Jack Durish 
  • Home
  • Books...
    • The Accidental Spy >
      • Excerpt from The Accidental Spy
    • Rebels on the Mountain >
      • Excerpt from Rebels on the Mountain
      • Writing Rebels on the Mountain
    • Combat Training >
      • Except from Combat Training
    • A Soldier's Journal >
      • Excerpt from A Soldier's Journal
  • Short Stories
  • Jack's BLOG
  • Contact the author

Let me tell you a story...

Short stories, long stories. True stories, fictional stories. I love a good story. If you love them too, this is the place for you.

Meet the author

What did you do in the war, daddy?

7/21/2015

0 Comments

 

Vietnam

All bloggers love getting comments on their postings. I'm no exception. It proves that we're not just whistling in the dark.
61st Medical Det
61st Medical Detachment, 9th Infantry Division Headquarters, Dong Tam, Vietnam (1967) Click to enlarge
Some of my favorites come from others who served in Vietnam and share their experiences. Recently I received one from a Vietnam Vet who responded to my posting about French Fort. It seems that the French built many forts in Vietnam that Americans universally named “French Fort”. Thus, my attempts to research the one in my experience returned information about all but that one. However, my complaint about the confusion elicited a response from David Hagen who was there and had photos to prove it. (David is the tall skinny lieutenant, front row, second from the right)

David's contribution then created a new problem: Too much information.

What shall I now write about?
Actually, I think I've already mentioned the important bits. As General Patton famously observed, the French built many such “monuments to the stupidity of man”, none of which succeeded in defending their homeland nor their colonial possessions. (Isn't there an important lesson in that?)

What David's correspondence reminded me of is the fact that there is a lot more to war than simply killing people and breaking things. Some soldiers, like David, were employed in preventing disease. He was a member of a Preventative Medicine Team from the 61st Medical Detachment attached to the 9th Infantry Division at Dong Tam. Their mission was, in David's words ... 
I was a Medical Entomologist and CO of the 61st, which was attached to the 9th Infantry Division at Dong Tam.  I and my team provided a wide variety of preventive measures throughout IV Corps including survey and control of insect and rodent vectors (e.g. bats!), operation of a helicopter aerial spray system for control of malaria, water quality surveillance, training of Unit Field Sanitation Teams, and conducting sanitary inspections.  We traveled throughout the Delta supporting U.S. Army units as well as Vietnamese health officials in plague control, immunization programs and investigation of disease outbreaks.  It was challenging, rewarding work, and I will always be grateful to the U.S. Army for giving me the opportunity to do it.
It was an important mission inasmuch as sickness depletes the warrior's well of fortitude as surely as fear, exhaustion and malnutrition. Helping the Vietnamese was likewise important. Contributions such as these helped alleviate the suffering of a people caught up in the invasion of their homeland.

I'll simply let David's describe the photos in his own words.
1 – 2 Aerial view of French Fort as we approach by helicopter, 1967.

  3 Close-up of gun emplacement, French Fort, 1967.

4 - 5 Detail of French Fort, 1967.

  6 Turret of French Fort where bats are roosting [This mounted two large caliber naval guns that were rusting in the weeds alongside the fort when I was there - JD]

  7 SSGT Sanchez and Preventive Medicine Technician prepare insecticide to apply inside the turret

  8 SSGT Sanchez prepares to enter the turret

  9 Results of smoke grenade as we try to flush bats from the turret.

10 M109 155 self-propelled Howitzer artillery unit at the French Fort, who requested help with the bats.
Thanks David for the photos and the comments as well as your service. 

Don't worry, David.. I won't hold it against you that I contracted malaria during my tour of duty.

Welcome home.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Jack Durish
    Click to meet Jack Durish

    Blogs written at Oh-Dark-Thirty

    ...or whenever the spirit moves me. Enjoy.

    Past postings: More than 500 postings have accumulated since 2011. Some categories (listed below) are self explanatory, others require some explanation:
    • Blogging: Commentary on the art and science of maintaining a successful website/weblog
    • Cuba: History of the island and its people gathered while writing my novel, Rebels on the Mountain
    • Good Reads: Book reviews and interviews with current authors
    • Infantry School: A journal of my experiences in Basic Combat Training, Advanced Infantry Training, and Infantry Officer Candidate School in preparation to going to war in Vietnam.
    • Oh-dark-thirty: Random thoughts that wake me up in the middle of the night
    • Opinion: I am not a member of any organized (or disorganized) political party. My views tend to be libertarian. 
    • Sea Scouts: A journal of my experiences as man and boy with this branch of Boy Scouting (probably not what you'd expect)
    • Today's Chuckle: Comics and jokes "borrowed" from other sources with links and thanks to the owners of the originals
    • Vietnam: A journal of my experiences and observations of the Vietnam War while assigned to the 9th Infantry Division, 1967 to 1968
    • Writing: Personal observations on the craft of writing and the current condition of the publishing industry
    Choose a category from the list below.

    Guest postings are welcome: Use the Contact Form to request more information.

    Categories

    All
    America
    Army Life
    Blogging
    Cuba
    Election 2012
    Election 2014
    Election 2016
    Entrepreneurs
    Good Reads
    History
    Humor
    Infantry School
    In The News
    Korea
    Middle East
    Oh Dark Thrity
    Oh-dark-thrity
    Opinion
    Sea Scouts
    Short Story
    Sponsored
    Survey
    Television
    Terrorism
    Today's Chuckle
    Veterans
    Vietnam
    Writing

    Archives

    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011


    RSS Feed


    Copyright © 2013, Jack Durish All rights reserved

    Tweets by @jackdrsm

Settings

X

Contact list

X

Send professional emails to your contacts with Constant Contact Email Marketing

I've read and agreed to the Terms & Conditions and Mail Terms of Service.
X
Loading...
Instagram
Check Page Rank
Banner photo and portrait by
  Mark Jordan Photography
Picture
Popularity Media


Tweet
,Copyright © 2015, Jack Durish All rights reserved
Picture
Click for Mobile Website
Web Hosting by iPage
✕