I enlisted in the US Army in July 68, and got bounced all around for a few years, and ended up in RVN with the 577th EBC in Don Duong for almost a year. Although I trained as a 11B (Light Infantry) at Fort Polk, I ended up as Tech Supply in RVN. Of course, I knew nothing about supply, but it wasn't too hard to learn with a great bunch of guys to teach me. Of course, as you know, the Army considers us all very versatile, so I also did some convoys to Phan Rang and Cam Rahn Bay. Went to Dalat a few times, too. I was amazed at the BX at Phan Rang! Wow - real stateside type stuff, and cheap too. I ended up working in the arms room, with my infantry background, I knew the weapons inside out, and I liked it. After I came home to Pittsburgh in '71, I got a few stupid jobs, and then in '76, I hooked up with the Pittsburgh Police Department, where I did 25 years, and then retired as a Sergeant at age 51. I just couldn't do that impossible job anymore. You were never right, no matter what you did. After some time off, I hooked up with another retired Sergeant who ran security at the local federal building, and got a job working for him. Glad I did it. We work for a contract guard company (not federal employees) and I work at the local social security office. Not a bad job, and the hours are pretty good. The pay isn't as good as with the PD, but with my pension, I do OK. I hope you guys are OK, and I look forward to hearing from you all. Kurt "Pain is inevitable, but suffering is by choice."

FROM KEN CLAWSON.

WHEN I WAS MEDIVAC OUT, SENT TO CAM RAHN BAY A.F. HOSPITAL LATE SEPT. 70, WAS CUT ON MID OCT. 70. GOT ORDERS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE 864TH ENG. SETTING UP A NEW COMPOUND!! I EXTENDED FOR 6 MONTHS TO GET A EARLY OUT, ABOUT THE SAME TIME WHEN I GOT THE ORDERS AND THE DOCTOR TOLD BE YOU CAN GO BACK STATE SIDE AND RECOVER, FINISH OF YOUR HITCH. SAID NO, I EXTENDED.. WELL A WEEK AND A HALF WENT BY FIRST PART OF NOV. 70, A LARGE PUSH BY LOCAL VC\NVA REGS WERE MOUNTING A BIG OFFENSIVE , THERE WAS A LOT OF CAUALTIES, MANY OIF THE HOSPITAL MEDICS ETC. WERE CALLED UP TO HANDLE THE BODIES.. FOUND OUT THE COMPANY I WAS SENT TO GOT PRETTY BADLY MAULED� 2 OF THE GUYS FROM THE UNIT CAME INTO THE WARD BADLY SHOT UP.. THE NURSE GOT A BUNCH OF THE WASLKING AND WHEEL CHAIR ABLES TO HELP STOP AND PLUG UP ONE GUY WHO WAS LEAKIN LIKE A SHIVE�. I WAS PLUGGIN HOL;ES WHEN I ASKED WHAT UNIT HE WAS WITH?? 864TH, WELL I DROPPED EVERY THING HAULED ASS TO THE HEAD DOCTOR OF THE WARDS . CRASHED HIS OFFICE, AND ASKED IF THOSE PAPERS WERE STILL AVAILABLE TO GO BACK HOME. WELL, GOT JACKED UP BAD, DOC SIGNED THE PAPERS I WAS MEDIVACED TO YAKOTO JAPAN, 10 DAYS. THEN TO HAWAII, 2 DAYS, THEN TO TRAVIS AFB CALIF.. THEN A STAY 36 HOURS WHERE MY FAMILY CAME AND SAW ME (DAM THOSE STEAKS AND EGGS WERE GOOD) A SLICK RIDE TO CHRISSY FIELD, PRESIDIO OF S.F� ONLY TO BE GREETED WITH A JUMPER OFF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, FIRST TIME I SAW THAT SPAN WHAT A SIGHT, IT WAS BEAUTIFUL, SNAPPED ME TO MY SINCES I WAS HOME� AHHH. WAS CHECKED INTO LETTERMAN GENERAL FOR RECOVERY. AFTER THAT NOV. 24TH WAS ADMITTED, STAYED THERE RECOVERED , PULLED THE STICTCHES OUT FINALLY, AHH THAT TOOK 6 PEOPLE TO HOLD ME DOWN, WITN NO PAIN KILLER. R&R HOME IN SACRAMENTO FROM 22ND DEC 70 UNTIL JAN 10TH, 71, WENT BACK TO LETTERMAN, FOLLOW UPS AND THEN I GOT ORDERS FOR 51ST ENG. DETACHMENT, POST ENG. COMING UP FROM FORT IRWIN. I WAS A JACK OF ALL TRADES, AND GOT HOOKED UP WITH LETTERMAN HOSPITAL HOUSE ENGINEERS. DOING MAINTANANCE�. ETC. MADE A NAME FOR MYSELF, RUFF HOUSING O.D. OF THE DAY GUARD DUTY, PLUS TAKING OUT A M.P. CAR AND SLAMMIN A PFC MUD PUPPY, THEY DIDN'T MESS WITH ME AGAIN AT THE CENTRAL MAGAZINE AGAIN.STAYED THERE UNTIL DEC. 71, GOT A 199 DAY EARLY OUT. GOT OUT DEC 21. WENT HOME, STARTED SCHOOL COLLEGE, WORKED ODD JOBS, POST OFFICE, THEN WENT ABOARD TO WORK IN THE MIDDLE EAST , UNTIL OCT 73, CAME BACK, AND STARTED WORKING FOR THE SACRAMENTO ARMY DEPOT, FROM OCT. 27, 1973, WORK THERE UNTIL JUNE 1976, WITH RIFS GOING ON DUE TO NAM FALLING. I WAS PICKED UP BY U.S.A.F. DAVIS MONTHAN AFB, AND THE AIRCRAFT BONE YARD, WELL WRONG PLACE TO GO THE MEXICAN MAFIA THAT RAN IT DIDN'T LIKE WHITE BOYS, OR THE UNION I WAS BOTH. SURVIVED UNTIL 1980 WHEN I WAS FORCED INTO DISABILITY RETIREMENT, GOT IT, THEN MOVED TO MESA, STAYED THEREUNTIL 1993 WHEN I BOUGHT A HOUSE IN APACHE JUNCTION. BEEN HERE EVER SINCE. YOU CAN USE THIS AND POST IT ON THE FORUM IF YOU WANT, I GIVE YOU PREMISSION TO DO SO. AS FOR PICTURES, HAVE NOT FOUND THEM YET, WHEN I DO I WILL SCAN THE ON A COUPLE OF DISKS, THEN FORWARD THEM TO YOU. I GOT FOUR PICTURS OF DAMAGED DUMPS IN A CO MOTOR POOL I GOT PUBLISHED IN A MAG. WILL GET THOSE TO YOU. O.K. MORE LATER. REGARDS, KEN

