1st Recon Battalion Association

1st Recon Battalion Association

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Bravo 1968

Part 11

2021

1st Reconnaissance Battalion
Missions / Patrol Reports

Are you looking for your Old Patrol Reports? Check out this page on my website:

http://www.weststpaulantiques.com/reconmissions.html

Too close to whisper...
...one click for "yes", two for "no"...
"Brothers of the Bush"

----------------------------
Recon...their name is
their honor...and nothing more
need be said...Recon

Floyd Ruggles

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Part 12 - 2021

All Companies

Photo Gallery

Bravo Company

Photo Gallery 

The Memory Remains Not All Wounds Are Visible.

"A Brotherhood Forged In Combat"

1st Reconnaissance Battalion Index

2014

Message Board Links

Part 1 - 2018-2019 

Part 2 - 2019-2020 

Part 3 - 2020 

Part 4 - 2020 

Part 5  - 2020

Past Message Board

Past Newsletters 

Part 1 - 2017-2018 

Part 2 - 2018 

Part 3 - 2018 

Part 4 - 2018-2019 

Past Reunions 

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Part 6  - 2020

Past Photos Galleries 

Part 7  - 2020

Part 8  - 2020

Bobby Bare

 

 

Photo Gallery

Sergeant James F. "Jim" Southall

Obituary

Family photo gallery

Part 10  - 2021

Quilts of Valor

Shot by Mike Larkins front left. On yellow brick road Elephant Valley, Northern I Corps Vietnam. Spring 1970.
Picture Taken by me. Posted by Larry Feldman on Facebook.

Click a photo to link to a page on our  website or Facebook. Links are found on nearly all Web pages. Links allow users to click their way from page to page. You will find thousands of links on the 1st recon battalion association website.

When I started MTSU, male students were required to take ROTC If they hadn’t been in the service. I was a member of the Sam Davis Rifles. Actually lettered in Drill Team. I pulled out my old Letter Sweater for the dedication of the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans Center at MTSU.

Etretat, France

MEDICS AND CORPSMEN

Bravo Company 1969-1970

11/14/2020 9:06 PM

Email from: Andrew W Hasco redrhinoman@comcast.net

Subject: Team member

Message: I've hesitated quite awhile (I'm now almost 70 yrs. old) to write in this post. I was in 1st recon alpha co from Jan. of 71 until May when 1st. Mar Div came stateside. My team was team wage earner and Sgt. Lou Hill was our patrol leader. I was wounded in a firefight April 1. Later that same month our team Wage Earner ran the last major mission in Viet Nam - Operation Scott Orchard. L/cpl A. W. Hasco 2633573. Nick name "CC"

Delta;

Thanks to your efforts and a lot of reading, I am now working with new information.

The daily classified Bn SitReps (normally drafted by Major J.M. Mattiace, S-3), contain the following information:

In SitRep #019-70 (for 19Jan70, the day before the explosion), GySgt Moore's WARCLOUD team were operating in the area of 985517, near OP DURHAM (which I presume to be Hill 119), at 987508. They observed a total of 20 VC and NVA at three Lon/Lats throughout the day. At 1725H they surprised 5 VC at 970522 (near DURHAM) resulting in 2 VC KIA, which they left there.

The following day (20Jan70) Gy Moore returned to Hill 119 with the BnCO (LtCol JJ Grace), and an S-3 Officer (presumably Major J.M. Mattiace). On the hill they were joined by 2dLt OVERTON (0110810 USMC, 2d Platoon commander and Delta Patrol Leader), SSgt 'Butch' Harvey, a few rifles and an unknown company grade officer from outside the unit, who had spent the night on the hill. I suspect he was perhaps a Division Intel officer or maybe even a spook, interested in viewing the enemy bodies and the firefight site.

About noon they moved together down 119 toward 146, over mined ground . When they reached the extent of their defensive perimeter, 2dLt OVERTON tripped one of his own SFDs, wounding himself and 3 other Marines (LtCol Grace in the chest, and all others in lower extremities).

On Hill 119, F/O Mark Bayuk heard the explosion and turned his scopes to the blast site, where he was able to see some of the action. He observed SSgt Butch Harvey in a defensive perimeter, weapon at the ready. Click Here for more.

