hothayden1

*****************************************************************

Click here for my links page
Other links
Yahoo! Geocities

<-- Back to Mardex

<-- Back to Sarge T's

Jim Hayden and
Jay Petersons' Pics
1 Alpha and Others
'69 -'70

*****************************************************************

<-- Back to Vetdex

<-- Back to Hotel Index

Back to Other Hotel Guys Stuff

Email me
SargeT@i1.net

<-- Back to Sarge T's

Hotel Pages
5th Marine Area of Operation Map and begin tour
Hotel Company pictures - page 1
Hotel Company pictures - page 2
Hotel Company pictures - page 3
Various Hotel stuff - page 1
Hotel Roster 5/23/69
Hotel Company Yearbook - 1970
Other Hotel Guys Stuff
Tom Kanik's Pictures
Jimme Collins' Poem
Mike Averill's Pictures of 'Nam Now
You are here - Jim Hayden and Jay Peterson's Pics
Jim and Jay's pics - page 2
Hotel Guys Now
Hotel Memorial pages

Back to Hotel Index

Back to Sarge T's
Back to Vetdex
Back to Mardex
Back to Hotdex

Marine pages
My Memorial pages
Prologue - Begin my Marine tour
2/5 Area of Operations map- Begin my Vietnam tour
Various Marine stuff - page 1
5th Marine Regiment Headquarters page
Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) page
Hotel Roster 5/23/69
Hotel Company Yearbook - 1970
2/5 area recent pics page 1
Veterans in my family
My Marine Education and Training

I got these pics from Jim Hayden and he got some of them from Jay Peterson.
I'm not sure who some of the guys are.

Jim and Jay pics page 2

*****************************************************************

Jim Hayden's Organization
Veterans' Rights NOW

Jim Hayden's
Hotel 2/5 Site

*****************************************************************

Jay sent me some commentary for the pics below.

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

11/14/2002 - The two pics below are from Jay.
They are of "Doc" Rudy Wirgau from 2nd platoon.

Name was Corky. I am not sure if that's his real name or nickname. He was 
the battalion Radio Operator assigned to Hotel Company. He carried a giant 
version of the PRC25. It had the ability to encrypt messages so that they 
could be broadcast in the clear. The codes where changed every week, I 
believe. The batteries were bigger, the radio was bigger and everything 
about it was heavier. Corky never seemed to sweat and never complained 
about anything. He had actually been through radio school and knew what he 
was doing when it came to radios. He taught me everything I needed to know 
about being a radio operator and then some. Also supplied various skills to 
put those dam things back together whenever we screwed them up, which was 
all the time.

The picture was taken in the command bunker at Liberty Bridge in June or 
July. We went there after being pulled out of the Arizona. As a side note 
about Corky. He was MOS radio operator, but in May when Sgt Pope got hit 
with rifle fire by walking into a bunker, everyone, including me was eating 
dirt. Corky calmly returned fire at the bunker keeping the gook pinned down 
while we pulled Pope to safety. He had to have learned that in boot camp 
because they don't teach it in radio school.

This is a picture of Charles Robb. Charles Robb was the guy after whom the 
term "skating mother fucker" was coined. Robb never saw a work detail he 
couldn't get out of. In fact when the picture was taken he was hiding in 
the command bunker with me avoiding a work detail. (He was hiding, I was 
immune because at the time I was platoon radio op.) He was with 1st squad 
when I arrived in country Jan 69. I think by the time this picture was 
taken in June he was with another squad, but I could be wrong. He was a 
good marine and had the skill and experience, but refused to act in any 
capacity of leadership. He worked 24/7 at avoiding everything. He also had 
the same last name as the Marine who had married President Johnson's 
daughter. He did everything he could to lead everyone to believe that they 
were related and that if you "fucked with him you were fucking with someone 
with clout". Actually, Robb was from Pennsylvania and not related to anyone 
with the least bit of clout. He was a scam artist and I'm sure that he has 
served or is serving time in some prison somewhere for selling a bridge or 
similar structure that he did not own to someone who believed they were 
getting a great deal. I would love to hear from him just to hear all of his 
lies about how much he did in the past and was going to do in the future. 
A great guy and a good friend. The last time I saw him he was explaining 
how he was going to go on R&R in Hawaii and get some medical ailment to get 
sent home. I am sure he was successful.

