My name is Jim Schlegel of Kutztown, PA and I spent 11 months of my life with Hq 4th Trans command in 1970. Before I tell you about that year, let me tell you a little bit about my previous year and a half in the Army. I
had basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC in the summer of 68. From thereI went to Ft. Eustis, VA for Transportation Movements & Control training. From there I was sent to the 591st Transportation Company,
71st Maintenance Bn, 7th Corp in Illesheim, West Germany.
Jim Schelgel - Standing In Front Of My Jeep At The PX In Saigon
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When I got there the Army realized they screwed up and sent me to the wrong kind of Transportation Company. This was an Aircraft Maintenance Company. They fixed helicopters and small fixed wing aircraft. After
spending the weekend there and partying with these guys, the 1st Sgt called me into his office and told me he could send me to a unit that needed my MOS, or I could stay and they would send me to Truck Driving School in
Stuttgart, Germany and I would become a truck driver for them.
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Three Officers From 4th TC Headquarters - Anyone remember their names?
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Jim Schelgel At Camp Davies
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In addition they would send me to the NATO Warehouse Procedures Course in Oberemmergau, Germany. I agreed to do the training and stay with the 591st. I received a license to drive 3/4 ton, 2 1/2 ton and 5 ton trucks
with training using the multi fuel engine. I also became qualified to work as a parts specialist in the Aircraft parts supply DSSA warehouse.
Cargo Piling Up On MM1 Dock Q-Boat Docked At MM1
President Monroe Coming Into Saigon Port
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After a year in Germany (I was supposed to be there 2 and 1/2 years), someone in the higher up of the US Army figured out that I was not working my original MOS and they cut me orders for Vietnam. I was upset mainly
because I was leaving one great duty station. The beer was great, the food super, and the frauline really super to party with, if you know what I mean.
American Racer At MM1 More Cargo On MM1
Well, I went home on leave for 40 days, then reported to Ft. Lewis, Washington for a little extra Vietnam training. I was put on a Flying Tiger (Bucket of Bolts) 707 and sent to Vietnam via Alaska, Japan and Cam Rahn Bay. I
was there for 3 days and then I flew to Bien Hoa AFB on a C-130. From there I went to the 90th Replacement Bn., then back to some place at Bien Hoa, and from there on a bus to the 4th Trans Command HQ at MM1 at
Saigon Port.
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After they figured out that I could be useful to them as a Transportation Movements & Control Specialist, I was taken in the back of a 3/4 ton to Camp Davies for assignment to their headquarters, Headquarters Company of
4th TC. The first night I was there, there was an alert. Since I was not issued a weapon, they took me and 2 other new guys to hide underneath flat bed trailers somewhere at Camp Davies; thus started my tour with the 4th
TC in Vietnam.
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One of the first things they had me do was obtain a jeep license. (You would have thought that since I was qualified to drive 5 tons on the autobahns of West Germany, they would have said go ahead and drive a jeep. Well
they didn’t and I had to take a test.
Saigon Port - Day Into Night
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V-100 Amphibious Armored Vehicle At Camp Davies
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From that day on, I performed the duties of a 71N20 for the G-3 operations section under the command of Major Frank Frichonne. In addition, I also was a driver for the Assistant Chief of Staff, Col. Schlisselman, and also
for Major Scott and, once and a while, for a couple of captains. That’s how I got to visit places like Cat Lai, Tan Son Nhut, Cholon, Cogido, Bien Hoa and other military camps around the area.
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Looking For Free Dunnage Lady The Dog - Queen Of The 4th TC
Below - One Of My Trips To Cat Lai
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Housing Made Up Of Beer And Soda Cans Abandoned Ship Looking North From Camp Davies
For a while from late March to late May, we actually commuted to Newport on buses. Then we got on river boats and went down river to MM1 Saigon Port. We kept the operation going there until after the invasion of
Cambodia. I’ll never forget the day that happened. The 4th TC was a beehive of activity.
Some of my duties as a Transportation Movements & Control Specialist was to keep in contact with different operations to get daily tonnage figures from different operations. I also had to keep track of where all the barges
were located. We did this by placing markers on a huge map that was lit with the vessels numbers on them in a dark room. I always thought it was like a map of WWII where they showed guys pushing little models of ships
all over the map.
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Sea Land's Beauregard Heading For Newport
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Heading For Long Binh - Newport
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Passing Newport Terminal Heading For Long Binh
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Pagoda Along 1-A Heading To Long Binh - Entrance To ARVN National Cemetery The Bus Ride From Long Binh To Saigon
Anyway by June of 70, all the operations of HQ 4th TC were at Long Binh. During my tour there, I used to pull guard duty at both Camp Davies and Long Binh. After I was promoted to SP/5, I was only involved with the
reaction force. I remember sitting in bunkers armed with M-16, M79 grenade launchers, M-60 machine guns and Claymore Mines, all of which we had to be trained on.
Below - Some Photos Of Our Area When We Were At Long Binh Post
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Shower & Latrine Facilites At Long Binh
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Poker Game - Camp Davies Beer Party At Long Binh
One thing I must say is the mess halls at Camp Davies and Long Binh used to put out some really good food. (The beer left something to be desired.) I used to get a kick out of the Philipino bands doing the American songs.
Some of them were pretty good and the longer I was there, the better the women started looking. To this day when I see an Oriental woman, I take a good look at her.
Morning Convoy Out Of Long Binh
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Laundry Day At Long Binh Our Area - Long Binh May 1970
Let's Play Ball At Long Binh
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Greg Lansing Hitting The Ball
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Finishing Up The Game - Back To Work
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Jim Schlegel - Long Binh 1970
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President Nixon started the drawdown in 1970 and along about late November, I received orders that I would be sent back to the land of the big PX early. Well on December 24th, I flew home on the Freedom bird and by
noontime Christmas Day, I was enjoying Christmas dinner with my family, the best present my Mom & Dad ever had. Well that's my brief story. Hope you enjoyed the pictures.
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles - 1969 - On The Abby Road Album
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The Shell Station In Saigon
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On The Way To Camp Davies
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In late March, we moved our living quarters from Camp Davies to Long Binh. Initially, we moved into some abandoned barracks that, I believe, 48th Trans Group used to live in. We worked for a short time near USARV Hq.
Then we moved to the actual HQs of the 48th (“Don’t cuss, call us; we bust our ass to get your gas… Petro Main!”)
Chopper Flying Toward USARV Headquarters Upper Right
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Mama San Working In Our Company Area
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