My battery, A 1st/39th XXIV Corp was ordered to follow Engineer bulldozers from FSB Jack to FSB Rakkason to support Ripcord. Rakkason was an airborne hilltop until we arrived with two 8” SP guns two M548 ammo carriers and my M577 track. We fired a mission immediately upon arrival and continued to fire and buildup the perimeter. Later the 2/11th Battery was taken from Ripcord to co-locate with us on the hill. To this day I am amazed that we didn’t get ambushed in route to Ripcord. God bless all who served.
I was there at the time on firebase Katherine. I was an electronic sensor operator from the 101St military intelligence company (divisional) and attached to bat all ions in the 3rd brigade. I received a frantic radio call from our operator at Ripcord about 2 hours before they were overrun by the NVA. He stated that he had destroyed our electronic equipment with a thermite grenade, that the king of the hill (OIC) had been killed by a morter round and that he (our operator) had sustained a broken leg from it. He asked that I try to make our people at division send anyone or anything to come up there and pull them off that hill. as it turned out our log bird pilot who delivered the mail to members of our sensor company on the different sites.volunteered to fly his unarmed leach up there where he rescued as many as he could carry along with our man from the sensor company. unbelievable bravery ruled the day. and I met our man in the rear later on at camp Evans where he almost hugged the life out of me!
This is extraordinary footage of what the war was like for these troops. There is so much detail to discern. Boots worn out, junk all around, that orange red clay. Thanks for retrieving this story of a fire base.
I was in D 2/506 I went home in March 70 and kept in touch with my buddies by mail. I never heard from one of them until August when I got a letter from the Evac hospital in Japan. My buddy Ray Hudzinski wrote me and told me I was lucky that I hadn't extended my tour like I wanted. He was pretty messed up from the battle on Ripcord and said it was hell on earth.
Yeah, we had a three-person photo team and despite being GIs the PIO at Camp Eagle told us we were not allowed to go to Ripcord, that no media - even us - were allowed. We went down to the dust-off pad and asked if we could go to Ripcord next time they had a dust-off. They said "sure." When we jumped off the slick Lt. Col. Lucas wanted to know just who we were? We explained we were doing documentary for Department of Army and wanted to get out in the bush with the units around the fire base. He told us that was not happening but we were welcome to remain on the firebase, which we did. Later I heard how awful it was out there and thought it was another example of being really careful about what you wish for. If you're interested in details Keith Nolan did a great job. Finally how could all of that be so long ago?
I'm a 101st vet but not in the 3rd Brigade which fought Ripcord. No one knew anything about it at the time. Media attention was still focused on the Cambodian invasion and the oft-news-stung Army took advantage of the situation by not telling the media squat. Unlike Cambodia, there wasn't a single reporter on Ripcord or covering the fierce firefights occurring in the valleys and hills surrounding the base. The unknown battle passed into history and would still be unknown except for the 3rd BDE veterans of the battle who started a veteran's association. Eventually a book was written about the battle decades later and events came to light. One hell of a fight where the firebase was evacuated under fire and a battalion commander killed. The other brigades down south didn't have it too bad by 1970, but the 3rd was up north near the DMZ and was constantly in the shit. Ripcord was a dumb operation since it occurred during the pullouts and there was no reason to be expanding the conflict. Worse, the 3rd BDE had to take over the Marines' AO in I Corps since all major Marine units had already stood down and gone home. Ripcord was one place I was glad I wasn't at. Anytime you got near the Ashau Valley there was hell to pay. I've never been the same since April 1975 when the NVA overran Saigon. All I could think over-and-over was "It was all for nothing," Every death, every dollar spend a total waste.
Yup. The 101st forbade reporters or photographers, including military guys from going to Ripcord. We went to Camp Eagle asking permission and were told never happen. So, we went to the dust-off pad and asked if the next time they went to Ripcord we could hook a ride? They said that was fine. When we jumped off the dust-off Lt. Col. Lucas wanted to know what we thought we were doing. We told him we were filming for historical purposes and wanted to get out with the grunts. He said that was not happening but we could stay on the fire base.
