Fort Sill, Fort Hood, Vietnam, Germany
The 6/14 anytime, all the time. Here, there, anywhere; we are all brothers.

So sit back, relax, and click around the site. Enjoy, learn something, and... remember.

"Ex Hoc Signo Victoria"

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- Tuesday 9-11-2007 -

Not a day passes that the events of 9/11 do not enter our thoughts but on this in perticular we turn our thoughts and hearts to the families of our heros at The World Trade Towers, the Pentagon, Flight 93 and the families of our soldiers of the field, the 614 Arty sends our love, honor and respect.
On this day six years ago and every day since thousands have given the extra measure... and today, all over the world, others will continue to give.

We will never forget their struggle, their strength... their moments of magnificence.
May we Americans and our leaders find an equal measure so the world may be at peace.

Photo courtesy Clifton Bazar

9/11 victims honored six years later

Read the Official 9/11 Commission Report

Help preserve the memory of their heroic deeds by donating to the
FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL
"A common field one day. A field of honor forever."

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- Thursday 5-4-2006 -

Update on "Tank Battle Vietnam"
The episode of The Discovery Channels Battlefield Diaries we have all been waiting for
has changed air date and time!
The new date and time for Battlefield Diaries: "Tank Battle Vietnam" is set to air
May 15th, 10PM EST on the (Discovery) MILITARY Channel
The documentary details the heroic actions of the 69th Armor and the US Special Forces during March, 1969 as North Vietnamese tanks crept towards the SF camp of Ben Het. This was the first and only time tanks engaged each other in the Vietnam War.
Here's the latest info from the Discovery Military Channel

BATTLEFIELD DIARIES: Tank Battle Vietnam

World Premiere: Monday, May 15, 10 PM

It was the first and only tank battle of the Vietnam War. On March 3, 1969, North Vietnamese armor and infantry unleashed a surprise attack on a remote U.S. Special Forces camp near the Ho Chi Minh Trail. A company of U.S. M48 tanks moved in to defend the camp and became engaged in a fierce head-to-head tank battle against a force four times their size. This episode tells the true story of the only classic armor battle of that war, in the words of the American tankers who fought it.



This excellent program is also set for rebroadcast
in some areas on the following dates and times:
May 16, 1 AM
May 16, 5 AM
May 21, 11 AM
Check your local listings for details.

We have added the 6th Battalion 14th Field Artillery to the Wikipedia!

What the heck is a "Wikipedia"?
Begun in 2001, Wikipedia has rapidly grown into the largest reference website on the Internet. The content of Wikipedia is free, written collaboratively by people from all around the world. The Wilipedia is a wiki too, which means that anyone with access to an Internet-connected computer can edit, correct, or improve information throughout the encyclopedia, simply by clicking the edit this page link
(with a few minor exceptions, such as protected articles and the main page)
People, public schools and universities all over the world use the Wikipedia as one of their main sources for research and study thereby making the information and history of the 6th Battalion 14th Field Artillery (along with a link to our website :) available to millions and millions of people everyday
So stop by the 6/14 listing over a the Wikipedia and let us know if you think there is anything we should add
6th Battalion 14th Field Artillery listing on the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6th_Battalion_14th_Field_Artillery

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- Sunday 2-18-2006 -

Hey there all you Warbonnets!
Let's see, where to begin... I know, have you heard that producer/film maker, John "Jake" Klim of Normandy Films has made a documentary for Discovery about the tank battle at Ben Het. Normandy Films' latest documentary,
Battlefield Diaries: "Tank Battle Vietnam" is set to air May 15th, 10PM EST on the (Discovery) MILITARY Channel. The documentary details the heroic actions of the 69th Armor and the US Special Forces during March, 1969 as North Vietnamese tanks crept towards the SF camp of Ben Het. This was the first and only time tanks engaged each other in the Vietnam War.
Quite interestingly our good Warbonnet Brother Neal Fagan has provided some of his excellent photographs of Ben Het for use in this documentary... Oh, Yeah!

I know I'll have my favorite chair moved to the center of the den to catch every moment of this Central Highland saga.

These accompanying photos are courtesy of your friend and mine, Neal Fagan
These were taken in June of 1969
Thanks Neal!

Brother Ken Bailey's newspaper clippings covering the battle for Ben Het in 1969 were so popular that we moved them to their own page:

The Siege of Ben Het
- Special thanks goes to Ken Bailey for all the articles -

If you missed these great bits of history then hurry on over and check them out

Every now and then we get a little update from our men and women who are bravely serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We received the following observations from an old army buddy of one of our Warbonnets, who cannot verify the information, but it sure sounds about right in the light of Vietnam and Lebanon. The trooper who sends this spent 7 months at "Camp Blue Diamond" in Ramadi. Aka: Fort Apache. He saw and did a lot and the following is what he has to say about weapons, equipment, tactics and other miscellaneous info which may be of interest to you. Nothing is by any means classified. No politics here, just a Marine with a bird's eye view's opinions:

• 1) The M-16 rifle : Thumbs down. Chronic jamming problems with the talcum powder like sand over there. The sand is everywhere. Jordan says you feel filthy 2 minutes after coming out of the shower. The M-4 carbine version is more popular because it's lighter and shorter, but it has jamming problems also. They like the ability to mount the various optical gunsights and weapons lights on the picattiny rails, but the weapon itself is not great in a desert environment. They all hate the 5.56mm (.223) round. Poor penetration on the cinderblock structure common over there and even torso hits cant be reliably counted on to put the enemy down. Fun fact: Random autopsies on dead insurgents shows a high level of opiate use.
• 2) The M243 SAW (squad assault weapon): .223 cal. Drum fed light machine gun. Big thumbs down. Universally considered a piece of shit. Chronic jamming problems, most of which require partial disassembly. (that's fun in the middle of a firefight).
• 3) The M9 Beretta 9mm: Mixed bag. Good gun, performs well in desert environment; but they all hate the 9mm cartridge. The use of handguns for self-defense is actually fairly common. Same old story on the 9mm: Bad guys hit multiple times and still in the fight.
• 4) Mossberg 12ga. Military shotgun: Works well, used frequently for clearing houses to good effect.
• 5) The M240 Machine Gun: 7.62 Nato (.308) cal. belt fed machine gun, developed to replace the old M-60 (what a beautiful weapon that was!!). Thumbs up. Accurate, reliable, and the 7.62 round puts 'em down. Originally developed as a vehicle mounted weapon, more and more are being dismounted and taken into the field by infantry. The 7.62 round chews up the structure over there.
• 6) The M2 .50 cal heavy machine gun: Thumbs way, way up. "Ma deuce" is still worth her considerable weight in gold. The ultimate fight stopper, puts their dicks in the dirt every time. The most coveted weapon in-theater.
• 7) The .45 pistol: Thumbs up. Still the best pistol round out there. Everybody authorized to carry a sidearm is trying to get their hands on one. With few exceptions, can reliably be expected to put 'em down with a torso hit. The special ops guys (who are doing most of the pistol work) use the HK military model and supposedly love it. The old government model .45's are being re-issued en masse.
• 8) The M-14: Thumbs up. They are being re-issued in bulk, mostly in a modified version to special ops guys. Modifications include lightweight Kevlar stocks and low power red dot or ACOG sights. Very reliable in the sandy environment, and they love the 7.62 round.
• 9) The Barrett .50 cal sniper rifle: Thumbs way up. Spectacular range and accuracy and hits like a freight train. Used frequently to take out vehicle suicide bombers ( we actually stop a lot of them) and barricaded enemy. Definitely here to stay.
• 10) The M24 sniper rifle: Thumbs up. Mostly in .308 but some in 300 win mag. Heavily modified Remington 700's. Great performance. Snipers have been used heavily to great effect. Rumor has it that a marine sniper on his third tour in Anbar province has actually exceeded Carlos Hathcock's record for confirmed kills with OVER 100.
• 11) The new body armor: Thumbs up. Relatively light at approx. 6 lbs. and can reliably be expected to soak up small shrapnel and even will stop an AK-47 round. The bad news: Hot as shit to wear, almost unbearable in the summer heat (which averages over 120 degrees). Also, the enemy now goes for head shots whenever possible. All the bullshit about the "old" body armor making our guys vulnerable to the IED's was a non-starter. The IED explosions are enormous and body armor doesn't make any difference at all in most cases.
• 12) Night Vision and Infrared Equipment: Thumbs way up. Spectacular performance. Our guys see in the dark and own the night, period. Very little enemy action after evening prayers. More and more enemy being whacked at night during movement by our hunter-killer teams. We've all seen the videos.
• 13) Lights: Thumbs up. Most of the weapon mounted and personal lights are Surefire's, and the troops love 'em. Invaluable for night urban operations. Jordan carried a $34 Surefire G2 on a neck lanyard and loved it. I cant help but notice that most of the good fighting weapons and ordnance are 50 or more years old!!!!!!!!! With all our technology, it's the WWII and Vietnam era weapons that everybody wants!!!! The infantry fighting is frequent, up close and brutal. No quarter is given or shown.

Bad guy weapons:

• 1) Mostly AK47's The entire country is an arsenal. Works better in the desert than the M16 and the .308 Russian round kills reliably. PKM belt fed light machine guns are also common and effective. Luckily, the enemy mostly shoots like shit. Undisciplined "spray and pray" type fire. However, they are seeing more and more precision weapons, especially sniper rifles. (Iran, again) Fun fact: Captured enemy have apparently marveled at the marksmanship of our guys and how hard they fight. They are apparently told in Jihad school that the Americans rely solely on technology, and can be easily beaten in close quarters combat for their lack of toughness. Let's just say they know better now.
• 2) The RPG: Probably the infantry weapon most feared by our guys. Simple, reliable and as common as dogshit. The enemy responded to our up-armored humvees by aiming at the windshields, often at point blank range. Still killing a lot of our guys.
• 3) The IED: The biggest killer of all. Can be anything from old Soviet anti-armor mines to jury rigged artillery shells. A lot found in Jordan's area were in abandoned cars. The enemy would take 2 or 3 155mm artillery shells and wire them together. Most were detonated by cell phone, and the explosions are enormous. You're not safe in any vehicle, even an M1 tank. Driving is by far the most dangerous thing our guys do over there. Lately, they are much more sophisticated "shape charges" (Iranian) specifically designed to penetrate armor. Fact: Most of the ready made IED's are supplied by Iran, who is also providing terrorists (Hezbollah types) to train the insurgents in their use and tactics. That's why the attacks have been so deadly lately. Their concealment methods are ingenious, the latest being shape charges in Styrofoam containers spray painted to look like the cinderblocks that litter all Iraqi roads. We find about 40% before they detonate, and the bomb disposal guys are unsung heroes of this war. 4) Mortars and rockets: Very prevalent. The soviet era 122mm rockets (with an 18km range) are becoming more prevalent. One of Jordan's NCO's lost a leg to one. These weapons cause a lot of damage "inside the wire". Jordan's base was hit almost daily his entire time there by mortar and rocket fire, often at night to disrupt sleep patterns and cause fatigue (It did). More of a psychological weapon than anything else. The enemy mortar teams would jump out of vehicles, fire a few rounds, and then haul ass in a matter of seconds. 5) Bad guy technology: Simple yet effective. Most communication is by cell and satellite phones, and also by email on laptops. They use handheld GPS units for navigation and "Google earth" for overhead views of our positions. Their weapons are good, if not fancy, and prevalent. Their explosives and bomb technology is TOP OF THE LINE. Night vision is rare. They are very careless with their equipment and the captured GPS units and laptops are treasure troves of Intel when captured. Who are the bad guys?: Most of the carnage is caused by the Zarqawi Al Qaeda group. They operate mostly in Anbar province (Fallujah and Ramadi). These are mostly "foreigners", non-Iraqi Sunni Arab Jihadists from all over the Muslim world (and Europe). Most enter Iraq through Syria (with, of course, the knowledge and complicity of the Syrian govt.) , and then travel down the "rat line" which is the trail of towns along the Euphrates River that we've been hitting hard for the last few months. Some are virtually untrained young Jihadists that often end up as suicide bombers or in "sacrifice squads". Most, however, are hard core terrorists from all the usual suspects (Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas etc.) These are the guys running around murdering civilians en masse and cutting heads off. The Chechens (many of whom are Caucasian), are supposedly the most ruthless and the best fighters. (they have been fighting the Russians for years). In the Baghdad area and south, most of the insurgents are Iranian inspired (and led) Iraqi Shiites. The Iranian Shiia have been very adept at infiltrating the Iraqi local govt.'s, the police forces and the Army. The have had a massive spy and agitator network there since the Iran-Iraq war in the early 80's. Most of the Saddam loyalists were killed, captured or gave up long ago. Bad Guy Tactics: When they are engaged on an infantry level they get their asses kicked every time. Brave, but stupid. Suicidal Banzai-type charges were very common earlier in the war and still occur. They will literally sacrifice 8-10 man teams in suicide squads by sending them screaming and firing Ak's and RPG's directly at our bases just to probe the defenses. They get mowed down like grass every time. ( see the M2 and M240 above). Jordan's base was hit like this often. When engaged, they have a tendency to flee to the same building, probably for what they think will be a glorious last stand. Instead, we call in air and that's the end of that more often than not. These hole-ups are referred to as Alpha Whiskey Romeo's (Allah's Waiting Room). We have the laser guided ground-air thing down to a science. The fast mover's, mostly Marine F-18's, are taking an ever increasing toll on the enemy. When caught out in the open, the helicopter gunships and AC-130 Spectre gunships cut them to ribbons with cannon and rocket fire, especially at night. Interestingly, artillery is hardly used at all. Fun fact: The enemy death toll is supposedly between 45-50 thousand. That is why we're seeing less and less infantry attacks and more IED, suicide bomber shit. The new strategy is simple: attrition. The insurgent tactic most frustrating is their use of civilian non-combatants as cover. They know we do all we can to avoid civilian casualties and therefore schools, hospitals and (especially) Mosques are locations where they meet, stage for attacks, cache weapons and ammo and flee to when engaged. They have absolutely no regard whatsoever for civilian casualties. They will terrorize locals and murder without hesitation anyone believed to be sympathetic to the Americans or the new Iraqi govt. Kidnapping of family members (especially children) is common to influence people they are trying to influence but cant reach, such as local govt. officials, clerics, tribal leaders, etc.). The first thing our guys are told is "don't get captured". They know that if captured they will be tortured and beheaded on the internet. Zarqawi openly offers bounties for anyone who brings him a live American serviceman. This motivates the criminal element who otherwise don't give a shit about the war. A lot of the beheading victims were actually kidnapped by common criminals and sold to Zarqawi. As such, for our guys, every fight is to the death. Surrender is not an option. The Iraqi's are a mixed bag. Some fight well, others aren't worth a shit. Most do okay with American support. Finding leaders is hard, but they are getting better. It is widely viewed that Zarqawi's use of suicide bombers, en masse, against the civilian population was a serious tactical mistake. Many Iraqi's were galvanized and the caliber of recruits in the Army and the police forces went up, along with their motivation. It also led to an exponential increase in good intel because the Iraqi's are sick of the insurgent attacks against civilians. The Kurds are solidly pro-American and fearless fighters. According to Jordan, morale among our guys is very high. They not only believe they are winning, but that they are winning decisively. They are stunned and dismayed by what they see in the American press, whom they almost universally view as against them. The embedded reporters are despised and distrusted. They are inflicting casualties at a rate of 20-1 and then see shit like "Are we losing in Iraq" on TV and the print media. For the most part, they are satisfied with their equipment, food and leadership. Bottom line though, and they all say this, there are not enough guys there to drive the final stake through the heart of the insurgency, primarily because there aren't enough troops in-theater to shut down the borders with Iran and Syria. The Iranians and the Syrians just cant stand the thought of Iraq being an American ally (with, of course, permanent US bases there).

