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The
327th Signal Tropographic Group site is being kicked off with photographs graciously furnished by
Bill Grohoski. Bill was one of the first seven of the 327th
Signal Co. to arrive at Can Tho Airfield in 1967. They lowered
the signal tower from 180' to 162' to setup the Tropo shots from Can
Tho to Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon. Some history of
the 327th and Bill's story |
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.Click on the
thumbnails below to see a larger picture. |
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 1.
The 327th Signal Company's breast pocket patch. 1967/68
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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2. This is not the Can Tho (Det 4)
sign. But the sign is very similar to the one we had at Can Tho Tropo and
at our microwave detachment at the Microwave site across town near Eakin
Compound.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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3. A group shot of a Tropo work detail early January 1968. Included clockwise from lower left are SSG Summer L (Sgt Fish) Herring, ?,
SP/4's, Wizynajtys, Mark ?, Robert Nicholson,"Flash" Gordon, McMillian,, & and center Richard
Chu. This was outside the bunker we built around our AN/TRC-132 van at the base of the 162'
tower. Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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4. During Tet '68 a 52nd Sig NCO (E-6/7) jumped in his jeep, backed up cutting his wheels to the left, then spinning the wheels to
the right he put it in first and gave it the gas. What he didn't realize was that he had caught the guy cable in the rear
bumper and when he took off he brought the mast holding this double bedspring antenna down, folding it like a carpenters ruler.
Made so much noise that we thought a plane had crashed. Does anyone recall
any more details of this incident?
Photo by: William Grohoski |
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5. 1967-68, 52nd Sig. Co. area. Does this show some of
Can Tho Air Force's equipment? I remember they had a gas turbine powered
generator. A long low unit that had a high-pitched whine to it, while we
had those stinky, loud diesel units.
Photo by: William Grohoski |
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6. Tropo dishes as we set them up in Aug '67 on the ground before we put them up on the tower.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski |
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7.
The 162' tower. We had already taken the top 3, six foot sections off in Aug of 1967 as it was determined that 180' was too high.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski |
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8. Our two Tropo Dishes on the Tower.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski |
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9. View of the runway from atop the 162' signal tower... The Red/White lens on the left was kept blinking so as to keep the choppers from running into it. It also made for an ideal and illuminated aiming stake for the VC during TET '68, they just kept walking their rounds in towards it. (Remember, Can Tho Airfield was 7' above sea level so the VC couldn't ask for anything better than a 162' tower to be placed within the confines and then we put a blinking light atop it so they won't have any trouble finding it at night.) Across the lagoon was the Special Forces, (Green Beret's)
compound. Photo by: Bill
Grohoski |
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10. The control tower on the Can
Tho airfield.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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11. .
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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12. The TIKI HUT, "Service Club".
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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13. The TIKI HUT, "Service Club".
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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14. Airstrip taken from the 162' signal tower Aug. 1967. Construction of "jungle barracks" about to commence.
Air Tower in background.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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15.
This was the "baby-san" who worked the counter of the laundry concession on Can Tho Airfield. (My laundry number was B-52 which got a great deal of respect as they all knew what aircraft dropped the big ones).
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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16. Cemetery across fence from the tall signal tower. This usually got shot up every time we had an attack at night.
As the parachute flares would cast all sorts of weird shadows and the GI's in the guard towers would rake the cemetery with M-60's. The monuments were
stucco bricks and then whitewashed.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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17. This picture was taken during TET '68. The 3rd building in the middle row had taken a
mortar or RPG round and the shrapnel had peppered our barracks next to
it. My duffle bag and mosquito netting were shredded but luckily I wasn't
in the barracks at the time. Our barracks was the second one in from the road in the middle.
The barracks that Joe, Rick, Jim, and Fred stayed in is on the
near corner with only the 1st floor showing.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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 18.
Barracks under construction late 1967. The Air Tower is in the
background.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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 19.
The 327th Signal Co. Det 2 Tropo site up in Saigon, on Tan
Son Nhut airfield.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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20.
Our 3/4 Ton #151, on a trip across the Bassac River (a branch of the
Mekong) The SP/4 is myself some 32 years younger and
50 lbs. lighter.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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21. This picture was taken during TET '68. The 3rd building in the middle row had taken a
mortar or RPG round and the shrapnel had peppered our barracks next to
it. My duffle bag and mosquito netting were shredded but luckily I wasn't
in the barracks at the time. Our barracks was the second one in from the road in the middle.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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22. Ft Courage, A Crypto van that belonged to
a Company other than the 327th at Can Tho. They were there late '67 early '68.
It was next to our van and not far from the base of the tower.
The 52nd turned things over to the 550th around March of 71, so it may
have been the 52nd. Bn. Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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23.
This was monsoon season. MUD time if you will and not one of my best days.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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24. West End of Can Tho Airfield compound (towards Binh Thuy)
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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25. Barracks, Jan. '68
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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26. POW compound at the South corner of the airfield.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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27. STRATCOM TOWERS and POW compound across the fence at the South corner.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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28. The control tower on the airfield.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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29. Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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30. Contractors 6x6 loaded with crushed rock stuck near the tower during the monsoon season Aug. '67.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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31. The WHITE WHALE, the VIP C-123, at Can Tho, Senator Charles Percy's fact finding visit Jan. '68. (Another bright move by our brass. Don't you think that even the VC could figure out that the only C-123 not painted the dull
camo, but all white and shiny aluminum might be carrying something out of the
ordinary? Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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32. CO of the 235th Avn Bn. THE DELTA DEVIL'S M151-A1.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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33. Viet Nam C-47 at Can Tho, just like TERRY & THE PIRATES!
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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34. Part of the Air America fleet at Can Tho. Pilaitus Porter , C-45 and Donnier 28.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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35. The 327th Sig Co MICRO WAVE sign, this detachment was in Can Tho (city)
near the Eakin Compound end of town.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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36. LT Kramer's M151-A1 jeep, SP\4 Nicholson driving, near the Micro Wave
site.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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37. 156th Av. Bn. motor pool at Can Tho Airfield, 1967.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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38. The PINK PALACE.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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39. 13th Av.Bn. "WAR WAGON" a 3/4 ton with this hand cranked grenade
launcher mounted in the back. The 13th Av Hdqtrs in the backround, and the 13th Av mess hall to the left..
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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40. Barracks at the end of 1967.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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41. MICRO WAVE as it was in late '67, early '68, this site was cut off for
a couple of days during TET '68.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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42. PINK PALACE, end of July 1967, we stayed here two nights before getting
moved to the 69th Villa, (CHEAP CHARLIE'S) in Ben Xe Moi.
Brumbaugh, Pasci?, Schroer?
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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43. The POW CAMP at the South corner of Can Tho Airfield.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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44. The ARVIN cemetery across the fence to the West of our signal
tower.
Photo by: Bill
Grohoski
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