Vietnam War Timeline

173
22 August 1967
Alpha 1/35th
Submitted by: Gary Dittmer

It took us 22 days to sail to Viet Nam from Seattle, where we were known as B Packet, 25th Infantry Division. Our unit had spent 8 weeks training in Ft. Polk, La. just prior to arriving at Ft. Lewis, Wa. Some of us went through boot camp in Ft. Bragg, N.C. In short, we knew each other, we were mostly friends, we were mostly draftees.

Two of the best soldiers in our group were Rim Dungey and John Alamanza - both from California. Our group was half from the West Coast and the other half was from the East. It was a real culture shock in a good kind of way; white, black, Hispanic and asian Americans all living and training together. We all found we had a lot in common - one big thing was making it back to \"The World\" (the USA).

I was on LZ OD walking by the underground bunker complex that housed our battalion commander when I heard over a radio speaker the news that the newly formed D Company had several men killed and wounded from a booby trap near Duc Pho. The Company Commander, who trained with us in Ft. Lewis read the names to the Battalion command. When I heard the names of Alamanza and Dungey I was stunned. They were the best and now they were dead - so soon - we had just arrived in country and had completed 3 days of orientation and training. I remember how sad I felt for their families. This served as an awakening for me and many others that this was indeed the real thing.