That's it, hope you found it interesting, I sure did.

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- Sunday 9-11-2005 -

Every year at this time we turn our thoughts to the families of our heros at The World Trade Towers, the Pentagon, Flight 93 and the families of our soldiers of the field, the 614 Arty sends our love, honor and respect. On this day four years ago and every day since thousands have given the extra measure... and today others will continue to give.

Don't forget to tune in to the Discovery Channel tonight for the world premier of the most interesting and revealing special on
Flight 93: The Flight That Fought Back

The Flight That Fought Back incorporates the best possible research available, including actual voice recordings from passengers and crew members; information from the official 9/11 Commission Report; eyewitness accounts; and interviews with family members, some of whom describe what they heard in actual conversations with people on board the flight.

40 strangers came together on Flight 93 and while in the air,
they would fight the first battle of the war on terrorism... and win.

Help preserve the memory of their heroic deeds by donating to the
FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL
"A common field one day. A field of honor forever."

- Monday 9-5-2005 -

Hurricane Katrina...

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by Hurricane Katrina. During this time of unspeakable devastation, Americans must work together to rebuild and recover from this tragic disaster.



President George W. Bush calls on former Presidents Clinton and Bush for their assistance

Former President Bush and President Clinton have come together once again with a critical humanitarian relief effort. Like their efforts in the aftermath of the tsunami, through their bonds of friendship, mutual respect and experience they are working together for the good of the people affected by this tragedy to raise funding and awareness for those affected by this horrific event.
We call on everyone to give what they can of their time or money to help those who now are in such dire need; this is a disaster of massive proportions and it will take a lot to rebuild. It is important that the people who are affected by this tragedy continue to show the best of the American spirit in terms of our caring, compassion, and fortitude. As we've seen so many times throughout history, this indefatigable American spirit can overcome any challenge.

This fund will serve as an umbrella organization for the three special funds established by Governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi and will focus on collecting donations to assist in the long-term recovery plan for the states affected by this terrible tragedy.

Your monetary donation is the fastest and most effective way to get the right kind of help to people who urgently need it in the Gulf Coast region. Please also ask your friends and neighbors to support the Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery effort by making a tax-deductible contribution to the
Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund

- Thursday 7-28-2005 -

Dennis the Menace Indeed... !
Our good Brother Craig Harris down in Florida shares with us a little view of his world during the recent visit of Hurricane Dennis.



Click on each image for an enlarged view

Here's a little of what Craig had to say:

Patrick,

Very good to talk to you - here are a few pictures of Dennis - these were not
Hurricane force winds though - but a Southern breeze @ 70 mph on a high tide
with a 10' storm surge. I'll get back with you soon.

Brother Craig

Get back with us soon, I sure hope so Craig, but don't take US 98 to get to us...
it might take too long :)

Take note of the street name on the sign in the third picture... that's right, Woodill Rd. thats the road Craig lives on. Craig actually says that much to his amazement, they have already fixed the US 98 coastal road that runs along St. George Sound where these photos were taken.

- Tuesday 7-19-2005 -

Top Vietnam General William Westmoreland Dies at age 91



CHARLESTON, S.C. - Retired Gen. William Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968, has died.
Westmoreland died Monday night of natural causes at Bishop Gadsden retirement home, where he had lived with his wife, said his son, James Ripley Westmoreland. He was 91.

Read more coverage in the interview linked below

Westmoreland talks about Vietnam in 1996 interview here

- Monday 7-11-2005 -

The Siege is lifted...

Now the news at home relays reflection and assessments of the actions taken at this tortured jungle camp.

We have two final articles from Ken's great clippings bringing to a close our 1969 news review of The Battle of Ben Het. One is from the New York Times written by Drummond Ayers for the July 7th edition and another from Time Magazine from July 11th. Lets read some of the early assessments on ARVN command decisions, troop movement and thoughts on future U.S. withdrawal and disengagement while remembering what Col. Bailey said:

"The first article in the scrap book (from Time magazine) was written after the battle was over. It is a fairly good summary of what happened."

Click on the individual newspaper clippings above for full size images of each.

Download copies for your personal archives.

A closing note about our recent down time. If you have dropped by the site over the weekend you surely noticed that The 6/14 Arty was not available... we did too.

We received the following notice from our server:

Dear Patrick,
"We are experiencing server outages as a result of a malicious denial of service attack (DOS) against our servers. These types of attacks can temporarily cripple both large and small corporations alike without discrimination. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. We are working hard to resolve this matter as quickly as possible and your patience is appreciated."
Regards, 
Shyper Communications
Management

We are certainly glad that they currently have this under control so we could get the site updated and provide the final installment of our review of the Battle of Ben Het in the news 1969.

