During the time of July 1966 thru Feb 1967 I became weary of this adventure and TOP felt my luck was running out. I figured I was on a winning streak because Victor Charlie could take my radio off my back, but not kill me.  The Doc's on the Repose treated my bruised spine from a sniper round that the PRC-25 absorbed and TOP figured it was time for me to lay low. He figured that since I had trained several others in the fine art of field communications and survival, he grounded me to spend a couple of months in the TSC-15 Van, training new operators and instructing others in the Zen of diesel generator maintenance and repair.

At last, I was in the rear with all the hot food and cold beer I could stand (we did have a good mess hall and a fun club.) Got to enjoy the happenings of being in the rear.  In March 1967 I went on R&R to Kuala Lumpur and upon returning, I had orders to report to Helicopter Gunners School in Okinawa. I had volunteered a few months previous to going on R&R and thought they had forgotten (I forgot too). Following a six week school at Camp Hansen training in the Sikorsky UH-34 I returned to RVN and was sent TAD to the "White Knights", HMM-165, a CH-46A Squadron base at Ky Ha. That's the MAB that had the two radar domes and UHF/Micro Relay set up on the hill overlooking the South China Sea. There were squadrons of UH-34's and CH-46A's here. MABS 36, Comm. Co. was on the north side of the radar domes. Flying seemed like a short duty (45 days or so) but it was scary-crazy-exciting and some days would never end. There are some good stories to tell.

After 132 missions in a little less than a month and a half, I was grounded due to the fact I had been shot up and forced down three times, the last was bad enough to send me to the Hospital Ship USS Repose again.  Bunged up shoulder and neck.  When I was done flying I was sent home, Stateside for 30 days. I needed the rest.

I must have been crazy to get on that jet and head back over to the Nam, but it seemed better than staying stateside and being abused by the social revolutionists who thought we were all murderers.  When I arrived back at my base, my company was on the move, up north to Hue and Phu Bai. I was asked if I would stay at Ky Ha and help run the MARS station. I remember my CO (Sullivan) asking me if I could operate civilian radio equipment. Without hesitation I said yes, avoiding asking questions and further details. I did not feel like moving up north (been there and done that), but helped get the company settled and then came back down to Ky Ha for MARS duty.

I was never so excited in my life to have a responsibility such as this, and little did I know what a fantastic ride it would be. I was an eager student and a quick study. Later ( after three months at the station), I got my orders to Special Services (a little slow---but orders from heaven). I found out that Special Services was headquartered in DaNang with 1st Mar Div.  For about three months I had no CO. It was just the CHOP and myself.  The CHOP for N0EFC at that time was a short timer, SSGT "Mac" McCullum.   Mac was due to rotate state side at the end of August 1967.  Although I did not have an FCC license, Mac saw I had the desire and know how and felt confident with leaving the station in my hands; he said my CW was no too bad. Mac trained me in the "how to's" handle the traffic and fix equipment and maintain the antennas. He said my skills as a scrounger would serve the station well.

N0EFC was in a technological transition, having depended upon some old back box military equipment that came by way of FLSG. The antenna farm had a home made inverted V's, a center fed dipole and a fifteen meter stretch on a donated metal tower. Some of the antenna loading equipment was military--black & heavy and mysterious. Before Mac left we got a new Collins S-Line 100 Watt Transmitter and Receiver and a Henry 4 kW Amp. The old antenna and AMU would seem to resonate and buzz at times with all that horse power. I have some good pictures of the station that I will post when I figure out all this web technology.

When I arrived at N0EFC in late July 1967, SSGT Frank McCullum was the CHOP. The CHOP "Mac" was a character, he had a hot side, and he liked to put a few down. Lots of crazy stories and chuckles. At the time I thought he was due for a liver transplant. God, he could be obnoxious, but in a funny way. We got along great and I loved to hear his stories.

When I arrived at N0EFC, he was short and I was assigned to be on duty 24 hours a day.  Where's Mac? On the beach, in the club, but not here!  My bunk was in the room next to the rigs-- always on and waiting for traffic one way or the other. Loved to josh around on the in-country net and always enjoyed the early morning hook up with MCRD, N0ANP, N0RTW. Always talked to you guys out there but never got a chance to meet-- what a deal.

Shortly after "Mac" left, the USMC sent some help to allow me to get some sleep. Bill Rabel and Bob Hancock had come to the rescue. Later on in late 1967 or early 1968 a fellow by the name of Paul came on board. We made some changes and finally got hooked up with a CO.  Lt. Col. Barlow from MAG 12/13.

He was a Phantom pilot and CO of the squadron. He decided that we needed to move south to Chu Lai, closer to the Marines. MAG 36 had moved up north and the US Army had moved into Ky Ha with a hospital battalion and Dust-Off squadron. For the first time, Vietnamese civilians were allowed on base to care for all those needs the GI required that only a good mama san could take care off, such a laundry, cleaning and haircuts. This open door policy gave Victor Charlie the chance he was waiting for, for before too long we had to take serious stock in the bunkers.

Anyway, it was a very meaningful time at Ky Ha running patches for the hospital staff and recovering wounded. They wanted to pay us to stay, but we had to shuffle off down the road to the south.

Lt. Col. Barlow found us a hooch for our new digs on the east side of the Chu Lai - Ky Ha highway, on the north side of the water tower. We had a view of MAG 11/12/13 (A4's, F4's and A's) and the mountains to the west. He hooked us up with a 15kw generator, ordered an LPA and rotator for us to assemble and mount on top of the water tank with the help of Sgt Bill Stillinger who was sent down from DaNang to help assemble it.   The Lt. Col Barlow procured us a new air conditioner and pallets of full sandbags. We insulated the radio station with white Styrofoam bomb-fuse casings and dug a bunker under the hooch to keep out stray pieces of flying metal from VC rockets. In the basement we set up remotes for the in-country and stateside rigs.

