These are the
first entries into the Guest Book.
(Bottom to top chronologically.)
March 30 through April 29, 2000
Heard about the site from Ken Bowen. Glad he found my address. I am retiring
as Chairman of Radiology at Wayne State Medical School in Detroit and moving
to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Enough already of the cold. Tried to get to the 25th
reunion but just couldn't make it. Best wishes to all. Saw John Adams, in California
several years ago. He was orthopedics. Would like to hear from anyone.
Sat Apr 29 13:01:59 2000
Lt. Douglas Shirley was truly a All American boy. He graduated from Western Carolina University and The University of Georgia. His Fraternity at Western Carolina University is setting up a Scholarship Fund in his name
Sat Apr 29 13:00:28 2000
Great page start. Really looking forward to seeing the locator started. I am web master for 159th Meds web site and would like to Link to this site and request a link to our site http://home.earthlink.net/~dustoff159/dustoff159.html If anyone knows how to contact anyone on our looking for list http://home.earthlink.net/~dustoff159/roster.html If there is anything we can do to assist in the building of this page let us know. I have a company, On line Solutions, that does web design and we would be happy to help with feed back forms or what ever you may need. E-mail us at Toma@On-Line-Solutions.net
Toma Grubb Dustoff Pilot 69-70 Cu Chi, Tay Nihn RVN
Sat Apr 29 12:58:58 2000
Married Bob Leaver, whom I met at 24th evac. We have 4 wonderful children and 3 Terrific grandchildren and another on the way. We still work together,as I help out in his neurosurgery practice .We have many unique memories. We feel blessed to have been able to keep in touch with "baby Barbara"(born at 24th Evac) and her parents, Leon and Elsa Rodriguez.
Sat Apr 29 12:56:13 2000
Married nurse Devine now after 30 years -- Mrs. Ginny Leaver. Four kids producing 3.5 grand children.
Sat Apr 29 12:54:27 2000
I will tell the Viet vets about it in NC and see who visits the sight. I think
all of you should be commended and remembered for all that you did for the
USA. I for one am very proud of my sister and friends who gave their lives
and talent to help our guys and gals get better and get home..
Sat Apr 29 12:53:00 2000
i really enjoyed the reunion we had in 93 or 92 in washington. i got to see a lot of friends i had not seen in 25 years or so. i have written a couple of books about my memories, but have not published them (for a couple of very good reasons, one of which is that they were not written well enough. however, i put down my memories then so that these same memories are fairly sharp today. naturally, they reflect my points of view, so may contrast with others' memories. i stay in touch with many of the doctors i served with, but have lost contact with most of the nurses. i would like to hear from joan groce, beverly hansen, tom arnold, curt ?, shirley blanchard, and those others of you whose names are on the tip of my tongue. donald patrick
Sat Apr 29 12:51:25 2000
Met my wife Rose Carroll at the 24th. We married in 1973 in San Antonio, Texas.
Have had one son, Andrew , who graduated college from the Citadel in 1996 and
got married in June,1998. Andrew and wife Evie live in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Rose
and I live in a golf course community in the 'burbs' of Augusta, Ga. Home of
The Master's. '
Sat Apr 29 12:48:33 2000
Sent you all a lot of our patients, in addition I believe that some of my colleagues were reassigned to your place when we closed the 2nd. Surg @ Lai Khe in early Spring of 1970. Cheers.
Sat Apr 29 12:46:57 2000
Was forced to leave service after my husband and I returned to US due to pregnancy and women could not have dependents and be in military. Policy changed and I returned to Reserves and later transferred to National Guard. After 27 years discharged when I told investigator for top secret clearance that I was a lesbian (slow learner I was 45, divorced with 4 sons). I challenged the military policy and was reinstated as Colonel and Chief nurse of Washington National Guard. Book and movie of that struggle called Serving In Silence are available. I retired from the military in 1997 with full retirement benefits. I now have a radio internet talk show on www.gaybc.com talking about human and civil rights issues.
Sat Apr 29 12:45:36 2000
I was from Omaha, NE and I arrived at the 24th in December of 1970. My MOS was in the Signal Corps. After spending a week at the old POW compound waiting for someone to determine what I would do I was finally assigned to the A&D Office. Still remember that first day, the casualties, getting patients off the helicopters etc. and being in total shock. I was not trained or prepared for what I would encounter the next 12 months.
Would like to hear from others who were in the unit the same time I was.
