SUB UNIT 5

HQ BN

3RD MARDIV

SUB UNIT 5 EXISTED FOR ALMOST A YEAR. ALL IT'S TIME WAS AT KHE SANH. IT WAS PART OF HEADQUARTERS BN THIRD MARINE DIVISION. IT PROVIDED CONTINUITY AT THE COMBAT BASE NO MATTER WHICH RIFLE UNIT WAS THERE.

THERE WERE HEADQUARTERS PERSONNEL, COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNNEL, COMBAT ENGINEERS, INTELLIGENCE PERSONNEL, RIFLEMEN, AIR CONTROL PERSONNEL AND OTHERS. AT ONE TIME THE SENIOR OFFICER IN COMMAND OF KHE SANH WAS PART OF SUB UNIT 5. RAY STUBBE, CHAPLIN FOR THE 1ST BN 26TH MARINES WAS PART OF SUB UNIT 5 WHEN HE FIRST ARRIVED.

SUB UNIT 5 PROVIDED SECURITY FOR PARTS OF THE BASE PERIMETER. SUB UNIT 5 MARINES SERVED ON THE HILLS AND TOOK PART IN THE HILL BATTLES IN THE SPRING OF 1967. THEY PROVIDED SECURITY FOR MED CAP PATROLS. MANY FROM SUB UNIT 5 HELPED RESCUE THE BRU At LANG VEI WHO WERE MISTAKENLY BOMBED BY THE US AIR FORCE IN MARCH OF 67.

CAC OSCAR WAS PART OF SUB UNIT 5 FOR THE FIRST PART OF 1967. THERE WERE THREE CAC UNITS AT KHE SANH. O-1 WAS IN THE VILLAGE OF KHE SANH. O-2 WAS AT THE EDGE OF THE VILLAGE. O-3 WAS IN THE BRU VILLAGE NEAR THE COMBAT BASE. THEIR JOB WAS TO WORK WITH THE LOCALS AND TRAIN THEM.

THOSE OF US THAT WERE IN SUB UNIT 5 WERE SOMETIMES NOT SURE OF THE UNIT'S ACTUAL RESPONSIBILTIES AT KHE SANH. MOST PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT PART OF SUB UNIT 5 HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT. SOME MARINES OF SUB UNIT 5 SPENT ALL OR ALMOST ALL OF THEIR VIETNAM TOUR AT KHE SANH. I KNOW OF ONE THAT SPENT TWO CHRISTMASES AT KHE SANH.

WHATEVER THE UNIT'S MISSION WAS, WE DID OUR JOB. THESE MEN ARE MARINES. SOMETIMES I AM ASKED ABOUT OUR TIME AT KHE SANH BY MARINES THAT WERE THERE IN 68 FOR THE SEIGE. I SMILE AND ASK THEM WHO DO THEY THINK KEPT THE RATS FED UNTIL THEY GOT THERE.

FOR IT'S SERVICE TO THE THIRD MARINE DIVISION, SUB UNIT 5 WAS AWARDED THE PRESIDENTAL UNIT CITATION.

MEN OF SUB UNIT 5 AT KHE SANH COMBAT BASE IN 1967

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THE COMMUNICATIONS PLATOON SERGEANT, JOHN DRUM WAS HIGHLY THOUGHT OF. HE HAD ENTERED THE SERVICE IN 1951 AND RETIRED IN 1985 AS A MASTER SERGEANT.

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LARRY L. LARSEN

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JOSE (JOSIE) S. MUNOZ

WILLIAM (BILL) R. LEFEVRE

JAMES F. (JIM) SILVER

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Harry B. Jackson

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REVIS E. WILSON

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ALEX DOMINGUEZ

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DENNIS R. PLUSH

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JOSEPH (JJ) J. JOHNSON

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KIPP W. MELCHOIR

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GERRY RHODA

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CARROLL (DAVID) D. SONTAG

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DAVID W. LAWRENCE

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FRANCIS X. WINETTE

SUB UNIT 5 1ST SERGEANT

PICTURE FROM 1951

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ARMAND J. MARANDA

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FRANCIS (FRANK) J. LOGUE

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CORPORALS JOHN R. (RICK) PARKER AND KENNETH L. GEORGE

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ROBERT R. RUSSELL

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EDWARD W. BAUSMANN

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JAMES (PROFESSOR) C. GRAVES WITH NVA HELMUT

MIKE PORTER AND ROSS LEBLANC

ON HILL 950

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PAUL BRANDT

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LOUIS RADDIGAN

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RICHARD FANNY

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MICHAEL HAYES

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WILLIAM J. VANDAL AND EDWARD BAUSMANN

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DAVID LAWRENCE, BILL LEFEVRE AND CLAYTON MORRELL

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JOHN DRUM, KIPP MELCHOIR AND DONALD E. ROSS

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SOMEBODY DECIDED TO LIGHT A FIRE UNDER WILSON

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ARAMAND MARANDA AND DON ROSS

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LEFT PAUL BRANDT,LEFT REAR STANDING RONNIE VEAL,RIGHT REAR STANDING SGT. FLOYD G. KAEMPF, RIGHT GETTING CHOKED ROBERT RUSSELL, SITTING IN FRONT ERNIE ROSS

@ l larsen

YOURS TRULY ON THE LEFT IN THE BOONIE COVER. I AM NOT SURE WHO THE OTHERS ARE. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF THE WIRE PLATOON. THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN WITH A PIECE OF CRAP POLAROID KNOCK OFF CAMERA. MANY OF US USED IT BUT NOBODY LIKED IT.

ALEX DOMINGUEZ WITH HIS BACK TO THE CAMERA. REVIS WILSON SEATED AND FACING LEFT. I AM NOT SURE WHO THE OTHERS ARE. THEY SHOULD ALL BE PART OF SUB UNIT 5. I SEE THAT THEY HAD MANAGED TO ACQUIRE SOME SCHLITZ BEER.