WHEN WE MET IKE

BY TOM STEINFELD
In the summer of 1960 Fort Benning GA staged {Project-Man} The 1st 2 days brought high ranking officers and the 3rd day high level dignitaries along with then President Eisenhower. the 577th was to support this project. The high ranking officers messed at the 29th Inf Bde. One day my job was to keep coffee cups full in the dining room. While serving one table a 3 star general looked up at me and said. "you messed up soldier" I immediately snapped to attention and I asked what I had done wrong he answered "you just put coffee in my tea" he and the other generals all laughed and I relaxed. The 3rd day of the event had a long line of artillery pointed at a hill and a huge outside barbecue. We served the barbecue with summer uniforms and white cook coats. There was a Anheiser Busch truck serving beer to the dignitaries. After serving we went thru the line and some of us got a cup of beer from the civilian truck driver. After eating,Ike was resting in a small building. Some of us surrounded the building and were able to speak to our Commander-in- Chief while on duty with a beer in our hand. Ike thought we were cooks and he told us how much he liked those beans. I and others were within 10ft of the presidentwhen we spoke with him and their was no secret service noticeable.
A little history on Leo Laranago
Leo Laranago tool room man drafted was always super numeral on guard and also was soldier of the month Fort Benning, GA. Made Sgt at a time when no 2 or 3 yr men made Sgt. The army wanted him bad but so did Viola {his wife} He currently runs a ranch in NM. He had no choice but to be a good guy for he was born on Dec 25th.
MORE FROM TOM
In the summer of 1960 about 23 of us from Co. C were sent TDY to Dalonica, a ranger camp in Dalonica GA. Our job was to build 16 tent frames and a permanent building. We were given 21 days to complete our task. Before convoying up there operations called in Pfc Eldon Edlund to review the plans. Ed was from Chicago., drafted at the age of about 22. Ed told them what was needed in materials and equipment. After reaching Dalonica, Ed was placed in charged of the project and thanks to him we did a great job. The Colonel in charge of the post threw a beer party for us. Several of the guys got drunk and stole my Jeep from the motor pool. The Jeep was wrecked. No one was hurt, one person was Court Martialed. Dalonica was a dry county and I was a dry 19yr old fool. During the time we were there I purchased a quart of moonshine. The short of it was I spent three days in the hospital at Fort McPherson recovering from alcohol poisoning. The Lord spared my life. The revenuers were called out and the hill folks were mad. Everybody was mad at me because it was not safe for them to make anymore moonshine purchases. A book could have been written on this trip. More stories to come about the 577th Tom Steinfeld Sr @AOL.com
We need more stories from members of the 577th.

