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18th Artillery Group Member

Sal Mattina

 

 

 

 

 

 

  •  Sal Mattina at Ft Lewis Washington 1964.
  •  Salvatore J Mattina - took Basic April 7, '64
  •  2nd 8 week training at Ft, Lewis - July 1964
  •  Discharge March 31, '66 - Oakland Calif.

 

Sal Mattina & Ace Howitzer

Sal arrived in the Valley November 4, 1965.  His Chinook was like the other's it sat down about 1/4 mile from the Temporary Morgue - all I could see was Sal running for cover ,with 2 Ammo cases, to where the temporary morgue was.  Sal helped clean up Dead bodies of the engineer's at the Air Strip - we had no Body Bag's.
Sal laid for day's with Malaria and no Medic to assist him, only us men. Sal was there when Roy Woods, the advance party man, received orders to Blow the Morgue; all Sal remembers was later, sitting on beach at Quin-Non, with the only equipment there... twelve 8" howitzers

"Sal just smiled as we ate...  when I arrived, the South Vietnamese Kid's had stole our C-ration's, so we ate at the Air Force base in Quin-Non."

 

Sal, laughing, said, "let's teach these South Vietnam people to wipe there ass like we do", and toilet paper got caught in the blades of there 1st Cavalry chopper, making Confetti out of everything... imagine that!

 

To the left is a picture of the wash stand where we

washed up out of steel pots.

 

 

Sal retired from the St. Louis Fire Department.  He still has a hat from every Fire Department hanging on his wall.  One thing that impressed me... at his home, was his train, and when his phone rings it's the Fire Department sound - I bet his neighbors just love him!  Sal just sleeps through the Fire Dept. sound... he says, "I am retired!" 

 

Sal was at the Reunion at Springfield, Illinois, May 1st to the 3rd  of 2003.
 

Sal and Sue Mattina make there home in St. Louis, MO.

** Click here and use Microsoft Virtual Earth and view the St. Louis Arch in 3D!
 

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