After Dark

nobody@ipernity.com (Joel Dinda) — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 18:02:55 +0000

Pleiku, Republic of Vietnam, 1971.

The near door is Ward 1 of the 71st Evacuation Hospital. The ward was being used as a barracks by the time I arrived, and is where I lived for most of my tour. The entry to Ward 2, also a barracks housing our operation, is at the other light. As you can see, the place wasn't really well-lit.

Steve Streeper left me a note a few weeks back remarking on all the weeds which grew up after the medicos ceded the buildings to us signal folks. You can see some of those weeds growing atop the blast wall (which protected the building from stray 122 rockets). When I arrived, merely six months after Steve left, the weeds had already taken possession of the place....

Wards 1 & 2

nobody@ipernity.com (Joel Dinda) — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 05:56:24 +0000

Joel Dinda has posted:

The covered walkway between the "front" doors of Wards 1 and 2, 71st Evacuation Hospital, Pleiku, Republic of Vietnam. This photo was taken from the entryway of Ward 2. (Last week's Vietnam photo showed the "back" doors of the same buildings.)

By the time I arrived in Pleiku, these wards had been converted (ha!) to barracks and Signal Support Detachment Pleiku (or Company A, 146th Signal in another incarnation) had taken up residence. I originally lived in Ward 2, in a "room" I shared with several others; around the middle of my tour I moved into Ward 1 and shared a more private room with Sgt Curtis Alford, who was Duty NCO to my Trick Chief (Shift Supervisor) on what was usually the night shift.

Once again you can see the substantial blast walls which protected us from incoming rockets.

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After Dark

Wards 1 & 2