GSgt. Dave Deyerle was in Vietnam 3 times. The first two times were for 3 months only ('64 and '65.) This was before the Vietnam War became a serious killing project. In the early years prior to June 1965 the length of your stay depended on many factors including your MOS. Later GSgt Deyerle would serve another tour in '69-'70 with VMCJ-1. All three tours were at the Da Nang airbase.

Dave comments on the cameras he used in Vietnam:

Most of my photos were taken with my personal camera (You may not have ever even heard of it. They don't make it any more.) which was a Kowa E, an inexpensive SLR, I picked up at the PX before I went down to Danang in '65. It seemed to work quite well. It was a rugged little camera and as I remember I paid a little less than $100.00 for it in the PX. I lost it while being extracted from an LZ. I came out with a strap and no shots!

I bought the Kowa because when I was in Vietnam in '64 the only cameras I remember in the photo-lab was a 16mm Bell & Howell mopic camera, which I used a lot , a Cannon A1, and a Rolleiflex. They were still there when I went back in '65.

Most of us ended up using our personal cameras the majority of the time. If you look at the group shot of the guys I was with you will see I am holding the Kowa.

GSgt Dave Deyerle

Except where noted all comments are by GSgt Dave Deyerle. start

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