Ze572

Ze572. At the rear of the former Battery Randolph, now it is the front of the Army Museum in the Ft. Derussy are several pieces of military hardware. Here is a Japanese light tank description; it was captured on the Makin Atoll in 1943. They remind me of capture of Corregidor Island by the Japanese; they used tanks and even had an American tank. The American Paratroopers used the 105 mm field guns to liberate Corregidor from the Japanese.

Ze570

Ze570. At the rear of the former Battery Randolph, now it is the front of the Army Museum in the Ft. Derussy are several pieces of military hardware. Here we see two tanks and light artillery pieces. They remind me of capture of Corregidor Island by the Japanese; they used tanks and even had an American tank. The American Paratroopers used the 105 mm field guns to liberate Corregidor from the Japanese.

Ze569

Ze569. At the rear of the former Battery Randolph, now it is the front of the Army Museum in the Ft. Derussy are several pieces of military hardware. This is a US Prefabricated Pill Box which was spread out throughout Oahu at vital defense positions. That reminded me of our fortification in Viet Nam against rocket, mortar and ground attacks when I was assigned to Civic Action Teams in villages around Da Nang.

Ze568

Ze568. At the rear of the former Battery Randolph, now it is the front of the Army Museum in the Ft. Derussy are several pieces of military hardware. This is a US Prefabricated Pill Box which was spread out throughout Oahu at vital defense positions. That reminded me of our fortification in Viet Nam against rocket, mortar and ground attacks.

Ze566

Ze566. In the area where Gun #2 of Battery Randolph was is now an attack helicopter. The sound of the helicopter blades is a sound of the Viet Nam War I will take to my grave.

Ze563

Ze563. This picture is from one of my 1966 picture albums. I believe it was a Continental Airline Military Charter Flight and it stopped here in Honolulu on my way to Viet Nam via the Philippines. I just came from the 6th Fleet and participated in the Santa Domingo Conflict in 1965 and helped raise the H-Bomb that dropped in the Mediterranean Sea after a B-52 and refueling plane collided in 1965. The Viet Nam had started 1965 for real with the first combat units landed there in 1965 and I volunteered and that tour was 2 years and 9 month.

Ze559

Ze559. This is, then, First Lt. James N. Rowe (Nick) he was the author of the book Five Years to Freedom. His book fascinated me because I was going into that south end of South Viet Nam, the Mekong Delta to advise the South Viet Nam Brown Water Navy as a diver. I did serve my 3rd tour in Viet Nam, between June 1972 and March 1973. He witnessed much of the story of Capt. Versace, because they were took POWs together. He was able to escape, read that dramatic story in his book. After I retired from the Navy in 1991, 30 years plus, I settled in the Philippines and during my time there now Col. Nick Rowe was assassinated in the Philippines as an Advisor there by Filipino communist guerrillas. Read his biography here, click here, or copy and paste this URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_N._Rowe

Ze558

Ze558. Five Years to Freedom is a book about US POWs in Viet Cong hands, between 1963 to 1968 in the U-Minh Forest, the greater Ca Mau area, in the south end of South Viet Nam. After my 2nd tour in Viet Nam in 1971 I volunteered for the Navy’s Long Range Advisor Program for Viet Nam and underwent 35 weeks of Viet Namese intensive language training (I was first in the class of 40). This book just had come out and I studied is intensely. I had operated in that area before and was expected to serve there again. This is one URL for that book, click here, or copy and paste it: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Years-Freedom-Story-Vietnam/dp/0345314603

Ze557

Ze557.This is Capt. Humbert R. Versace, he was born in Hawaii. This picture came from this Wikipedia webpage; click here, or copy and paste this URL:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humbert_Roque_Versace

Ze556

Ze556. On the 2nd floor of the Army Museum in Fort Derussy in Waikiki is a large room with many stories displayed of U.S Service Men receiving the Medal of Honor. I glanced at one name and I recognized it immediately and it awoke deep memories of our service in Viet Nam. He was kept as a POW of the Viet Cong and was executed by them on the 26 Sep. 1965 in the U-Minh Forest near Ca Mau, the south end of South Viet Nam. I operated in this area with a Mike 8 type salvage boat in 1971 as a Salvor. This was my 2nd tour in Viet Nam; half of my crew was US and the other half Viet-Namese. Read his story, he was a hero.