PART 1
Lt Dale Carlsen, Commanding Officer, and SSG Travis Grisson, First Sergeant
The early days required much construction work
Directing and coordinating the operations and training of the Battalion and providing supply and maintenance support for the Battalion are the missions of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment. Working in various sections with separate support missions, the men of Headquarters Detachment pulled together to accomplish their common goal.
When the troops of Headquarters Detachment move into Di An Base Camp, they found their new home-to-be covered with solid jungle and brush. The initial months were challenging, to say the least. The Headquarters Detachment men cleared literally thousands of square feet of jungle, dug many bunkers, filled an infinite number of sandbags and erectedtents by the score.
The CP established, it now had to be properly defended. Along the southern perimeter the Headquarters troops constructed bunkers for defense positions and installed numerous mines, flares and other defensive weapons. At night the men were frequently called upon to leave the relative security of their base camp to venture out into enemy territory on ambush patrols. They eagerly volunteered for this chance to get some combat time.
Frequently heard over the Battalion area was the piercing whistle of the alert siren. The men of Headquarters Detachment manned their perimeter bunkers in full force, took up positions along Phase Line Duke, and joined the Battalion Reaction Force. Although the enemy had not challenged their defense, the Headquarters troops were always ready.
As the Division moved forward to conduct operations, the Headquarters troops provided round the clock support for the Battalion forward elements. Although removed by distance from the area of the operation, the base camp troops of Headquarters Detachment found themselves equally involved in the operation. With spirit and enthusiasm, the Headquarters men devoted all their efforts toward the support of their comrades in the forward area. At the scene of the action, the talents of the ADSO and maintenance men were taxed to the utmost. Their efforts in support of the Battalion were of vital importance to the success of the communications. It was not all work and no play, however. Volleyball games, evening movies, an occasional party or a relaxing trip to the village helped to break up the demanding days and nights of work. The Headquarters troops soon accepted Dau Tieng, Quan Loi, Minh Thanh and Lai Khe as their "home away from home".
The tropical climate was hard on the equipment and the men of the detachment spent many hours performing maintenance. The mechanics in the motor pool had no easy task keeping the vehicles rolling, but with plenty of hard work and sweat they won out in the battle of man against the elements. In the signal maintenance shop it was difficult to tell whether the detachment repairmen were more tired than the signal equipment that entered their shop, or vice versa. The maintenance men exerted themselves to the maximum to keep the Division in communications. The generator mechanics had an equally demanding task insuring that the Battalion had power to operate its communications equipment. Without the efforts of all the detachment maintenance men, the communications mission could not have been accomplished.
All the men in the detachment, clerks, mechanics, maintenance men, technicians , looked forward to an enjoyable week away from the rigors and demands of daily life. Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei, Hawaii, Tokyo, Manila, and Singapore were the scenes of the well deserved R&R's for the Headquarters troops.
As time passed on, the men of the detachment discovered that Stateside requirements were not to be forgotten in the combat zone. The troops spent many hours preparing fro the Annual General Inspection. The hard work by the detachment paid off as the Inspector General rewarded the men for their efforts with an outstanding rating.
Busy as they were, the days passed quickly for the troops. Nonetheless, 12 months seemed at times to be an eternity and the thoughts of all were on the great day of their return to the States. As they happily boarded that 707 bound for the land of the big PX, the men of Headquarters Detachment, 121st signal Battalion looked back with pride an satisfaction on their accomplishments of the past 12 months.
DSO Section Front: Labruzzo, Smock Rear: Willuweit, Simmons, Degitz
Hq Det Forward Section Front: Anderson, Paris Center: Smock, McMasters, Russell, Bunkelman, Budreau Rear: Simmons, Reeves
Hq Det and S-1 Section Front: Bourque, Rambin Rear: Leader, Bidgood, Greenwood
DISTRA Front: Scanlon, Grove, Metzger, Doucette Rear: Becera, Gruver, Grabowski, Lockhart, Romeri, Anderson
S-4 Section Front: Chaney, Reynolds Rear: Powers, Friday, Golden
Motor Maintenance Front: Willhide, Milam, Bartels, Long, Matthews Rear: Howard, Hickman, Beck, Newell, Rhoden, Edwards
Generator Maintenance Front: Mahan, Nagata, MacCarter, Price Center: Davis, Bunkelman, Gorge, Hopkins, Taylor Rear: Macke, Ellsworth, Dean, Huff
S-3 Section Front: Booker, Cosby, Mott, Shepard Rear: Grissom, Bowers, James, Milbourn
Hq Det Mikula, Bielskis, Lyons, Wantiez