Lessons Learned

Less than five months after entering the army I arrived at the 577th. in Fort Benning, GA. It was May 1959 and shortly after arriving we were sent out to commune with nature for three days and two nights. Growing up in the city of St. Louis I didn�t leave the city until I entered the army. A city park was as close as I had come to being in the woods. When in the field, I always felt out of place. Placed in a foxhole along with another guy the first night, I was told to guard the road. The Daniel Boone character I was partnered with suggested we just put our sleeping bags on the ground and keep our pup tent equipment clean. I told him I did not plan on sleeping anyway. Boy, did he luck out sleeping all night. About two a.m. I heard a jeep approaching and it never stopped. Nobody was challenging the occupants. As it grew closer I could see Captain Bell our C/O. I immediately put my half-asleep mind into high gear. I came up with the idea that if nobody else challenged him, why should I? This thought stayed with me all during the time the jeep stopped and Captain Bell approached me. He could reach out and touch me. When I said �Halt! Who goes there?�, he grabbed my M1 and said �Give me that weapon!�. I said, �You ain�t taking my gun�. I pulled backward just as he grabbed the rifle. He fell on top of me in the foxhole. Needless to say I got a good lecture that night. Later that day my bloodshot eyes were peering down a road that led into our C/P area. This time the partner I had with me was awake. When a jeep approached our location, I said, �Here we go again�. My partner replied, �That�s a full bird colonel, maybe we better let him go by.� I did not even respond to his comment. I sprang forward and halted the jeep. I gave the Colonel the prefix to the password. He immediately responded with the comment, �I am not a part of your games. I do not know the password.� He continued by saying that he was there to see Captain Bell. I told he that I was sorry but he and his driver were my prisoners. After the Colonel dismounted Captain Bell�s jeep appeared down the road. He stopped about twenty five or thirty yards behind the Colonel�s jeep. The Colonel saw Captain Bell and shouted, �Hey, Bell! Get me by your man here!� Captain said, �It�s okay Steinfield! Let him go.� As Captain Bell�s jeep passed me he reached out and laughingly said, �Give me that gun!� I guess he was happy I learned my lesson.

By Tom Steinfeld Sr 577th CoC

Down the Creek With Concrete

Jack Thomasson, Dean Neinast and I arrived in Columbus, Georgia by train in May of 1959. While flirting with a waitress at the train station I heard a comment that I was to hear a lot over the next thirty-four months �Another Damned Yankee�. The first project Dean Neinast and I worked on was at the officer�s golf course. We were given sand, gravel, water, and cement, along with a wooden box to mix them in. We shoveled the finished products into a wheel barrel and we rolled it to the form and deposited it there. The form was built around a culvert. The culvert was in a creek under a road that crossed the creek. The wall had a base and two wings. There was a slit in the form for the water to flow through. We had the form almost full when the storm came. The water built up in the stream and soon broke the form, sending much of our concrete down the creek. An officer came along and told us to keep mixing in the rain. He summoned two carpenters to repair the forms. No women had to worry about us flirting with them that night.

By Tom Steinfeld Sr 577th Co C

COME BACK FOR MORE NEW STORIES ABOUT THE 577TH.
FORMER AND PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE 577TH ENG BN.
For all of or part of the following time period, the men listed below served with Co.C 577th Engr Bn, Fort Benning,GA from May1959 to March 1962. We served with CoC 577th Engr Bn, Fort Benning,GA
Tom Steinfeld Sr., High Ridge, Mo.
Eldon Edlund, Chicago, ILL
Ron Jacobs, Goshen, IND
Leo Laranaga, Encino, NM
Don Miller, Madaryville, IND
Allan Reimer, Mukwongo, WI
Jack Thomasson, Cavalier, ND
Gerry Vanausdle, Port Townsend, WA.
John Wagner, Decater, ILL
Art Teabo, Key Colony Beach, FLA {deceased 6-01}
Men who served sometime between May 59 and March 62.
Dean Neinast Kerby Oregon
Al Oryszak Mineral City OH
Kenneth Longanecker Gerald MO
Frank Abel Canton OH
James Dittman Bradford PA
Wallace (Pete) Facemire Richwood WV
Lt John Sterling Greenville SC
Gary Cramer Lawrenceville PA
Harold Teller (deceased 1995) Cloverport KY
1ST?SGT William Wasley(deceased 1998) Bessamer AL
SGT Fulgham (deceased 1995)
William Rice Markle IN
Frank Couch Arrington TN
Dale Gregg Summerville SC

THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PLEASE COME BACK LATER.
IN THE FUTURE THIS PAGE WILL BE DEDICATED TO PICTURES AND STORIES FROM MEMBERS AND PAST MEMBERS OF THE 577TH ENGINEER BATTALION.
SEND PICTURES AND STORIES TO cecil13@hughes.net
LAST UPDATE 12-05-01
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