Jeff Baker,

I am proud to have served with C Co 1st Recon Bn. Oct 1968-Dec 1968 till I went to 1st Force in An-Hoa ! 

Billy Ray Floyd

In Remembrance of our brother Reconnaissance Marines & Corpsmen killed in action or otherwise while on duty.

Sgt. Nicholas R. Walsh
Died: May 26, 2007
 

27, of Millstadt, Ill.; assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died May 26 from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq.

​

Graduate of Birmingham high school remembered as 'proud Marine'

Terry,

Thanks for the message I'll post it on the 1st Recon Battalion Association website today. Were you in Charlie Company in the 60's?
This is a link to John's web page: https://1streconbn.org/john-sleeper.html He's greatly missed by all his Recon Brothers.

We give thanks for John's life.

S/F
Floyd

On January 21, 2021 1:03 AM Terry G. Heffley JKAYJRAY@GMAIL.COM wrote:

Subject: John a sleeper
Message: It was my extreme privilege to serve with Sgt.Sleeper in codename "Pearl Chest" Recon Team." He was a true hero and gentleman. I shall never forget him.

John A. "Jack" Sleeper, 70, died Thursday, August 9, 2018, in St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester, after a brief illness.

“I spent an hour in the bank with my dad, as he had to transfer some money. I couldn't resist myself and asked...
''Dad, why don't we activate your internet banking?''
''Why would I do that?'' He asked...
''Well, then you wont have to spend an hour here for things like transfer.
You can even do your shopping online. Everything will be so easy!''
I was so excited about initiating him into the world of Net banking.
He asked ''If I do that, I wont have to step out of the house?
''Yes, yes''! I said. I told him how even grocery can be delivered at door now and how amazon delivers everything!

His answer left me tongue-tied.
He said ''Since I entered this bank today, I have met four of my friends, I have chatted a while with the staff who know me very well by now.
You know I am alone...this is the company that I need. I like to get ready and come to the bank. I have enough time, it is the physical touch that I crave.
Two years back I got sick, The store owner from whom I buy fruits, came to see me and sat by my bedside and cried.
When your Mom fell down few days back while on her morning walk. Our local grocer saw her and immediately got his car to rush her home as he knows where I live.
Would I have that 'human' touch if everything became online?
Why would I want everything delivered to me and force me to interact with just my computer?
I like to know the person that I'm dealing with and not just the 'seller'. It creates bonds of Relationships.
Does Amazon deliver all this as well?'''
Technology isn't life..
Spend time with people .. Not with devices."
Writer: Unknown

Thanks for the posting

Gary Graves

Posting by, Dave Doc Snider 1/25/2021

Robert "Big Bob" Parsons went to the angels on his 75th birthday. Thank you to the University of Tennessee hospital staff for the great care, the wonderful people of Knoxville that befriended a stranger in a tough time, and all my friends and family for support. We love you Dad. The above was written by Bob's son, Matt. Doc Parson served with Delta Company 67/68. Doc was loved and respected by his team and will always live in our minds. Semper Fi

MSgt Troy Mitchell was one of the leaders and creative minds behind the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 0321 becoming a primary MOS, setting the stage for today’s Reconnaissance Marines and Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen. The same also applies to the creation of MCSOCOM DET-1.
Troy was a visionary and pioneer of many key initiatives to modernize the Marine Reconnaissance community and create what is today’s Marine Special Operations Command and its Raiders.
He was working in the Pentagon at PP&O POG on September 11th, 2001 when the hijacked aircraft struck the Pentagon.
Troy retired from the Marine Corps in 2005 and started his family business, Mitchell’s Lock & Safe.
On October 28th, 2009, while helping a woman who was experiencing car trouble, Troy was murdered during an armed robbery.
Two decades of extremely dangerous service to our Nation in any clime and place, he is a brother who will never be forgotten.
“Forever shall I strive to maintain the tremendous reputation of those who have gone before me”

