The Battle of Ong Thanh

Guys, since Arpil 14th and finding you fellows, reading on the "Bravo Black Lion" web site, and reading "The Beast Was Out There", then rereading parts and studying this bit of history, I HAVE QUESTIONS.

I think I have found the appox. location of the battle, on Google Earth, but not sure, as the terrain does not look right. I know it would have changed in 40 years, but it sure looks like a lot of buildings are there now. What I would give for one of those topo maps I carried in my right pant leg pocket when we were patrolling. So before our reunion in July you "cats" jar those memories as there are thing that I need to have jarred in my head. Fred and I have discussed it on the phone a little and some of our memories seem to be near the same lines, but not the same as a lot I have read.

Boy it would be nice to sit down with Capt. Kasik, as he supplied some of the maps for the book. I know that there are a lot of details that have long ago left my memory, but some parts of the 16th and 17th are like it was only yesterday. The really odd thing is that after 17 Oct 67 until I left Nam on 5 Jan 68 my memory is almost blank. Do you guys have any blanks like this?

"Black Lions Sir"
(Sgt) Joe Hare

To All Viewers

We have had large number of viewers and would like to hear from some of you. Any comments, good or bad, any questions you might have about Vietnam or our experiences there we will try to answer. Speaking for myself I have found (after 40 years) I can talk about Nam and in fact it is a help to me.

Hope all viewers enjoy the pictures and other information. There are several very intresting articles on the Bravo Black Lion website, that are written by several diffrent Vet's of our outfit. There is a direct link to the Bravo site from this page, and comments pertaining to that site may also be placed here, on any of the recent blogs. Just click "comment" and we will see it and try to respond.

There is also a link to a slide show of 125+ pictures from Vietnam on both this page and Bravo web site.

Email addresses may also be found on these sites.

"Black Lions Sir"
Joe Hare

Rabbit Does It Again

Hey Rabbit -

Great site! I see you can think as sharp at 4 A.M. (approximate time you came up with the idea for this) as you can under fire. Thank you for creating this.

Black Lions!

John

Beginning This Blog

As I was writing some memories and biography for John McCoy and the Bravo Black Lion web site it hit me that there may a need for a place of us Black Lion Vets, or anyone for that matter, to have a meeting place. This blog is open to discussion of all types. John is doing a great job with the web site but this will give us a place, maybe to vent some feelings that we have been holding back for a long time. I know that it's been 40 years for me, and until April '07 and finding John, Fred Hill, Dale Cary and Ron Moreno I had really bottled things up. My family now tells me how closed mouth I was, and how they believe it has made me feel better.

Enough about me for now, so fellows feel free to open up a little tell us about you and your thoughts. I will send a link to this Blog to several of you and please pass it on to anyone that might be interested. There are a few thing to bring up a little later that still bother me and maybe some of you will have some answers.

Maybe John can link it on the website.

Until Later
"Black Lions Sir"