Sat Apr 29 12:44:08 2000
Sailed with the original 24th Evac and became a construction laborer and kind of liked it.
Looking for a former Pharmacy Spec lasted named Gilbert, as he still owes me $ 5.00 for Beer Chits from the club.
Sat Apr 29 12:42:44 2000
Joined the 24th as a Medical Corpsman at Fort Sam in March of Ô66. In June we deployed as a unit to Long Binh, RVN. Spent three weeks cruising the Pacific in a troop transport with one stop in Okinawa before
hitting the beach in a landing craft at Cam Ranh Bay.
Flew to Long Binh (Bien Hoa actually) in C-123s. Despite the fact that nearly every one of us had a medical MOS, we spent the first 5-6 months pouring concrete and building quonset huts for the "future" 24th Evac. If you worked on one of the wards then I probably "finished" the concrete you stood on and painted the walls that surrounded you! For a while we pulled guard duty every 2nd or 3rd night as we were one of the first units to populate the Long Binh area. (Always heard rumors that Charlie had a vast network of tunnels directly beneath the hospital...)
Around the end of Ô66 we finally became operational. Despite my MOS I spent the rest of my tour in Detachment HQ riding herd over the many civilian employees (Vietnamese) and serving as driver for Cpt Bloom, the Det CO. Also tended bar several nights a week in our "makeshift" Officers' Club where we were regularly visited by fighter pilots from Bien Hoa Airbase. (The Club was attached to the end of one of the nurses' barracks.)
Some of the enlisted personnel I served with were Carl Dennis, Larry Bazarko, Fred Borchardt, Harker, Jim Koenig, Engel, Gordie Soper, Maxwell, Don MacGregor, Ron Ferree, Larry Paulson and Sergeant Dave McMillan. Only ones I have been in contact with since 1967 are McMillan (in Anacortes WA) and Borchardt (Appleton WI.)
My thanks to the numerous 24th alumni who responded to my recent e-mails requesting info. For anyone who served with me, I can be reached at stdonova@ix.netcom.com so give me a shout...
Steve Donovan 24th Evac Hospital June 66 - July 67
Sat Apr 29 12:41:10 2000
Site looks good!
Sat Apr 29 12:39:44 2000
I have been long waiting for this page,I have been able o communicate with some (not that many) that were there during my time. Finally I met this guy at the Federal Academy, Glynco, GA, to which it took me two days to recognized each other. He works for the Treasury Department and I work for the Department of Justice. I will like to know if you are going to post a search board for any body that wants to talk. I keep to myself but I talk to Vietnam bodies whenever feasible. I do not like to impose or pry. All on voluntary basis. If possible, please, advise. I thank you very much for staying in touch and as I said am looking forward to more information as to, reunions, meetings,
etc.
Sat Apr 29 12:38:08 2000
When I think back about those days I have some great memories. The sense of
camaraderie was always high. Working in surgery was something I never in my
wildest dreams thought I'd be doing, but there I was! The desire of all to
do whatever it took to get our wounded patched up and on a plane home was the
textbook definition of the word teamwork. Thanks go out to Doug & Cindy for
putting up this site. It's long overdue. I've been looking to renew old acquaintances
ever since going on-line in '97 and this is the best way to do just that. I'll
be back often.
Sat Apr 29 12:36:16 2000
Great site glad to see the Guest Book up and running. Hope to find others that I worked with and any patients that passed thru the 24th.Jack
Hutson, Gary Laine, Ken Kirk, Cockrell. Nurses: Lt Chris Cooke, Capt Marie
Miller, Lt Dunne, Lt Love.
Sat Apr 29 12:34:45 2000
Good site. Would like to hear from any others who were in the unit at the time I was.
Sat Apr 29 12:32:47 2000
Great start on the 24th Evac web site! I was with the 93rd Evac till it closed down in '71. Transferred to the 3rd Surg in Can Tho/Binh Thuy til it closed down in '72! Spent my last few days in country, sleeping in an empty ward of the old 24th Evac, while turning in equipment from the 3rd Surg to clear the property books! Am acting as webmaster for the 93rd Evac, and the 3rd Surg web sites, and will establish a link to your home page, soonest!