Posted by Doug Wolfe 1/27/2021

Name: Jim DeKorte
Email: jimbdk4@yahoo.com
Message: IN NAM IN 69. ANY PICS

George A Reischling
14795 Lakeshore Drive Rutledge TN 37861
Email: greischling@hotmail.com
Phone number: 1-865-712-7452
Guest Book Message: "To those who have fought for it, Life has a flavor that the protected will never know!"-Vietnam soldier saying- Mission accomplished!! Courage on the Mountain-Captivating, True, Free on Amazon Prime- Glad that you made it home Brother! courageonthemountain.com

Thank you for your quick reply. Attached is a couple of photos you might find interesting. The first is the color guard standing on the very summit of Mt. Whitney after trekking 146 miles from the lowest point in Death Valley. The second photo is C.O. Lt. Col. H.J. Woessner leading the Oorah with the Battalion. You can see officers and senior staff celebrating in the front two ranks, with Sgt. Major G.H. Kaeding standing next to what looks like the youngest Pfc. next to him (kind of like the Marine Corps Birthday tradition – oldest and youngest Marines). There is also a Los Angeles Times article written just before the Battalion jumping off for the mission. I couldn’t find much official Marine Corps history of what had to be a significant achievement in my research. I’d love to get all the details and publish it first on your website if you think it would be of interest.

Semper Fi,

John Brady

1st Recon Battalion 1959 trek

from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney

Name: John A Brady
Email: brady@johnbradyconsultants.com
Phone number: 805.748.9000
Subject: 1st Recon Btn 1959 trek from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney
Message: I am researching the July 1959 trek of the 1st Recon Btn, 1st Marine Div, Camp Pendleton, from Death Valley, California to Mt. Whitney (Lone Pine, CA).

I would appreciate any information or references I can use to write an article that will do justice to this trek.

Any pictures, articles, or first-person accounts would be most helpful.

Phoenix Arizona

I'm just a simple old warrior who served in the uniform of this country's military in War who loves to discuss all aspects of life. It is my firm conviction that if one understands what caused the war, how the war was conducted, and the Reconstruction Years that followed, one will know what this country is about.

Company
July 1968 - July 1969

The Memory Remains Not All Wounds Are Visible.

My personal website

Look at it as your Time Capsule. This website won't stand long after you're gone.

 

Winter wonderland

Northern Minnesota January 2021

On 23 Feb 1945 the Marines planted the flag on Mt Suribachi on IWO Jima. This morning at the crack of dawn Marine Corp Vietnam Veteran Mike Goble and I and two younger veterans climbed the hill in Crockett California and replaced the torn and tattered flag on the Iwo Jima memorial with a new flag. Keeping our history alive Semper Fidelis

Radiomen in the Vietnam War

At the height of the Vietnam War, up-and-coming commo guys who wanted to learn the art of radio operation would walk into a classroom and see a huge number five written on the chalkboard. Inevitably, someone’s curiosity would win out and they’d ask what the big number meant. The instructor would then calmly tell them, “That’s your life expectancy, in seconds, in a firefight. So, listen up and you might learn something that’ll keep you alive.”

