Diamond Chain OT

[Don Coatney]

Found this interesting webpage on the history of Diamond roller chain.

http://www.diamondchain.com/company/history.php

[eric wissing]

Cool article. I am curious as why you were searching for a chain company? Did you workthere once or know of it from you Indiana days? Eric

[Don Coatney]

Cool article. I am curious as why you were searching for a chain company? Did you workthere once or know of it from you Indiana days? Eric

Eric;

I subscribe to an Indianapolis geneology mailing list. Someone posted the link on the list so it found me.

[vanbuskirk]

I worked at Diamond Chain in 1968-69. First, as a college student, I assembled 50 pitch (1/2") chain on the midnight shift. After I graduated, I was moved to Assistant Project Engineer, where I was assigned different manufacturing problems. If any of you watched the '1968' show on the History Channel, you saw what life was like in 1968.

I was intensely interested in avoiding Viet Nam, so I left Diamond Chain, and took a teaching job in the inner city, which came with a deferment. Presidents Johnson and Nixon wanted me to have a chance to die young. I declined their offer. Bob

[Norm's Coupe]

Actually, it was Kennedy who first started sending the military into Vietnam in the early 60's as advisers. We were asking for and sending volunteers into Vietnam from Korea when I was there in 62 and 63. Of course, everyone in the military from any location was also being ask to volunteer. Johnson did expand it later though and made the big buildup. It was no longer voluntary then.

I was in the personnel office in Korea and you would be surprised at how many people volunteered to go get shot at. Even later when I was back in the states, then in France and Belgium we still had many people volunteering to go to Vietnam. Most of the volunteers were career military officers and enlisted men. They volunteered primarily to get the combat experience because that also gave them a better shot at promotions. They were still volunteering on a regular basis as late as July 1967 when I got out of the service.

[martybose]

(snip)

I was in the personnel office in Korea and you would be surprised at how many people volunteered to go get shot at.

I was on a guided missile frigate at the time, and our Engineering Officer wanted to go Big Time. The CO kept denying his requests, so finally he requested the one duty that the CO couldn't turn down; the Riverine Squadrons, which were 30 ft fiberglass gunboats running the rivers. He got his wish, and went off to the training school.

We were on the way to Yankee Station from the Phillipines when we found out that he had joined his squadron in Vietnam, and that two weeks later he and his entire squadron were killed in an ambush. He was dead before our ship even got into the war zone.

Marty

[Don Coatney]

I was on a guided missile frigate at the time, and our Engineering Officer wanted to go Big Time. The CO kept denying his requests, so finally he requested the one duty that the CO couldn't turn down; the Riverine Squadrons, which were 30 ft fiberglass gunboats running the rivers. He got his wish, and went off to the training school.

We were on the way to Yankee Station from the Phillipines when we found out that he had joined his squadron in Vietnam, and that two weeks later he and his entire squadron were killed in an ambush. He was dead before our ship even got into the war zone.

Marty

Sad story Marty;

Somewhat like my friend Larry Fullaway. Larry and went to Vietnam with a unit together. He was RA and I was US. We both extended our Vietnam tour to get an early out. My extension was 13 days, his was 3 months. I made it home. He was killed on the first day of his extension.

[martybose]

Some day, if I ever make it there, I will look for Lt. David Wyrick's name.

It's interesting that I still remember his name now after all of these years have passed by. His death made an impact on many of us, made the war real instead of an abstract notion. I still remember him, even though I would have to look in my cruise book to get the names of most of the officers that I served with on that tour.

Marty

[Young Ed]

You guys are making me wonder if someday I'll be looking at my cousins name on a memorial somewhere. I certainly hope so.

[Don Coatney]

Some day, if I ever make it there, I will look for Lt. David Wyrick's name.

It's interesting that I still remember his name now after all of these years have passed by. His death made an impact on many of us, made the war real instead of an abstract notion. I still remember him, even though I would have to look in my cruise book to get the names of most of the officers that I served with on that tour.

Marty

Marty;

I am going to DC next week but this will be a short trip and I will not have time to visit the wall. However it looks like I will be going again at the end of January next year. If I do I will get a picture of his name.

Follow this link.

http://thewall-usa.com/guest.asp?recid=57688

[martybose]

Marty;

I am going to DC next week but this will be a short trip and I will not have time to visit the wall. However it looks like I will be going again at the end of January next year. If I do I will get a picture of his name.

Follow this link.

http://thewall-usa.com/guest.asp?recid=57688

Don,

I am amazed, I had no idea that there was a place for messages associated with The Wall. One is a message from a guy who was on the boat when he was killed. The hair on the back of my neck stood up when I read it, although I was glad to read that the info we got about everyone being killed was wrong.

Thank you so much for finding this for me.

Marty

[1just4don]

I had a first cousin( name was Ken Norton) that graduated from the Naval acadamy and was BEST friends/classmates with Elmo Zumwald Jr. who was the son of the Admiral Zumwald that was the guy that decided to drop agent orange on the forrests,,,which ended up killing his son(from cancer) and deforming his grandson.

Anyway they both went to Nam and were swift boat commanders. Ken stopped in one day while crossing the USA in his new white Jag (from graduating from acadamy). He shipped out from San Diego. He wasnt there very long and a sniper shot him between the eyes(As depicted in the movie"My Father, My Son"). Somebody (whoever the actor was)was a dead ringer for my cousin.

Those swift boats did have high causulty numbers AND alot of officer fragging

Thank YOU for your service martybose,,,and sorry for the loss of Lt. Wyrick!!

[martybose]

(snip)

Thank YOU for your service martybose,,,and sorry for the loss of Lt. Wyrick!!

I don't consider myself a Vietnam Vet, because I never got closer than 10 miles to the country, and I slept in my own bunk every night and had three square meals a day. Vietnam-era Vet maybe, but my hat is off to the guys who really earned the Vietnam Vet title.

As for Lt. Wyrick, he was just one hell of a nice guy who felt a moral obligation to be on the front line of the fight for democracy. I sometimes wonder what he would have become if the War hadn't gotten in his way ......

Marty