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520th/537th Personnel Service Company
This page is dedicated to the officers
and men who served with the 520th PSC in Fort Lee, VA and the 537th PSC,
Bien Hoa, Vietnam From September 1966 to April 1968 Click on photos to enlarge The 520th Personnel Service Company (PSC) was activated in September 1966 at Fort Lee, Virginia. Our Commander's name was MAJ Dombroski and my Platoon Leader was 2LT George Dorsett. The unit trained and prepared for deployment through the winter of 1966-67, some of which was at Camp AP Hill in Virginia. I remember it as a harsh winter for Virginia. I recall the old WWII barracks and having to stoke the coal furnace.The unit deployed to Vietnam on April 11, 1967 aboard the USNS Gen. John Pope sailing out of Oakland Army Terminal. Our unit deployed at Vung Tau and ultimately joined the 537th PSC in Bien Hoa, Vietnam. Many of the original 520th PSC soldiers were reassigned upon arrival in Vietnam to different units. I was attached to the 90th Replacement Detachment in Long Binh, as the Saigon Support Command liaison representative. My job was to assign all personnel E1-E4 to Saigon Support units in Vietnam. I was later reassigned to the 64th Quartermaster Bn in Long Binh.
Welcome to the 520th/537th PSC, courtesy Stan Rose. June 3, 2008 - Some more photos from Jim Spreng. Click on them to enlarge.
April 24, 2008 - Jim Spreng (537th PSC)
sent me an email today and updated me on some stuff I had lost. Thanks Jim! Am
looking forward to January 13, 2008 - Ray Kennedy contacted me with a link to
photos that all 520th PSC members will appreciate. Here is the link http://www.flickr.com/photos/55129039@N00/sets
June 12, 2007 - Pat Fricke found some great photos and wanted to share them.(click to enlarge)
April 26, 2007 - Received a letter from Roger Hurlbert who lives in Glen Ellen, CA. Roger had interesting information about VA disability payments we may be eligible for under certain circumstances. If you didn't get his letter you might want to email him at Sage1@pacbell.net April 25, 2007 - Received an Email from LT
Kivi Walonen stating that Roger Hurlbert had told him about the web site for the
520th PSC. It was great hearing from him!
A Soldier’s Story It is so terribly odd that such a divisive war such as
Vietnam now unites a band of old soldiers in brotherhood. The mutual respect for
each other is overwhelming. I can’t fully explain it, but the brotherhood
exists for me and for them. Leaving for the war was so
hard for me. It was always so many hard goodbyes. It is so hard to think today
that my going to war happened 40 years ago. But now I have a new group of
friends and brothers, and I would not be able to be with them except for my
going to Nam. My heart and soul are with them. Gary Wakeman calls me often.
He is trying to reach out. He has a battlefield commission as a Captain in the
Army. We share a lot about the war, and I know he is my brother. God knows that
I love the man as a fellow soldier of so long ago. The years have passed, but
the war that divided Americans now
brings fellowship to aging soldiers. The Vietnam Veterans of
Diablo Valley had their Memorial Day Ceremonies on May 28, 2007. I carried the
flag of the State of California in the color guard. There was a great barbeque
for us members only and our families. I was with the boys of yesteryear. Last year on Memorial Day
there was a poignant moment when the old troops had to recite the names of the
fallen soldiers that they knew from Nam. It broke my heart to speak the name and
remember the funeral for Captain Reginald Rod at Holy Name of Jesus Church at
Loyola University in New Orleans. This
year I also recited the name of my dear “Father” Sergeant Major Lemual O.
Ray. He always called me “Son”. War is a terrible thing. It
took away my youth, innocence, and almost my life. But now I take pride in
having been with the troops of yesteryear, and now I am with them once more.
Some of my brothers have come home. But they are not the same anymore and never
will be. But we are united now and together again as we were then. God knows I love the troops. Kivi J. Walonen
A plea for HELP
I recently received an email from Ruth Steffes seeking information about William (Bill) Steffes who was killed in action on 31 Jan 68 while assigned to the 520th PSC. Anyone with information about Bill please contact Ruth. Her email is rmsteffes@astound.net
Photos of mess hall, orderly room, typical hooch and from Left to Right: LT Walonen, CWO Schreier and SGT Ward. (click to enlarge)
Photos of supply room, LT Walonen and others (click to enlarge)
SP5 Bob Raymond - Vietnam/Ft Lee - Bob lives with his wife Judy in Spokane, WA. He has two daughters and 4 grandchildren. Bob retired from the Army as a CWO in 1987.
SP4 Patrick Fricke - Vietnam - EMAIL: phricke@ncats.net Pat lives with his wife Helen in White Cloud, MI. He has 4 boys and 3 grandchildren. His wife Helen who sells Real Estate and Pat retired as a UPS package car driver. Marv Wendt - Fort Lee and Vietnam - EMAIL:marvnjan@iwvisp.com Marv hung out with Bob Dominguez (Domney), George Newman (the generator operator), Bernard Page, (trucker) Dan Casey (the 537th's mail clerk) Bill Hansen (from Chicago). He was transferred to the 6th Army Postal Unit part way thru his tour, and ran the USARV Command Postal Unit in Long Binh. Marv will look for some photos to post to the web page. Thanks Marv and 'welcome home'!
Some file photos of members of the 537th PSC. Left Eric
Rasmussen, Center Tom Mackey and Right Jim Spreng.
If you were a member of the 520th or 537th Pers Svc Co during this time frame please drop me an email with the details |
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Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved, Bob Raymond, W7RJR Last Updated June 3, 2008
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October 23,
2004
