Joel Dinda's photos with the keyword: ssdp

This sign was on the headquarters building. Jim Lovins photograph. Pleiku, Republic of Vietnam, 1971.

Until we started running the CommCenter on a skeleton staff, parties were a common diversion. Jim and I both caught more than one on film. Jim Lovins photograph, Pleiku, Republic of Vietnam, 1970 or 1971.

Since I've promised you a run of Jim Lovins' photographs, it seemed appropriate to post a picture of him as he looked when we were both in Pleiku. Republic of Vietnam, 1970 or 1971. It's fair to say that wasn't a regulation haircut. This is Jim's photo, not mine. No idea who took it....

Another photo from the party I showed you a couple weeks back. Miserably focused; obviously I was shooting the folks in the foreground, but instead I ended up with a fairly good photo of the buildings behind them. Ummm. What buildings are those, Joel? Wish I could remember; I'm totally disoriented.... That sky's pretty impressive.

The supply room for Signal Support Detachment Pleiku, Republic of Vietnam, 1971.

Gil Wall, out exploring; taken on the outing which began with this photo and includes this one . Pleiku, RVN, 1971. Our communications center was a fairly high-tech operation for the time, and Gil was one of the folks who kept the equipment operational. Since my email address is quite public, every now and then I hear from my Vietnam colleagues. Gil and I traded a few notes about a year ago; he'd evidently found this entry in my since-abandoned weblog. He's still doing technical work, I gather; here's his website . He's living in suburban Denver, these days. Taken with my brand-new Minolta SR-T 101.

A Veterans Day memory. Memories, unfortunately, are fragile.... Members of Signal Support Detachment Pleiku, or perhaps its predecessor Company A of the 146th Signal company, relax out in front of the barracks in late 1970 or early 1971. This view shows one of the walkways at the Pleiku Army Hospital, with Tropo Hill a rather ghostly presence in the background. Although I recognize most of these faces, I can't seem to come up with any names. Sorry, guys; if you want to help, feel free. Photo by Jim Lovins Lots of notes on the Flickr copy of this photo . Worth a look.

Roscar Siminski and the Central Highlands skyline, in 1971. This is the road between 71st Evac and Tropo Hill , as shown on this map ; we're looking toward Engineer Hill. (Map courtesy of Ray Smith ; Tropo Hill photo from Ray Browning's website --my photo, though.) This is the first photograph I ever took with a quality camera, and it came out quite well. Ray Browning's site includes this photo --I think it's by Rick Stolz--which I've always found painfully like my memory of the view from 71st Evac. The first building in the foreground, with the red cross on top, was Ward One, and was my home for most of my tour.... Camera: Minolta SR-T 101 New scan (from negative) posted on 12/29/05.

Vietnam in the morning, 1971. This is Ward One of the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku, RVN; home of Signal Support Detachment Pleiku at that time, but once a crucial part of a large hospital. In the background are the water tower and a corner of one of the large tropo antennas everyone associated with the Signal Corps in Pleiku. During my year in Nam, I first lived in Ward Two, then moved to Ward One when a less public room, suitable for NCOs (and real people, for that matter), became available there. Camera: Polaroid SX70

"The war ... has been over for a long time; there are names and events people knew they would never forget which, by now, they have forgotten they ever knew." ---Randall Jarrell Members of Signal Support Detachment Pleiku (SSDP), or perhaps Company A of the 146th Signal Company (two names, same outfit), posing by one of the wards at 71st Evac. Jim likely took this fine photo in early 1971. Unfortunately, neither he nor I can attach names to these faces; my memory, I've learned, is more fragile than I'd like to believe. Do notice the nice puppy. Several years ago Jim and I pooled our Vietnam pictures and shared what little we remembered on a website, which we called "Welcome (back) to SSDP." That site's gone, the victim of an ISP switch. Perhaps someday we'll rebuild; meantime, here's a piece of our past. If you recognize these folks, please annotate the picture. Thanks! Camera unknown Photo by Jim Lovins