We close for today with a great big Warbonnet "Thank You" to brother Ken Bailey for sharing these rare documents. It is this continued support and participation from all the men of the 6th Battalion 14th Field Artillery that has made this site possible. If you enjoyed this series, let us know and we will endeavor to locate similar materials for posting. If you have documents of this type or any others, get in touch with us and we will work out a way to make it available here at your website, The 6/14 Arty.

- Monday 7-4-2005 -

Independence Day

"Looks like the Ben Het warriors were getting a little Independence Day of their own... "

Let's read the Washington Post, Stars and Stripes for the news of a little relief for the Ben Het inhabitants.

Click on the individual newspaper clippings above for full size images of each.

Download copies for your personal archives.

While we're here, let's hear what Ken Bailey has to offer.

"I sent you a scrap book of press clippings from the battles around Ben Het Special Forces Camp. Many of the articles are from the Stars and Stripes and were save by the battalion command sergeant major for me. He did not accompany the battalion command element that was sent into Ben Het. The other articles were saved by my family or sent to me by friends.
Basically the US Artillery in Ben Het consisted of B Battery, 6th Battalion, 14th Artillery (3 - self propelled 175 mm guns and 1 - self propelled 8 inch howitzer), A Battery, 3rd Battalion, 6th Artillery (6 - self propelled 105 mm howitzers), one platoon from 1st Battalion, 92nd Artillery (2 - towed 155 mm howitzers), and the command element of the 6/14th Artillery. The command element did all of the fire planning for the defense of Ben Het to include artillery, Tac Air, Air Force and Army gunships, 52 strikes, plus resupply air missions.
There were also about 12 US Special Forces personnel and about the same number of Vietnamese Special Forces in the camp. The major ground force was about 500 Mountagnard - Montagnard tribal personnel who were trained by the Special Forces.
The first article in the scrap book (from Time magazine) was written after the battle was over. It is a fairly good summary of what happened. The rest of the scrap book is pretty much in chronological order.
The map I used while in Ben Het. The area in blue shows the three major hills of the camp. - A sketch of the camp which was done for John Lamerson's book on Ben Het.
A photo of me taken during a visit to Ben Het prior to the siege (circa April 1969).
I am glad you got the package and that you found the scrap book to be of interest. There were some trying days in Ben Het.
The two crests came from a plaque that was presented to me when I turned over command of the battalion. The inscription on the plaque reads:

"LTC KENNETH R. BAILEY, THE BOSS OF THE BIG GUNS OF CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, OCT. 68 TO JUL. 69, FROM THE OFFICERS OF THE 6TH BN 14 ARTY, VIETNAM."

The two crests were glued to the plaque but over the years fell off. I did not see any need to send the plaque, but thought the crests might be of use for the home page.

I am delighted that the things I sent you are appreciated and that some of them will be shared with others.
I got an email from John Lamerson (who wrote The Phantom of Ben Het) recently telling me that he had made contact with Command Sergeant Major Richard Chrapczynski who was the Sergeant Major of the 6/14 when I was in command. I have had no contact with him since I left Vietnam in 69. He did not come with us to Ben Het, but he is the one who saved the Stars and Stripes newspapers for me while I was in Ben Het. Those papers were the major part of the scrap book.
I sent an email to Command Sergeant Major Ski to renew our ties.
It is the great work you all are doing and have been doing with the 6/14 Association that has made these contacts possible.
Many thanks for all of your work to support this effort!
I will start a wave that hopefully will reach your shores!

Aloha, Ken

These are the two crests from Ken's plaque. Click on the image above for a life sized view of these one of a kind historical items.

- Sunday 7-3-2005 -
( Had to go out of town but here are the clipping updates for June 30th - July 2nd )

"Let's not waste any time talking... we're read'n on!"

The Lancaster, PA New Era, Stars and Stripes, The New York Times and The Washington Post

One of the articles above from June 30th by Drummond Ayres was used as the point of departure for one of the mesmerizing scenes in Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now"

Click on the individual newspaper clippings above for full size images of each.

Don't miss out on downloading copies for your personal archives.

Some of these clipping images are even larger than some of the previous clippings but we still didn't want to sacrifice to much detail by reducing the resolution any further. If you have any trouble viewing or downloading them, please do not hesitate to ask the webmaster for assistance.

More tomorrow morning from July 3rd and 4th to carry us through the holiday weekend not to mention some commentary from Ken Bailey himself and a couple of little beauties for the eyes.

- Tuesday 6-29-2005 -
( Sunday - June 29, 1969 Ben Het and Stateside time )

"The road to Ben Het is open... the road is closed..."

The news reaching home is mixed. Some papers say the road to Ben Het has been opened and some say the road is closed, varying from the morning editions to evening.
One thing seems clear, the thirsting troops at Ben Het are receiving assistance from the air as food, water, and badly needed medical supplies parachute in on the tortured hill tops and B52's pound the jungle with over 1,800 tons of bombs and napalm to curb the renewed NVA assault that has rained bullets, artillery and mortar rounds into the camp for 36 hours on Friday and Saturday.
It's now 8:00 AM and we haven't finished working up all the articles for todays editions. Read the following while we work on the others then drop back by a little later to catch the rest, they will be appearing at about 15 to 20 min. intervals until complete.

The Lancaster, PA Sunday News, Stars and Stripes and The New York Times are up for viewing...
more to come

Click on the individual newspaper clippings above for full size images of each.

These reports are really great reading, download copies for your personal archives.

Some of these clipping images are rather large files but we did not want to sacrifice to much detail by reducing the resolution any further. If you have any trouble viewing or downloading them, please do not hesitate to ask the webmaster for assistance.

Brew up a pot of coffee tomorrow morning and drop back by for more revealing news of the plight of our "Boys of Ben Het" in 1969.

If you came by earlier and you could not access the site, it was not your computer... it was the server. The site went offline around 6:30 AM EDT. We contacted the server and they have corrected the problems so as you can now see... we're back.

- Tuesday Afternoon Edition 6-28-2005 -

"Supplies and troops reach Ben Het from the air and land..."

Transport planes drop needed supplies to the brave men of Ben Het while after four days of jungle strafing by air, ARVN and American troops and tanks battle to clear and hold the roads from Ben Het to Kontum and Dak To.
The thirsting troops can dump the cordite flavored water and take some sorely needed relief from the fresh supplies and men.
News comes late today but check out the clippings below from the Intelligencer Journal, Washington Post and The Stars and Stripes.

Click on the individual newspaper clippings above for full size images of each.

These reports are really great reading, download copies for your personal archives.

Drop back by tomorrow for more home front news of the Battle of Ben Het as it appeared in 1969.

Its very interesting to compare the news reports with writings from men who were there and we can't think of or recommend a better accounting than can be found in John Lamerson's book:
The Phantom of Ben Het

Hop on over to the Lamerson Publishing page and order yourself a copy of this great book today!

- Monday 6-27-2005 -

"Sappers inside the wire 100 yards away..."

