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