It's never for nothing, when you serve you are doing duty to your country, that's an honourable thing, winning wars is a bonus, the biggest myth is that their is glory and honour in war. The reality is sacrifice, dedication and the true blessing is comradery. Be proud of your service to your country.
Please don't think it was a waste - in the big picture of things you guys were holding a line drawn in the Cold War sand . Somewhere that line had to be drawn , and Vietnam was where it was . I respect and admire all you guys , one of my drill sergeants wore the 101st insignia with pride in 1974 , and he felt he was doing the right thing fighting over there . GBY .
Thank you for your service, and thanks for the documentation. My Uncle, Mark Bush, was with you that summer. He was killed in action on July 22, 1970, not long after this footage was shot.
I was sent back to Eagle from 95th EVAC in April (B co 2/502) and was then shipped state side a few days later. Imust say I was treated by great Doctors, 5 eye operations and I had full sight back. We spent so much time in my tour in the Valley, we called it Bravo Boulevard. I'm glad I was able to make it back to my wife and son. To this day I have never spoken to any of my fellow troopers. Moved to Australia and gave my sons my Medals, even gave away my "Brave Eagle" award coin to my Dad (was in the Navy WWII) and he had no idea what it was for.. My heart aches for those poor men who didn't make it. It took "Balls" to survive those damn 4-8 weeks straight in the bush and get a couple of days at Eagle. Never saw any guys with film gear, just more shit to carry, I guess,
We were only on the firebase. Lucas allowed us to stay on the base despite the fact no photographers - civilian or military - were supposed to be there. But he refused our request to go with the units around Ripcord. Lucky for us. A good lesson in being careful what you ask for.
Awesome footage. The high winds, blowing dirt and dust, and being frequently shelled by the NVA must have made for a miserable experience. Thanks for posting this.
+Rick S Thanks for the compliment and watching it. There's an excellent history by Keith Nolan that has the horrific details of what it was like for the grunts in the bush around Ripcord. Our team asked to join them but luckily Lt. Col. Lucas said that wasn't going to happen, we would have to stay on the firebase. This is the perfect example of being careful what you ask for. His decision no doubt kept at least one of u (team of three) from being killed or wounded. As it was our still photographer, Jim Saller, was wounded on the firebase.
Another fascinating video by Sp 4 Jepsen , showing the harsh reality of Firebase Ripcord . An airstrike blasts the hill across the valley , and GI's receive a fresh load of ammunition for the guns . Fire mission comes in , and the men quickly man the 105 cannons . Information coming in from the Fire Direction Center as to where to put the high explosive shells . The next day another fire mission at a different location , the gun tube almost flat firing for effect . Very well done , Screaming Eagles .
Thanks for the kind words. As the description (top right) says when we got there we asked to go out in the bush with the grunts and Lt. Col. Lucas refused. This was the perfect example of being careful what you ask for. As Keith Nolan wrote in his excellent history, it was a nightmare for the grunts.
Great & CLEAR movie clip! I was in the A Shau, 1969, with B Battery/2/319th Artillery at fire base Berchtesgaden, 105 mm unit, during the Hamburger Hill battle. We were located right across from it, and had fire missions all the time. Then a month later, I volunteered to be an artillery RTO(radioman) on a FO (forward observer)team, with B Co. 2/506th Infantry, till I left 'Nam on December 15, 1969. It WAS an experienced of a lifetime folks. And that's how I got four (4) campaign bronze stars on my medal. I deserved them.
Yikes. An FO. That was a serious job. Thanks for the note. We shot 16 mm film with a camera powered by a wind-up spring. No light meter. We guessed at the settings. And autofocus was at least a decade away. I paid to get mine out of the National Archives and have a company make high-res, digital copies. There are only two or three firms authorized to handle the original film. Pretty expensive, but I thought the guys who were there are nearby might be interested. As an FO humping around in that area you might find another bit of my film interesting. th-cam.com/video/qt9-WBzrHNY/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Christopher, I'll check that clip also, and thanks for all of your hard efforts to present it to us Vietnam vets. I left 'Nam December 15, 1969, hence, those events happened over seven months later of my departure from in-country. Again, thanks, Roger
Yup. He used some of my still photos. Made me glad that Lt. Col. Lucas refused our photo team's request to get out in the bush with the grunts. Be careful what you ask for.
