Ken Bopp
A Nurse Anesthetist, Ken was originally assigned to the 3rd Surg.
"I arrived at 3rd Surg
in March of 67 and they were still at Bien Hoa, Long Binh. We were in
support of the 173rd Airborne at the time. We eventually
moved to Dong Tam near My Tho in support of the 9th
Division under the 68th Med. Grp."
|
After a TDY stint at the 24th, he became assigned to the 24th Evac in September 1967, and left in February 1968, shortly
after Tet.
"Tet 68. I remember most of what happened.
..... It was a very chaotic time. I remember being up all night after the
initial attack. I remember watching "Spooky" hose down the
perimeter of Long Binh base and watching the parachute flares float down through the
night sky. Very eerie. I even remember the sound of "Spooky's"guns
arriving several seconds after the stream of tracers disappeared into the ground. We all went over to the OR area to wait for the initial
influx of wounded. When they finally arrived we were almost overwhelmed. I remember deuce and a halfs arriving full of wounded VC
and the MP's with automatic weapons waving the drivers off and sending
them over to the VC compound. They were stacked like cordwood in the trucks. We didn't have anyone to go over there and administer any
anesthesia or surgical care because we were all too busy with GI's. I remember a lot of shit I wish I didn't."
|
These are some candid shots around the 24th Evac
compound from Ken's collection.
In the Operating Room at the 24th, Ken delivers anesthesia
for a patient requiring surgery by the MaxilloFacial Surgery Team.
|
|
Same patient.
|
|
"Ed Lesko was an anesthesiologist who took
over command of the anesthesia section after Robert Galacz left."
|
|
"Bill Kirk was a nurse anesthetist. He is now
Associate Director of the Nurse Anesthesia school at St. John's Hospital in Springfield,
Missouri. A hell of a nice guy. I see him every so often when I am on one of my motorcycle trips. Salt of the earth."
|
|
Bunker outside the Officers Quarters.
|
|
An Operating Room at the 24th Evac Hospital, circa early 1968.
|
|
"The OR's were in the Quonsets. Just one long
quonset divided by the partitions you see. I believe there were 8 rooms in all, 4 in each
quonset."
|
|
"The officers quarters were across the road
from the headquarters section. Not in the hospital area at all."
|
|
The Viet Club.
|
Photos courtesy Ken Bopp.
Click on the photos to see larger version.
|
See Ken's award ceremony on January 1968
page.
Contact Ken Bopp by email, if you
wish.
Recollections
Updated February 03, 2002