MA.

Yes 1968 - 69 - Nov.70

Just found this site after all these years.. and SO SAD to here of Capt.Cochhi's passing. I remember him hauling his cot & bunk role out of where we had put it in a tent (with the "other" officers)...one night @ NDP 4(?) in the rain, and sleeping next to the 81mm motar tube !!.. What a guy.. what a leader he was,"loved" him as such. I remember being back in base camp and one night I "hot-rodded" one of the 5 tons that Bill Klein drove.. not knowing that, That tuck had been selected for a Brigade level CMMI inspection the following morning, and when SSGT Kelly started it early the next morning & heard it.. he panic'd and sent it out on mine sweep and told Bill Klein not to bring it back until LATE in the day.. didn't care where he went, just don't show up in the motor pool with it! HaHa Kelly said later he'd never seen a red "glow" a foot long off of the exhaust stack on an Army truck of any kind before.. guess he threatened Bill with a court martial if he kept refusing to tell him for sure who the "tuner" was.. though he said later that "he had a hunch". lol Would sure like to know where Bobby Blair (Queens,NY the do *** singer), Rod Shipley, Bill Anderson, and many others are.. from 1st plt, especially.. Bobby Arnold (MO.?) etc. After the 27th, I went down to Vinh Long in the Delta and flew as a gunner for 2 more tours with the infamous (had a literal bounty on our heads!!) Outlaws & Maverick Gun Team... then towards the end of my time(11-70)I somehow contracted a very nasty & "mysterious" fever which dehydrated me down to 114 lbs.. and has wiped out better than 85% of my memory.. especially in regards to VN... dunno, maybe The Lord spared me of some bad things.. judging from some of the postings. PLEASE, if ANY of you guys remember me.. would LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!! Please e-mail me.. or repost on here.. I will continue to check back, now that I know it's here.. at least once a week. God Bless Each and Everyone of you, wherever you are. "Diamond"Jim

Austin Minnesota

yes S-4 HHC 27th Engr Apr68-Nov69

when i arrived at camp eagle 27th had just moved up from down south because of my carpentry experience i spent afew months building up the camp builtthe guard tower the water tower officers quarters even the wall for the outdoor theater transfered to charlie co for a short time and did mine sweeps on 547 and transferred back to HHC water purification S-4 which sent me out to support Aco for my remaining months. i was there when Cpt Cocchi sent the bat cmdr to the back of the chow line . what a man to follow . he set me up on every body of water from camp eagle to the A Shua and always come out to check on me One morning after what i thought was a very intense fire fight at the perfume river an officer from 502 inf and Cpt Cocchi put me and another engr in for a cib It was later turned down by the Bat. Cmdr saying no engr will ever wear a Combat InfantryBadge No big deal i followed Cocchi to the valley i was supposed to be on the convoy that was hit in jun 69 have had many problems with that sense Came home in nov 69 and have spent 40 some yrs denying i was even in viet nam . Dont remember any names i was mostly down at the water point and didnt make friends with many from the 27th had a few from 101st infantry squads camped out around me Have never for got Cpt. Cocchi

Tooele Utah

yes 101st Abn. 4th Plt. 101MP Co.

AO was Rt. 547. Eagle, Birmingham, Bastone, Vegal, even made it to Eagles Nest. Gun jeeps and V-100 armored cars. 1970-1972 Sent the buzzard HOME feb. 72. Did my last 3 mos. in Saigon. ETS May 72. Watched as the ARVN's lost everything along Rt. 547, Easter Offensive 72

Easton, PA

Yes

Terribly sorry to hear about Vinnie's passing. Found his web site several years ago and liked it very much. I spent all of 1970 and a few months of 1971 with the 27th Eng. Bat. with the 2nd Platoon, Delta Company at FSB Birmingham. We built a lot of culverts and keep Route 547 operational at all costs. Learned a hell of a lot for a 19 year old kid but I would never do it again. Made a great number of friends and enjoyed the camaraderie. Our Platoon also traveled around Viet Nam a lot. We built a bridge at Phan Thiet, built underground bunkers for the Special Forces near Cambodia, Swam in the South China Sea, built an underground mess hall at FSB Bastone, saw Bob Hope during a Christmas show at FSB Birmingham, etc. We did a lot of eng. stuff. We went where ever they needed us. If it involved the engineers, we were there.

www.2-7-68.com

Memphis, TN

Yes, with 2/5 Marines at Rock Crusher with 9th Marine Engineers

On 7 Feb 68 we made a resupply mission to the Rock Crusher home of
9th Engineers and B 1/11 Artillery. Convoy was ambushed at Route 547
and near Hwy1. Our Web Site tells the story www.2-7-68.com The base was abandoned in March 68.

