Looking for A-104 team members

[mfairlie]

Looking for (or info) on A-104 team members:
Larry J. Lyle, Dave Gaddis, John Lewis, Gallagher, Dumay, Terry l. Clevinger,
Buddha, dead spider.

Michael Fairlie
mfairlie@msn.com

[slcraig]

Looking for (or info) on A-104 team members:
Larry J. Lyle, Dave Gaddis, John Lewis, Gallagher, Dumay, Terry l. Clevinger,
Buddha, dead spider.

Michael Fairlie
mfairlie@msn.com

Dead Spider reporting in, BacSi...can get you Gallaher's email address if you like.

[mfairlie]

Outstanding! Are you driving trains in Austalia? Had Clevinger's email address but it has gone silent. I am posting here in hopes that it may shake out some others. Will send you team photo and aerial of camp by your email. I am in Eastern Nebraska have been since late 70's, worked in Afghanistan 73-76 right in the middle of what is now Taliban land, place called Lash Kar Gha in Helmand province.

Bloody Butcher

[dragon]

I'm not on your list but I was in Ha Than as the CAPO from 7/69 to12/69 when Gaddis was Team SGT; call sign dragon.

Steve Morin

[mfairlie]

That is right when I left; who did you replace? I was the senior medic and Lewis was junior medic.
The list was only names I could remember and some that Clevinger had sent me. After 38 years I have a hard time remembering everyone.
I am kind of hoping that this might shake some names out of trees and lead to some type of A104 gathering from both Son Ha and Ha thanh before we are are all dead or to infirm to move or care. If nothing else it might serve as a cyber list of those who were there.

Fairlie

[dragon]

I have the same problem; I can only remember a few names like Joe Vargas -demo-man who got stuck at the Company compound and finally convinced the Air Force to let him jump into camp - on the day the new, leg Group CO was visiting. He had to hide in the dispensary until the brass left. (There's a picture of him in the book Special Forces at War wearing his parachute and beret -he left his steel pot in camp. There is also a picture of the unfortunate cow who made the free-fall jump during the food drop.)

I remember you, if it was you, treating the poor villager who was trying to extract salvageable metal from the live mortar round.

[dragon]

I'll try this again, my last reply got sent to Mars.

I have the same problem remembering names. I think Hunter was the CO when I arrived followed by James McClam. I do recal Joe Vargas, the demo-man who's hot peppers made the Yards cry. I do have a photo of the fringes of a MedCap, nothing of the real work just the PR that went on around it. Let's hope it loads.

[WCH]

Steve Sherman has a list of A-104 team members posted on his site.

http://www.specialforcesbooks.com/A104.htm

[mfairlie]

Thanks, I had completely forgotten about that web site. Still interested in seeing who we stir up here.

Fairlie

[Paul H. Jung]

Looking for (or info) on A-104 team members:
Larry J. Lyle, Dave Gaddis, John Lewis, Gallagher, Dumay, Terry l. Clevinger,
Buddha, dead spider.

Michael Fairlie
mfairlie@msn.com

Michael: Stumbled upon your message and wanted to check in......even if a year has passed since your initial post. I was attached to the A-104 team from late May, 1969 through most of December, 1969, as the MACV TM 17 Phoenix coordinator. Bob Hunter was the medic when I first arrived. If my memory is up to speed, I recall you as his tall, blond haired replacement wearing an eye patch over an injured eye for a few weeks. Is that accurate, or am I thinking about someone else? I noted Steve Morin's input and recall him quite well......he carried a heavy thompson on his first patrol. Cpt Hunter (Peanuts)was the CO when I arrived and Lt. Enrique Vargas was his XO. Jim McClam started out at Ha Thanh as Capt Hunter's next XO and then took over as CO after Capt Hunter left. Rich Dumay returned to Ha Thanh a few months after my arrival with his wounds healed. Phil Jacques (Blackjack) was also a radio man on site when I arrived. I shared a bunker with Joe Vargas near the end of my stay at camp (he wrote our names in the fresh concrete on top of that bunker after the pour). Dave Gaddis (Mr. Clean) was the TOP and was eventually replaced by Larry Lyle. Gary Williams (Black Label), a fellow Minnesotan, was also at A-104 at that time. SFC Juan Medina was the weapons man during the early part of my stay. I was still at Ha Thanh when Clevinger arrived to take over the radio operator duties. I have very fond memories from my days at Ha Thanh and appreciated how well I was treated by the SF team members! It would be a gas to meet with some of those team members and share stories. I have attempted to locate Phil Jacques without success. I'd appreciate any info about his location.

