FSB Guinn

Vietnam
11 Sep 70 04 Nov 70

Jim Garvin
www.jimgarvin.org

Tour of duty:
Aug. '70 - July '71
U.S. Army
1st Cav. 2nd/8th
Delta Co. Range 1

18 Sep 1970
We got on the
birds for another
CA (Combat
Assault) and we
got our first
glimpse of Fire
Support Base
Guinn.

18 Sep 1970
This is Guinn from
the other direction
as we pass by.
We did not stop
but flew on to set
up some kind of
sensing device in
what I described
as a timber
pasture.

Sept 1970
This picture gives
you an idea of what
the chopper pilots
saw when we
"popped smoke" to
mark our positions.
That smoke
(rt. of center)
marked the LZ
(Landing Zone) for
our new AO (Area
of Operation), just
down from An
Yong.

Sept 1970
Many of the valleys
had small streams
in the bottom but
the vegetation was
so dense that it was
hard to get a good
photo with my
instamatic camera.
It was usually a lot
cooler down near
the streams but
there was less air
circulating. We
seldom drank any
of this water for
fear of getting sick.

Sep 1970
CA past Guinn to
set sensors.

Sep 1970
Back to Nui Yong

Sept 1970
It was always
interesting to look
back and see the
ground we had
covered the few
times we got to a
vantage point on a
hill or ridge.
This is a view
looking west from
FSB Guinn.

19 Sep 1970
That "Charlie
Alpha" took us
back to Fire
Support Base
Guinn. Another
enemy in Vietnam
was malaria.
This Huey was
equipped with
tanks and spray
booms for
spraying
insecticide over
the fire base to
control mosquitos,
which carried the
disease.

Sep 1970
Looking West off of Guinn
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel?

Sep 1970
Our 3-day rests at
the fire base were
not the Hilton. But
some effort was
made to provide
the men with
entertainment in
the form of music,
as provided by the
Cav Band here, or
by "Doughnut
Dollies, female
Red Cross
volunteers who
provided skits &
games sometimes
doughnuts..

Some of the men never understood why the Dollies didn't spend the night.
High command said it was not secure enough.
Whether the danger was from the enemy or the G.I.'s was never made clear.

23 Sep 1970
Fire Support Base
Guinn had a severe
drawback. There
was a mountain
between it and the
rear area at Bien
Hoa.
A radio relay station
was required on a
hill near the fire
base to relay
communications.
On Sep 22 Range
went up the hill to
provide security.

On the 23rd Delta Company went to the landing pad for a Presidential Unit Citation
Ceremony. General Putnam made the presentation to the rest of the company while
Range watched. My letter home says I was awarded my CIB this day as well.

26 Sep 1970
This "Hook
(CH-47 Chinook)
was slinging a 400
gallon water tank
back to Bien Hoa.
These tanks and
large black rubber
blevets were the
only source of
water for the
Fire Support Base.

26 Sep 1970
The Company was
excited to hear we
were assigned to
work with the llth
Armored Cav.
Visions of riding
instead of walking!
Not having to carry
our gear! We did get
to see the tanks and
this APC but that
was about all.

The ACR secured the L.Z., while we rappelled from the tailgate of a Chinook.
Once we were on the ground, the AC went one way and we went ours.
Our part of the (A.O.) was too thick for their tanks to get through.

26 Sep 1970
The Armored Cav.
had a rather
unique Command
Chopper (Chuck
Chuck Bird).
It was rigged out
with 50 cal door
guns instead of
the normal M-60s.

26 Sep 1970
This Sheridan
XM551
was impressive as
it rumbled out of
sight carrying
with it our dashed
hopes of a lazy
Fire Mission.

30 Sep 1970
This photo was taken
as we departed the
11th Armored Cav.
A.O. The level
ground should have
made walking easier
but the dense brush
made our progress as
difficult as it had
been in the
mountains. Operating
near this village
changed our mission.
In the mountains we
were free to return
fire as we determined
necessary.

On this mission we were ordered to receive permission from battalion

prior to returning fire from the enemy. This was not popular with the
troops. The military defined this as a "no fire zone".

1970
I dont know when this
picture was taken but this
is a typical view of an
extraction from the field.
When we were lucky we
could find a nice big
open field for the LZ.
But the tall grass could
hide stumps or other
obstructions.
Lt Druener was a ground
guide to show a clear
landing spot.

Oct 1970
Sometimes we got
more drinking water
than needed when we
got logged (3 day
rations).
When this happened
we could enjoy a
shower by hanging
an "Elephant Rubber"
from a tree and
pinching a small hole
in it. Not quite the
Holiday Inn, but
refreshing.

