Convoy Officer

54th Transportation Bn.
By Stephen Voorhies with pictures of Camp Addison
I got into the army via ROTC at LSU. After graduation in 67, attended Transportation Officer Basic Course at Ft. Eustis then was assigned to Ft. Polk until ordered to Nam in Sept 68.

I spent a month in convoy training at Cam Ranh, until assigned to 54th Bn. in Cha Rang (Quin Nhon) in Oct 68.

The general tasks of a convoy officer was to enter the Yard a 5 am, and run the daily spin to Pleiku and try to get back before dark, hoping not to have to spend the night at an armed bridge (there were 20 of them).

I ran convoys daily to Pleiku 90%. Bong song, Duc Pho, and Tuy Hoa 10%.

Convoy operations were 7 days a week until April 69 when I was reassigned to the 545 trans in Tuy Hoa a ship offloading operation.

 


 
The protector in the back of the jeep was a casual assignment. I had a different one every day

The guys were checking out just how armor plating on our vehicles worked.
Sgt Spears, Truckmaster of the 512th .He was giving me general support much appreciated,\.

Guntrucks

Guntrucks 1 per 10 5ton trucks.
 


 
Deuce guntrucks belonged to  the 666th trans, the only anti 5 ton outfit of the 54th Bn. Deuce guntrucks did their job faithfully.
 

Convoy Initiation, 7AM across highway from Camp Addison



Convoys

Hazardous areas. Definitely ambush alley west of An Khe to the Mang Yang pass

 


On the "Eve of Destruction"
Pleiku

I extended for 2 years,,became Captain, was the Transportation Officer at Edgewood Arsenal, MD (Aberdeen Proving Grounds), departed the military due to the big RIF in Sept 71.

After leaving the military ion 9-71, I was hired by Roadway Express, and worked in Trucking management for them and various other deregulated bankrupt truckers until 1986  when I started my own business in bookbinding( Plastikoil of Oklahoma) Tulsa OK. I have personally bound 1 million books in the 18 years I've been in business. Now I'm ready to retire.   SS starts for me next week.

Addendum: 2 of my fellow 523 personnel were kia on  2-23-1969  during a night convoy operation between Quin Nhon and Camp Addison.I found 2 personal (1st Log Binh Dinh prov) listed as Kia on that  date  on the wall site they were Pvt. Howard Biesantz ,and Sgt Robert Lee.