Falcon Logo used Courtesy of Jim Bowers, 77th FA Assn.

Mike Watkins' 6/77 FA, '67 - '68 Album

6/77 FA Veteran Mike watkins took some awesome pictures during his tour with the 77th FA, Which in like many of us, started with a State Side Assignment to a Unit "Training for Deployment to Vietnam, Republic of". Like me, in his case, it was the 6/77FA (105T). and travelled Vung Tau by air, and convoy to Cu-Chi. we were initially assigned to IIFFV, attached to the 25th Div, (there has been some controversy about that between the authors of the 25th Infantry Division Association web page, but may be resolved soon.)

Patience. Some of the full sized pics linked to
the thumbnails are large files and will take a few seconds to load


These pictures are The property of Mike Watkins. Very Grateful Thanks, Mike for permission to use them. More are coming.

Mike informed me the album covers roughly
the arrival till his ETS date,just about the time TET started Jan 31st 1968

You may feel free to download them for PERSONAL, non-commercial use only.

|Ft. Lewis | The Cruise | Bear Cat | Convoy to Dau - Tieng | Building Dau - Tieng |
General, Arty OPS |Battle of Soui - Tre | A/2/12Inf. Warriors on SouiTre | FSB BURT |
Alpha 2/12 Viet Safari Photos |Tet @ Dau - Tieng | HOME | Life as an FO's Rto |
|Who are these Guys? | Alpha Battery Album '68 | A/2/12Inf. @ Home |
| A/2/12 "Thunder Road Mission" | Uptight 2/77FA & Cambodia '70 |

Nui Bha Den fm FDC TayNinh.
We were told VC owned it except a small
Marine base at the Summit.
At night it bristled with artillery fire.
B677guncrew
View of FDC bunker at Tay Ninh
under construction by local villagers
FDCbunkerTayNinh

Battrey living qtrs and showers
Tay Ninh 67
B btry HQ tent, tay ninh 67
View of B Battery position at Tay Ninh
looking toward guns from FDC.
Personnel bunk tent visible at left.
B battery position at Tay Ninh.
Taken from roof of FDC bunker
(under construction - note worker at left.)

Shows Graves Registration (GR) (Military mortuary) across road from B Battery position
at Tay Ninh. Lt. Michael Stone (?) at bottom right.
Tay Ninh battery area
That looks like a latrine
to the R of the water trailer
Bleck
Tay Ninh 67. Note the trooper by the
jeep trailer
I love this one. US Army Units
of that era painted ONLY their unit
assigned to on their bumpers.
I'm hoping the 25th IDA will realize
that the unit was ASSIGNED
to the 25 at first. THAT is why
they had us put the "Electric Strawberry"
on our uniforms.....

One of the gun positions at Tay Ninh.
Visible is a typical gun crew bunker
for sleeping (when they could) and protection
during "incoming".
Bell light observation helicopter on the GR
pad across from FDC at Tay Ninh.
Most fire missions came from these air craft.
Rainy Day at Tay Ninh
Tay Ninh.Huey on GR pad across the road from B Battery.

Huey on landing pad at GR - Tay Ninh. Nuy Ba Dinh mountain in background
Tay Ninh GR pad.Copter take-offs could
raise a storm of dust and we were always covered with sweat!
Huey departing GR at Tay Ninh
- "Eagle Flight"dozens of Hueys departing
Tay Ninh with a battalian of Infantry
to be dropped somewhere for a "sweep".
Probably 4/9 "Manchus", or the 2/14"Golden Dragons"

Another view of Eagle Flight departing Tay Ninh.
Eagle Flight departing Tay Ninh. Note foot of Nui Ba Dinh at lower right covered in cloud.
Tay Ninh.Early morning view of Nui Ba Dinh blanketed with cloud.
SP5 Mike Watkins(FDC)at Tay Ninh. Nui Bau Din
mountain in background

Convoy Hwys 22 and 1 Tay Ninh - Trun Lap.
ARVN defensive bunker at edge of village.
Note South Vietnamese flag..36
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap Children selling candy(?) alongside road.
Note rice paddy and water buffalo in background.27
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Typical Vietnamese civilian buildings.23
Convoy-sameRoute-JohnsonDrivg-HelerMid-RLt.Stone37

Beautiful Rice paddies28
Villagers on outskirts of Tay Ninh.
Maybe a Temple in background..34
More villagers and buildings.
The one on the right is bombed out...35
Coffins Probly mean a Viet Mortuary..31

Looks like this vill's Square with villagers. Paddies in background..33
Buffalo eyeing Mom and her Chicks32
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Some duce-and-a-halfs towing the 105s,
some ammo trailers..29
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1from Tay Ninh to Trun Lap. More rice paddies. In some ways it was a
beautiful country.26

Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Typical Vietnamese civilian buildings.
Note ox cart; used like a pickup truck..25
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Typical Vietnamese civilian buildings.
Note children with scant, if any, clothing...30
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Typical Vietnamese civilian buildings.
Ditch along side of road served as a sewer.
Note ox carts (used daily).24
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. M-48 tank provides security at edge of Village

Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Another village square. Sign appears to say "Chi On".
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Burial Vault. Above-ground burials were common because of the high water table.
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to Trun Lap. Working the rice paddies
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Ox cart pulled over to let us pass.
They are used as a pickup truck in rural Vietnam25

Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. More ox carts.
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Highway 1 through a medium-sized village. Note the guys at left. Black pajamas and
pith helmets. Hmmmm
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Typical Vietnamese civilian buildings.
This one looks like a sewing shop.
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Village corner. Sandwich set-up on sidewalk doing a brisk business. Note ARVN
soldiers in street at right.

Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Typical Vietnamese civilian buildings.
Looking down side street in good-sized village.
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Village gas station. Small vehicles shown
were typical civilian transportation between villages.
Convoy along Hwys 22 and 1 from Tay Ninh to
Trun Lap. Typical Vietnamese civilian
buildings. Note many South Vietnamese flags.
Entrance to Trung Lap ARVN base. We set up our FSB adjacent to them.

ARVN soldiers' children gathered next to our FSB at Trung Lap.
They wanted candy, canned goods, etc.
Trung Lap. Shot of one of the guns during a high-angle mission.
Trung Lap. Another shot of high-angle mission.
Two guns typically "adjusted" while
remaining guns followed the settings until
the FO was satisfied. Then all guns fired.
Trung Lap high-angle mission. Fire for effect!
Career sergeant at left looks bored.

Trung Lap. Off-duty time for some FDC members.
From front left, Brian Fields, Jake Heltzer.
Don't remember the other three but the faces are familiar.
Trung Lap fire mission. High-angle fire was typically used
for targets buried in holes and trenches (rice, ammo, etc.)
The rounds coming straight down were more effective
on below-ground targets.
Trung Lap. Shot of FDC chief computer
Sgt. Mike Watkins. Note laundry at left.
ARVN ranger base at rear.
Trung Lap ARVN Ranger base. Shot of wounded
Viet Cong. (Photo by Capt. E. Lavasseur).
Cong rolled a bicycle bomb into a departing patrol
and was then shot with a BAR.

Trung Lap fire mission. All guns firing multiple rounds "for effect".
Follow-up shot of gun crew firing for effect.
Note in other guns in battery firing in unison.
Firing for effect. Gun crew member tosses spent 105 brass aside.
FDC - Mike Watkins

Guess this is a Trooper sitting on FDC.
FDC chief computer Sgt. Watkins
Air strip at Cu Chi. Note "Tropic Lightning" Insignia on tails.
Another shot of the Cu Chi airfield - early morning.