71st Evacuation Hospital, Pleiku, Vietnam

[@auto_5]

Thank you Joan for taking care of my dad and his buddies. He was 3rd of the 8th, 4th ID, 1968-1969 dak to

[@joannawhite1841]

during my tours, (1970-1972) i flew into the 71st Evac Hospital, at Pleiku Air Force Base with some of my combat air crewmembers ( gunners, crew chiefs and pilots) of the 57th Gladiators AHC who had got wounded during missions that we flew. We were based across the way at Camp Holloway. Thank You for all the care and compassionate dignity, even in the dying we brought...that you gave us who came in need. My turn came on april 27, 1971 in the late morning... remembering only people shouting at me, telling me to keep my eyes open and keep breathing. Only seeing this now, at 74 years young, does it bring some of the flash from the past as i seem to have seen this all before. The last i recall was the people there cutting my nomex flight suit off and pulling my body around like an old rag doll. Woke up later to see my Aircraft Commander Captain Frank Carson looking down at me with concern and care. Thank You, to all that served at The 71st Evacuation Hospital, AFB at Pleiku, Vietnam for your Excellent Care and Kindness to me while i was there as your patient. Thank You also Captain Frank Carson, where ever you are, for your presence with me at the time which quieted my fears. I was known then as little jon, Crew Chief of the 363 Coffin Dodger.

[@robertalbonico3682]

Was a patient March and September 1968 thanks to the nurses. And doctors

[@billp5424]

I was in an Air Cav unit at Camp Enari. The 71st was where we took our wounded. They always got the best of care.

[@nickinky]

My Father was an X-Ray Tech at the 71st in '67

[@lymantria10]

My dad, Frank Rochelle, was a Captain with the Medical Supply Corps (later Medical Service Corps) and served as a supply officer at the 71st Evac from 1967-1968 and was there during the rocket attack (Tet Offensive). Thanks for putting this video montage together-it helps me visual where he was the year he was away from the family.

[@glennjohnmeyer2477]

One terrible day in June of 1970 I was told by my CO to take an airplane and go to Pleiku. My hootch mate had requested that I come see him before he was evacuated. He was the one surviving crewmember of a crash that occurred at the Special Forces camp Ben Het. At that time I had been flying Special Forces missions for over 6 months, but the human devastation I saw in that room at the 71st Evac Hospital shook me to the core. I'll never forget how helpless, and useless, I felt standing by the bedsides of those men.

[@stigpiaggio3v775]

That was a bad week. Hope your buddy survived. (medic there most of 1970)

[@stigpiaggio3v775]

Don, I was at the 71st from early '70 until derosing in Feb '71. Worked in the EENT clinic until my Dr left after a few weeks to replace another on the coast.(some surgeon broke his finger playing volleyball and was sent home) Then I ran it myself as a spec 5. and was a bit of everything. Dustoffs, med-caps. ER. During an IG inspection a Col. from a coastal evac ((91st??) , asked "where's the doctor filling out these medical records?" . My departing doc said to sign his name and get a couple more sigs down at the ER. Impressed with my work, the Col. wanted me to come be the NCOIC of one of his clinics. I begged off - he let me stay - better being my own boss. Rare in the Army! Big screw-up about an early-out - came back lost all my stuff. Drove the mail truck for my final few weeks, among other jobs. They put me in a guard tower one night (I'm a C.O. :-), I learned to drive in that mail truck. Always had motorcycles in the States. Other highlight was beating the SOB who ran the pool at chess. He had issues....and a poor loser!

[@Sandsculptor]

I was next door to the 71st Evac Hospital, at the 43rd Signal where you show our signal towers at 3:20 on your video. I was there for the last 4 months of 1968. My cousin Karl was with the 4th Infantry in KonTum and was WIA with a Dust-off ride to your hospital. He was there for a few days. I visited him twice while he healed from his shrapnel wounds. He and I live in Central PA, near Harrisburg. Thanks for taking care of him. He really appreciated the care rendered to him in October of 1968.

