Mike & H&S Companies
Third Battalion, Fifth Marines
Veterans of the Vietnam War
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Mike & H&S Companies
Third Battalion, Fifth Marines Veterans of the Vietnam War
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October 2000 October 31, 2000 We've added seven pictures from Randy Pelt. Of Lt. Lewis, Mike Company CO in early '70, in the Que Sons, the sign at An Hoa, 155mm and 175mm self propelled howitzers at An Hoa. October 29, 2000 On India's site we added fourteen pictures from Doc Perez. Outstanding view of corpsmen at work. October 24, 2000 Keith Hansford's computer was attacked by a virus and Keith ended up changing ISPs and has a new email address (you can reach him by clicking on his name). Also changed on the roster. October 23, 2000 We have added Sergeant Major Joseph E. Baney to the Mike Company roster. The Sergeant Major was the 1st Sgt of the Company in 1970 and Lt. Pelt remembers him as one of the best Marines he ever met. Sadly, Joseph Baney died in 1997. He will be remembered in perpetuity on our roster. We've added 7 more pictures from Randy Pelt. The French fort on Hill 37, Air Strikes across from Hill 52, Inserting into the Arizona, POWs in the Arizona, personal pictures taken from the bodies of dead NVA in the Arizona, Goi Noi Island from the air, a PF on Charlie Ridge. October 20, 2000 Posted a story from Keith Hansford, called Goi Noi Island, on Pipestone Canyon, in June '69. A powerful story of being on an OP at night when all hell breaks loose. Paul and Grady, I think this is the same op you guys were on, at the berm? Randy Pelt scanned a picture from a publication called "Marines in the '60s". It's a shot of a 60mm section in the Que Sons in December '69 and of a guy named Webengay (sp). Debbe Reynolds has built an outstanding multiple page tribute to Father Vincent Capodanno on her site. Please visit. Recently, on India's site, we posted a Silver Star Citation for Melecio Ortiz. Having graciously given us permission to publish her cover letter which accompanied the Citation for Melecio, we have posted Kristie Rabago's (his niece) letter on India's Silver Star page. She eloquently shows us what we have here my friends, seen through the eyes of a perceptive family member of one of our own. October 18, 2000 Please welcome Keith Hansford to the H&S roster. Keith was an M-60 machine gunner with H&S in 1969-70. We've posted a picture of him on the H&S picture page. Also posted a bio under the H&S roster (Keith was in bunker #7 at An Hoa when the perimeter was attacked). We've added three more pictures from Randy Pelt, Mike Company in the Que Sons, humping back to An Hoa and Lts Garcia and Legesang. Posted a Silver Star Citation for Melecio Ortiz, India Company, May 13, 1967, on India's site. October 17, 2000 We've added a lot of pictures tonight: An unknown picture of a Mike Company Marine with a heartfelt message on his helmet. Three pictures from Ed Mashaney, of Lucibello and Workman. Five pictures from Colonel Bill Rockey, of Captain Marnell, Sergeant Major Hanson, and CWO Jim Bisesi. 16 more pictures from Randy Pelt, on Hills 37, 52, 65, An Hoa, in the Arizona, on Charlie Ridge. One more from Brad Reynolds, in front of a hootch. Also, one of the unidentified Marines was id'd by Rock, it's of Bob "Sugarbear" Bryant. One more from Ed McCurry sitting in front of his bunker, showing the effects of eating CRats for 3 months and not having access to a barber. Also corrected a misidentification of which Platoon Vernon Ford was in. He was in 1st Platoon, 1966-67. October 16, 2000 We have posted a remembrance by Ray Harton on Father Vincent Capodanno, MOH awardee. Ray was there when Father Capodanno lost his life. A memorial is also being constructed on Debbe Reynolds' web site. One of the folks on the group picture on Doc Wood's page is probably Rocco Giambrocco (Rock). October 14, 2000 We've posted 15 pictures from Vernon Ford. Many are group pictures from '66-67, probably 2nd Platoon and we need help identifying and finding these folks. Also two pictures of Vernon's good friend Matlock who we're trying to find. On his picture page. We have a link to Golf Company, 2/26, Weapons and 2nd Platoons. On the links page. October 13, 2000 We've posted 6 more pictures from Brad Reynolds, at An Hoa, with unknown friends we need help in identifying, with Hipp (who was just found!), and a recent one of Brad, Deb and J. C. Bowers. On his picture page. October 11, 2000 Please welcome Everett (Doc) Wood to the Mike Company roster. Doc was a corpsman with Mike Company from February 14, 1968 to September of the same year before transferring to the First Hospital Company in Da Nang. We've posted new captions on Steve Weltzbarker's pictures. Would like to emphasize here that if you have any pictures on any of these pages and you want to add or correct or change any of the captions on your pictures it is your right to do so. It's YOUR page. Thanks. On the Table of Awards on the Battalion page we've added four Navy Cross citations. Two from Kilo, Curtis Baggett and Christopher Mosher (some of you on Union might remember Mosher, he was the LCpl FAC who remained when you relieved Kilo, 5/13/67); and two from Lima, Daniel Hayes and Jose Rivera.
