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Heading for a Combat Air Assault
Ray Petway and Steve Kuckelman
"Collateral Damage"
Ray Petway at Bottom of B-52 Crater
Ann-Margret Leaving the Bob Hope Show. Dec. 1968
Ollie Jackson, Steve Kuckelman, Stacy Swinney. Celebrating Christmas, 1968
Kevin Hurley, Third Platoon Medic (KIA),
Art Haines, George Frei, sitting
Art Haines, Ollie Jackson, with Christmas Gifts
Dec. 1968, Rick Eland, Steve Kuckelman
Rick Eland, Waiting on the Log Bird
Steve Kuckelman, Taking Five
The Jungle Just Kept Getting Worse
Ramos, Taco Reading Stars and Stripes
Jeff Hoop with Pistol Taken from Dead NVA Officer
Steve was in this chopper when it crashed.
Chopper Crash, Feb 12, 1969
Hospital Card, 93rd Evac Hospital
Easter Service
Delta Company
Steve Kuckelman, Still Waiting for His New Boots
Andy Rios, Steve Kuckelman
Larry Westbrock, Eating C's
Too Long in the Jungle. Rick's Uniform is Rottting Off
Rick Eland, Larry Westbrock, Ray Ferber
April 1969, Still in Tay Ninh by the Song Be
L-R Larry Westbrock, Ben Knee, Steve Kuckelman, Leon Warnke, George Frei, and Ray Ferber Standing in Back.
Sitting, George Frei, Sam Nicilosi, Ben Knee. Standing, Leon Warnke, Ric Eland, Larry Westbrock.-1.jpg
L-R, Leon Warnke, Mike Snyder, Larry Westbrock, Ben Knee.
Stacy Swinney
April, 1969
11th Armored Cav Regiment
Mike Snyder, Ben Knee and Larry Westbrock
Mid June 1969, Kishine Barracks, Yokohama, Japan
LZ Janet, Tay Ninh, early November 1968
Steve and Gary Becker on LZ Janet
The following photos were generously provided by Steve Kuckelman. Thanks Steve for sharing the photos. Here is part of his story.
Steve Kuckelman, Stacey Swinney, Larry Westbrock. Waiting for the birds.
I arrived in Viet Nam 12 Oct 1968 as a replacement and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, then at Camp Evans and ended up in 3rd Platoon, Delta Co, 1st Bn, 12th Cav. In November the Cav moved south to III Corps and the jungles of Tay Ninh Province. My tour was unremarkable and I would guess similar to thousands of others who spent those years in the jungle. I accumulated many pictures of those I served with. Thanks to all those pictured and the many who are not.
I was shot several times on 11 June 1969 while on operations with Delta Company in Tay Ninh Province and was abruptly evacuated to the 106th General Hospital in Kishine Barracks, Yokohama Japan. As a former Air Force Brat who lived for 3 years 30 miles from Yokohama, I was familiar with the area and knew also that I had a former High School girlfriend living a short distance away at Yokota Air Force Base. I was able to contact her family from the hospital and she came to visit me several times while I was there. One afternoon she was taking me in that Civil War era wicker wheelchair across the compound to see 'The 5th Dimension' who were entertaining the wounded at the local theater. On the way we passed a Donut Dolly with a Polaroid Camera who took our picture. I included that picture in this photo collection specifically to mark the end of my Viet Nam service in Delta Company, as I was ultimately evacuated stateside to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and never returned to RVN.
Post Script: I would soon be joined in San Antonio by my family who were rotating back from Frankfurt a/m, West Germany, to Lackland Air Force Base at the same time I was on my way to Texas in a C-141 Medevac. This marked the end of my Viet Nam service and my hospital discharge in December came within two short months of my ETS. Being just twenty years old when I separated from the army, and to the surprise of many, I then returned to my roots and became a bona fide Air Force Brat again. La Dolce Vita!
Without Shirts (L-R)
Stacy Swinney, Art Haines, Gary Becker, standing to the left of Gary Becker and in front with shirt, George Frei.
LZ Janet Being Constructed
Jamie Swidecki, Art Haines
Combat Assault. Trail Formation
July, 1969. Stephen in the Hospital with Ann Moore
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