Vung Tau Hats
Long
Casper
Beached Ship

McDonald

Hjelle

Craig Porter, 369th SIG BN, whom I met in Vung Tau 30 plus years ago, loaned the following pictures to this website. At the time he was stationed with the 369th SIG BN on top of VC Mountain.

"Not taking more photos is my single biggest regret. Does anyone in HHC, 369th at VC Mountain, Vung Tau remember your skinny little company clerk at the time it was deactivating in 1971? Sam in Brunswick, Georgia, are you out there?"

I met Porter when my partner and I were called up to the top of VC Mountain because someone was out in a mine field. We were supposed to get him off the mess he put himself in.

By the time we got up the top of the mountain the "situation" was over, to our relief. Since I had to go to the latrine before going back down the mountain I asked the 369th Captain where it was. I headed into the darkened outhouse and took off my pistol belt and MP helmet liner. I sat down on one of the 7 holes in the crapper. A minute later a guy walks in and sits down two holes from me. He asked me if I wanted a hit off a "j" and I said, "No, I'm an MP on duty." His response was, "Are you going to bust me?" I said, "No." He struck up a conversation and asked me where I was from. I said, "Someplace you have never heard of – West Des Moines, IA." He said, "No shit, I'm from Des Moines." He asked me if I knew a couple of girls that graduated from Valley High School (my alma mater) in 1969. I said, "I do." We talked for a few more minutes and parted company.

Two years later while at work back in "the world" a guy over heard me talking about Vung Tau. He approached me and said, "I KNOW YOU!" It was Craig Porter. We have worked together for the last 25 years. He was hired at my place of work after I got drafted in 1969.