Morale was sinking but the men of Ben Het would not give up.
That was for sure, they took care of business and each other.
Just as yesterday, get yourself some coffee but make it two cups.
More great clippings below that appeared in the Intelligencer Journal, Washington Post and The Stars and Stripes.
The test to see if the South Vietnamese could hold their own against the North was not going well while the Americans hang tough but testy.

Click on the individual newspaper clippings above for full size images of each.

These reports are really great reading, download copies for your personal archives.

Drop back by tomorrow to see what unfolds...

- Sunday 6-26-2005 -

The Siege Rains On With No Clear End In Sight...

Whoa, the news began to pour in by Thursday June 26, 1969.
There were gripping reports in almost every paper in the nation.
Get yourself a good cup of coffee and read on about our battered boys of Ben Het in three different publications.
We have first hand reports below that appeared in The New Era, Washington Post and The Stars and Stripes.
If you didn't know how things were going to finally turn out, one might think things were getting pretty grim at the Special Forces Camp.

Click on the individual newspaper clippings above for full size images of each.

These are worth keeping in your personal archives so don't forget to nab copies for yourself and do stop back by tomorrow to read the continuing saga of the Central Highlands Battle of Ben Het.

- Friday 6-24-2005 -

News of supplies reaching beleaguered troops...

News of 6-25-1969 says badly needed ammo and supplies rain in for the troops... but so does enemy artillery and mortar fire.

Click on the newspaper clipping for a full size image.

Don't forget to keep a copy for yourself and stop back by tomorrow for Saturdays news.

- Thursday 6-23-2005 -

The news began to trickle in...

Yep, the folks back state side just started to hear about the plight of the troopers surrounded at Ben Het. Let's take a look at a bit of the news that appeared in the papers on this day... 36 years ago.

Click on the newspaper clipping for a full size image.

Download a copy for yourself.

Thanks Ken

An email just came in from our 6/14 Brother Rex Weaver - Brig Gen (ret) with the following:

There has been an average of 160,000 troops stationed in Iraq during the last 22 months.
During this time the firearm death total was 2,112 for a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000.
The rate in Washington DC is 80.6 per 100,000.
This means that you are more likely to be shot and killed in our Nation's Capitol, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, than you are in Iraq.

Conclusion:
We should immediately pull out of Washington, D.C.

- Thursday 6-9-2005 -

- Ben Het -

"An Ordeal In Dirt and Death... Ben Het at night is a scene that is at once beautiful and fascinating, weird and horrible. Dali, Goya, Bach, The Beatles, Hemingway and Zanuck would understand. Flares hang in the sky, casting milky, light purple shadows. A plane drones and circles overhead, periodically spitting streams of fiery tracers at enemy positions."
- B. Drummond Ayers, Jr.  June 30, 1969 - New York Times

No words from the print media ever quite captured a moment in Vietnam battle history like these of Drummond Ayers and perhaps no besieged, ragged, jungle-matted mountain locations other than Ben Het, Dak Seang and Dak To could have inspired them. Due to their proximity to the tri-border and Ho Chi Minh Trail this was no doubt some of the most important and fought over terrain in the Central Highlands.
Year after year Ben Het was in the center of the NVA's sights and 1968 and 1969 were no exceptions. One of the many 6/14 Warbonnets entrenched at Ben Het May through July 1969 was brother Ken Bailey. There were several batteries of artillery under LTC Kenneth R. Bailey, some quad-mount anti-aircraft guns in a ground defense role, M-48 tanks, and reinforcing companies of Civilian Indigenous Defense Group (CIDG) strikers from the camps at Dak Pek and Mang Buk. Command of all U.S. Artillery forces physically located at Ben Het was assigned to LTC Kenneth R. Bailey, who was the current commander of 6th Battalion 14th Artillery

Ken kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings gathered by his wife, other family and friends. Also Stars and Stripes editions collected by Command Sergeant Major Richard Chrapczynski that covered the daily dramatic events from June 23rd through July 11th.
It's June again, now 36 years later and Ken has been kind enough to share these moments in history with us. Not only did he share the clippings but he is sharing the map he used during this historic battle. During the month of June and July in recognition of this historic struggle, The 6/14 Arty will make digitized copies of the clippings available at the website on the corresponding days of their original release. Its still quite a while before June 23rd but heck, lets kick things off with something... lets have a look at Ken's map of Ben Het and the surrounding area.

Below is a 1.5 by 2 inch detail of the full sized 14 by 22 inch map.

Check out the detail on this beauty... and it's over 36 years old!

If you would like to have a look at the complete map and even save a copy of it for yourself, just click on the detail image above. Don't forget to stop back by as the month unfolds and pick up copies of Ken's great news clippings.

"In their account covering this period of the war, the official historians of the Joint Chiefs of Staff conclude that the forgotten battle, not Hamburger Hill, was the most important thing happening in South Vietnam at that moment."
The NVA's Operation Dien Bien Phu: The 1969 Siege of Ben Het

Many more equally interesting and informative articles and essays found at:
The Veteran - publication of The Vietnam Veterans of America Inc.

and even more in their archive:
The Veteran Archive - for publications prior to July/August 2006

While we are on the subject of Ben Het, if you would like to read an in depth and personal reporting about the true struggle through this "Gauntlet of Hell" from a key member of a U.S. Army Field Artillery Phantom Gunnery Team, then take a jump on over to the Lamerson Publishing page and get your hands on a copy of...
The Phantom of Ben Het
by 6/14 Brother John Lamerson

Hoo-ah!

- Tuesday 5-31-2005 -

- A Warbonnet News Flash Reminder -

June 24th is rapidly approaching and all the fantastic attractions and the incredible country side is waiting for you and your whole family.
Sure it will be great in Lawton, OK next year at Fort Sill...
but that's a year away Brother.

We would like to see you this year too!

Don't forget about the 6th Battalion 14th Artillery Regiment
Fort Lewis Chapter's

We received requests from some of our Brothers who missed dropping by the site yesterday and they wanted to see the Memorial Day Edition.

It's still available if you would like to drop by.

Just click on Memorial Day Edition.

  "Beware of spyware. If you can, use the Firefox browser." - USA Today

"Better than Internet Explorer by leaps and bounds." - FORBES

"Firefox is both more secure and more modern than IE... with user-friendly features the Microsoft browser can't touch." - Walt Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal



The 6/14 Arty highly recommends trying Firefox
Click on the button above to find out more.

- Monday 4-4-2005 -

Today the nation recognizes a hero, we recognize a soldier.

Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith
(Click on image above for more information about this noble soldier)

The 3rd Infantry Division is one of the Army's most-decorated units. Since 1917, this division has suffered some 35,000 wartime casualties. Fifty Marne Soldiers before Sgt. 1st Class Paul Smith have received the nation's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor.
This is the story of one.

The members of the 6th Battalion 14th Artillery Regiment sent their greatest gratitude, honor and respect to Paul's family. Not just for one day, but for a life lived well.

