Bob Bennett Collection



Hey, I thought I needed something to get your attention.

But that is only Bui-Van Bay, our Chu Hoi. He was NVA, but he was on our side when I took this picture.

I took a lot of pictures in Vietnam. If only I had taken notes with the pictures, these pages would be easy. But many of names of my brother Blue Tigers and of the places we went escape me now. So I need lots of help in identifying many of the faces and places in the photos. If you see somebody or someplace you know, please let me know.

I served as Blue Tiger 20, the second platoon LT, from July 1969 to July 1970. For part of the tour, I rode a jeep with SP4 Don Miller.


Here is a picture of Don Miller.
He is the other one with no shirt on.
Bob Bennett Collection



Don drove most of the time when we went motoring. It was probably for the best.


The Article 15 mentioned something about
"drinking", "driving", and "heavily armed".
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I relied on a lot of people besides Don Miller to keep me out of trouble during my tour. I had the help of a lot of good men to make it through.


1SGT Gardner and me
E-8's were a blessing to LT's.
(Looking at my uniform, I'm glad the VC never had
a badly-starched-uniform-seeking missile)
Bob Bennett Collection




Captain Condos, center, and 2nd platoon sergeant Gillespie, right.
William R. Condos, Jr. commanded the Blue Tigers from August 1969 through January 1970.
SFC Wayne Gillespie was a real pro, and kept the 2nd platoon running right.
Bob Bennett Collection




SGT H.P. Terry, 2nd platoon mortar sergeant.
SGT Terry could John-Wayne a mortar from the hip.
Bob Bennett Collection




SGT Dale Rossi, another 2nd platoon mortar sergeant.
SGT Rossi took over the mortar section when H.P. Terry rotated out.
Bob Bennett Collection




LT Bennie Dale, Blue Tiger 30, and me.
Bennie was seriously wounded in the Jan.2, 1970 ambush that killed
SSG Willie J. Hayes and PFC Barney M. Smith.
Bob Bennett Collection


Update, 11/19/00:

I found the pilot who rescued Bennie Dale. I left a note about the incident on the D-151st Ranger web site, and he wrote back:

"I was Warlord 14 and the AC on the Jan 2, 1970 mission. I remember that it was a real close contact and, even with us down in the trees, the ropes on the McQuire rig would not reach the ground. We had to relocate and have the guys on the ground come to us. I don't remember how long it took, but I do remember that I got tired of hovering after a while and took a smoke break. I've always regretted the two KIAs, but the ropes were only so long.

"I have many fond memories of working with the Blue Tigers and the Indiana Rangers and hold both organizations in the highest regard. I'm off to the links that you sent me to check out the stories and pics. . . "

"There's some great stuff on the sites you mentioned. I'm glad to see folks recording the history of the men that fought that war. After looking at the pics, Bennie Dale was the guy I remembered pulling out in Jan 70. I was always amazed at the fact that he was returned to duty in about 3 weeks! Do you happen to have his e-mail address? I would love to hear the story of that mission from the guys on the ground."

- - - Ray Garrison, Warlord 14





SGT Charles J. Pfamatter, Blue Tiger 35
Bob Bennett Collection




SGT Larry Leady
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CPT Earl Donoho, Blue Tiger XO, and me.
We were never really this young.
Bob Bennett Collection




CPT Ron McEwen, lower left, is the only name I can recall in this photo.
This is the Blue Tigers' entry in the 1970 Southeast Asian War Games Bad Hat Competition.
Bob Bennett Collection





These photos are just a few of the Blue Tigers I was proud to serve with in Vietnam. I have grouped some other photos into different pages. Please follow the links below to find these pages.



MORE BLUE TIGER 69-70 PAGES

Awards Ceremonies
and Other Pictures

This page has a series of photos taken at awards ceremonies during 1969. It is an opportunity for you to find friends in the formations and identify them. I have also included some random photos of troopers whose names escapes me at the moment. I appreciate any help in identifying them.

The 1970 Raid
on a POW Camp

The Blue Tigers and the Delta Rangers of Co. D (Ranger), 75th Infantry raided a POW camp in January 1970. Bill Nevius and I teamed up to give a little history of POW raids to provide a context for the pictures I took on the raid.

Rangers and
Helicopter Drivers

The Blue Tigers spent a lot of time with Co. D (Ranger), 151st Infantry, and Co. D (Ranger), 75th Infantry during my tour. We also spent a lot of time on, and under, helicopters. This page is a collection of photos I took of our Ranger buddies, and a few of the helicopters on which we depended so heavily.

Fire Base Rob
and the
Cambodian Invasion

The Blue Tigers went to Fire Base Rob in May and June 1970 to run road security between Dong Xoi and Song Be. I have assembled some pictures taken at Rob, and a few of the arms caches that the 1st Cav brought out of Cambodia.

Saddling Up
for Nhon Trach

The Blue Tigers always seemed to return to Nhon Trach. I took a series of pictures at Di An as we loaded up for the July 1970 visit. It is another opportunity for you to identify some of your buddies for me.





Bob Bennett, Blue Tiger 20, 1969-1970




BACK TO THE 1969-1970 HOME PAGE


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