Sat Apr 29 12:31:23 2000
I would like to make contact with those who worked in ER during the 1969 post-TET counter offensive - Fred, Gary, Sarge, Doc Shapiro were a few of the ones I worked with. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Sat Apr 29 12:29:18 2000
I spent my entire tour of duty at the 24th evac. I met some wonderful people and saw some tragic things. All in all I think it was a time of growing up for me and I still haven't completely come to terms with the changes it's made in me, but I'd do it over again if given the chance.
Sat Apr 29 12:27:42 2000
I was only at the 24th for just a little while....right after I got all cleared, I was shipped down to 3rd Field Hospital. But, trying to recall some names, I remember a fellow by the name of Burke, he reminded me of Don Rickles, ..grin... The water tower , movies at night, hootches....ah, life in beautiful S.E. Asia......grin... yawl take care..... Randy
Sat Apr 29 12:26:05 2000
I spent over half of my tour in the 24th Evac, and was there when it was closing down. I became a shotgun rider on convoys toward the end, as we redistributed our gear to allied posts. I still recall just about everyone who was assigned there when I was, and would love to hear from any of them. PS: Capt. Meyer, I turned out okay! Your faith in me was not in vain! JOE TURNER
Sat Apr 29 12:24:07 2000
I was wounded 01 Oct. 68 at 1755 hr.. at coordinates YT-032020 Near An Xuan Hamlet, between Outposts #1 & 2, about 3 miles from Long Binh, Pfc. Robert Alicea KIA. Personnel from "B" Company 720 MP's proceeded to the site of explosion. Dust-Off requested at 1807 hr.. Dust-Off arrived at 1830 hr. at the 24th Evac Hosp. Capt. John R. Downer admitted me, Pfc. James R. Brunotte, to the Evac. missing both leg's, left arm, broken right arm, broken jaw, broken nose, broken face, my right eye was removed and only a few other things wrong. I sure didn't leave you all much to work with but I'm sure you still had your hands full :-)
I can't thank you nurse's and the whole team that worked on me enough. Colleen O'Keefe was an ANGEL the 12 days I was at the 24th. Colleen and I have been in touch over the years. We caught up with each other at the Women's Memorial Dedication in Nov. "93". Thanks to the Internet, Corpsman Ed Fortmiller and I have been able to communicate. I would very much like to be able to get in touch with the complete team that worked on me.
I work with veterans on the emotional wounds received. The time that I spent from 1700 hr. 01 Oct. 68 to 16 Oct. 68 aren't very clear, pieces of my puzzle are missing. Ed Fortmiller has helped in putting some of the pieces to the jigsaw puzzle back in place. I was on Ward #10 in the bed by the nurse's station. If any of you can help with this it would be greatly appreciated :-) My wounds have been healed and with any information that you can supply wounds of others can be healed also.
Life has been very good, the Good Lord has Blessed me over and over. If it weren't for the Angel's God used on us, many of us wouldn't of made it!!! It's true, "Not All The Angel's Are In Heaven!" :-) May Our Father In Heaven place His Blessings on you & yours.
In His Service, Jim 'MP' Brunotte jim.mp@verizon.net
Sat Apr 29 12:22:28 2000
A challenging yet very rewarding time. I turned 20 while there. I matured
a lot. We had a great rapport with Doc's and Nurses. Worked real hard and partied
hard too. I've only seen a few friends from those days. Used to live near Dr.
Bob Leaver and Ginny (LT Virginia Devine). In 1998 I visited with Dr. Veatch
(Maj. Chief Radiologist) in Seattle. Otherwise would like to hear of others
from '67-68.
Sat Apr 29 12:20:25 2000
A challenging yet very rewarding time. I turned 20 while there. I matured a lot. We had a great rapport with Doc's and Nurses. Worked real hard and partied hard too. I've only seen a few friends from those days. Used to live near Dr. Bob Leaver and Ginny (LT Virginia Devine). In 1998 I visited with Dr. Veatch (Maj. Chief Radiologist) in Seattle. Otherwise would like to hear of others from '67-68.
Sat Apr 29 12:19:49 2000
I think the ones (nurses) I remember most were from Cocoa Beach, Fl. and New York. When I came to I had a shield over my eye which made me see with a haze
around the edge of my vision and I asked if the nurse was an angel and of course she was but not the one in Heaven the one on
earth. Thank You for patching me up doc's and for the nurses and the rest of the staff a BIG thank you for taking such good care of me and many others .Thanks for a web site long over
due and good job on it too. Thanks again, FRED
Sat Apr 29 12:17:29 2000
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Sat Apr 29 12:15:04 2000