4th Engineer Battalion
Guest Book Archives
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to the guest book. John Patella 1965-67
To all the members of the 4th Engineers, 4th Infantry "IVY" Division
who served from
1965 to 1967, it's been 49 years and we should never forget the friends we lost on the 25th of March 1967. There will always be memories of all the things we did in
Vietnam. There should always be memories of those we lost there as well. John sent some photos of his tour with the
4th Engineers.
Will Lucas created a short documentary (runtime 14:59) featuring interviews, period images, and letters home. It is an accurate account of the adventures of three young men who served in the military together in the 1960's. Joey Pappone and John Patella were 20 and reported for induction in New York. Will Lucas, from the Washington D.C. suburbs, was 19 and inducted at Ft. Holabird, Maryland. That same day, they met on a train headed to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. They trained together from the beginning: ultimately serving in Plieku and Dau Tieng, Vietnam through July 1967. Images from the personal files of Ken Holt, Will Lucas, Mike Neidlinger, Joey Pappone, John Patella, and The Feds. All letters originals from Will Lucas. Special thanks to Jerry Powell, who contributed his poetic ballad, Blue and Gray.
THREE DRAFTEES - FROM BASICS TO VIETNAM --- YouTube
- OCT 23, 2012
Update 23 MAR 2024 If you
want to make contact with John, use the Swamp_Fox address at the bottom of the page
and I will forward your email to him.
1st Lt Jerald (Jerry) Holland I served as a platoon leader (1Lt) with A Company, 4th Engineer Battalion,
4th Infantry Division during the July 1967 to July 1968 time frame. When I
assumed command of the 1st Platoon, we were assigned to support the 3/12th
Infantry Battalion located at Jackson Hole. From there we were relocated
in late October 1967 to Dak To in Kontum Province of the Central
Highlands. On November 3, 1967, (my birthday) four of us joined members of
3/12th, Alpha and Bravo Companies on a helicopter insertion onto the hills above
Dak To, where we were ambushed by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN),
which was the first battle of the Dak To Offensive. On November 12th we
watched from the hill of our fire base as PAVN launched a mortar barrage on
Dak To Airfield, resulting in the destruction of two C-130 aircraft and the
amunition dump and fuel storage areas resulting in one of the largest explosions
of the Vietnam War. About two weeks later during a return for a briefing at our
battalion headquarters at Camp Enari, the 4th Engineer Battalion was
reverted to Infantry for the retaking of Pleiku. I was assigned command of a
security element for the Battalion Commander (LTC Emmett C. Lee) and his
staff. In the Spring of 1968, during a mine sweep from Ben Het Special
Forces Base, we were ambushed and one member of our team along with several
Army of the Republic Vietnam (ARVN) soldiers were wounded. The Medevac
helicopter landed under fire and the wounded were safely flown back to a
base camp hospital. The Air Force provided napalm strikes on insurgent locations and
Armored Cavalry arrived to resolve the matter.
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Company C, 4th
Engineers
4th Infantry Division
On 25 March 1967, the 4th Engineers sent out a group of men to assist in
road clearing operations. They were ambushed and Company C lost its first
three men. They were Michael Twigg, Raymond Knight and Loyd McBroom.
There
were others lost that day, who were not members of the engineers, but I don’t
know their names. That is why I’m asking any 4th Division members who remember
that attack, to add the names of the men they lost. Perhaps some
of you know how to get a copy of that incident report listng all the men we lost
that day.
Remember always:
Michael Twigg
Raymond Knight
Loyd
McBroom
I will always have a place in my heart for Michael Twigg, Raymond Knight and Loyd McBroom.
And for all my brothers in Co. C, 4th Engineers, you are there too. Please remember our friends on this date.
57 Years ago, on this date, the 4th Engineers of
Company C, lost it’s first of many in Vietnam. To the members of Company
C, these men were special.
We trained together from the beginning
in 1965 through our tour in Vietnam. We will always remember Michael
Twigg, Raymond Knight and Loyd McBroom.
57 years is a long time
to remember things. Hopefully we may never forget them. Being in my 80’s
now, my mind still works well, sometimes. But I will never forget them.
I hope all members of Company C will do the same. I know you are still
out there. Put some of your thoughts into the guestbook as well.
A Company
4th Engineer Battalion
4th
Infantry Division, Vietnam
While Colonel Lee and I continue to have contact with each other and my
past events are still quite vivid, at age 77, memory of names escapes me.
I would appreciate information regarding members of my platoon and the above
times and events.
Respect To All Who Have Served and are still Serving.