@@greasyflight6609 Yup. You can find some of the stills I took at Ripcord (using my Nikons and my film) at the link. www.gettyimages.com/photos/christopher-jensen-vietnam-war?phrase=christopher%20jensen%20vietnam%20war&sort=mostpopular
cheater software from youtube. the 16mm Filmo we used was very sturdy (not water resistant) but didn't have a light meter or autofocus much less image stabilization. thanks for noting.
at 1-:22 you can see a guy with AA 82nd ABN patch while the others are wearing 101st patches, can anyone explain why that 82nd ABN was among the 101st?
Could have been he came from that unit. Or sometimes when clean jungle fatigues were sent to the troops they were from different units. Guys just grabbed what would fit best. Maybe somebody else can help. You might post this on the updated version. Gets more views.
HI, I was in the 101st at that time in 2d Bde. The 82d (1st Brigade) had been sent home, I think the in fall '69 or early winter. What actually happened was that when your outfit went home, the guys with, say, 8 months or more in country went home. If you had less time in, you'd be re-assigned. So, we had guys showing up, instead of green replacements from The World, from other outfits that had been pulled out. A guy in our FDC section came to us that way in spring '70. I saw patches from other outfits as well with us. So that's how 82d patches showed up in the 101st. That was typical for enlisted guys, 2-year guys. Officers and senior NCOs sometimes wore patches of a former unit on one shoulder, and of the current unit on the other. So you'd see officers with 101st patches on both shoulders. When i was in the field we got clean fatigues dropped to us, often heavily worn with no rank or unit patches; guys in the rear may have got clean laundry that contained just about anything as well. I doubt that we ever got patches from other divisions that way, tho. LloydcIrland, b/1321/Arty, B/ 20501 KInf, and HHB, 1/321. Class of 69-70
Christopher Jensen it looks like it was cold up there with all the jackets being worn. My grandfather was in the 1st cav and said he saw it get really really cold in the mtns down in the central highlands. Never spoke much about the I CTZ. Most of the time he spent up there was when TET happened and operation Pegasus happened. Most of his time was in II and III CTZs. Anyhoo, was it cold up in those mountains?
I remember it being chilly at Ripcord but the wind was a nuisance. I imagine during the rainy season up north, in the mountains, it must have been cold and horrible. But when it was rainy up north our team worked in the south because the cameras would not have lasted long.
@@ChristopherJensenNH can’t imagine having to be up there in all that rain, non stop rain day in and day out. Those guys up in the I CTZ were some tough men.
1970 . I was in Okinawa . I was pretty sure it was so I didn't have to go to GD Shell Point Elementary , Back in Buford SC. And Could go Spear Fishing with Dad when when he could get off the base . Cause .... He he couldn't tell any body he was going into Cambodia to Retreve lost GD Paratroopers . Well , he brought me back home . Semper Fi . Dad .
+Joseph Kretschmer You absolutely did not drive a Jeep there. Only access was by a slick or Chinook and the base was under siege by an absolute shitload of NVA.
+Elliot Burgess I do not, but I doubt it. I think it is still in a very remote and rugged area. And I can't imagine anyone has gone in there to clean up all the unexploded ordinance. There are a couple of Ripcord websites and at least one Facebook page, but I haven't seen anything there saying anyone went back.
If you are talking about the guy holding the notebook that says Ripcord and has the date and my name, it is Jim Saller. He was the still photographer on our three-man team. A week or so later he was wounded.
