Pictured far right, Comrade John Ellingboe, then a Sergeant in the U.S. Army, Fire Support Base Buttons at the base of Nui Bau Din, Vietnam around June 1970. He served as a radio operator.
With the Poplar Forces on a Mine Sweep near Tan Linh, NW III Corps. The Poplar Forces were Vietnam’s equivalent to our National Guard.
Monsoons! The village of Tan Linh where many of the buildings were damaged or destroyed.
This is where I lived for three months with the Popular Forces. Very difficult life for these people.
Notice his eyes. This picture was taken on a road in the NW III Corps.
The “Traveling Preacher”! They went to places most people would not want to go to give comfort to the troops. This is a group of soldiers from the 199th Light Infantry.
Louie, age 17 and a son of one of the families, would act as a translator. He would soon be drafted into the ARVN.
Mama San. When I was living with the Popular Forces, she did my laundry for 3 months for free. The village is in the background.
“My Three Sons”: Tan, Dai, and Gong. I was told that these three brothers’ parents were killed by the VC. They adopted me as their Papa San; I was an easy target. These kids were survivors. One night there was a little gun fire, I directed them to stay down. Their response was, F….ing VC. As I have said before, “There are no noble wars, especially Vietnam, just noble warriors.”
“Fear and Despair.” If you look closely at the two women in the next two pictures, you may see the same thing. They called me “Beaucoup GI,” they didn’t see many guys my height. In the background, you will see men from the 199th Light Infantry who stopped by for a short visit. The jungle is in the background.
Mother and child in a war-torn country.
This picture is of a war correspondent from Australia, interviewing the troops from the 11th Armored Cavalry at Fire Support Base Buttons near the Cambodian border.
In my opinion, the heroes were not the generals, but the combat medics and helicopter pilots. This is Doc Spencer making a house call.
Louie’s parents.
John near the village of Tan Linh, which appears to be a Buddhist Monument.
