The Faces of 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry

Here is a collection of photographs provided by Gary Koppen who was in the 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry during 1970-71. Gary took some of these pictures with others taken by George Hardman, Steve Jones, and Jerry Stasiak.

There are a couple of people in these pictures whose names were lost with time. If anyone can remember their names, please contact Gary Koppen or the webmaster for this site.

Most of these pictures were taken when things were calm or everyone felt relatively safe. In dangerous places or situations, the cameras were never thought of because everyone had their jobs to do.

As Gary finds more members and pictures from his platoon, this photo collection will be updated.

This is Hill 4-11 from the southeast. It looks like Agent Orange really worked.

This was the squad Gary was assigned to in early March, 1970. Front left to right: Steve Jones, Dwight McKinney, Troy Williams, and Jerry Stasiak. Back from left to right: Don Kahre and Pete Simpson.

Sitting in the front from left to right: Larry Scott Barnett, Don Raiser, and Steve Jones. Standing from left to right: Carl Brown and Troy Williams.

These three guys spent their entire tour together with the 2nd Platoon from August, 1969 to August, 1970. They came together and left together. From left to right: Troy Williams, Steve Jones, and George Hardman.

This is a “stand-down” in Chu Lai in early 1970. Kneeling: Steve Jones. Standing: George Hardman and Mike Daly.

Here is the filthy squad after catching a ride to Hill 4-11 in an earthmover. Front from left to right: Jerry Stasiak, Dwight McKinney, George Hardman, Mike Helmer, and an Unknown. Rear from left to right: Pete Simpson, John McIntire, Gregg Gawthorpe, and Benny Hill.

These guys never passed up an opportunity to try and get clean. Front standing: Bill Jackson, James Vitale, and Mike Helmer.

These grunts showed up for assignments to a work detail on Hill 4-11. From left to right: Dave Hall, Bill Jackson, and Mike Helmer.

One night while working southwest of Hill 4-11, 2nd Platoon had multiple tripflares to go off. Immediately, they saw several figures running to their front in a seemingly crouched-down position. They opened fire and managed to kill two wild pigs. Gary is sure they hit a couple of others because there were so many. The RFs/PFs from Tu My Village (Tin Village) were notified, and they showed up the first thing in the morning to take the pigs away.

These guys are taking a break just south of Hill 4-11. From left to right: Pete Simpson, Jerry Stasiak, and Benny Hill.

Here is Jerry Stasiak buying a cold soda from one of the many kids that followed the platoon around when they were operating close to the villages southeast of Hill 4-11.

Here are John McIntire and LT Tomasini with one of the kids.

Here are Don Kahre, Tony Usalis, and Jerry Stasiak making a deal with the “little businessmen.”

Jim Hollerman was always a favorite among the kids.

Here are Jerry Stasiak and LT Tomasini taking a break.

Getting ready to move out are Mark Mackie (medic), Tony Usalis, and Jim Vitale.

Here are Don Kahre, Tony Usalis, and Jerry Stasiak making a deal with the “little businessmen.”

Jim Hollerman was always a favorite among the kids.

Here are Jerry Stasiak and LT Tomasini taking a break.

Getting ready to move out are Mark Mackie (medic), Tony Usalis, and Jim Vitale.

Here is Pete Simpson with some assorted, captured enemy equipment and rice, with thanks to a successful “mechanical ambush.”

Clowning around with a sailor’s hat are George Slamavich “Slammer”, Bryan Ergang, and Stu Squires.

Here are Gregg Gawthorpe, Pete Simpson, and Gary Koppen having breakfast.

This is Benny Hill with the platoon trying to dryout after being out all night in the rain on ambushes.

Taking a break in the shade from left to right are: Benny Hill, Don Kahre, Jim Hollerman, Gary Koppen, and Bill Jackson.

One day, the platoon was operating northeast of Hill 4-11 when they came upon this “sandbox” mock-up of Hill 4-11. This was a detailed model of the entire hill, including all buildings and fighting positions. You can see the real Hill 4-11 in the background. This was an unpopulated area, but there were lots of fresh, adult-sized sandal prints around this.

Here is another view of the Hill 4-11 “sandbox” mock-up.

In the “Horseshoe” waiting for word to move out are Carl Brown, Pete Simpson, Benny Hill, and Mike Helmer.

Here are some more guys in the “Horseshoe” waiting to move out. Front from left to right: Bryan Ergang, Tony Usalis, and Lou Tarantino. Rear from left to right: Don Kahre and Mark Mackie.

Here are Jerry Stasiak, Bryan Ergang, Don Kahre (front), Pete Simpson, Bill Jackson, and Carl Brown.

Taking a break from playing “Stretch” are Tony Usalis, Gary Koppen, and Bryan Ergang. This was a game where you would face your opponent and throw a knife and stick it in the ground outside your opponent’s feet. If the distance were less than the knife’s length, then your opponent would have to spread his feet that far. This would go back and forth until one person was unable to spread or stretch his legs any further. Stretch and Spades were the most popular games played during breaks in the field.

The grunts didn’t have fresh vegetables in the field. So, one day the platoon took a pot from a village they had patrolled through, picked some fresh corn the locals were growing for feed, and had fresh corn on the cob. From left to right: Gary Koppen, Bryan Ergang, Mike Helmer, Lou Tarantino, and Lop, their KCS.

These grunts from 2nd platoon are checking out a Cobra that landed on Hill 4-11. From left to right: Unknown, Troy Williams, Mike Daly, Steve Jones, Richard Guertin, Gregg Gawthorpe, and George Hardman in the front seat.

Here are Gary Koppen and Mike Hambly in Nghia Hanh Valley.

This is Don Kahre getting ready to move out in Nghia Hanh Valley.

Here are Jim Hollerman, Don Kahre, and Gary Koppen in Nghia Hanh Valley on September 12, 1970. Don was killed in a firefight in the hills above Nghia Hanh Valley three days later on September 15, 1970

This tiger crawled up to the perimeter and was met with a claymore mine. The upper teeth were removed before the camera arrived. Gary carried one of the bottom fangs in his pocket for about a week, until he couldn’t stand the smell from the rotting tooth. Gary is holding the tiger’s head. George Ambrose (medic) is watching.

The Faces of 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry

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