218th MP Co Letters (Maynard)
Hi Dick,
Some of what follows may be vague or not quite 100%. But I am trying to pull it from forty-year memory. I trust that you understand. Some memories are crystal clear while others or rather shadowy.
I arrived in Viet Nam around the first of March. 1967. I went in thru Camp Alpha and was assigned to the 557th MP Co. at Long Binh. We worked the stockade there.
The 218th had only been in country a few months when the First Infantry Division asked for volunteers to join them and do convoy duty. Several of the 218th guys did volunteer and that left the 218th short of people. Six weeks after arriving in Viet Nam I and a young man by the name of Carter, I believe, was transferred to the 218th at Cam Ranh Bay. We were replacements.
On arrival I was assigned to the fourth platoon. The guy that I was replacing was just finishing packing his bags to leave. I took his bunk. It was about four weeks later when we got word that he had been killed while on convoy duty. If I remember correctly the word was that they had come under fire and while taking defensive positions he was ran over by a duce and a half.
The 218th performed all types of duty. We did regular patrols, convoys, check points, fantail guard, boat patrols, escort, courier duty and so forth. It never got monotonous.
When I had about six weeks left in country I was put on small boat patrol. Great duty! A couple of the other guys that I pulled that duty with were named Scott and Janway or Jankauski I think. Not sure about the spelling for the latter.
One morning late in January I received my DEROS papers. I was coming home in three weeks. What a great feeling that was. Around noon we got a call on the PRC-6 radio to return to the boat pier. One of our sergeants was there to meet us. All he said was
“All hell has broken loose. When we get back to the company area get into full gear and go draw combat loads. The other platoons are already on their way to Nha Trang to reinforce the 272nd.”
Fortunately by the time we arrived at the company area it had been decided that some of us would remain behind to continue our duties at Cam Ranh.
When I came home I requested Flight School and got it. I was trained as an airplane pilot and ended up flying RU8D aircraft for the Army Security Agency. I was assigned to the 144th Aviation Company at Nha Trang from March 1970 until February 1971. Our BOQ’s were by the fence along the road at Camp McDermott. You may remember the airplanes that we flew. They were the small twin-engine jobs with all the antennas and aerials sticking off of them.
I will have to go digging for the pictures I took while with the 218th. Many of them were on slides. But no problem. Glad to share them. One glitch though. I am currently working for Spirit Aerosystems in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a temporary assignment as I am actually retired. Still I won’t be able to get the pictures out of storage until I get home. Hope you don’t mind.
By the way I remember Captain Blankenship as 1st LT. Blankenship. I was pleased to see that he made Captain and became the CO of 218th. I remember him as a very fine officer.
Thanks,
Sid
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