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	Headquarters & Headquarters Battery 1/30 Vietnam Images

The Headquarters and Headquarters Battery is the most diverse of any artillery battery when it comes to the people assigned. Here you find the battalion communications section, medics, cooks, fire direction center, S1 (Personnel), S2 (Intelligence), and S3 (Operations) personnel necessary to keep a battalion functioning. Thanks to Jim Valinoti for providing the majority of the photos in the HHB area.
	Battalion FDC was responsible for insuring that the fires coming out of the batteries were safe and accurate. They also made sure the ammunition stock levels were adequate for the ongoing and planned operations the batteries had to support. Each firing battery FDC had a buddy on the desk at battalion FDC.
If you spoke to a battery FDC computer you would find they considered the battalion FDC a pain in the tail. The battalion checked initial computation data and made sure the battery data was correct and safe.
	This is "Freddy", the FADAC (Field Artillery Digital Automatic Computer). It weighed about 200 pounds and was accompanied by two 400 cycle generators. If the generators would start and you had good meteorological data it would give you highly accurate firing data. Five battery buttons would allow you to fire multiple missions from the battery or mass fires of all three guns in your platoon. "Freddy" was either a good friend or a pain in the tail.
Battalion FDC also functioned as the AWCC (Air Warning Control Center) for the Area of Operations. Artillery warning were broadcast to prevent the trajectory of the artillery rounds and the flight paths of aircraft from conflicting. The AWCC in Phuoc Vinh had the call sign "Phuoc Vinh Arty" and was one of the busier centers in the area.
	Jim (Doc) Valinoti, Senior medic with the 30th Field Artillery stands beside his jeep in this Polaroid picture. Doc Jim provided the pictures of the medics, clerks and cooks.
At the right is the new 3/4 ton ambulance just before moving south with the 1st Cavalry Division in 1968
	The same ambulance after a disagreement with a 107mm rocket.
HQ15, a 3/4 ton truck became a temporary replacement for the ambulance. It is parked next to the battalion aid station, in the same position that Jim's jeep occupied when it also ran afoul of a 107mm rocket.
	Water tower under construction at HQ battery. This tank provided the running water for the showers. That's right guys, running water and showers. It paid to be "in the rear with the gear."
Murphy, the most traveled man in the battalion. Murph was our mail courier and carried the mail from headquarters to all the batteries on a daily basis.
	You always wanted to stay on "Docs" good side, he could lose your shot record and make you take them all over again. (Right) "Doc" Kotruba, a combat medical specialist and a good man to have with you. Notice that he wears a "Cav Sandwich" indicating a second tour.
"Doc" Hawkins in his ammo box palace taking care of business.
	It was called a MEDCAP and it was helping to win the hearts and minds of the people. Our medical people treated the illness and injuries and helped the children in the community. The following photos were taken during a MEDCAP to a village near Phuoc Vinh as the headquarters troops pitched in to build a swing set at the school.









	Administrative personnel gather in the hooch after a long day at Phuoc Vinh. We often referred to these guys as "clerks and jerks" but they did an important job. Do you know where any of these men are now? If you recognize any of the people here or maybe have some names on a set of your orders, let us know.
Another shot from the Phuoc Vinh area. Tam, the interpreter is a key member in each pictures. Jim was constantly amazed at his ability to switch from French, to Vietnamese, Cambodian or the Montagnard dialect when assisting him with patients during a MEDCAP.
	The Phuoc Vinh mess hall had a number of nicknames. We called it the "Ptomaine Palace" and the "Food Simulation Laboratory." Even with our verbal abuse, the cooks worked long hard hours in a kitchen that was, if anything, hotter than the world outside. "Spoons" and his crew shared the same dangers as the rest of us at Phuoc Vinh. Mortars and rockets were not particular when it came to MOS.
It did not matter what your name was. If you were a medic you were called "Doc" and if you were a cook it was "Spoons."
	When you got a chance for a midday break, the mess hall was a place to sit and maybe find a small piece of that illusive treasure, Ice.
The Battalion Staff together for a Commander's Call and Change of Command in October of 1969. Back Row: CPT John Henry S1, MAJ Jack Garven S3, LTC Jack Callaway CO, MAJ Gerald Chapman XO, CPT Ray Beck S4. Front Row: CPT Ron Pruitt A Btry, CPT Urey W. Alexander B Btry, CPT Josh Robles C Btry and CPT Bill Noard SVC Btry.
	They did not all look like this. This is a special ceremonial round, painted and decorated to honor the One-Millionth Round fired by the battalion in Vietnam. The Cav Patch is at the top followed by the 1/30 crest. Below are the ARVN airborne wings. This round was fired out of FSB Judy with the Battalion Commander, the ARVN Battalion Commander and General Dung, the ARVN Airborne Division Commander jointly pulling the lanyard.