More images of Vietnam 

Day-to-day fashion included a steel helmet with fiberglass liner, an eight pound flak jacket for upper body protection, a web belt with equipped with a small 1st aid kit and ammo clips, and nylon web boots with light steel plating in the soles. I carried the same M-16 and wore the same helmet during my entire tour.

The infantry soldiers that we supported were equipped with 40-60 pound rucksacks containing C-rations, water in canteens, ammunition, grenades, personal hygiene items and a poncho with a liner to sleep in. They also carried an M16 rifle or M79 grenade launcher, and extra ammunition for their team's M60 machine gun.

Our crew was armed with standard M16 rifles, a M79 40mm grenade launcher and a LAW - light anti-tank weapon (the top item in the photo). The M79 could fire high explosive, shotgun or illumination rounds.

FSB Pony was located in the An Loa valley in the Central Highlands, an agricultural area with many rice paddys and small villages.

The villagers were highly innovative and used our discarded materials to improve irrigation and build infrastructure in the hamlets. Very little went to waste.

The closest village was less than a half-mile from the firebase. Villagers often appeared outside the perimeter wire to try to sell us cigarettes and other items. The women also offered laundry services. We would often hire kids from the village to do unpopular jobs like filling sandbags.

The helipad on FSB Pony was also used as a staging area for infantry units that were being deployed in the valley. They would be calling for fire support from our 105mm howitzers once they made contact with the enemy.

The best day was the day you got your orders to go home. Most soldiers served a 365-day tour, and knew exactly how many days they had left to spend "in-country". These troops were waiting to be transported to Cam Rahn Bay for the "freedom ride" back to the USA.

And finally, let us never forget the more than 58,000 brothers and sisters who didn't return home.

I hope these pages provide some insight into a war that is slowly disappearing into history and that had such a profound impact on our country.

And to my fellow Vietnam vets:
"Welcome Home"