[@ssgtsouth]

Peacock Hill(?) I was in the Air Force at Pleiku, 69-70 and that is what we called the signal towers, antennas A bunker I was assigned to when things got hot was on the line the the airbase and the 71st. At the 6:53 point there is the AF Chapel, the photo was taken in from of my barracks. I had the experience of having some elective surgery (foot) done at the 71st. The docs did not get a chance to do elective surgery often, always emergency trauma. So many of these photos bring back memories. What is important to remember is Pleiku was a big complex, aviation, supply, artillery, special forces, infantry and the AF. My experience could and probably is 180degrees different that those other units. Just 1/4 mile from my barracks and 1/8 mile was a world of suffering, death, healing, non stop exhaustion, tension, sorrow and joy. There is a book, "Home Before Morning." The nurse who wrote it served at the 71st while I was there at the airbase, just 1/8 away, but a universe in how we experience the war.

[@Helo_rides_for_commies]

@@ssgtsouth I'm just finishing that book. That's why I'm checking out this, and other videos/pictures. Thanks for your service.

[@stigpiaggio3v775]

@@ssgtsouth actually - pretty sure that chapel was at the 71st compound. I worked in the EENT/pharmacy hut next door to the left of it. Maybe the AF base had the same architect?

[@ssgtsouth]

@@stigpiaggio3v775 I just saw your comment. I looked once again at the video and we must have had the same architect. In the photo (in color) looking at the chapel to the left across the street was the base personnel office where I worked. and to the right going down the hill next to the chapel was a lot big enough for us to play touch football. They found a booby trap buried there...so we stopped playing there. Next to it was the base exchange(BX). Behind the chapel were the AF dispensary and BOQ. My barracks were just behind where the photo was taken. Any chance the property was once under Army control, seems doubtful.

[@stigpiaggio3v775]

​@@ssgtsouth Thanks for your reply. I was never lucky enough to visit the primo stuff the A.F. guys had down there ("A/C'd club, with booths!", etc.)....only passed through from the airstrip in and out 4 times. Somewhere I have a photo of my Dr. and I standing in front of the chapel and our EENT clinic. My first Dr ran the Jewish services in the chapel. Left me with boxes of wine and fish when he derosed back to Chicago. If you look at the chapel in your opening 71st pic you'll see that my clinic was close to the left side of the chapel....nothing close to the L side of chapel in your photo....so I am mistaken, your's is the AF chapel!

[@bryanentwistle7479]

Thanks for sharing!

[@johncook8515]

I was with the 71st from Ft. Campbell, Ky to Pleiku. Arrived in Pleiku Dec. 1966 and left Vietnam July of 1968. The most memorable was living in the dust and mud of Tent City for several months before moving into the actual buildings that became the Hospital. This was luxurious! During the Tent City period, medics like myself could be assigned to doing just about anything from filling sandbags, stringing concertina wire around the perimeter, perimeter guard duty at night, sent out to 4th Infantry for a walk in the boondocks, burning shit, working in the motor pool and driving convoy down HW 19 to Quinon to bring back supplies. Very few names remain with me anymore, but a few were Captain Smith, Cliff Brown, John Tucker, Pilloud, Larry Andrews, George Zimmerman, Pappy Keller, Col. Welch, Larry Haber, Lt. David Hoffer, Lt. Wilkerson, Herndon, Mosley, Ron Swank, a kid named Lee who lost a leg in the Tet attack, and Isaiah White who died in the Tet attack. The shower was a bunch of pallets spread on the ground to keep you out of the mud and a glorified lawn sprinkler that was turned on for five or ten minutes each evening and if you missed it you hit the sack dirty.

[@stigpiaggio3v775]

You poor crazy guys! I came in '70. Could not believe the pool! Medic, too. Sgt of the guards assigned me to guard tower 4 one night. Next morning he passed me as I was heading back to my hootch. Were's your weapon?!? "Sarge....I'm a C.O. , Don't carry one and I didn't have one last night. Figured I'd yell if I saw anybody. Tell 'em to go away."

