Shortly after graduating from the University of Missouri-Rolla, my uncle Donald William "Bill" McCaw. Jr. joined the US Army as an enlisted man. He was an SP5 stationed at the 74th Field Hospital, Long Binh, Vietnam. From the bits and pieces of stories I heard growing up, I don't think he ever got over what he witnessed as a young man while treating the casualties of war.
Curating these images was bittersweet. I wish my uncle were around to tell me about them, and that thought is even sadder knowing that the war is part of the reason he's no longer here. The captions for each picture are his notes to my grandparents written on the backs of a few of the photos. Sarcastic, to the point, and with a hint of sadness, much like I remember him.
|
A medevac copter. The red cross insignia are small crosses on an OD background.
They are hard to see and, therefore, harder to shoot at. "I guess" |
|
No caption - but from the looks of the suitcases, I would guess this is arrival day. |
|
Left to right - Bill McCaw, Skip Bond, and Charles Starling, Laboratory Services Personnel, 74th Field Hospital, July 7, 1969. |
|
Another view to the east. The 1st Logistical Command. |
|
"Guardians and Enforcers" |
|
Headquarters - 74th Field Hospital. On the right, sorry looking banana plants. |
|
Several OR boys running around in circles. In the back is the motor pool. |
|
"The box" - labs private vehicle. |
|
View to the east. Note how pre-planning makes for a neat and orderly community. |
|
Looking west, the 24th Evacuation Hospital. The trees on the right are the last of the rubber trees that made up the Michelin Rubber Plantation here. |
|
"Yours Truly" |
4 comments:
These are great! Sorry he's not around to fill you in on extra tidbits.
Thanks much Tai!
I served with your Uncle Bill with the 74th Fld Hospital in VN.....Can give you the history and story about the 74th from when I joined the unit at Ft Lee Virginia - Vietnam until I retired to the World in late July ‘69
Feel free to contact me at:
snowfly1947@gmail.com
Larry Hurt
I was the last Adjutant (USAR Officer) and Supervisory Staff Administrator (DA Civilian) for the 74th Field Hospital when it was inactivated at Orangeburg USARC (Orangeburg, NY). I would love to talk with you and Larry Hurt about the unit. My email is jgkeary@gmail.com .
Thanks
Post a Comment