AB8AU

AB8AU - the 9th Signal Battalion of the 9th Infantry Division, sponsored and operated the station in first at Camp Bear Cat then in Dong Tam. The station at Dong Tam was located on the Navy side of the compound - the Navy had really great chow. Around midnight of March 26, 1969 after an earlier mortar attack, the base was rocked with a mighty explosion. Over 500 tons of small arms ammunition and ordinance detonated wreaking havoc on the compound, especially the Navy side which was just across the street from the ammunition bunkers. The Navy needed their space back so the station moved.

The station was relocated to the other (Army) side of the base and chow for the station was supplied by the Army mess - not as good according to the MARS men.

The 9th Infantry Division had a AB8AU/AB8AZ mobile unit which traveled around the 9th Infantry Division theatre. It supplied telephone communications for solders who were located in the smaller front line field and artillery camps, who did not have regular access to Bearcat or Tong Tam. It would setup portable temporary operations at the remote field camp until everyone there had the opportunity to make a phone call home. Then the mobile unit would break down and drive to the next field camp and start the process all over again.

Equipment: Collins KWM-2A with 30L-1 HF RF Amplifier

Antenna: 21 MHz 3 element mono-band Yagi on a 30 feet push-up mast

Power: 5KW 120 VAC gasoline generator pulled behind the mobile unit on a 10 foot trailer.

When I arrived in Vietnam I was first assigned to an infantry platoon under the 9th Infantry Division located at Bearcat. I went out on about five patrols seeing some light combat, mostly sniper and booby-traps. Then after about 2 weeks of being in country I came across a MARS station on my way to the PX. I decided to stop in and send my folks a MARS gram (radio telegram) informing them that I have arrived and all was well. I filled out the MARS gram addressing it to my father, which I included his amateur radio call sign WA8PYN, and then I signed the message "Your son Tom, WA8NSH". I handed the message to the sergeant behind the desk and he began to proof read it. He said to me, "O, I see you’re an amateur radio operator" and I replied "Yes." I told the sergeant that I was a General class amateur radio operator and my MOS was 03C40 (Private First Class Radio Teletype Operator). He said the MARS station was one radio operator short and wanted to know if I would like to be ! assigned to the MARS station running radio phone calls state-side for the troops. I said "yes" and two days later I was transferred full time to the 9th Signal Battalion MARS station at Bearcat. After spending two months at AB8AU Bearcat, I was transfer to AB8AZ Dong Tam where my real Vietnam adventure began.

To this day I personally believe this chain of events saved my life. If it wasn't for me being an amateur radio operator, and if I wouldn't have stopped into the MARS station that day to send a MARS gram to my parents, I may have never made it out of Vietnam alive. Tom Boza PFC 10/67-11/68

Link to Tom Boza's AB8AU Page Click Here

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