SP4 Carl Caputo (Hook), from Bronx, NY, served as a rifleman with Alpha Company, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry from October 1968 to October 1969. He was one of the original founders of FSB 4-11. Just prior to the establishment of FSB 4-11, two grunts from Alpha Company, Joe Kelley and Bobby McCoy, were killed. Carl remembers the men of Alpha Company recommended the firebase be named Kelley/McCoy after their fallen comrades. However, their recommendation was turned down, and the firebase was named Fire Support Base 4-11. Most grunts referred to it as Hill 4-11.
Here are some photos by Carl that were taken before Hill 4-11 was established:
This is an early photograph of Alpha Company’s Orderly Room at LZ Bronco. The picture was taken from the Supply Room side of the “Battalion Street.”
Here is a black and white picture of the “Battalion Street” for the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry. The Battalion’s Aide Station is on the right with the flag.
This is a view of the Command Post (CP) on Landing Zone (LZ) Cork.
This is the “Welcome Sign” at LZ Cork. Al (please help with the last name) is on the left and Carl Caputo is on the right. At the bottom of the sign, it says “Former Home of the 3rd NVA Div.”
Here’s another shot of the welcome sign with Carl Caputo on the left and Manuel (please help with the last name).
This is a bunker on LZ Cork. Notice how close the “claymore” mines are to the bunker.
This is a picture of Dave, George Wolf, Ken, Roy, Larry Travers, Martinez in Bunker #7 at LZ Dragon. (Please help with the names.)
Here is Carl Caputo on LZ Mitt.
This is another photograph of LZ Mitt around the same timeframe.
Here is the “Welcome Sign” on LZ Charlie Brown. From left to right, the guys in the picture are George Wolf, Dave Lambert, and Carl Caputo. (Please help with Dave’s last name – last name provided by Terry Hammersmith.)
This is a view of the ville across the waterway from LZ Charlie Brown.
This is Carl’s squad taking a break while on patrol. They were known as the “Dirty Dozen minus 2.” In the picture are Rich Rowan, George Wolf, Larry Travers, Tom, Dave L., Otis, Ken, Dave, and three other guys not in the squad. (Please help with the last names.)
Here is George Wolf and Carl Caputo on top of a bunker on FSB Hill 4-11.
This is Benito Conchola and Carl Caputo in the field on Christmas Day, 1968. Resupply choppers flew in that day and delivered Christmas presents to Alpha Company. Benito, from Bloomington, TX, was a pointman most of the time and was later killed-in-action on February 9, 1969.
Here is Carl in a triple canopy jungle in the mountains to the west of Duc Pho, sometime between January and March 1969. This photograph was taken during the day with a flashbulb. Carl said they found an NVA basecamp with tables and classrooms near this location. The only way into the basecamp was through a metal culvert that announced their coming. The NVA were not stupid. At the time, Carl and his buddies were wondering why they were issued night-shirts. Well, the mountains get cold, and sometimes they had to sleep braced against something so they would not fall down the mountain. The climbing was grueling but at least there were no mosquitoes here.
The guy in this picture with his left fist in the air is Jim Jackson, Carl’s squad leader.
And here is Carl again at the NVA basecamp in the triple canopy jungles west of Duc Pho.
This is Carl in a B-52 bomb crater.
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