Memories are what they are, and sometimes different people remember the same event differently. Eyewitnesses to an accident can seldom agree on what they just saw fifteen minutes ago. What did you have for dinner last Tuesday? Many of the contributors to this history served much-extended or multiple tours in Vietnam; plus, those were different times and it was fifty years ago. These facts make perfect recall, especially timing, extremely difficult. Besides that, only a poor memory relies exclusively on fact. In other words, “this is our story, and we’re sticking to it.”
Paige Sawyer and Jim Graves did not write this history; we merely colllected and assembled it. The information was provided by many members of the Snake Platoon, as well as others from the 101st RRC. Our thanks are due to Jerry Adams (3rd Plt), Chui Banuelos (66 to 67 and 67 to 69), John ‘Ken’ Cole (70 to 71), Dan Cotts (3rd Platoon), Ron Draper (Headquarters Platoon), Bill Fraley (71 to 72), Skip Galinski (66 to 69) via Chui’s website, Jim Garin (70 to 72), Dick Henson (66 to 69), Christ Kondos (68 to 69), Larry Marty (68 to 69, 70 to 71 and 73), John McCann (65 to 67), Mac McCarley (68 to 69), Larry McGee (1st Platoon), Brad McKim (68 to 69 and 70 to71), JP Morgan (Headquarters Platoon), Harry Naughton (69 to 70 and 70 to 71), Paul Nett (68 to 71), Gary Nowak (67 to 68), Thomas Pahnke (Headquarters Platoon), John Parker (67 to 68), Stan Potochar (68 to 71), Steve Rollins (70 to 71), Richard Sakamoto (69 to 70), Glenn Sanada (70 to 71), Eric Shervey (66 to 68 and 69), David Shirley (68 to 69), Conrad Skantz (68 to 69), Larry Smith (70 to 71), Juan Torres (1st Platoon), Rod Van Guilder (65 to 66 and 69 to 70), John Wells (1st Platoon), Ken Wilks (66 to 68 and 71 to 72), and Mike Williamson (68 to 69). Thanks to all of those who have provided photos for this effort, knowingly or otherwise.
We also thank the multitude of others who have posted their memories to the COMSEC Group on Yahoo over the past 21 years. Although Yahoo has recently deleted all of those old emails, much of what was said in them has somehow been recalled, shared and included here.
Finally, we want to thank all of those army recruiters who told us the bold-faced lie that there was “no ASA in Vietnam.” If not for them and their bait and switch tactics, we would never have agreed to enlist in the Army for four years to do something they couldn’t tell us about and we would never have shared the lasting experience that is the Snake Platoon, Second to None.
Return to the History Page.