GIs get it done, no matter what. (Read 516 times)

Every member of every military organization, no matter what branch or country has one thing in common.

They are able to get whatever is needed to get the job done.

It may take bartering, trading, liberating, or whatever, but they will find a way.

When I got to Da Nang, the Maintenance Control Room was in an old French building, on the main base.

It was quite a way from the Flight Line, therefore more than just a bit inconvenient.

It was close to the Wing chow hall, NCO Club and O Club.

It had been decided before I got there to build a new control room and a separate maintenance records/QC and other maintenance functions building, but closer to the Flight Line.

Construction began in early Fall 1968 across the main road running past the Flight Line, near the South end of the main ramp.

Shelters for the F-4s were being constructed at the same time by civilian contractor RMK-BRJ.

Red Horse was given the job of building our new control room.

It had to be able to withstand a hit from a 122mm rocket, and still be able to function.

So, it was built pretty strong.

The walls, as I remember, were 2x8s on 2” centers, with 1”plywood sheeting on outside and inside.

The ceiling rafters were 2x12 on 2” centers with a layer of PSP on top, then a layer of sandbags, then more PSP, more sandbags, until the peak was reached.

The roof trusses were 2x12 on 6” centers, covered with 1” plywood sheeting, two layers. Both in different directions.

Then the shingles were put on.

The other building was a Butler Building, steel sheeting.

The power pole was on the East side of the building, and had a double wired system, at two different levels.

There was also a self-starting generator, which was wired separately in to the building.

Then there was to be a revetment built around the outside of the building.

It was 2' deep, filled with sand, and sat about 6” away from the building, to prevent moisture build up.

However Red Horse got called off the project about the time we moved in, and we had to build our own revetment.

After we moved in to the building, around January 1969, it was decided we needed to build the revetment to within a couple inches of the eaves.

That is when we hit a snag.

We had all the sand we needed, but no plywood.

That was when GI ingenuity came in to play.

The Air Force members were issued booze cards, allowing each person to buy a bunch of hootch, wine and beer every month. All of which was very cheap.

We already had a BBQ, made from two 55 gallon drums we had made through barter. We used charcoal we bartered for with a Vietnamese man.

We were already bartering with the Marines, steaks and chicken for booze.

So, our Trader in Chief got on the phone to see if the Marines had any 1” Marine Plywood for our revetments.

Yep, they had enough for us to build a revetment 8' tall, along with all the stringers and other wood we might need.

We were all assigned so much booze to be used for trading.

We got the plywood, and construction began on the revetments.

We had a visit from a couple of Red Horse guys to see how the project was coming.

When we told them we were going 8' with plywood, they told us that was not a good idea, as the outside moisture would build-up too much and could cause mold inside the building. We were, after all in a Typhoon/Monsoon area.

They said we should go to 4' and then put sand bags up to about 6” from the eaves.

Done.

We had a bunch of 1” Marine Plywood we didn't need, or know what to do with.

After a few days, our Marine contact called to see if we had any plywood left over.

Sure did our Trader in Chief told him.

So, the bartering began again, and we ended up with lots of good steaks for our grill, and had our revetments built.

My last meal at Da Nang was steak of the grill.

Sure tasted good.

Don't hold me to all the measurements and dimensions, as it has been over 40 years.

More to come about the building in a later post.
Jim Too

:god_bless_usa