- Monday 3-21-2005 -

Roster Update

Those of you who visit the site often know this is my favorite part
so let's welcome to the 6/14 Arty two newly located 6/14 Brothers.
Stop by the Interests Page to get their contact info and give them a warm welcome.

Stephen Cundiff - Svc Btry 6/14 Arty Jan to Nov. 1968 SP4

Monte Holcomb - 6/14 at FSB Oasis when it was overrun on Halloween 1970

Welcome Home Brothers!

There now are 239 Warbonnets on the list. All Right!

- Friday 3-11-2005 -

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Often Go Awry.

... and for me, that has never been more true.

Every day this week has laid one more stumbling block in the path to Washington Jennifer and I have been planning. We had not mentioned it to Dennis but Jennifer and I had been working on heading to D.C. even earlier in the week than originally planned but Jennifer was in a major fender bender in Greensboro. She is just fine but her cute little red Volvo was pretty torn up. No one else was hurt in the other car that ran the red light. Paper work, insurance companies, ya-da-da ya-da-da the usual. So our week was slowed down by sharing one car. They determined yesterday that her car is totaled and beyond repair. Jennifer called me last night after finishing up some delayed paint work at the downtown studio. She was on the way home on Hwy 52 and rock flew up from somewhere and put a hole in the windshield on our other car, now we are going to have to have that fixed before we can leave in the morning (that's today).
You know what they say, good luck comes in pairs >:?[
We could manage all this along with other little stones here and there but the cold I have been fighting all week has proven to be more like the flu and last night was intermittent sleep between bouts of coughing. This morning greeted me with more coughing and a fever that I have yet to break. I have not called Dennis yet to tell him I just cannot make it but I will later this afternoon.
I am to say the least, "bummed out".
I will still try to get some information from Dennis on the trip to D.C. and pass it on to our 6/14 Brothers.

- Sunday 3-6-2005 -
- Re-updated Monday 3-7-2005 -
The Long and Winding Road...

... and that it has been.

I'm out traveling airport to airport, venue to venue, week by week then I'm home for a week working as fill in houseman at the Stevens Center, then it starts all over again.
Hard work, long hours and a lot of fun shared with good friends so time passes quickly all the while getting a chance to see a bit more of this great country that we all are so fortunate to live in.

This along with no new information coming in from our good 6/14 Brothers makes for not much to add. I have some more excellent photos from Vietnam and Germany to digitize and put up on the site but I'm not going to carry them around the country so sadly they will have to wait till I have some extended time off.

There are many incredible coincidences in life many revealing just how small this planet is and just how precious each and every life is.
While on this tour I spent a week at the T.D. Waterhouse Center in Orlando, Florida.
I had been working throughout the week with Sammy Farruggia, one of our supplier/manufacturers of excellent custom staging and technologies. Sammy and I were talking about this and that when he noticed I had on a Montagnard bracelet and wondered what the story was connect with it. I told him about my connection with the bracelet, my good friend Craig Harris, my brother and the 6th Battalion 14th Artillery. He was silent for a moment and his eyes glassed over just a bit and he said,
"I was with the 6/14 for a time both in Vietnam and Germany."
Nothing more need be said here... we talked for hours.

Drop by the Interests Page and jot down the name and address of our latest addition to the 6/14 list Sammy Farruggia.

Welcome Home Sammy.

While your over at the Interests Page looking through the list of your artillery brothers please note that Hank Sanders has updated his contact information with a new email address.
Thanks for the update Hank

I guess that does it for now Brothers. If you have any news to pass on or read anything of interests let us know about it Brother, just send it on over and we will put it on the site for all to see and read. Don't be shy, any information is welcomed.

Don't forget to stop by The Cannoneer and see what other have been talking about, there might be a question you can answer or some information you can add to some of the forum posts.

- Sunday 1-2-2005 -
A Happy Warbonnet Welcome To The New Year!

To start off the new year we have some new and updated information about...

Reunion 2005: The Great West Coast Warbonnet Weekend!

Click on over to The Reunion Page to read the new and updated information from Brother Darrel Fortner!

- Wednesday 12-29-2004 -

Our hearts and prayers reach out
to our global family hurt by the Indian Ocean tsunamis.

Help survivors and their families by making monetary donations to these organizations:

American Red Cross International Response Fund
AmeriCares South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund
Direct Relief International International Assistance Fund
Oxfam Asian Earthquake & Tsunami Fund
Sarvodaya Relief Fund for Tsunami Tragedy
UNICEF South Asia Tsunami Relief Efforts

- Tuesday 12-28-2004 -
This years is just about over... but not the festivities!

Heck no, not by a long shot. We just got some new information from Brother Darrel Fortner about the upcoming...

Reunion 2005: The Great West Coast Warbonnet Weekend!

Hop on over to The Reunion Page to hear what Brother Fortner has to say!

Hoo-aah!

- Thursday 11-11-2004 -
- Veterans Day -

Before you stands a humble nation.

You filled the ranks and took the line for our freedom and democracy. Your dedication and sacrifice have earned our greatest respect and we are eternally grateful.
To all who are now serving this great nation, God speed and thank you.
To all who have served, we thank you.
To those who will serve this great nation, we thank you.
To the family members of our men and women who do serve, have served and soon will, we send our support and sincere thanks.
Your lives and deeds define our nation, your metal gives us strength, your fire lights our way to a brighter future...
we thank you.

I took the opportunity last night to attend an address given by Col. Edward L. Hubbard (Ret.) and spoke to him afterwards, he is quite an inspiration. He spent six and a half years in the Vietnamese prison camp know as the "Hanoi Hilton" and is author of the book,
"Escape from the Box: The Wonder of Human Potential"

If you are not familiar with Col. Hubbard, read a little about him.

Visit Col. Hubbard's website to order a signed and personalized copy of his book.

- Thursday Night 11-4-2004 -

I came home this evening and found an email from our good Brother Larry Timberlake
All he said was...

"Please, click on the link below, and turn your sound on.
It will take about 3 minutes to view."
Well, The original link that Larry sent is no longer valid but we at the 6/14 Arty have saved the wonderful flash presentation and make it available to you. Just click on the image below and enjoy.

Download Flash Viewer?

Thanks Larry, it was the best three minutes of my day.

I was asked, "Tell us what you think of the coin?"

What more need be said Brothers... look at this flippin' beauty!

Click on over to the 14th Artillery Association's Quartermaster page
and put one of these in your pocket today!!

- Wednesday 11-3-2004 -

On Sept. 14, 1814, Baltimore's Fort McHenry was enshrouded by the smoke of burning structures and cannon fire. All those present on the surrounding hillsides and on board ships wondered if the fort had fallen to the British.
Francis Scott Key, being held by the British on board an American sloop, peered through the clearing smoke and the predawn darkness to see American General Armistead's enormous flag flying proudly after the 25-hour British bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry.
The flag image above is the actual Star-Spangled Banner that flew that day above Fort McHenry.
If you click on the S-SB image above, you will be taken to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Star-Spangled Banner website. The Smithsonian has been the home of this symbol of American strength and hope since 1907.