Not on the Army's combat motion picture camera. It was a 16 mm Bell & Howell Film. Held a 100-foot roll of film and - I shit you not - it was powered by a wind-up spring. There was a crank on the side. Fully wound I think it was good for a couple of minutes. It had a turret with three lenses. Normal. Wide-angle and telephoto. No auto focus. No light meter You guessed at the distance and the light and filmed. Network crews had more sophisticated gear but ours was designed to be rugged. I think it weighed a couple of pounds.
lol wow. Now that you say that I believe their was a show on TV couple years ago where they had found video or audio, (not sure which one) think it was the lost tapes of Dak To? Where they had a couple of vets on TV and they were able to match up the audio to the video and it was quite amazing. Well thank you for your service and welcome home brother!
@@pd2210 Yeah, those were guys from our unit, the 221st Signal Company. Rare to carry an audio recorder in the bush. Here's a link to more info. Thanks for being interested and you're welcome. 221stsignal.com/page83.html
You have no idea what's you are talking about. There was a lot of incoming, but pretty hard to film. And in between the incoming they were busy firing to support the soldiers on the nearby hill. The still photographer on our team was wounded by incoming. I suggest you read Keith Nolan's book on Ripcord.
My battery, A 1st/39th XXIV Corp was ordered to follow Engineer bulldozers from FSB Jack to FSB Rakkason to support Ripcord. Rakkason was an airborne hilltop until we arrived with two 8” SP guns two M548 ammo carriers and my M577 track. We fired a mission immediately upon arrival and continued to fire and buildup the perimeter. Later the 2/11th Battery was taken from Ripcord to co-locate with us on the hill. To this day I am amazed that we didn’t get ambushed in route to Ripcord. God bless all who served.
I was there at the time on firebase Katherine. I was an electronic sensor operator from the 101St military intelligence company (divisional) and attached to bat all ions in the 3rd brigade. I received a frantic radio call from our operator at Ripcord about 2 hours before they were overrun by the NVA. He stated that he had destroyed our electronic equipment with a thermite grenade, that the king of the hill (OIC) had been killed by a morter round and that he (our operator) had sustained a broken leg from it. He asked that I try to make our people at division send anyone or anything to come up there and pull them off that hill. as it turned out our log bird pilot who delivered the mail to members of our sensor company on the different sites.volunteered to fly his unarmed leach up there where he rescued as many as he could carry along with our man from the sensor company. unbelievable bravery ruled the day. and I met our man in the rear later on at camp Evans where he almost hugged the life out of me!
Unreal
Some amazing - and generally unrecognized - heroism at and around Ripcord.
This is extraordinary footage of what the war was like for these troops. There is so much detail to discern. Boots worn out, junk all around, that orange red clay. Thanks for retrieving this story of a fire base.
+Jomicallahan You are most welcome. Thanks for the kind note and your eye for important details....
Greta comment! Yes extraordinary details
I was in D 2/506 I went home in March 70 and kept in touch with my buddies by mail. I never heard from one of them until August when I got a letter from the Evac hospital in Japan. My buddy Ray Hudzinski wrote me and told me I was lucky that I hadn't extended my tour like I wanted. He was pretty messed up from the battle on Ripcord and said it was hell on earth.
Yeah, we had a three-person photo team and despite being GIs the PIO at Camp Eagle told us we were not allowed to go to Ripcord, that no media - even us - were allowed. We went down to the dust-off pad and asked if we could go to Ripcord next time they had a dust-off. They said "sure." When we jumped off the slick Lt. Col. Lucas wanted to know just who we were? We explained we were doing documentary for Department of Army and wanted to get out in the bush with the units around the fire base. He told us that was not happening but we were welcome to remain on the firebase, which we did. Later I heard how awful it was out there and thought it was another example of being really careful about what you wish for. If you're interested in details Keith Nolan did a great job. Finally how could all of that be so long ago?
