View Full Version : Lang Vei
Just read Night of the Silver Stars by William Phillips and recognized a couple names of guys I served with and wondered if anyone knew of their status:
1LT Allen "Chips" Fleming commanded the Hatchet Force at FOB3 waiting to go in and relieve A-101's team. I knew him as a Major at Eastern Kentucky University in 1976 with the ROTC department. He had pictures of he and the Duke when John Wayne went to Vietnam to promote his movie. Chip said the Duke flew out to visit their camp while it was receiving incomming fire. Chips asked the Duke to come down and give them a hand. The Duke replied he'd leave it to the professionals.
SFC Frank Dooms was the junior 05B at Lang Vei, in the commo bunker during the seige and managed to make it out alive. Frank was one of the freefall instructors at the Trojan Sport Parachute Club, Ft. Devens, MA in 1974. I remember Frank telling the story about them having "tanks in the wire" and telling the Marines that at Khe Sahn and nobody would believe him.
Frankie was the Team Sergeant on B/3/5's SCUBA Team circa 1982. Last the rumor mill had him going up to the 10th(?) and then retiring somewhere in the north/east. Got the Op Center Bunker story from him first hand.
Edit to add link for the young pups
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/Vietnam/7-ff/Ch6.htm
x SF med
06-05-2007, 16:01
Frankie D. got the bubbleheads (and some of his guys were halo too ) at C/2/10 065 or 066 (82-85), did the SGM Academy, got his 9 and took over from Joe Higgs as SGM of C/2/10 in 86/87... that's the last assignment I know of for him he was my SGM when I got out early 88.
Thanks, guys. I don't remember too many of the folks from up at Devens back then, but Frank Dooms really made an impression. I'll check with SFA HQ and see if they have anything on either one.
Frank is a friend. He lives in Dooms, Virginia. After he got his bachelor degree, he went to work for the court system in Augusta County.
I doubt very seriously if he would remember me as I was one of his students at the Trojan Sport Parachute Club up at Devens in the mid-70's. I just ran across his name in the book "Night of the Silver Stars" and was wondering what happened to him. Same thing with Allen "Chips" Fleming.
Does any one know the where abouts of Felton Moore and Tony Riedel?? Felton was TSGT of one of the project teams in 5th group in the mid-late 80's and I went to O&I in '86 with Tony Riedel. Tony at the time was in one of the reserve or guard gps out in colorado, anyone know how they are doing??
thanks
CoLawman
07-26-2007, 08:55
Deleted as inappropriate............so,:o I am a slow learner!
Rich Dressler
04-02-2008, 12:29
Frank told me that when they reported tanks, they were told it was just their own generators they were hearing. He replied "Be advised, one of our generators just blew the door off the TOC.
Blitzzz (RIP)
04-02-2008, 21:35
Frankie Dooms is an excellent person. Of course so are many of you. Blitz
P.s Franky was my SGM when I was the team Sgt of 055 . I had both knees repaired and Franky told me he would get me off of them for a while. He got me to Key West for tour. Three years off of an A-Team. I missed the Team time but the assignment did give my knees good rehab time and I was able to return to %th group as team Sgt of 585. Blitz
At the moment, I'm watching a show on the Military Channel about the Lang Vei attack. Frankie Dooms is one of the 'commentators'
Title for the show is ... Special Forces: Untold Stories... "Green Berets" It says a documentary 2001. So it has been around awhile. First that I've seen it. I read the book as well 'Night of the Silver Stars' and as usual the documentary has to squeeze the story, but it is very good.
spiceygoggles28
11-18-2009, 16:36
I had been incountry about two weeks when Lang Vei was overrun. That night I was working in the message center. There was a lot of communications going on between the C-Team and Lang Vie, but there are three messages that I will never forget.
"We got tanks in the wire"
"Such would be foolishness" From the Marines when they requested help
"There's a tank on TOC" Last message from camp
Two weeks later I went to the Mike Force, the best job you could have in SF.
GOD BLESS AMERICA & YOU
Jack
Det B-16 MSF