50 years ago today, Thanksgiving dinner at NTOOM ..

[DemoTex]

Nha Trang Officers Open Mess, Vietnam, Republic of.

[Elwood P Dowd]

1. Glad I wasn't stationed where you were that day.

I was in Ft Knox, Kentucky. At least the Army mess hall gave us a decent T-Day meal with turkey and all the other goodies.

[Glorfindel]

2. I was in Nha Trang for Thanksgiving three years earlier

But I wasn't an officer, so just ate dinner in the mess hall, like always. As I recall, it was very good, but I was so excited about going home in early December I hardly noticed what I was eating.

[marked50]

3. You know. Demo Tex , I am so glad that you are here on DU.

Not only are your pictures and comments wonderful but also your history. Something to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving.

[flotsam]

4. My brother was in the A Shau valley

while I was still 2 years from my (peaceful) hitch...

[DemoTex]

5. I flew missions in the A Shau Valley ..

And west of there, in Laos.

[flotsam]

6. Texas Star and Ripcord I assume? N/T

[flotsam]

7. And Lam Son 719...N/T

[DemoTex]

8. Yes .. Lam Son 719.

February & March 1971

[dware]

9. 53 years ago I was on my first tour in '67 at Dong Ha,

Thanksgiving dinner was pretty good if I remember correctly.

[DemoTex]

11. Sunrise over the South China Sea near Dong Ha ..

On my way to the DMZ for an electronics counter warfare (Morse intercept) mission during Lam Son 719, operating as "Vanguard 911." A few days later (on March 4, 1971), "Vanguard 216", a JU-21A from my Phu Bai unit, would catch a SAM very near here, killing all four crewmembers.

Around March 1, 1971
Dong Ha, Vietnam
©1971 Bo Zarts Studio

[kentuck]

14. Cool!

Those are some distant memories.

[flotsam]

15. I think this was that flight but they list 5 crew...

https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-beechcraft-ju-21a-letf-jab-near-hue-5-killed

[DemoTex]

19. My mistake ..

It was five lost on Vanguard 216.

[dware]

18. Oh, that brings back memories.

Some of the most fantastic sunrises/sunsets were over the S. China Sea.
The Engineer unit I was attached to often worked with the Navy Seabees at Dong Ha, those guys were just a wee bit crazy, but they were great combat engineers.

[dalton99a]

20. +1

[Skittles]

10. flyboys rock!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

12. .

[kentuck]

13. I was around Nha Trang about a year before.

Beautiful place. As I recall, the Special Forces operated out of a base near Nha Trang?

[flotsam]

16. More

https://www.facebook.com/UnlikelyWarriors/photos/a-left-jab-ju-21a-in-flight-photo-us-army/732450763519282

[flotsam]

17. Got a ton of lits on both Vanguard 216 and JU21A's...

Unique aircraft.

"On 04 March 1971, one of the premier Left Jab JU-21A aircraft (#18065), call sign “Vanguard 216,” departed the airport at Phu Bai. The unarmed plane and crew left on an early morning mission in the vicinity of the DMZ. Although the missions were extremely dangerous, Project Left Jab had been operating for three months without serious incident. Two hours into the mission, at 0840 hours, radio and radar communications were lost."

https://www.facebook.com/UnlikelyWarriors/posts/the-disappearance-of-vanguard-216-4-march-1971in-january-1971-the-army-security-/550192398411787/