Daniel M Turpin

“Charlie Brown” was a man I knew in Vietnam.
In the summer of 1968, Private Terry Brown reported to Alpha Company. He was a Radio Man with an MOS of 2531, but was only a Private. This was odd. Because of the additional training to become a radio man, most were PFCs. He was from Dallas, Texas and his Service Record was very thick - it had a lot of entries. It turns out he had more ‘bad time’ than good. By this I mean that if you combined his time being AWOL (Absent Without Leave) and his time in the Brig for the aforementioned AWOL, it totaled more time than he had in the Corps.
Seems he was always having issues with his wife and missed her terribly. Badly enough that he had to go see her more often than the Corps allowed. Not good. While stateside, he was either going over the hill or spending time in the brig. However, in Vietnam, there was no ‘hill’ to go over, so he had no choice but to be a Recon Marine. And he was one hellacious Recon Marine. Just like with his wife, ‘he went All In’.
He proceeded to get promoted to PFC, get recommended for a Silver Star (follow the link below for the actual citation (PR# 675-68 Night Scholar A-1-1 under Cpl. Keegan), LCpl and finally to Corporal. I believe the last was a Meritorious Combat Promotion but am not positive.
In June of 1968 they laid an ambush and Brown (PR #456-68 with Ala King A-1-2) shot an NVA Major and captured his Luger sidearm and a lot of paperwork. It was pretty ironic that when we received a translated courtesy copy of the all the papers he was carrying, in amongst them was a Dear John from some woman in North Vietnam. Apparently, she couldn’t wait and was marrying another guy. This really hit home because so many of us were receiving Dear Johns. Hell, we had a running contest for Dear John of the Month.
As for the Luger, he got a chance to meet his wife in Hawaii on R&R and needed cash so I bought it from him for $50. It didn’t have matching serial numbers but was a 9mm short barrel. I cleaned it up and put about 50 rounds through it. I traded if for a SKS 44 which I cleaned and ended up selling for $200.
Getting back to Charlie Brown, I mentioned the R&R to Hawaii to meet his wife, but soon after that he was missing her again, and had gotten desperate for some mail from her. To get her attention, he wrote an open letter to the Editor of the Dallas Sun Times bemoaning the fact that here he was a poor Marine in Vietnam and no one would write him. Well, this was meant for his wife of course, and I don’t know if she wrote him or not, but I swear every single young lady in the greater Dallas metropolitan area did. Good grief, we received a couple of 6x’s of mail [a 6x is a 2 ½ ton truck with 6 wheels driving]. We had mail for EVERYBODY in the company that wanted a pen pal. He kept the goodies (lots and lots of cookies and fudge) and letters from the cute ones that had sent pictures, and passed out the rest to the rest of us. Geez, he even received a couple of Proposals. It was all quite insane, but much appreciated.
After R&R, Charlie started missing his wife again, so he decided to Extend his tour in Vietnam for six (6) months. If you did this, they would give you a free thirty (30) day Special Leave (i.e. by free it didn’t count against your leave balance) anywhere in the world, and pay your travel expenses. Ah, but a little-known benefit for Extending was you could take your Special Leave before your Rotation date. Yeah, you could go home a month or so early . . . and Charlie did . . . and immediately went AWOL! Never saw him again and never heard any definitive news.
When his Silver Star came in, 1st Sgt Barker, was so pissed for Brown going AWOL, that he threw it in the trash. I waited until he wasn’t looking and fished it out and mailed it to Dallas. We heard a rumor that he turned himself in to the authorities in Dallas and they shipped him back as far as Hawaii - where he went AWOL again. But again, this was never confirmed.
However, don’t worry about him getting into trouble. He earned a Silver Star. The best way I can put it, is that a Silver Star (or the two heroic decorations above it – the Crosses and the Medal of Honor) is like the King Hell Bastard Hall Pass as far as the military is concerned. You have to do something really, really bad to get into trouble and going over the hill to see your sweetheart doesn’t qualify. When they did, or do, catch up with him, it’s going to be ‘Here’s you Honorable Discharge, Mr. Brown. Thank you for your service, Mr. Brown. Please leave us alone, Mr. Brown’. I’ve heard that a similar unwritten protocol exists in civilian life in that it’s pretty hard to get a ticket with a Purple Heart license plate. I wouldn’t know myself but I have heard from several veterans with PH plates that it seems to work. I know my Vietnam Veteran plate doesn’t work. About 15 years ago when I first got it, I got speed trapped leaving East Lansing (MSU). As he handed me the ticket and was walking away, he said, ‘thanks for your service’.
As a post-script, I found an Obituary for a Terry Ray Brown in Dallas from 2004. There was a note from his grandson saying, “He was my grandpa and he served in the Vietnam war and he was a great man”. Indeed, he was not only a great man, but one hell of a warrior. RIP and Semper Fi.
Notice in the flick, that he’s writing a letter. Thanks to Aldridge.
S/Sgt Ronald V. Overton, Admin Chief, CoA, 1stReconBn, 1stMarDiv
March 1968 – November 1969

1st Reconnaissance Battalion Index

Rest In Peace, Marine

I am proud to have served with C Co 1st Recon Bn. Oct 1968-Dec 1968 till I went to 1st Force in An-Hoa !

Jeff Baker of Maine

They are the most feared and hated men on the battlefield, silent assassins who can kill with a single shot from miles away, in Season 1, Episode 1, "Snipers".

Those willing to pose after annual Recon Assn lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Portland. Great meal and very successful auction afterwards to keep us afloat financially.

2012