LTC (Retired) Jerald (Jerry) Holland
Posted 7 OCT 2022
Contact me and I will forward your email to him.
Update: 28 OCT 2022
In case you have not heard, he passed May 6, 2022 at 94 years of age. Colonel Lee was assigned to the 62nd Engineer Battalion, as Baker Company Platoon Leader along with eight other West Point Classmates assigned to the same battalion. With only a few days training, he boarded a ship in Yokohama Harbor and set sail for the Inchon invasion. Days after landing in Inchon, he constructed a bridge across the Han River at Seoul, enabling allied forces to break out of the Pusan perimeter and head north in pursuit of the North Koreans.
I served witih LTC Lee when he commanded the 4th Infantry Division's Engineer Battalion.
During his military service Colonel Lee earned the following awards:
Bronze Star with V for Valor
Legions of Merit (3)
Meritorious Service Medals (2)
Air Medals (4)
SP/4 John Jenkins
E Company, 4th Engineer Battalion
4th infantry Division, RVN
I originally enlisted RA (Regular Army, i.e. a volunteer, not drafted). My contract was for 3 years with a promise of mechanics school. When I took the test and passed they had me sign a 3 year contract with the promise of the school. Upon my swearing in at Baltimore, Maryland, they reneged. They said my slight color blindness disqualified me and had me sign a new 3 year contract with no schools of any kind. My aunt worked on Capitol Hill with Congressman Jamie Whitten, who was on the armed forces sub committee. He started an investigation, while I shipped out to Vietnam. I was there from January 1969 - March 1970. Since my original MOS was 11B10, from my Infantry training at Fort Polk, as a PFC, I was assigned to B Company, 3rd of the 8th Infantry (Ivy Dragoons), in VC valley as a grunt (rifleman). In the end they said I did qualify for school, so command transfered me to the motor pool of E Company, 4th Engineer Battalion for "on the job training" and one year was dropped from my contract. There I was promoted to Specialist 4th class. They tried to get me to re-enlist for the original three year term, but the guys in my 3/8th unit told me not to go for the extra year and took their advice. E company was a bridge company, responsible for repairing and mintaining bridges over creeks, rivers, etc. We even helped with amphibious launched bridges. My platoon took care of the motorpool and tow wrecker, Gradall, bridge trucks, etc.
I remember one day when some of our trucks came in that had been shot up when they were up north of our motor pool location in Pleiku. Some guys said that one truck backed over a cliff. The driver was Spanish and survived, but the soldier riding shotgun died. The soldier that died had recently been to Hawaii on R&R and met with his family. I do not know if his was the Dennis Watson refered to in the post on this page, but this was the only accident I knew about while I was there. I did not know this soldier personally. I knew he went to Hawaii to see his family on R&R from his team. It may have been Dennis. I hope this helps. May God be with all who served.
John shared some photos here.
Posted 15 June 2020
If you want to contact John, send an email to me at the swamp_fox address at the bottom of the page and I will forward it to him.
Sp/4 Dennis Allen Watson
E CO, 4TH Engineer Battalion
4TH Infantry, Division
I found your website today through a Google search. My maternal grandfather had a cousin, Dennis A. Watson, who served in the 4th Infantry, 4th Engineer Battalion, E Company from February 1969 to his death in December 1969. I know a division is a very large group of men, but I'm wondering if yourself or anyone else who contacted you through your site may have known
Dennis.
I would also appreciate any insight you might be able to provide of what an engineer battalion would have done in Pleiku.
I'm very new to learning about the Vietnam War as it's history wasn't really taught when I was in school.
Thank you for reading,
Isaac
Posted 29 JAN 2020
If you can provide any details of Dennis's tour and fatal accident, contact me at the Swamp_Fox email address below and I will put you in contact with Isaac.
Danny Poteete
4th Engineers
4th Infantry Division
Homer,
Glad you made it home brother. I was in Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Division. I am writing my memoirs between bouts with PTSD. I would love to talk to you. I am sure our paths may have crossed. I ran a dozer building LZs and FBs all over Central Highlands.
Posted 5 OCT 2014
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Edwin Frank Golinski Lesperance
C Company, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion
I was with Charlie Company, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion for all of 1968. I was 12B30, Combat Demolition Specialist. We were all over the Central Highlands, and even in Cambodia and Laos on the Ho Chi Minh Trail around Thanksgiving. I spent time in Pleiku, Duc Pho, LZ Baldy, Kontum, Dak To, Polei Kleng, and a whole bunch of numbered fire-bases and Landing Zones in the Central Highlands. We laid airfields of PSP, blew fields of fire and did a lot of minesweeps. I’m in touch with some of my battle buddies and looking for the rest.