October 10, 2000 We've identified the Michael Brown who was awarded a Silver Star on 8/9/68 and just identified as 3/5 on the table of awards. He's the same Mike Brown who was a scout sniper with H&S, variously attached to Lima, Kilo and India and is on our roster. He was awarded the Silver Star for actions on Hill 310. Changed the pictures of the 3/5 gear we're offering, caps, patches and shirts. Good quality stuff and Vic gave me some better pictures to show it off some. Thanks Vic. We've added 6 Silver Star citations under the Table of Awards, Colonel Davis who was the Regimental CO; From Kilo Company Robert Tilley and Joseph Tenney; From Lima Company Donald Vogelgesang, Lester Konrady and Lee Anderson. October 9, 2000 Please welcome Allan Sora to the Mike and H&S rosters. Allan was the Company Gunny for Kilo from December 1967 to September 1968, then was 81s platoon sergeant for a short while, then became Company Gunny for Mike then H&S successively though he doesn't remember the exact months. In January 1970 he was promoted to S-3 Operations Chief. We have added Private Darrel Pruett to Our Wall. Darrel was from New Salem, Illinois and was KIA on November 8, 1967 on Operation Essex. He was a friend of J.C. Bowers and Brad Reynolds. We have also added Lance Corporal John Brown to Our Wall. John was from Bruce, Mississippi and was KIA on June 19, 1970 in the Arizona by a grenade. With thanks to Randy Pelt for remembering. We've posted 3 pictures from Doc Wood (Mike Company 1968, not yet on the roster). Of him, a group picture and a picture of the helicopter that crashed in May, 1968 at Hai Van Pass (the same one that Jerry Lomax, Jim Blankenheim and Rocco Giambrocco were on, among others). We've added an article from the 1968-69 time frame about the Bronze Star awarded to Warrant Officer Bisesi. Under the Bronze Star page. We are happy to report that Rock (Rocco Giambrocco) is doing some better. He thinks he's had his final surgery but his shin is gonna be in a permanent S shape and apparently the pain is permanent also. Some not-so-goodniks in the medical profession have been stiffing him lately too to the point where he told them to stick it after an extra 3 grand worth of bills. But here's what Rock has to say "Oh well, it is a fair trade. How many guys do you know who have crashed head first into a concrete wall at 60mph on a Harley and lived to tell the tale? I am so happy to be alive. I met so many tremendous people......Tell my fellow Marines that I am well and that I will ALWAYS be well because I have them surrounding me and keeping me safe. God Bless you." Finally we received our first web page award, from Deb, for which we are deeply grateful. You can see it at the bottom of the home page. October 7, 2000 We have added PFC Richard J. Anasiewicz to Our Wall. Richard was from New Brunswick, New Jersey and was KIA on July 18, 1966. He was awarded a Silver Star. October 6, 2000 We've posted Flak Jacket, an adaptation of a letter Randy Pelt wrote us. I wrote Randy that a few of his pictures were good enough to stand by themselves with no comment. He wrote back about the one pictured in the story, one of the ones I mentioned. Reorganized the citation awards for Medals of Honor, Navy Crosses and Silver Stars, one to a page now, in order to link to them from the Table of Awards on the Battalion Home Page. October 5, 2000 Please welcome Tom Keith to the H&S roster. Tom ran the Radio Tech shop along with Sgt. Ray Fuchs from January to August of 1970. He remembers the company clerk, Cpl. Jamison?, and Sgt. Vic Tyynismaa (Tyni) from Regimental Comm. We've posted more commentary from Steve Weltzbarker on a couple of pictures on his picture page. We've posted 18 pictures from Randy Pelt. Included are pictures of An Hoa, Hill 52, off and on, Charlie Ridge, off of Hill 55, in the Arizona, in a Monsoon. Also a picture of Lt. Nappi and artillery and air strikes. On his picture page. October 3, 2000 Please welcome Raul Vasquez to the Mike and H&S Company rosters. Raul was with 106s from September 1966 to March 1967, transferred to 2nd squad, 2nd Platoon from March to May, was wounded on Union 5/13/67, returned again in August to 106s until October. Wounded on Swift on 9/8/67. Please welcome Ranson J. Pelt to the Mike Company roster. Randy was with India in '69 as a platoon commander, was wounded, and when he returned was transferred to Mike in December. He was 3rd Platoon Commander and XO simultaneously, then took over as CO in July 1970. More details are included in his bio. Pictures coming soon. Since putting up the awards table on the battalion pointer site we've added 13 more names to the Silver Star table, 10 from Lima and 3 from Mike. With thanks to Robert Henry, Denny Dinota and Randy Pelt. You may see it at Battalion Home Page. We've posted more writing from Mike McFerrin. Marines and South Vietnamese Locals, it's a penetrating look at village life for the civilians and the pressures constantly put on them from all sides during the war. Mike saw if from both sides, first as platoon guide and acting platoon sergeant with Mike Company and later as an advisor living in villes. We invite you to please see the message from Col. Sinnott, the new CO of 3/5. On the message board.
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