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Company B had detachments in Biên Hóa, Dĩ An (pronounced “Zee Ahn.” See 21, below), Củ
Chi, Long Binh, Phan Thiết, Phú Lồi and Tây Ninh
(see 19 and 20, below). I was stationed for two months in Phan Thiết, visited Phú Lồi, Dĩ An, Tây Ninh and
Long Binh. The CO was named Bieler when I arrived incountry in January 1970. He was replaced by Wm. B. Landers, who only stayed a couple of months.
He was replaced in turn by Captain Haeffner, who had graduated from West Point. Despite that, he was a pretty regular guy.
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4. Sign for the Long Binh detachment. Somehow, I managed never to obtain a picture
of the corresponding sign for the Củ Chi detachment.
5. This is as close as I came to taking a picture of the Củ Chi
sign. It was on the gate for the compound, but the sign that I failed
to take a picture of had a lot more stuff on it.
6. 369th Signal Battalion Headquarters was in Vũng Tàu, on top of Núi Lớn.
7. I went to Vũng Tàu several times during my tour at Củ Chi. The first one or two
times, we flew on helicopters, which was fast but unscenic. Most
of what we flew over was rubber plantations. In May or June, however,
brigade HQ decided the highways were safe enough in the daytime for us
to drive. This picture was taken on my second or third trip there.
It's a few kilometres from the mountains guarding the peninsula, which
can be seen in the distance. I don't think you can actually see any
of the mountains on the peninsula itself here.
8. Close-up of the antennae.
9. View from the top of Núi Lớn in Vũng Tàu, looking toward Núi Nhỏ (both
peaks together are called “small mountain”). That's a lighthouse
on top of the higher peak of Núi Nhỏ. The beach in the curve in
the foreground is Front Beach, Bãi Trước, while the beach at the left-hand
side of the picture, opposite Front Beach, is Back Beach, Bãi Sau.
To get to the top of the mountain, you had to negotiate a very narrow road
which had switchbacks in it, enough to make the road twice as long as it
would have been had it been a straight shot. In a jeep, you could
swing around the corners, but in a deuce-and-a-half the driver had to back
up and inch forward several times in order to get around the extremely
tight curves.
10. On the way to the top of Núi Lớn in Vũng Tàu. Just past the
tree in the center, you can see a lower switchback road. The sign
at the left of the picture says, “Sound Horn.” And that is, of
course, Núi Nhỏ past the tree.
11. Partway up Núi Lớn we found this small barber shop. I suspect it might have been a bar, too.
12. A better view of the lighthouse on Núi Nhỏ.
13. Looking toward the town of Vũng Tàu.
That's Back Beach, Bãi Sau, in the distance.
14. Blowup of the building in the center of 13, above.
15 & 16.
First Signal Brigade HQ was also in Long Binh, but I was only there once or twice.
17. First Signal Brigade HQ, entrance.
18. Phi Long Steam Bath near First Signal Brigade HQ.
19. This is the Tây Ninh Detachment.
20. Blowup of the sign on 12, above.
“WARNING
RESTRICTED AREA
This area is off limits to all
unauthorized personnel all visitors
must report to (unreadable) or be
escorted by a member of this facility”
We had an identical sign posted on our chain-link fence, but I never took a picture of it.
21. The Dĩ An Detachment was all in trailers; they had no permanent buildings for the electronics
equipment.
The third, and final, panorama I took in Củ Chi may be found here.
22. The End. I suppose that ought to be “fini, GI.”
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