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