Quang Ngai/Tam Ky Data Base

submitted by: Alva Leon Matheson

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“Dear Chuck, it was good hearing from you. Quang Ngai brings back a lot of memories. When I arrived in Feb 64, The ARVN 25th Div was at Quang Ngai and operated in both Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh province. I was assigned to the II ASOC, at Pleiku, and detached to the 25th. I billeted with a MAAG Adivisory Team 7, that had a small compound just south of Div Hdqs.
A VNAF L-19A was dispatched by a VNAF Liaison SQ at DaNang along with two crew chiefs and a VNAF observer to control airstikes. I was just a chauffeur – everything was conducted in Vietnamese. I became the Divisions’ pilot of choice, since the Army L-19 driver was a young WO just out of flying school. Flew about 80% of the ARVN daily sorties with one of their officers from their TOC, in the VNAF L-19, adjusting artillery, escorting convoys and capping operations etc.
I’ve included a picture of myself and an observer from the VNAF Sq at DaNang although I’ve forgotten his name. The setting is Quang Ngai “Intl”, May 64 – we were participating in operation DO XA. You’re welcome to use it if it is of any value. I’ve recently dug out about 200 slides that have sat in my closet unopened. After the fall of Saigon I clammed up about Vietnam. The thought of the fate of the many ARVN/ VNAF friends and my (our) failure was too hurtful to contemplate.

Editor’s Note: The photograph of Edward and his observer was not clear enough to include here.

In Oct. (64) Maxwell Taylor, then our ambassador, came to Quang Ngai and explained the big solution to the war – operation Hop Toc (sp?) in English – Oil Stain. They were going to move the best ARVN divisions to the area immediately around Saigon. He said, “We’d pacify the area and it would spread like an oil stain to cover the whole country.” I was given a choice and elected to move with the 25th to Saigon in Nov 64. We had the area just west and south of Saigon to include Chu Chi and Ben Luc. We got a new Div CO, a BG, but from my point of view things never jelled. To my knowledge there wasn’t a TOC. I was assigned to a Regiment at Ben Luc and had to drive to Tan Son Nhut to get an AF O-1, and a VNAF observer who wasn’t familiar with the 25th and the last few months felt like a waste of time.
We didn’t have an assigned call sign, but I think mine was Phum Bac, I still hear the countless short and long counts of observers – Tsao Phu Tsao Phu – mot hi ba bong nam sau bi tam chin muoi – Phum Bac tra loi!”
Edward A. Fernandes