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.
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. ...
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...
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...
Two-page handwritten letter by Christopher Ammons to his family describing the casualties his company sustained while on their most recent search-and-destroy mission from Dong Tam Base Camp.
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 handwritten letter from Ammons to his family. It contains a hand-drawn diagram of the 3rd Platoon's road-clearing operation; the account of a friendly jet dropping bombs very close to a Viet Cong village and very close to his unit as...
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...
Photo taken from the audience level of a performance at the Ryman by Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys. Audience, stage, backstage, electronics, and advertisements are all in view.
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...
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...
Black & white two-sided document that functions as a reward leaflet, offering 7.500$ for an RPD machine gun, but also serving as a surrender pass. Ammons has written in ink at the top of the front side "picked up in 'Iron Triangle' Jan. 5, 1968."...
Helicopters; Military personnel; Soldiers; Mountains
A Huey helicopter lands on a pad at Vung Chua Mountain, throwing up a great quantity of dust. Fences, buildings, and communication equipment can be seen in the background. Note: a non-color-corrected master TIFF copy is also available.
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.
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...
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...
Military personnel; Soldiers; Military uniforms; Hats; Arms & armament; Ammunition; Bullets; Maps; Barricades; Firearms; Rifles
SGT Nelson (center) with three soldiers from his platoon. He is orienting them for patrol. The sergeant has "love" and "hate" tattooed on his knuckles, a cultural insignia from 1955 movie "The Night of the Hunter." Robert Mitchum's character...
Military personnel; Soldiers; Uniforms; Military uniforms; Hats; Arms & armament; Ammunition; Bullets; Mountains
Two soldiers take a break from patrol near Vung Chua Mountain. The soldiers, wearing boonie hats and military-style caps, sit in tall weeds with mountains in the background. A hand grenade can be seen on one soldier's equipment belt. Note: a...