Just as Francis Scott Key, all of America has been under siege, for far more than 25 hours though, by the party politicians, spin doctors and extremist on both sides that have left us all lost in the clouds of their partisan disputes.
We have been waiting to see what would be revealed after the smoke cleared on this morning.

In the brilliant sunlight spreading across this great nation we see the flag of Americas spirit still flying, surely a bit tattered but unlike The Star-Spangled Banner above, Americas spirit will come back together, mend itself and rise anew to overcome the challenges that face us.

Key asked the questions, are we free, are we brave, does the banner yet wave ... we say, absolutely.

Like F. S. Key, who served in the Georgetown Light Field Artillery (1813-14), the members of
The 6th Battalion 14th Artillery stand as close today as 30+ years ago, defending the rights and beliefs of all people and move forward as a united band of brothers singing:

As I have said before, and I will continue to do so, the outpouring of support and contributions for the website are greatly appreciated and I am deeply touch by your personal comments.

A great big Special Thanks goes out to:

Raymond Birmingham
David Cotlow
Tom Grinnell
Frank DeLong
William Hilton
John King
Mark Levin
Richard Lunt
Charles Maldonado
Dennis Proulx
Earl Smith
Walt Smith
Albert Trussoni
Maurice White

Your gracious contributions, input and support will assure the continuance of this website for many years to come.

:: The Cannoneer ::

What... you haven't been there?
Well what are we waiting for, let's hop on over to The Cannoneer

- Saturday and the wee hours of Sunday morning 10-23/24-2004 -

I received a letter from Kenneth C. Jones-LTC (Ret) DEARNG, brother of WO Frank W. Jones. Frank served as the eye in the sky for the big 6/14th guns which supported the 173rd Airborne Brigade during the Battle for Hill 875 and the 4th Infantry Division during the Tet offensive.

Kenneth Jones:
"On the morning of Return Day, November 4, 2004, the "Vietnam Veterans of America" Chapter 546 will dedicate a plaque at 10 a.m. on the circle in Georgetown to honor the sacrifice of the 26 Sussex County soldiers who gave their lives serving our country in Vietnam. One of those soldiers was my brother, WO Frank W. Jones.
On November 3, the night before the dedication, we will also honor Frank’s abbreviated life by gathering from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Blue Water Grill in Millsboro. All are welcome, and we extend a special invitation to the recipients of the Frank Jones Memorial Award as well as those who knew and loved him. "

Ken included an very informative enclosure with his touching letter so for those who are not familiar with Frank and his work with the 6/14, I have created a page for it on the website and a link to it on the Stories Page.

Drop by and read "A Tribute to a Soldier" from a loving brother.
Thank you for sharing this Ken, we are so very grateful.

Here is a series of notices we received from 6/14 Brother Darrel Fortner

Fort Lewis Chapter of the 6/14 Arty
Hi all, the first gathering of the Fort Lewis Chapter of the 6/14 Arty met on Saturday 10/09/2004 and will meet again in the spring hosted by Brother Ron Lucas.

I asked if they had any photos from their event and Darrel wrote back to say:

"Patrick here is a pic of part of the 6/14 Fort Lewis Chapter with guest Richard Schlimme."

"From left to right are:
Richard Schlimme, Ron Lucas, Richard Chrapczynski, Darrel Fortner, and Richard Lunt.
Take Care
Brother Darrel"

They enjoyed themselves so much they wish to announce:

UNOFFICIAL 2005 REUNION

All the Fort Lewis Chapter would like to have an unofficial 2005 Reunion.
I have checked and found a place.
The Fort Lewis GOLF CLUB has the 25th and 26th of June open.
I have 5 working days to hold this opening.
If anyone would like to attend a reunion at this time and place, please let me know.
If I could get at least 50 it would be great, the max this club will hold is 150.
Please let me know if you would like to attend.
My e-mail address is (fortners1@hotmail.com)
Thank You
Darrel

Way to go Darrel,
These kind of gatherings are always rewarding to those who organize them and certainly to those that attend.
Every Warbonnet that lives near another should call each other up, get together and do the same.
Hoo-aah!

I will be back later but in the mean time, drop by the Cannoneer and register or sign in if you are already a member and leave one of your lost military buddies a message. If it's early then join us over at the Morning Cup-a-Joe or let us in on something new you've heard about something going on like Brother Darrel did and the Fort Lewis Chapter of The 6/14 Artillery. If it's late try out the R&R Longe or even Madam Liu Ci's .
Heck... just check out all the different sections for yourself, you'll get the idea.

:: The Cannoneer ::

What... you haven't been there?
Well what are we waiting for, let's hop on over to The Cannoneer

---

- Wednesday 10-20-2004 -

Come and get it !
Are you feeling just a bit hungry, or should I ask "thirsty"?
Well, our 6/14 C-Battery Mess Man of the hour takes us back to Dakto and Oasis in 1967-68 with his great story and slideshow.

Story and Slideshow ?

You bet Brother, he was no slouch then and he's no slacker now.
It wasn't just the best grub in all the Central Highlands that Walt and Sgt. Frick were cooking up for you.
So let's get in line for the some great chow, read a great story and see some cool photos.
Walt is waiting by the sign at the entrance of the...

World Renowned...
Famous since 1967...

"Cookie 1 A-Go-Go"
Ration Exchange - by Walt Smith
Walt's Photo Slideshow

A great big Special Thanks goes out to:

Mark & Susan Levin

Your contributions along with all of the other generous Warbonnet visitors
have brought this years 6/14 Arty Website Fund Drive to $120.00

:: The Cannoneer ::

Don't forget to check out the new forum, The Cannoneer

---

- Friday 10-15-2004 -

Welcome Home!
Welcome to our new home that is.
This is pretty much a repeat of last Thursdays update but it is worth repeating.
We have a new home!

www.614arty.org

If anyone notices any links that don't seem to work or a page that doesn't function like it used to please don't hesitate to contact us.

The outpouring of support and contributions for the continuation of the website is greatly appreciated and I am deeply touch by your personal comments.

A great big Special Thanks goes out to:

David Cotlow
Tom Grinnell
William Hilton
John King
Richard Lunt
Charles Maldonado
Dennis Proulx
Earl Smith
Albert Trussoni
Maurice White

Your contributions have brought this years 6/14 Arty Website Fund Drive to $195.00

I have opened a Special Funds Account at the Bank and will deposit all the contributions in it to cover the cost of the website and future feature additions.

You guys are the greatest... Hoo-aah!

:: The Cannoneer ::

The new forum, The Cannoneer is operational (thanks for the inspiration of the name Craig) and needs only to have it's appearance brought up to the standards we have all become accustomed to here at The 6/14 Arty.
If you want to visit it in it's current state be my guest but do know it is only the beginning.