This was 1st squad around Feb or Mar 69. Sammy Jacobs was 1st squad leader 
when I arrived in the bush in Jan. 69. (Sammy has checked into the web page 
and left half of his telephone number. Joe Hatton is going to get Sammy's 
telephone number someday and we'll let him know there is a reason why no one 
has called.) Sammy was a short timer in Jan., hurt his ankle and was 
shipped home. Barry Blue became 1st Squad leader then. Barry is the short 
guy with his arms crossed. If you notice he's the one wearing a hat in the 
correct manner. That's because he's from Texas and that's the way it should 
be worn. Barry was the only guy I ever knew who actually liked that stuff 
they gave us that they called beer. I used to give him my cans of "Black 
Label", "Shlitz" and "Pabts" because I could not stand to drink the stuff. 
Barry is back in Texas. He belongs to the 1st Marine Division Association 
and the Association of Texas Marines. He's got a roofing company. His 
address is 1201 West Circle, Brenham, Texas 77833 (409) 836-5800. Barry 
goes to the 1st Marine Div. reunions almost every year. When I last talked 
to him he complained that there never seemed to be any old Hotel guys 
showing up at those things. Barry has not signed in at the 2/5 page because 
he does not have the internet at home. (At least I think that's the reason 
because I gave him the site info) I was Barry's radioman when I was with 1st 
squad before moving to platoon radio op. He was a great squad leader. Take 
a look at the 16 April 69 entry for Operation MUSKOGEE MEADOW. That entry 
was 1st squad and Barry was in charge. After we opened fire on them and 
caught them by surprise we figured we were going to get the hell out of the 
area. Lt. Brookshire radioed that we were to check out the area. After 
questioning the sincerity of that command, we moved in to check out the 
area. About that time we got ambushed. Barry was one step in front of me 
when the gook fired at him. The round hit his flack jacket, ricocheted off 
his camera and just nicked him. He is lucky to be alive. That was one of 
his purple hearts. (Not sure if it was 31 or #2) As an aside, the entries in 
the Journal for the Command Chronologies would have been radioed in by 
Corky.

Standing next to Barry is Charles Robb. He's got his elbow resting on 
Barry. This is typical for Robb. It's all part of his attitude.

Next to Robb on the far right is a guy who came into country at just about 
the same time as I did. I believe that his name was Krug. I can't recall 
if it was his first, last or nickname. We had a lot in common because we 
came in about the same time. I believe that he was from Pennsylvania. When 
I moved up to platoon radio op I lost track of him. I think he got 
medivaced, but I'm not sure. The name Krug was not on the company roster 
for April or May and I'm sure he was there in April when we crossed the 
river into the Arizona. I may just be wrong about the name.

I can't recall the name of the guy on the far left. He was new at the time 
the picture was taken. I had been in country for a little over a month and 
was able to point to someone else and refer to him as the "fng".

All of these pictures were taken in November 69 (or there abouts) None of 
them are Hotel guys. I had just been lucky enough to get up to Battalion 
thanks to Lt. Brookshire. I was working in Operations under Major Driver. 
We were located on the hill that you have labeled "Hill 65" on your map. I 
figured I was home free by then. Counting the hours and minutes until I was 
on my way home. It was the monsoon season, I had a roof over my head, was 
hiding inside the perimeter and was never required to do work details. 
Thoughts of a second tour would not have been considered crazy given the 
situation. However, at that point, as you remember, someone thought an 
operation in the Arizona would be a great idea. I actually had a small part 
in getting it organized. Who would have thought that a Major would want to 
go along and get his boots dirty. I have to state that whatever your 
opinion of an officer may have been, unless you included gung ho and 
concerned about the men under his command, your opinion of Major Driver 
would have been wrong unless that was included. I have the utmost respect 
for him, both as an Officer and a man. Being with Operations at the 
Battalion level in the field is considerably less treacherous than being in 
a squad with a PRC 25 on your back. However, when you're short and you 
thought you were out of the bush, it was a rude awakening finding yourself 
on a chopper headed for the Arizona.