18th Brigade, 45th Group, 39th Engineers, Company D

 

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June 1
Went on mine sweep.  Pulled security where they were dumping dirt to build up road.  Spec 5 West got bit in the arm by something while on guard in 2nd platoon area.


June 2
Went on mine sweep.  Started working on the beach road timber trestle bridge but was put on day guard so West could go supervise at the bridge while Sgt Dedmond, Hall, Lanaham went to burrow pit.


June 3
Went on mine sweep. Went to work on the radio with Sgt Dedmond and Hall. Was called off the site at 1:00pm to prepare for night road security. Was with same group as on May 29 but with a dog.

 


June 4, Sunday
Had half day off too sleep. I wrote a letter. At 1:00pm went to work on beach road bridge. I helped fill sandbags with sand and cement to put around the center pier in the water. Went to church at 5:00pm. Was told tonight that we would be moving to the airfield (LZ Bronco) pretty soon. Also, from all captured documents and papers from the enemy, it appears my company will be hit in the next five days. Gurrera moved out and Rushton moved in.


June 5
Stayed back form mine sweep. Helped fill sandbags with sand and cement to place under bridge pier.Buried rocks to put on top of sandbag footings.


June 6
Helped in building of bridge pier. Went on mine sweep also. Got bad creosolt burn from unloading decking and working in the water with the creosolt timbers. Got my finger pinched connecting chain to stringers for lifting by crane


June 7
Went on mine sweep.  Helped Rushton place the support cables for the abutment and wing walls.  Carried decking.


June 8
Went on mine sweep. Helped in tightening up cables on wing walls and abutment. Mixed a few sand-cement sandbags. At end of day we had too much cement left over so rather then fill sandbags with it we pushed it into the path of the dozer covering it with dirt. Sgt Dedmond let us know that he didn't think this was a good idea.


June 9
Charlie put sandbags and pickets on road near bridge site. Threw rocks around and cut compressor hose line along road. I found the first mine and probed the fourth one. We finished about 11:00am. Tamped dirt on bridge deck with tamper. I pulled the compressor hose lose once and then the cylinder rod broke. Then helped fill sand-cement sandbags to hold in the dirt. Played pitch and catch and was on guard at OP this night.


June 10
Went on mine sweep. Came back to camp and started filling sandbags with dirt at bridge site and then came up to area to write a letter till lunch. When finished I was supposed to go relieve someone else but the squad was moved to ditching culverts so I stayed back the rest of the day.

 


June 11, Sunday
Stayed back from mine sweep and it rained. Went down to bridge to work with grader but was called back to prepare to move to airfield (LZ Bronco). Got there about 4:00pm and began to build hooch. Fooled around with different design ideas and finally by 9:30pm, in the rain, soaked, we got something built.


June 12
Mine swept QL1 from Duc Pho village north. About 5 miles. Got back around 11:00. Policed the platoon area and worked on hooch. Took a shower at water-point. Picked up sandbags at old area and helped load ammo.


June 13
Went on mine sweep along QL1 north. Got back at 10:00am. Worked on picnic tables for mess hall.


June 14
Went on mine sweep. Came back and rested. Put sandbags on Sgt Dedmond's hooch and then slept till lunch. Started a letter after lunch but was interrupted by Sgt Dedmond when George Brennen and I had to go fix the picnic tables in the mess hall so they wouldn't turn over when someone sat on one side. Came back about 4:00pm and started back in on that letter. We were told to get ready to go out at 7:00pm and help the infantry secure QL1. Our platoon spent the night with the 25th infantry at the church. CP alpha.

 

 

 

 

 

June 15
Swept road from church to floating bridge. Came back to church and slept till we moved back to the company area. Wrote one letter and just laid around. One letter was to the Adamson's.


June 16
Went on mine sweep. Put culverts together all day.


June 17
Didn't go on mine sweep. Had KP and got sick from eating so much.

 


June 18, Sunday
Went on mine sweep. Missed church because we didn't know where they held it at the airfield (LZ Bronco). Put culverts together all day. Had guard this night.


June 19
Missed mine sweep this morning because I was on guard last night.  Was supposed to have morning off but just as I got a letter started Powell came in the hooch and said we have to go out to the AIK site (Vietnamese work site).  It was a mad house.


June 20
Went on mine sweep.  Went to pull security where they were putting in a culvert.  This is where we pulled the old bridge out on QL1 [South side of Duc Pho].  Had to leave there about 1:00pm to come in and put culverts together.  About 3:00pm the ammo dump at the beach exploded.  It smoked, burned, and exploded the rest of the day.  At about 8:00pm some 175mm-artillery rounds went off causing a fiery mushroom cloud and a concussion that reached us at the airfield.  It blew 2nd platoon's CP down.


June 21
Went on mine sweep. We thought we were through and on our way back we had to go sweep part of the road south [of Duc Pho]. Pulled security where they were putting in culverts.  This is where the old bridge was pulled out [On the south edge of Duc Pho, I think.].


June 22
Went on mine sweep and swept road to culvert site.  Pulled security with LanhamSgt Dedmond was with us.


June 23
Went on mine sweep and swept road to culvert site.  Pulled security with Sgt Dedmond.  About 1:00pm the squad was put to setting in the culverts on the Northern side.  Came in early to go on guard.  Got back to camp at 6:05 and I had to be on guard at 6:30pm. Buku time, huh?  Montezuma [Duc Pho Hill] was mortared around 12:00am.  They hit the airfield and ammo dump.

June 24 (250 days to go)
Stayed back from mine sweep this morning and wrote a letter.  Went to culvert sight and filled sandbags till about 11:00am and then went back into the shade on security with Lanaham.  Had an alert about 9:00pm till 9:30pm because of one mortar round.

 


June 25, Sunday
Went on mine sweep.  Moved to next bridge which Charlie had blown and knocked lop-sided.  We finished blowing the bridge and pulled it off to the side.  I was in the shade on security with the radio.  Came in about 4:00pm and got harassed.


June 26
Went on mine sweep.  Worked on culverts all day.  Rest of the squad worked on the area.  Went to the movie.


June 27
Went on mine sweep.  Scout White was fired at so we had to hold up the sweep while the gun ships came in and later the artillery started dropping rounds on the area.  Some of the artillery shrapnel was landing close to us but no one was hurt on our side.  Pulled culverts together in morning and in the afternoon I helped move supply.  Went to flick.


June 28
Went on mine sweep.  Found a warhead buried in the road and I took the CO back where I saw an old blacksmith shop [in Duc Pho village] with several of the same things.  Came back and worked on hooch all day with Brennan and Sgt Dizon.  Had guard this night.


June 29
Stayed back from mine sweep and wrote a letter.  Filled sandbags with Sgt Dizon for Sgt Dedmond's hooch.  Got our lights put in.  Raided old abandoned 1st Cav site for plywood.  Got me a cabinet with maps.  Sgt Dedmond returned.


June 30
Went on mine sweep. Went with Sgt Dedmond carrying radio on grader leveling rock part of our road.  We finished about 12:00.  Worked on hooch the rest of the day.  Went down to old 1st Cav site and collected sandbags and U-shaped pickets. It rained about 4:00pm. Went to flick.

 

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