While serving in Vietnam I worked with a lot of interesting people. I worked most intensively with the officers and enlisted men of the 4th Administration Company.

Here are some of them:

Captain Long:  Captain Long was the 4th Admin Co company commander when I got to Vietnam. He had been in a combat unit before being assigned to the 4th Admin Co. Once we were assigned to do a sweep of the central highlands during the day. Captain Long stepped on a punji stick while we were out. He was medically evacuated and received a purple heart. Captain Long always seemed like a good person.

Captain Carleton Eck:  Captain Eck became company commander when Captain Long left.  He was a great CO.  Once all of the officers in the company were in a jeep traveling to a meeting at the Division Support Command Headquarters. I think there were 5 or 6 of us in the jeep. We were over the limit of how many could be in a jeep. A military policeman stopped us and cited us for the infraction. We got into some trouble with DISCOM headquarters.

Major McNiff: Major McNiff took over as company commander while I was in the 4th Admin Co.  He was definitely stiffer and more aloof.  He always seemed to be looking over his shoulder at commanders who might be watching him instead of focusing on doing the right thing.  I think Major McNiff was still the company commander when I left.

Lt. Southworth:  He was the executive officer when I came to the company.  He had been a tank commander in combat before being assigned as Ex O for the 4th Admin Co. He had pictures of and told stories about atrocities committed by United States Army tank units in the field. He had pictures of U.S. soldiers torturing Vietnamese civilians by tying them to tank tracks and driving around. He was a really good guy. He said he was going to expose U.S. atrocities when he went back to the United States.  He refused to salute superior officers with a proper salute. He left to go back to the United States not long after I got there.

Lt. Pete Ozols:  Pete was the supply officer when I arrived. I took his place, so we were not there together for very long.  I really didn't get to know him very well.

Lt. Arden Kelly:  'Art' arrived in Vietnam about the same time I did.  He was a transportation officer.  He became the 4th Admin Co's transportation officer and was in charge of the big motor pool.  He was from Macon, Georgia.  He was a great guy.

Captain Barninger:  Captain Barninger became Executive Officer part way through the time I was in the 4th Admin Co.  He was a good guy.  Once sometime during my tour Captain Barninger and I were assigned to be defense counsel for a soldier who had been accused of marijuana use.  It seems there was a lot of marijuana use in Vietnam.  We did work for the accused soldier, but we failed.  He was accused and convicted in a military court.

Another soldier who worked in the supply room with me was James Barkley. He really did the work in the supply room. He was in Vietnam for a long time. James epitomized the motto of the 4th Infantry Division:  Steadfast and Loyal. Here is a picture of James. He saw this site and called me - then sent me some pictures. Here he is with his dog on patrol.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been exchanging e-mails with James Barkley since May of 2004. He remembers quite a few details about the 4th Admin Company that I don't really remember. He was there for 424 days.

He tells this story about LT Crisp from the Replacement Detachment.  James came to have a very high regard for Lt. Crisp. 
Here is a quote from James:
The dogs nose & his smart kept us alive.  A chopper pilot informed us that we were being followed by a 50-60 man VC unit.  His idea of not keeping to the preset course that the VC knew & that dog's nose kept us from walking into an ambush. He had called in & asked to alter course - that request was denied.  He decided to keep several hundred yards away from  the preset course - close but not too close. I hung with him the rest of my tour. 
Here James is writing about me and a couple of other people in our unit:
I remembered your full name because I typed your signature block so often.  I have a good memory except for not being able to remember the proper name of "the Old Ranger."  I even remembered Lt Southworth's full name.
Click here to read Barkley's full story.

The 'Old Ranger' James refers to there was the First Sergeant in the 4th Admin Company for awhile when we were both there.