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Vietnam War History & Research

After Almost 50 Years, the Complete Pentagon Papers

Website Highlights

Historic Quan Loi Vietnam Videos on the Website

In 1966 Michael Chalifoux, assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, was only in Quan Loi for a month when his aunt  in Pennsylvania sent him a Super-8 movie camera.  Over the next 7+ months Mike shot film in and around Quan Loi, including the Frenchmen's Swimming Pool, the airstrip with all types of aircraft, the nearby Montangard Village, and An Loc to list just a few.  His film shows Quan Loi (L Z Andy) in its early days as an airstrip. 

The 40+ minutes of film was copied to DVD.  For ease of viewing on the website the video was edited into six smaller videos.  Mike was interviewed during a Skype call and his comments were added to the videos.  All six videos were uploaded to youtube.com and then embedded on pages on the website.  You can view them all by clicking here.  Thank you Mike for sharing your film with us.

The Day the 175mm Gun Tube Exploded - A Retrospective

The Saga of the Quan Loi Queen

Chances are, if you were at Quan Loi on November 17-18, 1969, and you had a camera, you took photos of a C-130 that was hit by a rocket on the Quan Loi Airstrip.    I took several photos as did Jan Maclaga, Dennis Camp, Glen Russell and Jim McLain of that damaged aircraft.  I'm sure there are many more squirreled away in closets and attics of Quan Loi Veterans.   That battered C-130 was a "curiosity" of the war. All of us knew that the plane was severely damaged from that rocket and it would remain on the side of the airstrip for several months until a crew was finally sent in with a new wing and other parts to repair her.  I doubt that any of us knew that the twenty-one year old USAF Loadmaster of the Queen, Norm Thomas, was killed that day from rocket shrapnel.  It is time we honor his memory.

All of us at Quan Loi relied on the crews of the C-130s, C-7A Caribous and choppers who flew in mail, supplies and provided us safe transportation.  Quan Loi would have been a whole lot worse without them.  Thanks to the pilot of the Quan Loi Queen that November day, Lou Hari, we can now learn the complete story of that sad incident and what eventually happened to the Quan Loi Queen.  I think you will find it one of the most interesting stories to be added to the site.  Click Here to read it.

The Frenchman's Club & Swimming Pool

If someone asked those of you who served at Quan Loi, South Vietnam to name one good memory of the place - perhaps it would be the Frenchmen's Swimming Pool and Clubhouse Area. It was a unique place in Quan Loii let alone the entire country of South Vietnam and it was a very good memory.
 
The Frenchmen's Area is long gone now, removed by the new government of a united Vietnam some years after reunification, but the memory is preserved in GI's photos and in one case the only known film of the place. Come back with us now and revisit that memory in new video.

SP5 Larry W. Thomas' 1969 Quan Loi Video

While in Vietnam SP5 Larry W. Thomas, F Battery 16th Artillery, purchased an 8 mm movie camera from the PX shortly before leaving country, with the idea he would be able to film his infant daughter when he arrived home. Larry said he had the camera for only a few days in Vietnam. In the remaining days he had at Quan Loi in 1969 Larry made just this one video of Quan Loi Base Camp and F Battery 16th Artillery with the idea he would be able to show it to his family when he arrived home.  We are lucky Larry kept the film and years later had it digitized and now shares a copy with us.

Although Larry’s video is short, it does give you a good image of Quan Loi, especially Larry’s 155 mm towed howitzer battery.

"A Legacy of Honor
History of the 6/27th Artillery 1917 - 1967"

A new "searchable" copy of this exceptional history of the 6th Battalion, 27th Artillery is now available for download in PDF format.

It has long been a goal to re-type SP4 Paul Frederick's entire History as a searchable text document.

Well, it was a long process that was not without its benefits, in that it, at last forced me to read the entire document while typing it from the first to the last word. I have tried to remain as faithful to the original document with this copy, correcting only minor errors where discovered. Due to the differences used by SP4 Frederick’s manual typewriter page layout and today’s computer edition there may be some slight differences in page numbering. In this edition footnotes have been numbered consecutively rather than by section.

SP4 Paul R. Frederick’s History of the 6/27th Artillery is a remarkable document, especially when you consider the conditions of where and when it was researched and written – on the battlefield per se – Phuoc Vinh, Vietnam in 1966 and 1967. Regrettably SP4 Frederick’s history ends in the middle of 1967. The 6/27th Artillery remained in Vietnam for another four years serving in heroic ways. No history of these remaining years has yet to come to light. Perhaps one day one will.

John A. Wavra
Webmaster, QuanLoiDotOrg

Ever Hear of WACR Radio Blackhorse Quan Loi?

In the Spring of 1970 Quan Loi, Vietnam, got its very own radio station.  It was hard to believe!   Before its arrival the only receivable stations were Vietnamese.  It was a joy to listen to "The Quan Loi Kid" or "Lucky Fritz" playing American popular music. They, via WACR Radio Blackhorse, brought a piece of Home to Quan Loi.

On May 20, 1970, John Wavra, then Alpha Battery Clerk, taped over three hours, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the EM Club on a reel to reel tape recorder.  An 8 plus minute sample of that recording has been available on the website for several years.  Now you can listen to the entire 3 hour plus recording in its entirety. 

In addition you can also now listen to over 1 1/2 hours of a recording from May 1, 1970 made by then CW2 Brian Russ, a Cobra Pilot with Blue Max at Quan Loi (C Btry 2/20 ARA). 

A long over-due thank you is given to all those soldiers who made it all possible.

Who We Are

This webite was started in October 2002 by John Wavra with much assistance from Jim Hynes and Reed McDonald.  It has since grown to what you see on your screen today.  It would be but a few pages if not for all of the comrades who helped.  I thank each and every one of them for their contributions of photos and/or stories, etc., which have helped to began to tell the story of the 6/27th Artillery in Vietnam.  It is long past time that credit is given to all those who helped. 

See them all at Who We Are. There is still much to tell.  Come, join us!  Add your photo or name to those listed on the Who We Are Page by sending your memories and stories to me. Email   Conjuncti Stamus     John Wavra