I encourage you not to be just a guest at The Cannoneer but to please become a registered member of the forum so that you will be able to take part in all of it's current features as well as all the great future features to come.

Go to The Cannoneer and look at the top of the opening page
for the Register Button you see in the example picture below:



It's the one with the check mark next to it. Click on that and you will be taken to the registration page. Decide on a cool or appropriate user/screen name i.e. your first name or Smasher8 or Cookie or m_alpha_c or whatever suits your fancy. Leave us your email address so we can get in touch with you and whatever else is required and any other information you would like to leave then submit it. You will receive a confirmation email with the final step to registering and your done.
Wa-Blam... a bonafied Warbonnet member of The Cannoneer.
Oh yeah, don't forget to pick out an avatar to appear under your name so we know who you are at a glance.

If you have any trouble registering please let the "Guidon" know and I know he will help you out (he is a personal friend of mine and yours too :)

---

- Thursday 10-7-2004 -

Welcome Home!
Welcome home to our new home that is.
It took a few days to make all the code changes and then a couple more to work out a few kinks with the server and the domain registrar but all that is behind us now.

www.614arty.org

We selected a .org address as we are an organization site and not a .com commerce site or a .net network site. We hope that all our brothers and visitors will come to enjoy all the new features that will become available in the weeks and months ahead and we will let everyone know the new email address when we get the mailserver up and running.
The 6/14 Arty site will remain as everyone has come to know and enjoy. We are hard at work developing a brand new Forum... our Forum... ours alone. No offers, no come-ons, no pop-ups, - No Ads - oh yeah, that felt good, so good in fact we're going to say it again...

- No Advertisements -

Yes sir, just good ol'fashioned Warbonnet Artyness 24/7. Hoo-aah!

If anyone notices any links that don't seem to work or a page that doesn't function like it used to please don't hesitate to contact us.

That will be all for tonight, we are going back to work on the new 6/14 Arty Forum. The old Forum will work just fine for now so do drop by and send us a line, ask a Warbonnet Buddy a question or tell us all what ever is on your mind.

A great big Special Thanks goes out to:

David Cotlow
Tom Grinnell
William Hilton
Richard Lunt
Charles Maldonado
Dennis Proulx
Albert Trussoni

Your contributions have brought this years 6/14 Arty Website Fund Drive to $70.00

---

- Monday 9-20-2004 -

May the winds and water of the last couple of months be stilled.
We hope that all our brothers, their families and neighbors in the south have weathered these relentless storms. Accept the blessings and open hearts of the members of The 6/14 Arty, our thoughts are with our southern American neighbors.

We have added the Reunion Page to the navigation bars at the top and left hand side of the page, it's brand new and needs a few more additions so drop by over this next week and see whats up.

While checking out the additions on the Reunion Page don't overlook the information from SSG Robert Ramon. I received this 'waaaay' back in April and have finally found the time to mark it up and add it to the site. We think you will all get a kick out of Mail Call in Kabul over at the Stories Page.

"Thanks Robert " :)

---

- Saturday 9-11-2004 -

To the families of our heros at The World Trade Towers, the Pentagon, Flight 93 and the families of our soldiers of the field, we send our love, honor and respect. On that day three years ago and every day since thousands have given the extra measure... and today others will continue to give.

We will never forget their struggle, their strength... their moments of magnificence.
May we find in ourselves an equal measure so the world may be at peace

Photo courtesy Clifton Bazar

---

- Sunday 9-5-2004 -

18 Year Old Earns Silver Star

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An 18 year old Private earned the first U.S. Army Silver Star medal awarded to any of the 32,000 American soldiers currently serving in the Iraqi capital, after helping fight off a deadly guerrilla ambush in May that killed two of his companions and wounded five.
The 1st Cavalry Division's Pfc. Christopher Fernandez, of Tucson, Arizona received the Silver Star from the division's commander, Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, on Aug. 13. The award is given for uncommon valor in combat.

Fernandez, a Humvee machine gunner, is credited with holding a band of insurgents at bay while his companions gathered wounded and dead soldiers from a vehicle disabled by a roadside bombing. The ambush took place May 5 in west Baghdad.

One soldier that carried the dead and wounded to safety, 33-year-old Sgt. Timothy Buttz of Bloomington, Minnesota, was decorated with the Army's Bronze Star medal, with a special commendation for valor.

"After the (bomb) went off, I noticed their Humvee was taking fire, that's when I started shooting back," said Fernandez, a quiet, lanky man who wears glasses.

Fernandez ran out of ammunition for his M-249 machine gun. He sprinted to the disabled Humvee and grabbed a damaged M-240 heavy machine gun and dashed back to his position to continue firing. The M-240's protective hand guards had been blown off and Fernandez said he burned his hands in about 10 minutes of sustained shooting.

"I knew I had to do something."
- Pfc. Christopher Fernandez -

Christopher, this gets a great big "Hoo-aah" from all of us over at The 6/14 Arty.
His actions embody the dedication, valor and strength of the U.S. Army and this great Nation.
"I knew I had to do something"... Hell yeah, you go Christopher!
Read all the details over at, where else... The United States Army News Service.

Week after week of hurricanes... !

What Hurricane Frances lacked in intensity (relative to Hurricane Charley), it's making up for in duration. After hovering offshore for over 6 hours and packing winds of 100 mph, Hurricane Frances finally came ashore in Martin County and is making it's slow westward march over the Florida Peninsula leaving homes and neighborhoods broken and battered in it's wake.
As of 8:30 a.m., the center of the sprawling hurricane was in extreme northeast Okeechobee County. The reach of Frances is extensive, however, and torrential rains, damaging winds and even isolated tornadoes will continue to stalk the central and northern portions of the Sunshine State throughout the day. Already, over a foot of rain has inundated West Palm Beach; similar rainfalls are likely at a few spots on the central and northern peninsula through tomorrow morning.
As the past few weeks have passed our condolenses and best wishes continue for our beleagured American neighbors who continue to weather this seasons seige of storms.

---

If you would like to read any updates to the Homepage
prior to 9/5/2004
just hop on over to the:

- The 6/14 Arty Homepage Archives 8/29/2004 - 12/11/2001 -

If you are a family member of someone who was with the 6/14 or a member of another unit and you have information, photos, or memorabilia relating to this fine unit, do not hesitate to contact us  and let us know the nature of your information. We at 6/14 Arty recognize the importance and precious nature that these items have to you and to history and your gracious sharing of them for inclusion in this archive would be greatly appreciated. Let us assure you that all documents, photographs, and items that you send us for reproduction will be treated with the greatest respect. Every care and precaution will be taken to protect and preserve the integrity of these items and promptly return them to you.

As with any website, from time to time you will not be able to access this site due to web traffic or the server may be experiencing an outage. When this happens, be appropriately disappointed, but just allow some time to pass and return to the site later and the problem will more than likely be resolved.

If at anytime you find a linking error or you find any information that is incorrect please let me know.