Three-page letter describing Ammons's new duty assignment at a station on Vung Chua Mountain, where he is attached to a signals unit. He describes the view from the mountain, a typical patrol (their job is to provide security on the perimeter),...
Three-page letter describes a plane crash on Vung Chua that killed eight South Korean officers. (The plane, still visible on the mountain, and a nearby monument are pictured in Ammons's photos.) No one knows why the plane was so far from the Qui...
Three-page letter written from Dong Tam, final headquarters base camp of the 9th Infantry Division. Ammons describes an air assault in which the platoon was pinned down in knee-deep water under heavy fire by the Viet-Cong. He writes, "The leeches...
Men; Buildings; Soldiers; Sleeping; Military uniforms; Helmets; Military personnel
Soldier sleeping near a wooden structure with his head resting on what appears to be a rolled-up sleeping bag and a military-issue back pack. A helmet, pair of boots, and an M-16 rifle are at his side. Further military-issue gear of a similiar...
Soldiers; Men; Military vehicles; Trucks; Military uniforms; Helmets; Military personnel; Mud; Puddles
Four soldiers about to depart for patrol with another soldier nearby. A large military transport truck in the background appears to be a "deuce and a half," slang for a two-and-a-half-ton truck. Photograph is from Ammons's first tour in 1968.
Soldiers; Men; Military uniforms; Helmets; Military personnel; Mud; Puddles; Helicopters
Eight soldiers (some partially obscured) on a muddy landing strip. A line of several helicopters (probably Hueys) can be seen in the background. Photograph is from Ammons's first tour in 1968.
Men; Soldiers; Military vehicles; Trucks; Military uniforms; Military personnel
Six soldiers preparing to depart on a truck for patrol, photographed from behind the truck bed. One soldier is pointing to or reaching for his rifle. The truck is probably a "deuce and a half," slang for a two-and-a-half-ton truck. The photograph...
Men; Soldiers; Radios; Military uniforms; Military personnel; Helmets
Radioman operating his field set. He carries earphones on his helmet with a handset in his left hand. Cords attach the earphones and the handset to the radio equipment he carries on his back. Wooden base structures are visible behind him. The...
Christopher Ammonss1970 selective service card shows his name and signature on one side and physical description on the reverse. The classification of IV-A would have exempted him from service (for those whose military obligation was completed, or...
Three page letter begins, "This is our eighth day in the boonies, and tomorrow we might go back to Lai Khe." He writes of having been a squad leader for several days now ("8 men including myself") because of the illness of another sergeant.
Portrait photographs; People; Men; Military personnel; Soldiers; Uniforms; Military uniforms; Firearms
Benjamin Franklin Ammons (at right, wearing trews) and Raiford Franklin Ammons (at left) of the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery, C.S.A., seated in uniform holding their weapons. Portrait includes letter with narrative.
Ammons's four-page letter on U.S. Army stationery to his mother and father describes his first days in the Army. He relates the military routine, getting his dog tags, standing fire watch, and waiting for his uniform. He remarks on the fact that...
In Christopher Ammons's last letter from Vietnam, he mentions that he has received orders for a departure date. He will go first to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he expects to receive his separation papers. He says he is counting the days.
Helicopters; Rifles; Soldiers; Helmets; Military uniforms; Military personnel; Rural areas
A Huey in flight taken from another helicopter. A soldier and the barrel of an M-16 are also in the frame. The helicopters appear to be flying over a farming area. The photograph is from Ammons's first tour in 1968.
Seven-page letter written by Christopher Ammons recounting a sniper attack on his company the previous day that claimed the lives of four soldiers. While on patrol 6,000 meters southwest of Saigon, Ammons's squad comes under sniper attack, and for...
Five-page handwritten letter from Christopher Ammons to his family describing a 7-day search and destroy mission in the woods of Song Be. Ammons's company located Viet-Cong base camps and bunkers as they "dug in" six times during the operation. ...
