In 1967 I was a upper-division journalism student at San Diego State University and I worked as a photographer for the local newspaper, the Vista Press. Early in 1968 I enlisted in the US Army with the guarantees of photo school and a job as a photographer. In April I went to Fort Ord, California for basic training, In July I started still photo school at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey. I finished number one in my class of 20. I was offered an instructors position there, but orders to Vietnam for my entire class overruled that.

I served as a photographer with the First Cavalry Division from November 1968 to November 1969, mostly based at the division Information Office at Phuoc Vinh as photo coordinator. I also had field time with 2nd brigade based at Lai Khe. I was in a unique position to photograph almost all the varied operations of the division, from LRRPs to Engineers to aircraft maintenance, and visit many of the divisions III Corps fire support bases and other locations from Bu Dop to Bearcat, to the top of Nui Ba Den.

Many of my photos appeared in the 1st Cav weekly newspaper "The Cavalair", the quarterly magazine "The First Team". Some appeared in The MACV Observer, The USARV Reporter, and Pacific Stars & Stripes.

Looking back on this time, it was the "fine tuning" of the airmobile warfare concept with the 1st Cav. It became more and more successful, resulting in the huge success of the Cambodian incursion in May of 1970. That operation should have been done much sooner. It would have prevented countless American and ARVN Casualties. The NVA would come from their sanctuaries in Cambodia, hit American and ARVN bases, return to Cambodia, rearm and regroup, then do the same thing again a month later.

This is my personal batch of anecdotes with photos and material from publications I have saved. Read about some of the things I experienced, photographed, and some of the places I went with my comments in My Story>.

In 1970 the First Cavalry Division under very capable direction of Information Officer Major J. D. Coleman produced a large yearbook style volume (10x12 in. 300 pages) documenting the 1st Cav history in Vietnam from August 1965 to December 1969, over 50 of my photos were used in this volume.