See some photos from his tour here.
OPERATION TOLLROAD
4TH ENGINEERS INTERDICT TRAFFIC DOWN THE HO CHI MINH TRAIL
In November 1968, Alpha Company and Charlie Company, 4th Engineers,
accompanied infantry units of the 4th Infantry Division on "Operation Tollroad,"
designed to deter traffic down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Deployed from Polei Kleng,
the operation was completed in two legs; the first team started near the Ia
Drang Valley, moving into Cambodia on the Trail then North until crossing into
Laos. There they were relieved by the second team which continued North until 1
December 1968. The operation blew bunkers, constructed abatis and performed
other deterrent actions along the Trail.
The following documents were obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration.
========================================================
Two After Action Reports:
========================================================
Reporting Officer : CPT William E. Traubel
TO: Commanding Officer
4th Engineer Battalion
ATTN: S-3
Subject: Combat Engineer Operations After Actions Report - 4 December 1968
Dates of Operation Tollroad (North): 25 November - 30 November 1968
VIC: YB 746030 - YB 757010
========================================================
Headquarters 4th Engineer Battalion
Reporting Officer: LTC Elvin R. Heiberg III, Division Engineer
TO: Commanding General
4th Infantry Division
ATTN: AVDDH-GC
Subject: OPERATION TOLLROAD Plei Trap Valley, NVA Road - 10 December 1968
Dates of Operation Tollroad: 25 November - 1 December 1968
Location: NVA Road vic YB 726078 - YB 747922
========================================================
Topographical Map of Operation Tollroad.
Aerial Photo of the Results of Operation Tollroad.
========================================================
Click image to view to these documents.
Posted 27 APR 2015
If you want to make contact with me, use the Swamp_Fox address at the bottom of the page and it will be forwarded to me.
SSG Gilbert Turner, Jr.
HHC, 4th Engineer Bn
Hi, my name is
Brittany Lisson. I am not sure what to do or how to go about doing this,
so I will just let you know what I am looking for, and maybe you could
point me in the right direction.
We are looking for anyone who
may have served with my grandfather, SSG Gilbert Turner Jr. He was Staff
Sergeant
HHC, 4TH ENG BN, 4TH INF DIV, USARV
Army of the United
States
He was a 12B - Combat Engineer. (I am not very good with the
terms, so I copied this part)
In letters he had written to my great
grandparents, he talks about different positions he did. We do know he
was in Pleiku, Camp Enari in 68-69. He passed away in Sept 1969 in Ia
Bang Lake. His death is questionable. None of the accounts make sense,
and are all different. Nothing we could do about that at this point, but
are really interested in learning more about him as a man, and soldier.
Any help you could offer would be amazing!
Thank you so much,
Brittany Lisson
The wall lists 09/06/1969 as date of death and
cause as drowned or suffocated in Pleiku.
Posted 3 NOV
2013
If you can help fill the details of his service
in Vietnam, email me at the Swamp_Fox address at the bottom of the page
and I will forward it to them.
Jose M. Herrera
HHC, 4th Engineer Bn.
I was drafted out of Oakland, basic training in Fort Ord, joined the 4th Inf Div out of basic, spent about nine months in Seattle and then we were shipped, by troop carrier to Viet Nam, where I spent the last nine to eleven months in the Central Highland region near Pleiku, during 1966 and 1967. I am just trying to connect with anyone from this time period to see who, if anyone is still around.
Posted 15 NOV 2012
Contact me and I will forward your email to him.
SSG Dan Sivits
A Company, 4th Engineer Battalion
A veteran of the Vietnam war was with A Company, 4th Engineer
Battalion, 4th Infantry Division from June of 67 to June of 68. He was at
Dak To when the ammo dump went up during Tet of 68. He cleared the flight line
with his dozer and has really been focused on this event for the past couple
of years. He really wants to try and get back in contact with some of his
brothers. He had monkey named Sherrie. Jarvis and Dunniagian were at Dak
To with him A Company, 4th Engineer Battalion in 67/68.
Contact me and I will forward your
email to Dan.
Doug Munson
4th Engineer Battalion
I live in Beaverton Oregon and belong to NWC of the 4th ID. You have done some
great work on your website. I was in A Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Combat,
Vietnam 66-67 ... Vanguard of the 4th ID. I saw a
Sgt from A Company 68-69 post would love to chat if he would like ... you, Top,
anyone else.
Contact me and I will forward your
email to him.
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