[@michaeldineenSG2018]

Thank you for your service. Welcome home. God bless. Salute.

[@galesams4205]

served with 4th inf. div 10th armored Pleiku was a very muddy place , m60 tanks would always stick in the mud , LZ Action was bad about receiving incomeing morter fire.

[@supes1100]

I just found out they have a 67th reunion in Branson, MO, been doing it for 11 years, they just had one on May 4th

[@SuperGeriatric]

I used to volunteer as door gunner and watch the scheduled gunner laugh hysterically as he walked away.

[@64jimmoore]

Looking for anyone who was at the 71st Evac Hospital in April of 1971. I wasWIA at Dak To II and Medivac with shrapnel wounds.....wonderful care and would like to say thanks personally.

[@stigpiaggio3v775]

Glad you made it troop! I DEROS'ed out of the 71st in Feb '71. One of those C.O. medics that Uncle Sam swept up.

[@supes1100]

I got there SEP 71-SEP72, I got transferred to Datang in June 72 departed from there.

[@donaldpatrick5958]

I am curious how you could know David. He was gone long before you got there. Unless he returned? E-6 Dyer?

[@supes1100]

No, he was there, I worked for him, just for a few months, I have pics with him and the guy with the glasses

[@supes1100]

Sgt Dyer, wow this brought back memories, I was there 71-72, WOW

[@donaldpatrick5958]

Thanks. I was Sergeant Donald Patrick. Sgt David Dyer is in the pictures though.

[@supes1100]

I could not place you, Dyer I knew well, McFarland, Sonja, Clark, Gatti, Kueller, Hughes, are a few I worked with, I don 't think we where there together for long.

[@supes1100]

Also the guy with the glasses standing near the sign, and in a couple of other pics. I knew him but I can't think of his name, always had a camera.

[@supes1100]

After I left the Army I went into the Navy Submarine Service, retired in 1999.

[@donaldpatrick5958]

I spoke to David not long ago. He retired from the Military. His brother was Dr. Dwayne Dyer. Pretty famous speaker. I have also spoken to G.L. Miller. I was medical records and worked with Dyer

[@12pharro]

Anyone run into Boyd Dallos there ? Big ol boy from Minnesota.

[@paulabbott3472]

I served in the 71st from Sept67 - May 69, Radiology including with Dallos. Last time I saw him was at the 71st Reunion in Salt Lake City in 2004. He was teaching in college, I believe in Minnesota. He was/ a great guy. He transferred out to Special Forces. I hope he is doing well and all the others from the 71st.also. I am Paul Abbott, anyone from the 71st can email me at [e-mail]. Does anyone remember the name of the admitting clerk from Bethlehem , Pennsylvania. I was with him in Roanoke, Va, Then Pleiku. Anyone know John Tweety, came to 71st in Spring 1969. Would like to hear from him too. Lots of others. Bill Nelson, in N.J. -I lost touch with him during a rough period I had. Good luck to all.

[@SuperGeriatric]

I have 4 photos of the 71st MedEvac Medics and Rock Ape mascot, 1970. I will send to you via a message on Facebook or another address. ??

[@donaldpatrick5958]

Pat Kemp Thanks. Email is [e-mail]

[@stigpiaggio3v775]

I was there in 1970. Are they posted somewhere I could see?

[@supes1100]

DaNang

[@dsdsmom]

My name is David Dyer My Email is [e-mail] I was stationed at the 71st Evac Hospital in Pleiku in 1970 and 1971 . Donald Patrick worked with me in the A&D Section. I was a Staff Sergeant at that time. I was also there when we gave the hospital to the South Vietnamese and became the 14th Med Det. I have done an awful lot of writing these past ten years and I would love to share my story. If any of you remember me send me an Email

[@KsorAli]

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