Bravo For This Black Lion!

Larry Thompson

I spent the first nine and half to ten months of my tour as a rifleman for Lt. Koch and then Lt. Allen in third platoon.

When I first arrived in Viet Nam, there was Sgt. Eagle, who I believe was the platoon sgt., but am not sure. I can't remember who was after him, but Sgt. Gilbert was our platoon sgt. for the remainder of the time.

I don't remember these two sargents at this time, but will try to look through some old photos to refresh my memory.

Other than Frank [Holzworth], I served with Bill Wilson, Wayne (Dusty) Giles and Tony Driver. I do remember Ron Moreno. Dave Geisler, from Des Moines, was one of the cooks. It's just been a long time, I must be getting old.

Dave Geisler, is in Des Moines, Iowa. Another person that was a good friend during the war was Wayne Giles. I was going through Knoxville about twenty years ago and met up with him. I know Wayne was struggling physically at that time, but have not been back to Knoxville since.

Captain Turner was the company commander of B Company during my tour. My best story about Captain Turner had do with our company protecting an ARVN camp with a special forces as their commander.

We were not allowed in their compound so were told to dig fox holes around the perimeter. My partner was a Japanes fellow named Shigamura, known as Sugar.

Captain Turner placed Sugar and myself in a bunch of flowers. We started to dig a fox hole when this major came out and told us we were destroying his flower garden.

The major moved us about a hundred feet in front of everyone else so we wouldn't destroy any flowers. Captain Turner came out to find out why we had moved. Sugar and I told him and he moved us back where we were.

This major comes out of the compound again and chewed Sugar and I a new hind end, and moved back out where he wanted us.

Needless to say Captain Turner made the rounds again and found us out by ourselves again. Turner went nuts and told us if the major came out again to give him the following message. "You move my men again and I will kick you ass". We told him, he went back in the compound and we never saw him again.

By the way Shigamura was from Cincinnati. I have tried to find him several times but could find no one with that name in the phone directories.

After the 9-1/2 - 10 months my brother was sent to Da Nang, so I was removed from front line duty. During the last couple months I worked in the company EM club and then when Morrow was wounded he was moved into the club and I became a company carpenter. If you recall the company communications bunker, I built it.

Regarding Lt. Bracey, my first contact with him was the day I arrived at Ft. Jackson, SC for basic. Lt. Bracey was in charge of recruits. The entire group arrived late due to our airplane being forced down in a storm.

You can imagine the pleasure a 2nd Lt. had being called out of bed in the middle of the night to welcome a bunch of recruits.[editors note: I thought that was what sergeants were for! ]

As for what I've done since returning. My family and I have lived in Ohio for the biggest part of the time. After using the GI Bill to go to college, I worked in an engineering department for a few years and then moved into sales. I now work in Mansfield, OH for the Gorman-Rupp Company.

My wife and I have two daughters and four grand-children. We spend a lot of time with the kids.

Larry Thompson

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