I'm a 101st vet but not in the 3rd Brigade which fought Ripcord. No one knew anything about it at the time. Media attention was still focused on the Cambodian invasion and the oft-news-stung Army took advantage of the situation by not telling the media squat. Unlike Cambodia, there wasn't a single reporter on Ripcord or covering the fierce firefights occurring in the valleys and hills surrounding the base. The unknown battle passed into history and would still be unknown except for the 3rd BDE veterans of the battle who started a veteran's association. Eventually a book was written about the battle decades later and events came to light. One hell of a fight where the firebase was evacuated under fire and a battalion commander killed. The other brigades down south didn't have it too bad by 1970, but the 3rd was up north near the DMZ and was constantly in the shit. Ripcord was a dumb operation since it occurred during the pullouts and there was no reason to be expanding the conflict. Worse, the 3rd BDE had to take over the Marines' AO in I Corps since all major Marine units had already stood down and gone home. Ripcord was one place I was glad I wasn't at. Anytime you got near the Ashau Valley there was hell to pay. I've never been the same since April 1975 when the NVA overran Saigon. All I could think over-and-over was "It was all for nothing," Every death, every dollar spend a total waste.
Yup. The 101st forbade reporters or photographers, including military guys from going to Ripcord. We went to Camp Eagle asking permission and were told never happen. So, we went to the dust-off pad and asked if the next time they went to Ripcord we could hook a ride? They said that was fine. When we jumped off the dust-off Lt. Col. Lucas wanted to know what we thought we were doing. We told him we were filming for historical purposes and wanted to get out with the grunts. He said that was not happening but we could stay on the fire base.
It's never for nothing, when you serve you are doing duty to your country, that's an honourable thing, winning wars is a bonus, the biggest myth is that their is glory and honour in war. The reality is sacrifice, dedication and the true blessing is comradery. Be proud of your service to your country.
"Never for nothing"? What was achieved? Nothing! 58 209 dead and for what?
@@idomalion6167 War is unmitigated slaughter
Please don't think it was a waste - in the big picture of things you guys were holding a line drawn in the Cold War sand . Somewhere that line had to be drawn , and Vietnam was where it was . I respect and admire all you guys , one of my drill sergeants wore the 101st insignia with pride in 1974 , and he felt he was doing the right thing fighting over there . GBY .
Thank you for your service, and thanks for the documentation. My Uncle, Mark Bush, was with you that summer. He was killed in action on July 22, 1970, not long after this footage was shot.
You are most welcome. Very sorry about your uncle. Lots of very good guys never came back.
Thank you for your service!
I was just a tourist. The guys who were there for the whole thing and in the bush around the base are the guys to thank.
Thanks for ending the war. You saved my younger ass!
I was sent back to Eagle from 95th EVAC in April (B co 2/502) and was then shipped state side a few days later. Imust say I was treated by great Doctors, 5 eye operations and I had full sight back.
We spent so much time in my tour in the Valley, we called it Bravo Boulevard. I'm glad I was able to make it back to my wife and son. To this day I have never spoken to any of my fellow troopers. Moved to Australia and gave my sons my Medals, even gave away my "Brave Eagle" award coin to my Dad (was in the Navy WWII) and he had no idea what it was for.. My heart aches for those poor men who didn't make it. It took "Balls" to survive those damn 4-8 weeks straight in the bush and get a couple of days at Eagle. Never saw any guys with film gear, just more shit to carry, I guess,
We were only on the firebase. Lucas allowed us to stay on the base despite the fact no photographers - civilian or military - were supposed to be there. But he refused our request to go with the units around Ripcord. Lucky for us. A good lesson in being careful what you ask for.
Awesome motion stabilizing! Thank you for your serving!
Thanks. Welcome.
Awesome footage. The high winds, blowing dirt and dust, and being frequently shelled by the NVA must have made for a miserable experience. Thanks for posting this.
+Rick S Thanks for the compliment and watching it. There's an excellent history by Keith Nolan that has the horrific details of what it was like for the grunts in the bush around Ripcord. Our team asked to join them but luckily Lt. Col. Lucas said that wasn't going to happen, we would have to stay on the firebase. This is the perfect example of being careful what you ask for. His decision no doubt kept at least one of u (team of three) from being killed or wounded. As it was our still photographer, Jim Saller, was wounded on the firebase.
