Slides Peter Barber

Updated 28 Jan 2025

PB001 – Ron Holmes sitting in a .51 caliber machine gun. I have forgotten the name of the village where this was located. There was a large collection of captured NVA equipment. Being nosy, we decided to look around. I still have a data plate I removed from one.

PB002 – Jim Voorhees standing at the Quang Tri Citadel entrance.

PB003 – Jerry Shelton outside the Jerry-rigged hooch in Long Binh. We were a part of a large group that arrived at the same time. There were no bunks available for us so we built this from FOP (Found on Post) materials Jerry scrounged up. Jerry Shelton was the greatest scrounger that ever lived.

PB004 – Jim Voorhees inspecting an SA-2 Surface to air missile booster.

PB005 – The printing on the SA-2 booster. Guess who made them.

PB006 – Peter Barber posing with the SA-2 booster.

PB007 – Cemetery outside Hue.

PB008 – Cemetery outside Hue.

PB009 – Cemetery outside Hue.

PB010 – USN destroyer in the South China Sea.

PB011 – I have no idea who this is or why he is doing what he is doing.

PB012 - USN destroyer in the South China Sea with, I believe, one of our scouts landing.

PB013 – Almost a Touchdown.

PB014 – Rocket pod caught fire. (Whoever flew this can provide information.)

PB015 - Log a “carrier” landing.

PB016 – Not to be outdone, I made the same landing. Those on the boat didn't seem to pleased.

PB017 – Vietnamese fishing boats along the beach (Shit Beach) in Danang harbor.

PB018 – More Vietnamese fishing boats along the beach (Shit Beach) in Danang harbor.

PB019 – I think this was a ARVN compound in the upper right of the photo. It was not on the beach area, as there are mountains in the background.

PB020 – Vietnamese stilt-houses in the Perfume River just south of Tan My.

PB021 – Vietnamese fishing net in the Perfume River.

PB022 – Shit Beach on Danang Harbor.

PB023 – Larger Vietnamese fishing boats in Danang Harbor.

PB024 – A mixture of Vietnamese fishing boats in Danang Harbor.

PB025 – Here are basket boats that are still in use in Vietnam. See Article

PB026 – Vietnamese fishing boat.

PB027 – More boats.

PB028 – Lots of basket boats. These are popular in Wales. Go figure.

PB029 – The northern end of Danang Harbor and the beginning of the Hai Van pass.

PB030 – The road up through the Hai Van pass.

PB031 – The road down through the Hai Van pass.

PB032 – A moment later above the road down through the Hai Van pass. To the north just where the beach begins was where we decided we would build a hotel and casino,

PB033 – I think this is Danang Air Base.

PB034 – Jim Voorhees on our Tan My beach.

PB035 – View from the beach north of Tan My and south of Quang Tri. Artillery hitting a target in the background.

PB036 – An abandoned ARVN firebase near highway 555.

PB037 – A closer look at the ARVN firebase.

PB038 – Two of our scouts working the area between the beach and Highway 555.

PB039 – Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. Tan My Island.

PB040 – That is me showing how a Fearless Aircraft Commander wears a chicken plate properly. Staff Sergeant Francis E. Lewandowski in the left background. Where are you Rubber Ducky?

PB041 – A Vietnamese fish trap in the Perfume River.

PB042 – The US Marine Advisor's forward home on Highway 555 while advising the South Vietnamese Marines.

PB043 – A closer look at the advisor's home.

PB044 – An ARVN HQ compound where we found all the captured NVA equipment displayed. I have no idea where this was.

PB045 – The white sand dunes along the South China Sea. Reminds me of the North Florida beaches at Panama City and Destin.

PB046 – Crosswind approach to Tan My.

PB047 – Turning final for Tan My.

PB048 – NVA track vehicle.

PB049 – Crashed ARVN UH-1H.

PB050 – The North Vietnamese .51 caliber Copter Killer. https://www.historynet.com/arsenal-51-caliber-copter-killer/

PB051 – Russian 130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46).

PB052 – Vietnamese fishing boats on the beach north of Tan My.

PB053 - Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun was originally developed in Sweden in the 1930s but was and is in use around the world.

PB054 – NVA Russian built PT-76 light amphibious tank.

PN055 – Tan My Island in 1972. Looks nothing like this today.

PB056 – ARVN Cessna O-1 Bird Dog on the beach south of Quang Tri before the fall of the city.

PB057 - ARVN Cessna O-1 Bird Dog on the beach south of Quang Tri from the front.

PB058 – UH-1H 35Pig. My favorite Huey to fly. A little under-powered, but never took a hit.

PB059 – If I remember correctly, this was a demonstration by the US Navy with Marines to fool the NVA into thinking we were going to do something we weren't going to do.

PB060 – US Marine Corps CH-46.

PB061 – Ron Holmes inspecting either a Russian built T-54 or a Chinese knock off T-59.

PB062 – Part of that demonstration from photo PB059.

PB063 – US Navy Landing Craft Tank with tank.

PB064 – South Vietnamese Marines amphibious landing craft of some kind.

PB065 – Tan My Island beach looking towards Hue.

PB066 – Small village along Highway 555 before the fall on Quang Tri.

