Table on contents
To all my friends who died in Vietnam. Freedom is not free; our freedom was paid for by my friends
Chapter 1:
“Do I remember basic training?” and here it goes...
Boot Camp, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, August 1, 1965.
Chapter 2:
The Army Tears You Down, Then Builds You Back Up!
Chapter 3:
Chapter Four:
Fort Gordon, Georgia, October, 1965.
Chapter 5:
Chapter 6 & 7:
Airborne Training, Fort Benning, Georgia, December, 1965.
Chapter 8 & 9:
Back to Fort Benning, GA., Airborne Training.
Chapter 10:
Chapter 11:
Woodhouse and I, in AIT and Airborne Training.
Chapter 12:
Bell’s Ominous Premonition, February, 1966.
Chapter 13:
This was the beginning of a bad year…...
Camp Alpha, Vietnam, February 22, 1966.
Chapter 14:
Phuoc Vinh, Vietnam, February 26, 1966.
Chapter 15:
Chapter 16:
Chapter 17:
Chapter 18:
Chapter 19:
Chapter 20 & 21:
Chapter 22:
Chapter 23:
Chapter 24:
Chapter 25:
Chapter 26:
Beer Cans, Flip Flops and Cool Aid.
Chapter 27:
Chapter 28:
Chapter 29 & 30:
Chapter 31:
Chapter 32:
Battle of Minh Thanh Road, July 9, 1966.
Chapter 33:
Chapter 34:
Highway 13, Thunder Road, Ambush Alley.
Chapter 35, 36 & 37:
“Conversion…. From Combat Medic to Combat Infantryman”.
Chapter 38 & 39:
Chapter 40:
Johnny Moore, My Native American Friend.
Chapter 41 & 42:
The Weather, Red Ants, and Wait-A-Minute Bushes.
Chapter 43:
Chapter 44 & 45:
I Met Friends from Swampoodle in Vietnam.
Chapter 46:
Sgt. Tahike, Sgt. Jackson, Sgt. DeJean, Sgt. Rivera.
Chapter 47:
Chapter 48, 49, 50 & 51:
The Battle of Bong Trang, August 25, 1966.
Chapter 52:
“The Battle of Bong Trang” in My Friend’s Own Words.
Chapter 53, 54 & 55:
Chuck Mundahl, August 25, 1966.
Chapter 56:
Chapter 57 & 58:
A Visit from My Friend, “The Fogue Guy”.
Chapter 59:
I Visit my Friend, “The Fogue Guy” in Bien Hoa.
Chapter 60 & 61:
Chapter 62:
No Bob Hope Show, December, 1966.
Chapter 63:
Chapter 64 & 65:
Chapter 66:
Chapter 67:
No Welcome Home Parade for Our Vietnam War Veterans.
Chapter 68 & 69:
Chapter 70:
Chapter 71, 72 & 73:
Chapter 74 & 75:
Freedom is not free; our freedom was paid for by my friends.
Effects of the Vietnam War on Joseph M. Egan.
Chapter 76 & 77:
Chapter 78:
Chapter One: Boot Camp, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, August 1, 1965
“Do I remember basic training?” and here it goes...
Chapter Two & Three: You Are a Proud Soldier
The Army Tears You Down, Then Builds You Back Up!
Chapter Twenty-Two: Stand on Your Toes
Little Bitty Johnson, “LBJ,” from Pittsburg
Chapter Two-Seven: On Patro
Chapter Fifty-Three: Chuck Mundahl, Co, C 1st Bn. 2nd. Inf, 1st Inf. Div.
Chapter Fifty-Seven: “The Fogue Guy”