Another fascinating video by Sp 4 Jepsen , showing the harsh reality of Firebase Ripcord . An airstrike blasts the hill across the valley , and GI's receive a fresh load of ammunition for the guns . Fire mission comes in , and the men quickly man the 105 cannons . Information coming in from the Fire Direction Center as to where to put the high explosive shells . The next day another fire mission at a different location , the gun tube almost flat firing for effect . Very well done , Screaming Eagles .
Thanks for the kind words. As the description (top right) says when we got there we asked to go out in the bush with the grunts and Lt. Col. Lucas refused. This was the perfect example of being careful what you ask for. As Keith Nolan wrote in his excellent history, it was a nightmare for the grunts.
Great & CLEAR movie clip! I was in the A Shau, 1969, with B Battery/2/319th Artillery at fire base Berchtesgaden, 105 mm unit, during the Hamburger Hill battle. We were located right across from it, and had fire missions all the time. Then a month later, I volunteered to be an artillery RTO(radioman) on a FO (forward observer)team, with B Co. 2/506th Infantry, till I left 'Nam on December 15, 1969. It WAS an experienced of a lifetime folks. And that's how I got four (4) campaign bronze stars on my medal. I deserved them.
Yikes. An FO. That was a serious job. Thanks for the note. We shot 16 mm film with a camera powered by a wind-up spring. No light meter. We guessed at the settings. And autofocus was at least a decade away. I paid to get mine out of the National Archives and have a company make high-res, digital copies. There are only two or three firms authorized to handle the original film. Pretty expensive, but I thought the guys who were there are nearby might be interested. As an FO humping around in that area you might find another bit of my film interesting. th-cam.com/video/qt9-WBzrHNY/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Christopher, I'll check that clip also, and thanks for all of your hard efforts to present it to us Vietnam vets. I left 'Nam December 15, 1969, hence, those events happened over seven months later of my departure from in-country. Again, thanks, Roger
Time to read Keith William Nolan's "Ripcord" again...if you have not read it... you are in for a great read
Yup. He used some of my still photos. Made me glad that Lt. Col. Lucas refused our photo team's request to get out in the bush with the grunts. Be careful what you ask for.
@@ChristopherJensenNH Sir...did you first approach LT. Col. Lucas when you arrived and he said "What are you doing here"?
@@greasyflight6609 Yup. You can find some of the stills I took at Ripcord (using my Nikons and my film) at the link. www.gettyimages.com/photos/christopher-jensen-vietnam-war?phrase=christopher%20jensen%20vietnam%20war&sort=mostpopular
Very nicely stabilised!
cheater software from youtube. the 16mm Filmo we used was very sturdy (not water resistant) but didn't have a light meter or autofocus much less image stabilization. thanks for noting.
“ Thank you Christopher Jensen “
Welcome.
I recommend reading the book then watching the footage. What a incredible story
Great book by Keith Nolan...
Awesome footage.
at 1-:22 you can see a guy with AA 82nd ABN patch while the others are wearing 101st patches, can anyone explain why that 82nd ABN was among the 101st?
Could have been he came from that unit. Or sometimes when clean jungle fatigues were sent to the troops they were from different units. Guys just grabbed what would fit best. Maybe somebody else can help. You might post this on the updated version. Gets more views.
HI, I was in the 101st at that time in 2d Bde. The 82d (1st Brigade) had been sent home, I think the in fall '69 or early winter. What actually happened was that when your outfit went home, the guys with, say, 8 months or more in country went home. If you had less time in, you'd be re-assigned. So, we had guys showing up, instead of green replacements from The World, from other outfits that had been pulled out. A guy in our FDC section came to us that way in spring '70. I saw patches from other outfits as well with us. So that's how 82d patches showed up in the 101st. That was typical for enlisted guys, 2-year guys. Officers and senior NCOs sometimes wore patches of a former unit on one shoulder, and of the current unit on the other. So you'd see officers with 101st patches on both shoulders.
When i was in the field we got clean fatigues dropped to us, often heavily worn with no rank or unit patches; guys in the rear may have got clean laundry that contained just about anything as well. I doubt that we ever got patches from other divisions that way, tho.
