam . The SLF Ops will be covered in three parts, Dagger Thrust Ops, Deckhouse Ops, and Others to include the several operations that the SLF Marines were involved in. There is a generous amount of information written about these operations in general terms but a real shortage of personal stories. Should you have participated in these operations, please send your information to the Foundation and/or contact the Foundation to sit for an interview.

 


 


These stories are the property of the authors and the Marine Corps Vietnam Tankers Historical Foundation they may not be copied or reproduced unless legal written authorization is obtained.


 

Captain Kent, KIA

by Harry Christensen

Map Link

Map Link

My 2 Days at  Con Thein

Written by, John Wear - Told by,

Sgt Maj. Wm. F. "JJ" Carroll. USMC (Ret.)

Kenneth Bores

Map Link

Once a Marine a Journal

SSgt. Earl Matthews,Jr. KIA

Submitted by,: Frank Matthews

Stinky and the .50

by Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds

One Hit, One Miss, No Errorss

by Lloydby Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds

Map Linnk

Cpl. Ronald  W. Knosky Park

by Sgt. Maj. Wm. F. "JJ" Carroll, USMC (Ret.)

Pete Ritch Shares Story

by Pete Ritch

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Capt. Michael Wunsch, KIA

Written by, by Richard "Dick" Carey

Told by, Col. Paul Goodwin. USMC (Ret.)

Map Link

 Ontos Tour of Duty

 by R. Scott Berry

Double Ambush, Hwy. 9

by Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds

W/Map

Fit to be Tied

by Robert "Bob" Peavey

"Garbage Burners"

by John Wear

"Fire in the Hole"

by Robert "Bob" Peavey

Map Link

Ed "Awful Ed" Mason

by Ed Mason

Turkey Shoot at the DMZ

by Jim Coan

How The Washout Got Its Name

by Jim Coan

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Operation Buffalo Summary

Submitted by,

 Lt.  Col Ray Stewart, USMC (Ret.)

Map Link

Original Newsletter 1998

by Richard "Dick" Carey

V.C. Tax Collector

by Richard "Dick" Carey

Heads You Win. Tails..

by Robert "Bob" Peavey

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Still The Highest Calling

by Lt. Col. Ken Zitz, USMC (Ret.)

Operation Starlite Summary

Submitted by,

 Lt.  Col Ray Stewart, USMC (Ret.)

Map Link

Close Call,...  a Marine Dodging Death

by John Wear

The Siege of Con Thien

by Jim Coan

Map Link

August 17, 1968

by Richard "Dick" Carey

How I Ended Up in Vietnam

by Richard "Ric" Langley

Return to Vietnam...

by Col. Wm. J. Davis, USMC (Ret.)

The Hitch Hiker Incident

by Jim Coan

"Watch Me!"

by David "Doc" Forsyth

The Medal

by Art Allen

Air Conditioned M48a3
by Lloyd '
"Pappy'" Reynolds

OP Kingfisher, Show of Force

by Jack T. Hartzell ©

...and I Still Remember

by Anthony Simpson

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24 January 1968

by Larry Williams

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1st Sgt. Barnett Person

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

The Four Gates To Hell

 by Lt. Col. Richard O. Culver, USMC (Ret.)

Map Link  Map Link

Lt. Col. Wm. R Corson, USMC

Commanding Officer, 3rd Tank Battalion

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

Lt. Robert Butz, USMC

Executive Officer, A Co., 3rd Tanks

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

Map Link

Vinh Dai Jeep Crusher

by Chuck Truitt

Bobby Ruble

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

Joe Androlowizc / Ontos

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

Dennis Richardson / Ontos

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

W.R. Blanchard / Ontos

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

Jack Arena / Ontos

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

Jim Mazy, H Co. 2/4

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

Map Link

Tom Riggins, 1st Marines, Recon

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

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Operation Hickory / May 17, 1967

by Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds

Day We Drownd Super Goof

by Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds

W/Map & Photo

Tribute: Robert Minetto

by John Wear

Map Link

13 Months and a Wake Up

by Pete Ritch

Map Link Map Link

"Sweet Swede"

by John Yawl

Night of the Tiger

by Maj. Willard F. Lochridge, IV

Tet Attack at Cam Lo

by Jim Coan

February 28. 1968

by Rick Maddy, Kilo Co., 3/5

Rockets and Green Feet

by Rick Maddy, Kilo Co., 3/5

James M. "Mike" Ledford

by Mike Ledford

America's Finest, So to Speak

Submitted by, Richard "Dick" Carey

EOD Personsl Equivalents
By Bob Skeels
LZ Hawk/Khe Sanh
By Ken Zebal
VN Revisited + 25 Yrs
By Ken Zebal
Operation Liberty
by Kennith Whitehead
The M3A1 Grease Gun
by Breech Block
Tankers Association History Project
by Pete Ritch
Map Link
Vandergrift Ice Run
by Pete Ritch
Map Link
The Ontos
by Peter Brush © 2001
Rats N Snakes
by Lloyd
'
"Pappy'" Reynolds
Tankers didn't do it
by Lloyd
'
"Pappy'" Reynolds
Tankers don't Drink
 by Lloyd
'
"Pappy'" Reynolds
A Load of Plywood
by Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds
In the Chow Line
by Lloyd
'
"Pappy'" Reynolds
That kind of War
by Lloyd '
"Pappy'" Reynolds
W/Map
Comming Home
by Lloyd '
"Pappy'" Reynolds
Chico
by Lloyd '
"Pappy'" Reynolds
A Cup of Cocoa
by Lloyd '
"Pappy'" Reynolds
An Hoa-Phu Loc 6
by Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds
W/Map
Rabbit Hunting
by Lloyd '
"Pappy'" Reynolds
Re-enlisting
 by Lloyd '
"Pappy'" Reynolds
"Pappy"s Confession by Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds "Tracks" Memories of a Vietnam Veteran
 by Clyde Houch
F-23 In Ambush Valley
by Guy Wolfenbarger

Map Link   Map Link

Breakfast at the Ben Hai River
by Virgil Melton Jr.

Inspections (The Lighter Side)
by Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds
Office Hours
by Lloyd '"Pappy'" Reynolds
Battle for Hue (Full Art.)
 Lt.  Col Ray Stewart, USMC (Ret.)

Battle for Hue (Leatherneck)
 Lt.  Col Ray Stewart, USMC (Ret.)

May 19, 1968 Award & Story
by Rene Cerda
May 19, 1968 Award & Story
by Fred Kellogg
May 19, 1968 Award & Story  by Harris Himes May 19, 1968 Award & Story By Rick Oswood May 19, 1968 Map Link

A Conversation about Operation Buffalo
by Greg Martin, Dave Granger and Hank Brightwell

       

 


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