From: "jack hansen" nmainstr@adelphia.net
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: Operation Dominic
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000
I have a certificate of Participation in Joint Task Force Eight. This
certifies that Gunnery Sergeant Jack L. Hansen, 632699, U. S. Marine Corps,
participated in OPERATION DOMINIC during the Spring and summer of 1962
Alfred D Starbird, Major General, USA, Commander.
I was the Disbursing Chief, assigned as Ships Company aboard the Landing
Platform Helicopter Ship, USS Princeton, LPH-5, home ported at Long Beach,
California. The Disbursing Officer was 1st Lt. Wuthrich, U.S. Marine Corps.
We were assigned as the Amphibious Ready Group, deployed to Subic Bay in the
PHILLIPINES, with a Battalion of Marine Infantry and a Squadron of
Helicopters for vertical envelopment in the Pacific area off Quemoy, Matsu
Islands off the china coast. Our Carrier deployed the 1'st Army Helicopter
units into Vietnam. I later changed my military occupational specialty to
Infantry and was deployed to Vietnam as a First Sergeant assigned to G Co.,
2nd battalion, 26th Marines in July of 1966.
My wife’s nephew, Kent Smith, a young Marine Sergeant, was
killed in action @ Danang, South Vietnam, while leading his platoon during a
sweep as point man by tripping a land mine. Later in his memory they named
a nearby camp, CAMP SMITH, in his memory. Very shortly thereafter I was
assigned as First Sergeant of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines at Camp
Pendleton, California and we shipped out at San Diego, California and
arrived at Danang, South Vietnam, in late July or early August of 1956. In
January of 1967, a Vietcong unit mortared our outpost in Phu Bai in the
middle of the night. They caught us asleep and I was wounded in the head by
fragments from an 81MM Chi Com mortar round. Being in the prone position
undoubtedly saved my life as the camouflaged cover slightly above my head
was shredded. I was awarded the Purple Heart for this action on 20 January
1967.
I lost my wife of 47 years, July 19, 1998, a victim of Breast Cancer. God
has been good to me and I was always proud to be a Marine. While assigned
to Barrack duty at Yokosuka Japan after returning from duty in Korea, I was
proud to have served under then Colonel L. F Chapman. He proved to be a
hard task master, and I told my wife, that someday he would be Commandant of
the Marine Corps.. What a Prophesy!
I had deployed to Korea while assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment in 1950
and we were part of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade that landed in Pusan,
South Korea as I remember, August 5th, 1950. About September of that year
our units made the amphibious landing at Inchon and fought ashore and up to
the Korean capital city of Seoul, later to be sent aboard ship sailing back
down past Pusan and up the other side of the peninsula to land in North
Korea and onward to the frozen Chosin.
Take care, it has been great reminiscing.
Thank you for providing the history of Operation Dominic.
Jack Hansen
1st Sgt., Retired,
U.S. Marine Corps
Email "Jack Hansen"
Keith Whittle
May 21, 2000