SP4 Christopher Ammons and SGT Eldridge at Lai Khe in May 1968. Ammons (on right) is holding a captured AK-47. These guns were originally Russian made with a high front sight and distinctive banana magazine that holds 40 rounds.
PFC Chris Ammons, holding rifle, stands in a cleared area in front of tall trees. A strand of barbed wire runs in front of the trees; just behind his left foot is a post in the ground with two strands attached.
PFC Christopher Ammons is standing in a cleared area with military buildings and a truck visible behind him. He is wearing sunglasses. His sleeves are rolled up and his trousers appear dusty.
Three page letter from Thunder IV (Highway 13 was nicknamed "Thunder Road" by US troops). "Our base camp (Lai Khe) has been hit daily by mortars and RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] rounds. Even in daylight Charlie hits Lai Khe." Letter includes...
Three-page handwritten letter by Christopher Ammons to his family in which he states that he is now the oldest member of his platoon. He is destined next for a mission between Highway 13 (Thunder Road) and the Song Be River. Ammons relates the...
Armored vehicles; Tanks (Military science); Military personnel; Soldiers; Military uniforms; Arms & armament; Military facilities
Soldiers from the South Korean Tiger Division with an armored personnel carrier (APC). The APC proved unusable in the mountains. Binh Khe in the Binh Dinh Province of Vietnam. Note: a non-color-corrected master TIFF copy is also available.
Three-page handwritten letter written from Ammons to his family recounting his attendance at the Bob Hope USO show on Christmas Eve in 1967. He describes being issued clean fatigues, flying on a Chinook helicopter to Lai Khe Base Camp, and viewing...
Three-page handwritten letter from Ammons at Lai Khe Base Camp to his family describing his assignment to the 3rd Platoon as a Rifleman. He will be carrying the M79 grenade launcher, two Claymore mines, trip flares, grenades, and a .45 caliber...
One-page handwritten letter by Christopher Ammons to his family describing receiving his Purple Heart medal. He says that seven others in the company also received Purple Heart medals and four received Bronze Star medals.
Armored vehicles; Tanks (Military science); Military personnel; Soldiers; Military uniforms; Military facilities; Signal stations
Two South Korean soldiers of the Tiger Division appear riding on an armored personnel carrier that has the image of a tiger painted on the front. To the left are the mountains and to the right and behind the tank are at least one soldier, some...
Three-page handwritten letter from Ammons to his family. He describes returning to his company's Lai Khe Base Camp from Close Infantry Combat (C.I.C) training to find the company had two men killed and two wounded in an ambush. The unit had...
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.
Two-page handwritten letter by Christopher Ammons to his family describing his role as a squad leader. He also lists the names and responsibilities of the other men in his squad.
Two-page handwritten letter by Christopher Ammons to his family describing firing an M79 grenade launcher at two Viet-Cong. He also says that he is known as "the best 'M-79 man' in the Company."
Two-page handwritten letter by Christopher Ammons to his family describing his reaction to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. He also talks about his platoon leader, Lt. Brown, and about enjoying listening to U.S. music on the radio.
Two-page handwritten letter by Christopher Ammons to his family describing finding a rice cache and drums of CS gas (tear gas) on a search-and-destroy mission. He also writes about a rocket attack on the Close Infantry Combat (CIC) school.
Three-page handwritten letter by Christopher Ammons to his family describing a Viet-Cong mortar attack on the fire support base occupied by his company.