LloydcIrland, b/1321/Arty, B/ 20501 KInf, and HHB, 1/321. Class of 69-70
Christopher Jensen it looks like it was cold up there with all the jackets being worn. My grandfather was in the 1st cav and said he saw it get really really cold in the mtns down in the central highlands. Never spoke much about the I CTZ. Most of the time he spent up there was when TET happened and operation Pegasus happened. Most of his time was in II and III CTZs. Anyhoo, was it cold up in those mountains?
I remember it being chilly at Ripcord but the wind was a nuisance. I imagine during the rainy season up north, in the mountains, it must have been cold and horrible. But when it was rainy up north our team worked in the south because the cameras would not have lasted long.
@@ChristopherJensenNH can’t imagine having to be up there in all that rain, non stop rain day in and day out. Those guys up in the I CTZ were some tough men.
1970 . I was in Okinawa . I was pretty sure it was so I didn't have to go to GD Shell Point Elementary , Back in Buford SC. And Could go Spear Fishing with Dad when when he could get off the base .
Cause .... He he couldn't tell any body he was going into Cambodia to Retreve lost GD Paratroopers . Well , he brought me back home . Semper Fi . Dad .
Not sure if this is the firebase I visited with the First Sergeant, Co B, 3/506 during that summer. We drove a jeep from Phu Bai to deliver mail.
+Joseph Kretschmer You absolutely did not drive a Jeep there. Only access was by a slick or Chinook and the base was under siege by an absolute shitload of NVA.
+Elliot Burgess I do not, but I doubt it. I think it is still in a very remote and rugged area. And I can't imagine anyone has gone in there to clean up all the unexploded ordinance. There are a couple of Ripcord websites and at least one Facebook page, but I haven't seen anything there saying anyone went back.
wow
@@ChristopherJensenNH Sorry I misspelled your name , your videos are fantastic and are ' must see ' Vietnam TV . Thanks
No you didn’t drive a Jeep to that fire base
I was Bravo 2/501 WIA 14JUL70 Hill 1000
Chris who is the young Signal Corp Officer in the opening shot?
If you are talking about the guy holding the notebook that says Ripcord and has the date and my name, it is Jim Saller. He was the still photographer on our three-man team. A week or so later he was wounded.
They didn't have sound back in 1970?
Not on the Army's combat motion picture camera. It was a 16 mm Bell & Howell Film. Held a 100-foot roll of film and - I shit you not - it was powered by a wind-up spring. There was a crank on the side. Fully wound I think it was good for a couple of minutes. It had a turret with three lenses. Normal. Wide-angle and telephoto. No auto focus. No light meter You guessed at the distance and the light and filmed. Network crews had more sophisticated gear but ours was designed to be rugged. I think it weighed a couple of pounds.
lol wow. Now that you say that I believe their was a show on TV couple years ago where they had found video or audio, (not sure which one) think it was the lost tapes of Dak To? Where they had a couple of vets on TV and they were able to match up the audio to the video and it was quite amazing. Well thank you for your service and welcome home brother!
@@pd2210 Yeah, those were guys from our unit, the 221st Signal Company. Rare to carry an audio recorder in the bush. Here's a link to more info. Thanks for being interested and you're welcome. 221stsignal.com/page83.html
Sgt E5, US Army, 9th Inf Div, 9th Signal Bn, MARS, Vietnam, Dong Tam, Tan An, FSB Moore, 1967/1968
that is not the siege
things look normal
men walk around , helicopter is landing , supplying
seem ok
You have no idea what's you are talking about. There was a lot of incoming, but pretty hard to film. And in between the incoming they were busy firing to support the soldiers on the nearby hill. The still photographer on our team was wounded by incoming. I suggest you read Keith Nolan's book on Ripcord.
@@ChristopherJensenNH We are glad too still have you Sir. Good thing they did not let you outside the wire
Szkoda że niema dźwięku.
Aparat nie ma dźwięku. Dzięki za oglądanie