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Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2012 11:15 pm**

Thursday, my sister called me and told me an old college friend of mine called her looking for me. She said she would set up a meeting at a friend's beach house at Bolivar (about halfwway for both of us) if I could come. I checked with my social secretary (wife) and she told me, "As much as I've heard about George, I want to meet him, sure we can go!"

George was a lifeguard at the pool at Lamar in Beaumont when I met him and became friends. He also was on the Basketball team and was slated to go to Marine OCS when he graduated. Well, George graduated, went to OCS and got shipped to Vietnam.

Fast forward to 1968. right after the Tet offensive. I am a Sp4 in the orderly room tent working on a M 60 at Phu Bai, RVN and this guy walks in and asks for Sp4 Jones. Murray, the Company clerk said that's him right there Sir! The officer's remark was, "That's not him - - - that guy is too ugly. " With that, I look up from the machine gun I am working on to see George.

A Marine First Lieutenant had taken the time to look up an Army enlisted buddy from the World! We had a great visit, I saw him one more time before returning to the States. Well, 44 years later, these two old war dogs got back together and it was like being 22 again! Thanks George I'll be back in touch and It won't be another 44 years.

Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2012 11:57 pm**

That's a very cool story. Nothing like seeing an old friend.

Cheers.

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2012 12:05 am**

Nice story.

I met up with an old shipmate a couple of Months ago. We were both fresh out of boot camp (same company) and onboard our first ship together in 1965 just off An Thoi Vietnam.

It was good to see him again and we had a good time over lunch.

U.S. Naval Support Activity An Thoi (1965-1971)

Of all the Navy’s bases in South Vietnam, An Thoi, on the southern tip of Phu Quoc Island in the Gulf of Siam, was the most isolated. Almost 1000 miles from Subic Bay, it taxed the seventh Fleet’s mobile logistic support force during the Vietnam War. Still naval leaders recognized early the strategic value of the site: from there the naval forces could readily interdict sea infiltration of communist men and supplies from Cambodia. Another favorable consideration was the availability to American units of real estate near the Vietnamese Navy’s existing compound.

Consequently in the summer of 1965 An Thoi was selected as a Coastal Surveillance Force Combat and logistical base. Due to the Navy’s shortage of suitable vessels, the Coast Guard was called upon to initiate the patrol operations in that area. Coast Guard Division 11, with Nine 82-foot cutters (WPBs), began Market Time coastal patrol operations from An Thoi that July. Subsequently the unit was joined by U.S. naval forces employing fast patrol craft (PCF) And a gunboat of the Royal Thai navy. In addition, a coastal surveillance command center was established to control operations in the sector.

While the Naval Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment An Thoi, worked to improve berthing, messing, supply, repair, transportation, security, and other support for the combat units, the fleet provided additional assistance. Repair ships Krishna (ARL-38) and Tutuila (ARG-4) and berthing and messing barges APL-21 and APL-55 were deployed to the site at various times from 1965 to 1969. Although new base facilities and a contractor built 3,500-foot airstrip eased logistic problems, An Thoi continued to require much fleet support.

By May 1971, however, when the An Thoi Logistic Support Base was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy as part of the Vietnamization program, the installation furnished major overhaul services for river and coastal combat craft and supplied a number of smaller U.S. bases in the Gulf of Siam region.

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2012 7:28 am**

eureka40 wrote:That's a very cool story. Nothing like seeing an old friend.

Cheers.

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2012 7:49 am**

MOJO,
I was stationed at Phu Bai in 1966.I guess Im'e just showing my age.I was with 3rd Bn 4th Marines.
SEMPER FI

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2012 10:02 am**

J Wilson wrote:MOJO,
I was stationed at Phu Bai in 1966.I guess Im'e just showing my age.I was with 3rd Bn 4th Marines.
SEMPER FI

I was with AES Co, 15 TH S&S Bn First Cavalry Division. We moved to I Corps during the Tet Offensive and operated there for about 8 months before moving down around Siagon.

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