From Travis Skaggs
This was taken at Cobb Bridge.  Gus Mann was from Florida and I think he made it home fine.  Gus started out as a radioman for then Cpl. Ferguson's squad (Ferguson made Sgt. shortly after we fininshed Oklahoma Hills and came to Cobb Bridge).  I remember, while we were on operation Oklahoma Hills, Ferguson giving Gus radioman lessons.  Ferguson would write out what he wanted Gus to learn on the bottom of a C-ration carton and make him read it until he had it down pat.  This took place at the NVA base camp we overran toward the end of the operation.  It  was quite a complex, dozens of bunkers, even had a hospital.  I don't know why they didn't defend it more than they did.  But other than a couple left behind to delay us, and a couple of booby traps they just gave it up.  A Marine in 2nd Platoon named Robert Sunderman from Sioux Falls, SD found a weapon repair shop.  When he opened the door to get a rifle they had left behind he set off a booby trap.  He was peppered up and down his whole body with shrapnel, dozens and dozens of separate wounds.  He recovered from these wounds however.  His platoon commander Lt. Mike Fulkerson told me a while back that he ran into him at Camp LeJeune a little later.

I think Gus was the radioman for the company commander when I left.  Gus never complained, never shirked his duties, and did all that was put before him.

April, 2001.  Made contact with Gus.  He lives in Orlando, FL.
From Ray Rankin
Taken at Hotel Battery, late July 1969.  On the right is LCpl. Donald R. Harris with his hand on his seabag.  He was rotating home as the picture was being taken.  From here it was maybe a half an hour ride to the R&R center where he probably stayed for a couple of days before flying home.  Across the road from the R&R center was Freedom Hill PX.
Harris saw a lot of action.  While he was with the company 2/7 was what was called the "Float Battalion"  This means they had no area of their own but were deployed wherever needed.  I have been told that 2/7 was the most decorated battalion in Vietnam, largely due to the amount of action seen while on the float.
Hotel Battery was an artillery base, there were 5 or 6 105's, if memory serves.  It was located about a mile west of 2/7's headquarters at Dai La pass.  If you crossed the pass and went straight  you would come to Dogpatch where, rumor has it, pleasures of all sorts could be had for a small consideration.  If you turned right after crossing the pass you would come to Division Headquarters and a little further on the R&R center.
George Metzger is in the middle, he would be shot and killed September 9th in the Que Son Mountains.  The Marine on the left is Mills.  We called him Powerhouse because he was always "giving the power."  He was shot in the leg August 23rd in Hiep Duc Valley.  I remember watching him run down the hill some 100-150 yards away sort of hopping on his good leg.
From Doug Mohr
Tom Simmons on the USS Tripoli.  Probably taken in the summer of 1968.
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