Warm Regards,

Paul Jung (Green Louie)
[email] paul.jung46@gmail.com

[mfairlie]

Phil, the tall blonde medic was John Lewis from Arizona. I was the short blonde
E-6 medic. McClam was CO while I was there and Larry Lyle was Team Sgt. Gaddis was heavy weapons as I remember. Were you there when the Sea Bee team was working on the runway? The infamous live(soon dead) cow drop? Martha Rays visit?
Go the Gia Vuc website and look in I corp Ha Thanh and you will the start of the A-104 page.
I will include you in my email list for A-104 stuff.

mfairlie@msn.com

[mfairlie]

Paul, as you know I have contacted you directly. For others, they might want to check out the Gia Vuc web site where Jean Luc has graciously started to do a page for Ha Thanh A-104.
Other A-104 team members please contact me at:

mfairlie@msn.com

[mfairlie]

If someone reading this has active contact with General Shelton, would they please inform him that an active webpage for A104 Ha Thanh is being built by Jean Luc on the Gia Vuc website.
Perhaps he has something he would like to share from his assignment there as Team CO.

Michael Fairlie

[mfairlie]

Jean Luc has posted quite a few new photos to the A-104 Ha Thanh webpage hosted by the GiaVuc.com website.
We have members in contact now from as early as Jan 66 period. Camp was moved in 65 from old location at other point in the Ha Thanh area but, we have no contact or input from TDY Teams from ARO/ SON HA era. Anybody from that period, your information, photos etc. would be most welcome.
The webpage is growing and we hope that other stragglers will make it to the rally point:
mfairlie@msn.com and/or giavuc@tiscali.co.uk (Jean Luc)

[mfairlie]

Does anyone have any knowldege of when and by whom the airstrip at A-104 Ha Thanh was built?
Also, does anyone know if there was another airstrip for A Ro / Son Ha at the old location?

Michael J. Fairlie

[mfairlie]

Looking for information about A-104 full or split team having been assigned to Hue in early to mid 60's. I was sent a copy of a patch that somebody had made for A-104 at Hue. I will be happy to forward an image of the patch to those who would like to see it.
Just trying to get info on one of those little assignment mysteries from RVN..

mfairlie@msn.com

[Ivan Davis]

I was assigned to A104 as a radio operator from Nov. 1967 thru Aug. 1968. Capt. Gesregan was CO, Banze Eagel was XO, James Dupe-Team Sgt, replaced by Thaddus Sosniak; Jim Duke, radio; Mel Thornton, medic; Juan Medina, weapons; Ed Gleason, weapons; Dumas, Medic;,
This was with the old camp. The new team house was under construction when I moved back to C team and then to the Mike Force, Danang.
Ivan Davis

[mfairlie]

Ivan, there is a group of us who were assigned to A104 during its existence who have been getting in touch via email and the Gia-Vuc , Ha Thanh web page. This webpage is managed and built by Jean Luc D., who has done a great job of pulling our old photos etc together. You might want to take a look. During Christmas there is even a photo and link to the "Santa Bou".
Drop me an email mfairlie@msn.com and I will get you hooked up with the group.

Michael Fairlie

[mfairlie]

Just a heads up that Jean Luc has added a temporary page for Christmas on the Gia Vuc- Ha Thanh website. It has some stories from Christmas in Nam and a link to the Santa Bou. the hot link is:

http://www.gia-vuc.com/ateamxmas.htm

Mery Christmas
Michael Fairlie

[Ivan Davis]

Mike, I would appreciate if you could keep me in the loop on A104. Have found a few individuals who I served with.
Ivan

[mfairlie]

Ivan, please send me your email address so I can put you on the mailing list.

mfairlie@msn.com

this would then get you immediately in the loop

Thanks

Fairlie

[mfairlie]

Another check in to our group. Skip Anders who was XO in 69-70 era contacted me today. Anybody else? The list is slowly growing.

Fairlie

[sanders]

Bacsi Mike:
Been looking at the team photo from late 1970 that you sent - also on the gia-vuc site. I believe the unidentified guy standing next to CPT Morrison in the back row is 1LT Melvin Brumfield. I knew Brumfield (IOBC) from Ft. Benning and SFOC at Bragg. He was originally assigned to SOG, then Group HQ, then came out to A-104 to be the XO when I was moved into the C-Team in DaNang. I don't think he spent much time on the team. As I remember, he was originally an NG officer that got activated for the war. In civilian life he was a cop in Kansas City. He may have gone back there after the war.
Regards,
Skip

[mfairlie]

I think you may be correct. I will forward your post to the group and see if there is consensus

Fairlie