32 Life History --- Serving in Vietnam - Building a Road

We built roads and bridges. We were not in the combat area.

31 Life History --- Serving in Viet Nam -- Dalat

I occasionally traveled to Dalat, another of the very nicest Vietnamese cities, which was a little higher in the mountains northwest of Don Duong.  The temperature in our area was hot, but it was still a lot cooler than down in the coastal areas.  After an excursion to Cam Ranh Bay we always enjoyed returning to the mountains.  I spent my last couple months with another engineering battalion at Phu Bai in the north, near the old imperial capital of Hue.

30 Life History --- Serving in Viet Nam - Travel

I was next assigned to be the battalion’s civilian personnel officer (CPO).  We hired a lot of native Vietnamese to help in our road building.  I was in charge of hiring them and paying them monthly.  I had to travel to Nha Trang, north of Cam Ranh Bay and one of the nicest Vietnamese cities, each month to pick up the payroll.

29 Life History --- Serving in Vietnam- Villages

Vietnam Villages I Visited

Central area

28 Life History --- Serving in Viet Nam - Building a Bridge

 The highlight of my supply career was riding in the big Sikorski ‘sky crane’ helicopters to transport large I-beams for a bridge we were building at the battalion’s other camp about twenty miles south of Don Duong.  I also got to fly in some smaller helicopters and a small plane.

27 Life History --- Serving in Viet Nam -- First assignment - Tuy Hoa and Don Duong

On the way to Vietnam I visited the folks, then went to Salt Lake City to do research at the Genealogical Library.  I also got my Patriarchal Blessing from the Patriarch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint. I stayed with the Kalunkis whom I knew from Fort Benning.  

Then I boarded the plane at Fairfield CA, stopped at Honolulu during the night, and arrived at Saigon the next day.  I was anxious but excited.  After a couple days at Saigon, I flew to my first assignment at Tuy Hoa, north of Cam Ranh Bay.  My engineering battalion, the 577th,  was building a road which we called I577.  A couple months later the battalion was transferred to Don Duong in the mountains just west of Cam Ranh Bay.  We built a base camp right below the Don Duong dam.  I was the supply officer for several months and frequently traveled down the winding mountain road to transact supply business at Cam Ranh Bay.  

I arrived as a 2nd Lieutenant and made Captain right before I left.

3 Life History -- 1952 Smoke Coming From Grandma Conley's Garage!

back of Grandma Conley's house

I saw smoke coming from Grandma Conley's garage! My two brothers and I lived with our mom in the attic of the house across the street from Grandma's house. I was six, sick, and had to stay in, so I was looking out the window. When I saw the smoke I knew I should call the fire department, but since I didn't know how, I decided to enjoy the show. I saw the fire engines come (too late!), smoke, flames, people running around, and my four year old brother, Kenny, sneaking back across the street. Later, he confessed to me that he had been playing with matches in Grandma's garage. I was so glad that I had been home sick and couldn't be blamed for the fire.

(I took this picture many years later from my Grandma's driveway in Akron, Ohio. This is the house across the street from her her house that we lived in. The right attic window was where I was watching the fire.)