Pete is now a published author with his book about his platoon in Thailand during the 60's - "Soldiers in Siam" !!!

    You can get a good price deal, $6.96 - last known price, on Barnes & Noble dot-com.

    Here are a few excerpts from the book to tantalize you all -

    Back Cover

    "During the Viet Nam War, there were some 70,000 G.I.'s reported to be in Thailand as support troops.   Soldiers in Siam paints the lives of an Army construction platoon and their attempts to cope with a new, strange and exotic experience."

    Credit

    To every G.I. who ever was, is and will be.

    To the warm, charming and friendly people of Thailand.

    Published Information

    Writers Club Press, an imprint of iUniverse, Inc.

    ISBN:   0-595-22808-9

    iUniverse, Inc., 5220 S. 16th St., Suite 200
    Lincoln, NE   68512

    Chapters

    Learning It, Letter 1, Timing It, Letter 2, Losing It, Letter 3, Taking It, Letter 4, Doing It; Letter 5

    Excerpt from Learning It -

    "We will be landing in approximately twenty-five minutes at 8:31 in Bangkok.   Please fasten your seat belts and observe the NO SMOKING sign."

    Excerpt from Doing It - a poem on (being) "Short"

SHORT It's 6 A.M., and trucks are crankin'- Dust is risin', troops are flankin' - As morning breaks, there's noise about, And somewhere distant, sergeant shout, but - I'm short ! Some troops still poppin' out of bed, Their eyes, that early mornin' red, And late into formation fall, Everyone just standin' tall, but - I'm short ! And then some lifer starts to say, Just what work they'll do today. Check your oil, check your gas, And keep your head out of your ass. but - I'm short ! Oh, we've got sand and shovels too, Just all kinds of work for you, And it's important, don'tcha know - The sergeant-major's all gung-ho. but - I'm short ! I sort of wander to and fro, Watching sand and shovels go, 'Cause really it don't matter how, It's over but the shoutin' now - I'M SHORT !

From: <PLoria7151@aol.com>
  To: <korat_mahknut@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2001 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: POSTED - GUYS ...


> Frank-
> 
> After I got to Thailand, I went up to Korat and stayed there for a bout a 
> week. Then I was sent to Sattahip with the 2nd Platoon to replace and give a 
> break to the 3rd Platoon. That was about middle to late March 1968. There we 
> were attached to the 538th Const. Co.
> 
> For a very brief spell (and I don't remember why), we were taken out of Samae 
> San and hootched in Vayama. I remember being there for just a few weeks 
> before we returned to Samae San. 
> 
> From Samae San, I went back to Korat to muster out. Acter completing the 
> paperwork, I went to Bangkok, got on a commercial flight and flew to 
> Oalkland. From there, it was another commercial flight to the East Coast and 
> home for good. 
> 
> I've always wanted to return to Thailand (as did many other G.I.'s) As it 
> turns out, it may be still awhile before that happens if ever. 
> 
> Also, how do I fill out that duty roster?
> 
> We'll talk,
> 
> Pete
> 

    Before I was drafted in January of 1967, I was living in a moderate sized town located between Newark, New Jersey. and the big city itself, New York.

    I was single, had a girlfriend, worked during the day operating a small messenger service and attended evening classes at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.

    Since I was a part-time student, I was not eligible for a draft deferment so eventually the draft caught up with me. Earlier, I was drafted on Friday, January 13, 1967. Needless to say, I did not think this was a good omen at the time.

    I did BASIC training and AIT (Radio Operator School) at Fort Dix, New Jersey. From there it was to Fort Gordon, GA for Radio Teletype School. After a short leave, I was assigned to an artillery battery at Fort Bragg, NC.

    After several weeks of policing the battery area and cleaning out rifles, the entire battery was called onto the parade field, and the Sergeant Major began reading from a list of names. The guys selected were to form a new battery and go to Viet Nam to a place called Con Thien. (You may recall, the Marines there were being blasted daily by the NVA guns.)

    The mission of this new battery was to locate these guns by utilizing sensitive electronic equipment and then transfer this info to the Air Force, Army and Marines. It was hoped the battery could pinpoint the position of the guns, and then the Americans could blow them away. This in fact never happened, and eventually the Marines simply left Con Thien.

    My name was never called for this assignment! Shortly there after, my name came down on levy for Thailand. (Amazingly, that newly formed battery returned safely from Viet-Nam!!)

    I arrived in Thailand in February of 1968 and was assigned to the 697th at Korat. Shortly after that, my platoon went TDY to Sattahip to do pipeline work on Camp Samae San. The platoon was attached to D Company, 538th Engineer Battalion.

    My tour finished in early January 1969 and I ETS'ed on January 5, 1969 with a seven day early out. (Big deal!!)

    Within a year, I was married, had a young son, was going to evening college again and was on my second job and my third car.

    Eventually, I had two sons (now 28 & 24) and one daughter (now 17). I graduated college and taught High School English at various high schools for the city of Newark, New Jersey.

    Recently, I took an early retirement, although I still teach adult education in the evening for another school system on a part-time basis. Currently, I'm looking for a part-time job during the daytime. We'll see where that takes me.

    My wife and I are approaching our 30-year anniversary this coming April (1999). We live in Kearny, New Jersey, a nice town in which to raise a family.

    That about covers the major events in my life. However, I must say, the details of my time in Thailand were some of the best of my single life. I wrote a novella based on the ' experiences of others and myself during that enriching time. I consider myself extremely lucky that I can look back with an overall sense of pleasure and even joy upon my military days. I know that there are many, who unfortunately cannot say the same, and my best wishes and prayers go out to them for their sacrifices.

    There are so many people, both Americans and Thai, with whom I would like to re-establish contact. Thanks to the dogged efforts of Mike Ellis, this small 'puter platoon is a beginning effort.

    Nevertheless, the one person who remains outstanding in my mind is SP/4 Petty. It is to my severe misfortune that I don't remember his first name. (Recall that we referred to each other by our surnames for the most part.) I know he is the type of guy who would be on-line. He left me with a Thai language book which helped me immensely in picking up and using spoken Thai.

Sah wah dee cops

Pete

p.s.   Click here - to order my book!     "Soldiers in Siam"