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Camp Frenzell-Jones: Home of the Redcatchers in Vietnam - New Release 6 June 2016

4/28/2016

Last year proved to be a successful year with the release of IN HONOR AND MEMORY, enabling us to complete another project that was long over due.

I first learned about the base camp of the 199th Infantry Brigade and for whom it was named, PFC Herb Frenzell and SGT Billy C. Jones, in the 1980's. I contacted Herb's mother, Chilant Frenzell Sprague who furnished me with excerpts from Herb's diary and his 8mm film footage. I later contacted Billy Jones' family, his sister, Ann, and his wife and daughters, Theada, Connie and Dana. Ann furnished me with photographs, while Theada loaned me Billy's letters. We compiled the letters along with information from members of the unit and official records to tell a complete anthology of the 199th's arrival in Vietnam in 1966, which is both a personal and stirring story. The two infantrymen, Herb and Billy, died in January 1967 and the brigade main base at Long Binh was named in their honor.

We are proud to announce that the book, CAMP FRENZELL-JONES will be available for purchase on 6 June 2016, and will debut at the 50th Anniversary of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia. Pia and I are looking forward to meeting and talking with members of the unit. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me.

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Melbourne, Florida Veterans Reunion, April 2016, and Camp Gordon J. Lippman

4/25/2016

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We were again able to attend the 29th Annual Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion in Melbourne, Florida, starting with a delicious breakfast at the American Legion Post 81 tent, where we met and had some interesting conversations with veterans Ed, 101st Airborne Division, and Ron, 440th Terminal Transportation Company (TTCO). Ron presented us with his unit patch (440th TTCO - ROAD RUNNER) which we will proudly display on our insignia board that we put on show when we set up with the books. Patch courtesy of Ron Longshore.

We spent time with Joe Craig, at the 1st Cav tent, President of the Florida Chapter, who is doing a great job of keeping the chapter of the 1st Cavalry Association solvent.

Tom at the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association tent told us about Florida Chapter President and author Joe Pond, who was set up with his book, "The 600 m. o. l." After speaking with Lieutenant Pond, we purchased a copy which meticulously pays tribute to black helicopter pilots in Vietnam, with a section on black aviators who lost their lives in combat - information which has not been published anywhere else.

On Saturday we met up with our good friend Bill Robinson, who, in 1965, was stationed with the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division at Lai Khe. In late October and November 1965, he helped build the tactical area of operation (TAOR) at Lai Khe. His specific job then became handling unexploded ordnance for the 3d Brigade. "We'd bring dud rounds to our special blasting place and set them off with charges," said Robinson. As his reputation grew, he became known as "Wild Bill" Robinson. "Five and a half months later, before my enlistment as a draftee was up, we had set off so much dud ammo in the blasting pit, it was 10 feet deep and 40 feet around." The base camp at Lai Khe was memorialized in honor of LTC Gordon J. Lippman, who was a personal friend of Bob Hope and who died, 11 December 1965, of wounds received from a sniper's bullet.

We encountered WWII veteran George Norris (88), again, this year, who was in full dress uniform, with his sweetheart. George escorts the Wall into the park each year on his motorcycle. We also saw Phil G., 39th Engineer Battalion, who purchased a copy of IN HONOR AND MEMORY last year, and who shared his incredible photo albums with us. Phil was stationed at LZ Snoopy and had kept letters he wrote and sent from Vietnam, his draft notice, and lots of great photos.

Anyone at the park on Saturday afternoon must have seen the swarm of bees arrive and nest on the trailer hitch in the vendor area - quite an experience. Doc Russo and the other organizers did a great job of removing and relocating the hive.

We also met up with my good friend CW3 Doug Conklin, US Army (ret.), who not only spent many years in the Army as a calibration expert but was a valued employee of NASA during Cape Canaveral Space Missions. On our last day, we also met George P., NMCB-7, who was kind enough to share his NMCB-7 Cruise Book with us, which has become a great asset to our research. Photo below of Doug Conklin and Ray Bows.

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Third Marine Division and VHPA, August 2015, and the 196th Light Infantry Brigade Reunion, October 2015

4/25/2016

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During the first part of August 2015 we attended the 3d Marine Division reunion in Orlando, Florida, where Ron Deverick allowed us to set up in their hospitality room. We met a great group of Marines including those who served in Vietnam with 1st Battalion, 3d Marines. We learned much from the stories they shared about their time in Quang Tri Province. The unit historian, Don Bumgarner, shared with us his compilation of unit histories which are phenomenal. Bill Taylor shared photographs of his time in country at Marine Base C-4, and Jerry Wilson (pictured above with Pia) recounted some interesting stories about his time in Iceland as well as Vietnam. Photo by Richard A. Carmer and courtesy of Jerry Wilson.

On 25 to 30 August, we attended the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA)Reunion in Washington, DC. We had a great time meeting helicopter pilots of all units, including John Flanagan, author of "Born in Brooklyn...Raised in the CAV!", and Jim Pratt, of 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, who shared incredible stories and photographs. We got to meet Les Hines, in person, who was instrumental in helping to preserve the memory of many servicemen included in the book IN HONOR AND MEMORY. John Turner of the 92d AHC contributed photographs and footage of his time in Vietnam, and I got to speak with members of the 93d Transportation Company about there time in Soc Trang in 1963. We also touched bases with Annie Delp, Director of Historic Photographs, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, who is locating photographs of the fallen for the future educational center. We were happy to learn that IN HONOR AND MEMORY contributed over 60 photographs that the fund did not have.

Burt Leach and Carl Lorence, of the 93d Transportation Company stand with Ray Bows Photo by Pia Bows

Thanks to Gene Shurtz, of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, whom we met at VVA National in July, we made contact with President Dave Eichhorn, who graciously made space for us to set up with IN HONOR AND MEMORY at their reunion at the Hilton, Daytona Beach in October 2015. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting and talking to members of 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, including those who were stationed with Corporal Michael J. Crescenz, for whom Camp Crescenz in Da Nang was named; members of 3d Battalion, 21st Infantry, Captain Belcher's unit, for whom FSB Belcher was named; and members of 2d Battalion, 1st Infantry, SP4 Donald Sloat's unit, for whom the Donald P. Sloat Day Room at LZ Hawk Hill was named; and members of the 8th Medical Support Battalion. We also made strides in our project as, after years of research, we finally found out for whom LZ Mellon was named - survivor Captain Dan Mellon of 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry.

In November 2015 we returned to DC for Veterans Day and got to spend time with our good friends, Ron "Big Doc" Smith and Carolyn, and spent time at the 1st Cavalry Division reunion.  When we returned home to Florida we received a couple of DVD's from Karl F. Haartz (VP), 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Association, about Shakey's Hill in Cambodia, named for SGT Chris A. Kefalos, and the MIA's on Tiger Mountain - the DVD's were very interesting and much appreciated.

The rest of the year was spent promoting IN HONOR AND MEMORY and FIRST ON THE WALL at local libraries and shows in Florida.

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Master Sergeant Ray Bows, US Army (ret.) spent twenty years on active duty including overseas assignments in Korea, France, Vietnam, Germany, and Belgium, with TDY to Crete and Italy.

Bows Logistics On Ground (BLOG)

Camp Frenzell-Jones: Home of the Redcatchers in Vietnam - New Release 6 June 2016

Melbourne, Florida Veterans Reunion, April 2016, and Camp Gordon J. Lippman

Third Marine Division and VHPA, August 2015, and the 196th Light Infantry Brigade Reunion, October 2015

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