wFrom:  Jim White

wtDate:  November 29, 2012

Subject:  Okinawa - Refresher Training

Jay,

I didn't know that any Seabees were taking the refresher course but I did have four Coastguard men in my group.  They turned out to be the "best soldiers" I had, so I took two of them with me when we went through a "very vertical" map exercise.  My "helicopter" to the training area was a 2.5 ton truck.  (Bounce, bounce!)  But, at least I was billeted in the BOQ with a Major, a Captain, a 1st Lt, two CWOs and another MSG.  My listening to FEN while in Japan 1960 to 1965 was pretty well limited to the 30-45 minutes it took to drive from Grant Heights to Fuchu Air Station in the morning (arriving at 0730) and then the same in the evening.  Except that the evening trip was often broken up by going to University of Maryland classes at Fuchu, Tachikawa, Green Park, Grant Heights or Camp Drake (or even going somewhere to teach English) before heading on home some two or three hours later.  Therefore, I don't think I ever heard SSGT Don White while in Japan.  Don't remember him at AFVN either, which may sound strange, but, my memory is weak in other places also.

Jim W

wFrom:  Jay Lehman

wtDate:  November 29, 2012

Subject:  Okinawa - Refresher training

Jim,

The SeaBees used to take the refresher course every other week because they were bored.   From Sukiran, most rode a bus up to the training area but LTG Lambert, the High Commissioner/CG told me and another NCO to just take his Huey since he wasn’t using it.   When you took it in Feb 70, I was hosting The Clockwatcher of AFRT AM from 0605-0830 and anchoring 6PM News on Ch 8 same as I had done on my first tour on Oki from Christmas 1960 -- April of 1963.  SSGT Don White USAF, who you might remember from AFVN...He transferred in from that pirate radio at Tuy Hoa was with me on Okinawa during both tours there.  My 1st tour in Nam was 1965-66 with the 1st ID and later at IIFFV.   I had the smallest operational chain of command in all of West Pac...there were only 2 of us in it.  MG J. O. Seaman, later LTG   and myself and I was an SP5 when I left Ft Riley on 9/9/65....Made SGT on 9/10/65 and SSGT in October 65...I was the Radio/TV Voice of the Big Red One from May 64 to April 66 when I  was transferred to IIFFV.   The Authority cited on the reassignment orders was “VO CG IIFFV confirmed by VO CG 1ID.”  See you on the 3rd in MS.

Jay Lehman

wFrom:  Jim White

wtDate:  September 29, 2012

Subject:  Pre-Vietnam Training

Frank, I went through that Bragg course in June/July 1970.  Was class leader and graduated in 2nd place.  Sometimes I think that they used an M-1 pencil because the staff couldn't stand the sight of the class leader (who evidently normally had to be "helped" to even be able to graduate) to also be the Distinguished Graduate.  The real "bennie"of being class leader leader was an exit interview with the CG.  This interview resulted in my ending up with AFVN.  It's a long story, so will tell it to only those who are interested when we all get to Memphis.

Jim W

wFrom:  Steve Pennington

wtDate:  September 29, 2012

Subject:  Pre-Vietnam Training

All I had to do was re-qualify with the M-16 and get an endorsement on my military driver's license for the M-151 Jeep.

Steve

wFrom:  Frank Rogers

wtDate:  September 29, 2012

Subject:  Pre-Vietnam Training

I went through the Military Advisors School at Ft. Bragg, NC, where I was the Distinguished Graduate.  Ouch!  Patting myself on the back is bad for my arthritic shoulder.

Frank

wFrom:  Jay Lehman

wtDate:  September 29, 2012

Subject:  Okinawa - Refresher Training

Okinawa was a UN Trust Territory under US Military Administration from 1945 until 1971 [NB: May 15, 1972].  It was not part of Japan back then.   I was at FEN Kyushu in 1957.   During that Vertical map exercise, my SF advisor (A very green Capt. with no field experience)  didn’t care for my compass readings so he took over and we wound up 3 miles from where we were supposed to be.  So we settled for ambushing a USMC unit returning to their base, Jay,

wFrom:  Joe Ciokon

wtDate:  September 28, 2012

Subject:  Pre-Vietnam Training

Did everyone going into Vietnam have to endure SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) training?  Mine was here at MCB Camp Pendleton, School of Infantry and Warner Springs.  I asked for a SERE refresher when I got orders to Beirut, then gave them some input when I returned.

Joe