Lt. Col. Barlow insisted that we set up an "emergency use" radio in case of a raid/rocket attack on the base. We had two frequencies that we could use to contact other Wings in DaNang if needed.  Before I left in February 1968, we used it to call in for reinforcements during an all out assault on the base. That's another story. I still to this day believe the Marine policy of "no civilians on base" is a good one. I can never remember getting one round into the base until the Army let in civilians to work and walk (pace-off) around.

During our time at this location (it must have been a different location than where N0EFD had been), we ventured forth to bring "home" to the guys in the field.  Paul and "Big Budda" Mike helped coordinate the sorties to the field. Got to know the land-line system pretty well and a few of the operators who were very helpful. I got in touch with a high school buddy down in Cam Rahn Bay on the landline and discovered that this could serve the guys in the field well.  Before we knew it were were being shuttled all over the place to Marine Bases to provide "call home time". I will never forget how exciting that was, and how well it worked. Some patches were done by radio-to-phone-to the station then across the water to San Diego. Even had a wedding performed with proxy on each end (Jewish and Catholic). What a time those days were. Of coarse, Lt. Col. Barlow felt that we required every comfort and had a driver for us if we needed to get out and scrounge or make calls.   He always had some great sortie stories and at times smelled of napalm. We always had some Crown Royal around for him to sip while talking with his wife.

The sad thing is, when I left country, I never again saw or heard from anyone again.  It was like it was all a dream. I suppose why I can't forget any of it is because I am waiting to hook up and download all of these memories again, like V--GER. God, would I like to meet some of those guys again. Even when I came back to the States and was stationed at Camp Pendleton and did some Comm. Training down at MCRD for the Reservists. I popped into the MARS station and it seemed deserted--- no familiar names or voices. It was like the twilight zone. What happened to those voices and names. I was so looking forward to meet them.

I heard from Will about SSGT Mac.  He relayed this to me. Bill:

In '65 and '66 Frank McCullum and a Sgt who I think was called Smitty (Smith, not to be confused with Roger Smith at N0EFB at DaNang) were at N0EFC at KyHa just up the road form us at N0EFD (I have pictures of all three I'll have to get scanned, as well as the guys down at the SeaBee station, N0EFE I think).

Frank was a SSGT and had a wonderful bunch of stories which would keep you rolling on the floor (especially after 6 warm Korean beers). He told one about the new Col who took over his R4D squadron when he was up in Japan and ask Frank if he wanted to fly to the Philippines with him in the second seat. Just the two of them. Frank said sure, he'd go along for the ride. At the end of the runway the Col looks at all his instruments and says, "I think I can fly this thing." It was evident in an instant that he had never flown an R4D in his life (DC3 to you civilians). He got it off the ground and headed towards Subic Bay or Clark Field or where ever they were headed. When he sets up for the landing, Frank is watching the airspeed indicator as they plunge down towards the runway. When it gets to 250 knots per hour he pulls out the aircraft manual and sure enough, it says that at 250 the wings are supposed to fall off.

The Col gets it on the ground and tells Frank that he's going to the officers club for a couple of drinks and to meet him back at the airplane in 2 and 1/2 hours. Frank said, "No sir, you're crazy, I'm going to get a ride home with someone else and left the Col to go back alone.  Frank was a red-headed Scot with just a little bit of an authority problem.  - Will k5wd.

Will was right on.  Mac fought like crazy for us and left us in better shape than the station was when he took over.

I want to thank John Haw "Butch" "the lizard" at N0EFL in DaNang '67 for getting in touch with me after 30 years. I was really excited to be found and to reminisce about those days. Also Will Dunn K5WD for helping me remember SSGT McCullum. Many thanks to Dan and all who have helped with putting this .com together. Oh, and also to Wayne Justice, who now has me totally confused as to whether SSGT McCullum's (CHOP of N0EFC 1967) first name was Frank. Funny, I thought it was Bob. Thank goodness I saved all my emails from you guys. The memories are fading and these are going to help me through the years remembering some of the nicest people I have met in my life. Its too bad I could not meet you in person. I would probably remember your voice though.

Dan Didier

I liked the way we served the public, whether it was our users or their folks back home.  Each call was special.  I do know that after a while we had good relationship with our gateways, some I have never met and wished that I could have, such as Jose, in Hawaii, who is a silent key. One of my close friends, and the friend of all the overseas operators, was Chuck Ansoms.  I had the pleasure of staying with him and Marie several times.  I think that the MARS has led me to further serving the public with my volunteer Red Cross work serving in mass care for shelters, as we are in the hurricane zone, and disaster assessment.

I recall we spent a lot of time repairing the antennas, maintaining the Drake TR-4, the Collins 75S receiver and (I believe) the 32S transmitter feeding a 1 kW linear amplifier, probably also Collins. But we spent even more time working the barter system with the Army (1st Cavalry) folks who blew into town one fine day with fine, new equipment of all kinds. We traded poncho liners for K-Bar knives, rations for beer or the other way around; this was Economics 101.

I remember feeling good about our equipment when conditions were "right", so that we could make clear contact with MCRD San Diego barefoot (no linear amp).

Others may recall frequent dust storms at Chu Lai, with accompanying lightning and thunder. I was knocked unconscious by a nearby lightning strike one afternoon as I was fiddling with the long-wire antenna connections inside the hut. I remember waking up across the room, sitting on the floor.

I left Chu Lai to go back to the States about the same time MAG-36 was moved north from Chu Lai; spent a few days loitering around DaNang, then off to Okinawa and Pendleton. Soon I had finished my four-year enlistment and was in engineering school at New York University and Rensselaer Polytechnic University.