| By early 1971 the situation in Vietnam became so | | | | nice derringer and a Colt Commander. FEC told us the |
| unstable that I was more afraid of being robbed and | | | | Army and local authorities would protect us. Bunk!I |
| killed by one of our Vietnamese Allies than I was the | | | | was a telephone cable splicer working on the exact |
| communists. I returned to Vietnam after being | | | | same telephone cable I worked on as a Soldier. On |
| discharged from the U.S. Army. I took a job with the | | | | this contract we had to use the same crap trucks |
| Federal Electric Corporation (FEC). This company had | | | | and the same crap telephone equipment the Army |
| a contract with the U.S. Army to assume | | | | used. Matter of fact the Army just transferred their |
| responsibility for the military telephone system in | | | | equipment to FEC. I thought we'd be given |
| Vietnam and later Thailand. Basically I returned to | | | | commercial equipment to keep this telephone system |
| Vietnam for fun and adventure; not the money. This | | | | operational. I got to work on this old system for a |
| company was one cheap Charlie outfit. Anyway I am | | | | whopping $2.85 an hour for 56 hours a week. By the |
| back in Qui Nhon in early 1971 and I could really sense | | | | way, overtime was paid straight time. Your 40% |
| that something was different in this coastal | | | | yearly bonus was paid on a 40 hour week. Some |
| city.American was withdrawing from Vietnam. The | | | | people in company management actually expected us |
| more U.S. military personnel that left Qui Nhon the | | | | to work like galley slaves and get this system ready |
| more dangerous the city became. There were | | | | to turn over to the Vietnamese Army.After 18 |
| hoodlums just about everywhere. They were called | | | | months in Qui Nhon I was assigned to the company |
| the cowboys by the Americans. Besides just out and | | | | engineering department in Saigon. I actually got paid |
| out robbing you these punks would rip off your | | | | almost a fair wage in this position. For any of you old |
| watch, camera, and anything else you might be | | | | FEC or GHO hands who might be reading this I will tell |
| carrying. One of their favorite tricks was to jerk your | | | | you what I know about some of our employees in |
| watch off of your arm and run off or hop on a | | | | company. Over the past ten years I have been in |
| Honda 50. . My boss lost his Rolex this way. As long | | | | contact with Marvin Curtis, Dick Posey, and Fred |
| as you were inside military facilities you were safe | | | | Wheat. The following are deceased, Gerry Cronan, Al |
| but once on the outside you had better watch your | | | | Kee, Mike Brown, Bob Canlett, and Bob Frase. Gerry |
| surroundings.As civilian contractors we were not | | | | and Al are in the VA cemetery in Las Vegas. Mike |
| allowed to have weapons. Be assured many of us | | | | Brown is interred in the VA cemetery in Riverside; |
| acquired weapons. In Qui Nhon departing GIs would | | | | CA. Bob Canlett is buried in Petaluma, CA. I would like |
| often give me weapons. I never asked where they | | | | to know what happened to Jim Harrison (James C. |
| got them from. At one time in my villa in Qui Nhon I | | | | Harrison, originally from Indianapolis).Dr. Mike Copper |
| had 4 or 5, M16's, 1 AK 47, 1 Thompson machine | | | | retired from the U.S. Army in 1994. Dr. Copper has a |
| gun, an Army 45, and a case of grenades. When I | | | | Master's Degree in Data Communications and a Ph.D. |
| was transferred to Saigon in '72 I had to leave the | | | | in Computer Information Systems. Dr. Copper |
| weapons behind but once down south I picked up a | | | | currently lives in Delray Beach, Florida. |