Forever in our hearts
Guys from Swampoodle who Served in Vietnam
1. Edmond J. Cubbage, 1965-67, Army, Airborne, Big Red One
2. James Fogarty, 1965-67, Army 173rd, Airborne Brigade
3. Patrick Cubbage, 1969, 173rdAirborne Brigade
4. Dennis Egan, 1966-67, US Marines 3rdBattalion7th
5. Michael Egan, 1969-70, 1st/82ndfield artillery
6. Frank LaBletta, 1966-68, Army, 1stCalvary Division, Airmobile
7. Frank Gallagher, 1965-67, 4thInfantry
8. Bobbie Brooke, 1965-67, Army
9. Bobby McCullough, 1965-67, 101st
10. Alfred Lauer, 1965-1967 Army, 9th Division 39th Infantry
11. Frank Fullam, 1960-1966 Marines MP
12. Charles LaFontano, 1964, 499th ARS
13. Charles (Chuck) Quinn, 1968-70, USS MarsAFS-1
14. Tom Holland, 1970-71, 24th Evac Hospital Long Binh
15. Larry Greene Sr, 1969-70, 35th Engineers
16. John Shields, MACV, 1965-67 Advisory Team 96
17. Michael Walsh, Army, 1965-67, RIP
18. Mark Opsliski, 1967-68, 7th Cav, Artillery
19. Joey Geary, Army, Vietnam, (David Croce’s cousin).
20. John Cappello, Army, 1968-70
21. Edward (Bud) Donahue, Army, 1965-66
22. Tommy Powers, 1965-67, 173rd
23. Carl “Skippy” Wallace, 1968-70, 173rd
24. James Rodden, Air Force, 1967-68
25. Robert L DeCarlo, Army, 1966-67
26. Frank Rowland, Army, 1965-66
27. Bob Brady, Army, 1967
28. Walter Mahoney, US Navy, Ret, 1967-1998
29. Walter J. Miller, Army, 1966-71 Died of Agent Orange
30. Edward Slavin, Jr., 1966-68 Army, 25th Infantry, Agt. Orange
31. Alex DiGiacomo, 1966-67, Sgt. USMC
32. Alfred Lauer, 1966-67 Army, 9th Division, 39th Infantry
33. Benjamin Stacey, 1965-67, Airforce
34. Billy Garvin, 1965-67, Airforce
35. Pat “Doc” Dougherty, 1968-70, Army
36. John Cubbage, 1965-69, Navy
37. Jay Sanders, 1965-69, Navy
38. Albert Torcini, 1965-67, Marines
39. Larry Greene, 1969-70, Army
40. Pat Grugan, 1965-67, Army, 173rd Airborne, Medic
41. Richard Simpson, 1965-67, Army
42. John Everly, 1965-67, Airborne Ranger
43. Joe Van Heusen, 1965-67, Army, Ranger
44. Jim Columbo, 1967-68, USMC
45. Bob (Monk) Feeney, 1965-67, Army
46. Robert (Rub) Hearne, 1965-67, Army
47. Jack Kite, 1969-70, Army, MP
48. Jimmy Burns, 1968-70, Army, Dog Trainer
49. Harry Hessian, 1965-67, Marines
50. Billy Joyce, 1965-67, Marine
51. Bing Brown, 1967-68
52. Chuck Curcio, 1965-67, Marine
53. James Rodgers, 1967-68, Army
KIA
54. Vince Garvey, 1966, Army Airborne, KIA on Oct. 7, 1966.
55. Patrick Thiroway, Military Police, KIA on May 19, 1968
56. Matthew Higgins, Army 4th Infantry, KIA on March 14,1967
57. Joseph Edward Sweeney, Army, 173rd Airborne, KIA on May 29, 1971. (Jimmy Sweeney-McWhorter’s cousin)
58. Victor Spadaro, 1966, Marines
Swampoodle Veterans Who Served but Did Not Go to Vietnam
· Jim McWhorter, Army, 1965-67, Turkey
· Bruno Rosica, 1966-1968, Army, Oklahoma
· Kevin McGinn, 1967-69, Army, Boxing Team in Massachusetts
· John (Ozzie) Auerswald, 1965-68, Navy, California
· Joseph Mossop, 1969-71, Army, Oklahoma
· Chuck Mahoney, 1965, Army Reserves
· George Hanlon, 1965-67, Marine Reserves
· Tommy Higgins, 1965-67, Army
· Ed Collins, 1964-66, Army, Germany
· Ronnie Cubbage, 1963-66, Marines, Japan
· John Stem, 1963-65, Air Force
· Billy Kelly, 1965-85, Army
. Frank Martin, WW II, 1944-1945, Army Air Corps & Friend
Hall of Honor
Rest in Peace
These are the soldiers who were killed the year I was in Vietnam
1966-1967
in “B” Company and “C” Company
A lot of these soldiers were good friends of mine.
Company “B” Company “C”
Capt. George S. Costello Sfc Billy A. Thompson
SSg Charles De Jean III SSg Adrian J. Anglim
SSg Lewis J. Jackson SSg Allen Brackins
SSg Edwin H. Levering SSg Fortune Smith
Sgt Clarence E. Barnes Sgt Robert L. Adams
Sp4 Emmett A. Dougan Sgt Robert L. Smith
Sp4 Gyorgy S. Besze Sgt Laurence J. Dunn
Sp4 William Graves Jr. Sgt Henry P. Pereda
Sp4 Jimmie R. Isbell Sp4 John Doyle
Sp4 Howard R. Hysell Sp4 David W. Hill
Sp4 George C. Kosovich Sp4 Ronald L. Watson
Sp4 Ron Nickerson Sp4 Robert Mueller
Sp4 Kenneth Vanlew Pfc Thomas E. Clark
Pfc Fredrick G. Atkinson Pfc James Cunningham
Pfc Robert Barnes Pfc Vernon G. Hollifield
Pfc Herbert S. Bechtel Pfc Dick Lines
Pfc James Brown Pfc Ronald P. O’Rourke
Pfc Max L. Brubaker Pfc Richard A. Recupero
Pfc Charles E. Clark Pfc Jose Rivera-Barreto
Pfc Larry Deal Pfc Michael Tritico
Pfc Roger W. Jenkins Pfc J. C. Walker Jr
Pfc Larry R. Kelm Pfc Wilbert Waxton
Pfc William W. Richard
Pfc Ronald Roth
Pfc Alfred L. Spitzfaden
Pfc Thomas J. Vontor
Pfc Robert Livingston (he died after I left)