Indpls I

Yes C Co 27th cmbt Engrs 69-70

Let us give thanks on the birth of Jesus Christ, and remember Vinny and all our brothers and sisters that are not able to be with us in body on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas

Dave Cole

Holyoke Mass.

yes A/1/83rd Arty A Shau Valley 1969

Vinny, Unknowingly we treked down route 547 in the same original convoy that had you building the road and our self propelled howitzers rumbling along behind from Bastogne to Blaze and all the way to Currahee. Years later we found each other on the internet and learned these facts. I attended Captain Cocchi's service on your behalf of the 27th Engineers. We had many a long night on the phone discussing the A Shau Valley and Route 547. You and Sue visited me in Mass. enroute to a 27th engineers reunion in NY. Your passing really set me back as it did all of us who were close to you. You made an impact on our lives like no other GI could. Your physical pain and nightmares have ceased as you are in a better place. May GOD hold you in the palm of his hand.
Now, you are paving a road that the rest of us will travel in the future,
Take Care Brother Vinny. Until we meet again.

Dan

kentucky

yes co a 27th engr btn 18th engr bde apr 69-feb 70

sue,so sorry to here about your loss. i talked to vinny a few years back and enjoyed talking to him. he will be missed.

Charleston, SC

No

My cousin Vinny (yes, he really was my cousin). I will miss you and that unmistakeable way you could carry on a conversation. The last time we spoke (Jan 09), you were upbeat and positive. Although we never really saw much of each other over the years, I can still remember when I was a small child in Brooklyn and you were getting ready to head off to Nam. I was in bed and you came in to say goodbye. Neither one of us knew how that experience would change your life, but you made it through. Yes, you made it through. God bless Sue and the family. Keep all your friends and family laughing up there in heaven till the rest of us join you. I know you will be sorely missed down here, but you were needed elsewhere. Goodbye, cousin !!

AllMilitary.com

Pacific Northwest

Yes, 1st Battalion 46th Infantry, 196th Brigade (Americal Division) Chu Lai

Vinny, Brother. Your mission on this earth has been more than accomplished. Go home to be with the Supreme Commander In Chief and join all our Brothers who have gone before Us. We are bringing up the rear and we will leave none of our Brothers behind. Rest in Peach, Brother.

ft pierce fla

vietnam7071

the pictures was real good. i went to vietnam when my pal gat killed in1969.his name was max johnson.gary jones

Fayetteville, NC

No

Thank you for your service. My prayers are with your family. Rest in Peace.

Washington State

No

I want to SALUTE you and all the Vietnam Veterans as well as Thank You for your service. May you rest in peace Vinny. My thoughts & Prayers are with your family and friends. US Army 1985 - 1988, 142nd MP Co, Korea

nj

yes hhc 67-68 nov. 67 trans. to 11th air cav 1st platoon

I havn't been to this site in some time. I had some talks with Vini, And I am sorry for his passing. I guess ther's quite a few of us that just find it hard to bond. I didn't know Vini well, but liked what he had to say. I did'nt know of his illness, so forgive me vini, goodby brother you are in good hands.

Kentucky

Yes

Iwas in the 18th Bgd 577th Const. Engineers. In 1970 and 1971 Is there anyone there from B company ar C company. I would like to contact or share old times

oklahoma city, ok

yes, 18th bde co d 87th bn eng.Attached/TDY early 69

Vinny,I will miss our phone calls, reunions, A best Friend,May you rest in peace.Ken

pa

yes

Vinny, I will miss you more than I can say. You helped me more than I can say. I miss capt. cochi more than I can say. we will be together soon in a special place just for us. The tears I shed now are for you. I have only one more request? Be there to welcome me home. God bless you vinny. god bless us all. Tom heffner. may69 to may 70

Houston, Texas

yes

I, along with many others, mourn Vinny's passing on May 21, 2009. I knew him, served with him, put up with him, even liked him. Now, I'll miss him. Maybe he's said hello to Jasper Trusley and Harry Long already. Those two have always been my alpha and omega of the whole Vietnam war. Trusley was killed in the big ambush in 69, riding the convoy back to Camp Eagle to go home. He had 4 or 5 days left in-country. Long was killed in the same ambush. He had been in-country for about 26 days. Vinny died (I'm convinced) of traumas suffered during the war and its aftermath. Sue: I've always thought that whoever wrote the song "Wind beneath my Wings" was thinking of you while he wrote it. You were the wind beneath Vinny's wings for all those years. You have my greatest sympathies. Glenn Peters

cox.net

Pensacola

yes

It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that the founder of this web site Vinny has passed away today,after a gallent fight against cancer.Jus a few weeks ago he e-mailed me and thought he had turned the conor,our prayers are with with his family.Vinny iI will never forget you

Fairhope, AL

Yes

Hi Vinny, and thanks for the site! I was company clerk of Co A from July '68 to September '69. Hello to Rod Shipley, Joe Tarnovsky, and all you other great guys I served proudly with. I was so sorry to hear about Captain Cocchi. He was one of the most special individuals I've ever known. God bless you all! Jerry