Blog (170) posted on July 24, 2008
Picture provided by Neola Kofoid Garbe:

I forgot to ask if anyone would be interested in having this picture.

Hi Gary,

I’m busy sorting/scanning/saving/sending courthouse pictures.

I don’t know where/why this picture was taken, but I recognize some of the people as being from the Dunseith area: Clarence/Helen Christianson Bye, Clarence/Alvina Brudwick Christianson, Clifford/Alma Christianson Halvorson, Clifford/Alice Lindberg McKay, Lester/Dorothy Halvorson, Mr./Mrs. Medlang, Art Rude.  I’m sure many of those in your “lists” know all the people in the picture, so I don’t need to know who they are. 

I have the Dunseith/Belcourt graduation pictures on my mind, too.  When I get more of them sorted, I thought maybe I would put them in a box/boxes and take them to Dale’s/some other place in Dunseith on a certain day/time.  You could send the day/time to your lists, and anyone who thinks they might have relatives/friends included, can show up and look through the boxes.  I was also thinking I would send a list of the names that are on the backs of the pictures (to you, so you can send them to your lists), so people have an idea whose pictures are in the boxes.  What do you think of this idea?  It will take me awhile, as I have pictures on almost all surfaces in my apartment, except one chair in the kitchen/my recliner/bed/computer chair.  I love this project, but it is definitely time-consuming.  I also have pictures I’m delivering in Bottineau.  I would LOVE to go to the courthouse again, but I don’t dare–I don’t have room for more pictures!

Neola

Folks, What was the occasion of this photo. Many of you are in this picture. Stan Solmonson, I see you standing in the back.  I also recognize Don Johnson sitting to the left in front.

Can any one identify those in this picture? I will resend this out with names when we have everyone identified.  Gary

Ele Dietrich Slyter’s (69)reply to the Amie DesRaches Family: 

Hi Gary, Thought I’d send these pictures of Rodney and Lyle . Rodney was stationed in Vienam and Lyle was in Germany.

                    Robney Lagerquist (67)

                          Lyle Lagerquist (68)

Viet Nam Pictures & message from Kenny Nerpel (65): 

Turtle Mountain Americans,

Regarding Gary’s Vietnam photo: Gary Wall and Gary Stokes

Wow, those are some strack troops (ideal in military dress, demeanor and
bearing). Notice the bloused boots and clean uniforms. I think I
remember using something called boot blousers when we were in basic and
AIT to get that clean professional look, but I never saw anything like
that in Vietnam. Where did you get them anyway? Where I was we got clean
uniforms in bulk every two to three weeks, whether we needed them or
not. Sometimes they came in by convoy; other times they just dropped
them out a chopper and then it was a mad scramble to try to find
something near the correct size.

The attached photos (Trang Bang, The Road and The Road2) are of members
of my platoon while on road security (it looks like blue ribbon was the
beverage of choice back then) and of Vietnamese soldiers (White Mice)
searching through the belongings of people wanting to use the road. All
photos except the the one taken from the air were taken the same day
along the dirt road Six Alpha, which connected the village of Trang Bang
with FSB (Fire Support Base) Pershing. The brown-uniformed guys are
South Vietnamese police called white mice; the nickname came from their
uniforms and I think that they sometimes wore white helmets and gloves.
The photo from the air is of a small fire base (Dees) taken from an
approaching helicopter. The smoke indicates where they want the chopper
to land.

It’s been about forty years now, so maybe it’s time for a Vietnam story:
The Road

Highway 1 was a paved highway out of Saigon (Ho Ci Minh City) running
through Cu Chi, Trang Bang and on towards Tay Ninh. It proceeded
northwest about 15 miles to the city of Cu Chi and then it was about 8
miles farther to Trang Bang. Near Trang Bang was a bridge and FSB
Stuart. The road where these pictures were taken was the dirt road Six
Alpha, a secondary road leading from Trang Bang north to FSB Pershing
then on to the Saigon River. The Vietnamese fellow (Wine Maker) visiting
with the troops lived along this road and made some of the worst rice
wine that has ever been made. He was always more than willing to share
some of it with us and we were willing to partake. We figured what are
they going to do to us anyway? Send us to Vietnam? This road was a
supply route and had to be patrolled to protect the convoys supplying
FSB Pershing about 4 to 5 miles up the road from FSB Stuart. Daily
convoys from Cu Chi took this route and required heavy security because
of constant mining of the road and harassment of the convoys by the VC.
Road security was welcome duty. It afforded the opportunity to mingle
with the locals and it was a break from the other duties of the
infantryman. Even though considered good duty it was not without danger.
On one of my first assignments to road security I remember saying, “this
isn’t so bad.” On that day we were providing security for the
minesweepers, which involved patrolling both sides of the road while the
engineers went down the middle sweeping for land mines. I happened to be
the closest to an engineer when a mine was discovered. I took a seat on
the shoulder of the road while the engineer proceeded to dig the mine
out. Suddenly there was a deafening explosion. The mine had been
triggered. I looked up and saw huge chunks of earth flying up and then
dropping back towards the ground. Another member of the platoon who had
been “in country” for awhile came over to me to see if I had been
injured and when I said I had not, he remarked, “I think you should help
look for the body parts. I always do because if this happens to one of
my friends, I think it would make it easier for me to help bag up the
body.”

Welcome to Vietnam!

Kenny