2nd Platoon, C Company, 4th/47th Battalion, 2nd Brigade

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Dong Tam – September 1967 – 2nd Platoon Survivors Middle Left & Clockwise: Mike Cramer, Jerry Farber, James Holstine, Sgt. Dan Kerr, Bill Reynolds, Frank Modde, Bob French, Curtis Irvin, and Bill Varsafsky.
Coolin’ feet between patrols on the USS Benewah – Terry
McBride, Curtis Irvin and Bill Reynolds.
Frank Modde taking a photo of Bob French’s surgery scar.  Bob was shot in the back on June 19, 1967.
2nd Platoon troopers on a one day R & R in Vung Tau. After meeting up with several Australian troopers, we inadvertently got totally drunk.
Tryin’ to make it back to back to our ship. At left: Stan Cockerell and Bob Ehlert standing over Ronnie Bryan.
Bill & Wes Ostrem, both from the state of Washington. Wes was wounded in the June 19, 1967 battle near Ap Bac Village.
2nd Platoon’s Sgt. James Holstine,
always a happy go lucky soldier. On
patrol, he was totally reliable, brave
and as serious as a heart attack.
Thanks to Bob Ehlert and Stan Cockrell, Ronnie will make it back to the ship.
We actually made it back to the USS Benewah. Bill Reynolds, Stan Cockerell & Idoluis Caceras.
Bill Varsafsky taking my photo; Bill has a photo of me just like this one.
Here I am, performing expert public relation duties with local
villagers while on guard duty at Dong Tam’s dredge site.
Still fraternizing with the locals; harassing is probably more accurate. Dredge site guard duty sure was our favorite duty in the Mekong Delta, at least during daytime.
Well isn’t this nice, so much for public
relations!
This ole mama-son was so sweet to us dopey G.I.’s. She set out rat traps at our bunker and then cooked ’em like fried chicken for us, which quickly killed our appetites.
My favorite little buddy.  His name was Dong; every time I yelled out, Dong – Beer, or
Dong – Pineapple, or
Dong – Coke, he would
run like hell to get it.
Another buddy; it’s not what you’re thinkin’.
Bob Ehlert resting up for night guard duty at Dong Tam’s dredge site. We were required (swimmers only) to “walk the pipe” from shore to the dredge out in the middle of the Mekong River at night. It was kinda scary out there.
Frank Modde carefully inspecting his fine C-Ration meal while his new little buddy waits and hopes for a bite to eat.
Howard Green (left) and me facing the camera – one
of our first patrols out of Camp Bearcat – February, 1967.
South Vietnamese workers at Camp Bearcat.  To me it was odd having them in our base camp.  Who knows how informative they were to the Viet Cong?
Lambrettas, South Viet Nam’s chief means of
transportation for the – at least in the larger villages.