PB 067 – Wreckage of Lady Ace 21. This story with Fred Ledfors and Wes Walker is covered well in Darrel D. Whitcomb's book, Moral Imperative.

PB068 – Vietnamese fishing boat.

PB069 – Vietnamese market place. This was in the village with the captured equipment.

PB070 – I think this was a bus station in I Corps.

PB071 – My corner in the hooch on Tan My.

PB072 – Prior to our arrival in I Corps, there had been a large tank battle south of Quang Tri and north of Hue. This was one

PB073 – Dead T-54.

PB074 – Sack of NVA rice that was found by us.

PB075 – SSG Francis Lewandowski (left) and unknown looking at what appears to be a junk yard.

PB076 – Another dead tank.

PB077 – A burned out tracked transport vehicle.

PB078 – Sand area north of Tan My and south of Quang Tri. Made it tough to mark a spot on a map.

PB079 – Another destroyed village along Highway 555.

PB080 – More fought over area along Highway 555.

PB081 – Destroyed building on Highway 555.

PB082 – Look closely right of center for the destroyed vehicle.

PB083 – Destroyed village.

PB084 – ARVA or Marines traveling along Highway 555.

PB085 – Beach area north of Tan My littered with dead vehicles.

PB086 – Beach are north of Tan My. Bernard Fall wrote about the French fighting in this same area in Street Without Joy.

PB087 – Beach north of Tan My,

PB088 – After battle litter. Jim Voorhees and I commented about the ponds and streams here had people doing the Dead Man's Float for real.

PB089 – Artillery fire.

PB090 – South Vietnamese Marines on patrol.

PB091 – F/4 little bird. No idea who the crew is.

PB092 – I think this Tan My from altitude before we no longer fly at altitude.

PB093 – F/4 AH-1G. No idea who the crew is.

PB094 – Beach north of Quang Tri.

PB095 – More dead vehicles.

PB096 – Hey, GI. You want coke?

PB097 – This is Quang Tri after the NVA were pushed out. The entire city was reduced to knee-high level. It was a strange feeling seeing it after having flown in and out of it before it fell to the NVA.

PB098 – Quang Tri after NVA were pushed out.

PB099 – More Quang Tri.

PB100 – Church south of Quang Tri.

PB101 – Morning dew.

PB102 – Top of a hill somewhere one morning.

PB103 – Top of a hill somewhere one morning.

PB104 – North side of Quang Tri after the NVA were driven out.

PB105 – North side of Quang Tri after the NVA were driven out.

PB106 – This is an ARVN lieutenant. He was a member of the Airborne Division brigade assigned to Song Be in 1969-70. We became friendly when I was assigned to the 1st Cav Division Brigade there as liaison officer. One day he disappeared and I asked what happened to him. Turned out Jody visited his wife near Saigon.

PB107 – I don't remember where this was. I suspect it may have been up north of Tay Ninh.

PB108 – Church along Highway 555 north of Tan My.

PB109 – Airport at Hue or Phu Bai. We did what I believe was the last combat assault of American troops from the 173rd Airborne Brigade from here. Can anyone help me with details?

PB110 – This was along Highway 1 as Quang Tri was surrounded. Civilians and ARVN troops were fleeing from Quang Tri down the highway heading south when they were hit by NVA artillery. The highway was littered with bodies and vehicles.

PB111 – Looks like a downed AH-1G.

PB112 – Quang Tri City after the NVA were driven out. B-52s did one hell of a job.

PB113 – Another dead T-54.

PB114 – Lots of dead T-54s.

PB115 – 130mm NVA artillery piece.

PB116 – ARVN M-48 tank. As I understand, the rusted area is where the tank burned when hit.

PB117 – Lots of NVA machine guns.

PB118 – NVA T-54. It appears to be intact with no damage.

PB119 – Artsy sunrise from mountain top.

PB120 – Same artsy sunrise.

PB121 – Jerry Shelton outside our hooch. This was in Long Binh. Jerry, Jim Voorhees, and I came into F/4 at the same time. There was no room in the inn for us, so Jerry scrounged material and built this on the grease rack of an abandoned mess hall.

PB122 – Jerry Shelton with a sawed-off M-79 40mm grenade launcher.

PB123 – This is the inside of out hooch show in in slide 121. I cannot remember who the fourth person was who slept here. At night, the rats would run around on top of the barrier paper that was the roof.

PB124 – Bill Miller and his .45 caliber Thompson sub-machine gun.

PB125 – Artsy photo of fog.

PB126 – ARVN armor on the move near Highway 555 before the fall of Quang Tri.

PB127 – ARVN on the move hear Highway 555 before the fall of Quang Tri.

PB128 – Refuel and piss break. Unknown crew.

PB129 – I don't remember where this was or what it was.

PB130 – Vietnamese construction crew.

PB131 – Moving day I think near Long Binh. Any reminder would be appreciated.

PB132 – West if Highway 555 and north of Tan My. The beach is on the horizon.

PB133 – ARVN Marines HQ.

PB134 – I don't remember for certain. I suspect this was in 1969 in III Corps.

PB135 – More destroyed village near Highway 555.