I dont know if the "E R" had other applications, for us it was a liner to slip in
an empty artillery canister and fill with water. The metal canister protected the
rubber bladder when dropped from the log bird if no LZ could be cleared.

5 Oct 1970
Even the artillery
had to have a rest
and here is a piece
being slung into
Bien Hoa for an
overhaul.
Here is the work
horse at it again.
These chinooks
were quite the birds.

5 Oct 1970
A Chinook pilot had
to be careful. If the
load started to
swing the down
draft of the rotors
could create
oscillation.
We heard that one
bird was lost when
the 105 swung up
and hit the rotor
blades.

5 Oct 1970
This is a good view
of the
accommodations for
the line company on
the Fire Support
Base. The "hooch"
is constructed by
placing a couple of
layers of sand bags
over some sections
of culvert halves.
The ponchos help
keep the rain and
sun off your bed.

It also shows how close the choppers came to the perimeter.

This is the Cobra (AH-1) gun ship of a Pink Team.
The second ship was a Loach (OH-6).

This picture shows the second ship of a Pink Team. The Loach (left)
would fly at tree top level trying to attract fire from the VC. The
cobra would be high overhead and be ready to strike back with
rocket and gun fire.

13 Oct 1970
Another pleasant
variation in bathing
was an infrequent but
cool stream. This
bath came to an
abrupt end with the
arrival of a single
Viet Cong. The
guards we had posted
wounded the VC.
"Range Platoon"
suffered no casualties
this day. The V C was
sent to the rear for
questioning and
medical aid.

The man standing in the foreground was my platoon leader 1st Lt. Druener.
We came to understand each other and he would later recommend me for
a job as mail clerk and later company armor that got me out of the field .

13 Oct 1970
There was
always
something
beautiful to
see if the
war would
just let you
have time to
enjoy it.

Oct 1970
The Cav had an incentive to kill or
capture the enemy. A unit successful in
killing or capturing an enemy soldier got
ice cream in the field.
Clockwise: Doc, "Louisiana", Ray
Graham, Sgt. Joe Smith, George
Anderson, Bob Rezek
Joe Smith, a 3rd tour veteran, was my
squad leader. We didn't see eye to eye on
many military decisions.
Joe once told me that this tour of duty
could do two things for him: another Oak
Leaf Cluster for his Purple Heart or the
Congressional Medal of Honor. He got
his first wish in a later firefight.

Oct 1970
You can tell we were a
peace loving group of
GIs.
"Louisiana",
George Anderson,
Sgt. Joe Smith,
Bob Rezek,
?,
Fred (Worm) Lester,
Ray Graham
(Kneeling)

Oct 1970
Thats my M-16 and
RTO Fred Lesters
boots but I took the
picture for the
native hooches
below
A few scattered huts
seen when riding
the skid.

Oct or Nov 1970

Delta Co. sat on FSB
Guinn and watched
a wave of
destruction.
We were about 6 miles
away, saw the B-52s and
then saw the bombs fall
away. Then we saw the
shock wave, this cloud of
smoke, and after a few
seconds we heard the
thunder-like sound of the
explosions.

Oct or Nov 1970

The 105s on Guinn
held their fire until
the smoke started
to clear.

Oct or Nov 1970

But soon they were
dropping their shells in
on top of the area already
hit by the
500 lb bombs of the B52s.

Oct or Nov 1970

As you can see they
were prepared to have an
impact on that target.

23 Oct 70 04 Nov 70
Jim Garvin
CLC Top Graduate
Combat Leadership Course
Student #13
We were working off Guinn when I was
selected to attend CLC but we had moved
to FSB Silver by the time I graduated.
As top graduate I was awarded a
promotion to Spec. 4.
An interesting coincidence was that my
lottery number was 13. It was also my
badge number at CLC.

23 Oct 70 04 Nov 70
CLC class in formation.

23 Oct 70 04 Nov 70
SSG Zills at the grill the afternoon of the BBQ. Fellow with his back to us is Shorty, a funny guy .

23 Oct 70 04 Nov 70
This was the Head Drill
Instructor at CLC
SGT. Garcia

23 Oct 70 04 Nov 70
CLC
Graduation dinner was at a
very nice oriental
restaurant where I felt very
out of place and had to ask
for help on what to order. I
think was the first time I
had been to an oriental
restaurant.
This lady was our waitress.
By the time I returned to
the field the FSB had
moved to Silver.