Images of Innocent Souls: Vietnam 1968 Exhibition
This is an exhibition of images captured by 1st Lieutenant Glenn Hoover in the Republic of South Vietnam, at the peak of the conflict. These images are available for purchase with all proceeds going to the Waypoint Foundation.

The Coke Girl
She sells a Coke to the Lieutenant. What is this young girl thinking as she stares into the camera? Can she remember a time when there were no soldiers? What will happen to her? Will her life be good?

Village Boy
This boy’s earliest memories must include men in green uniforms.
Who influences him when they are not around? Will he fight against them in a few years?

Smoking Boys
Young combat soldiers enjoy an infrequent moment with children. Perhaps they are reminded of siblings. A soldier has just gifted these boys with a box of C-rations. Some packages include 4 cigarettes. The kids are not shy.

Village Girls - Laundry Helpers
These girls are in a better place. They live in Lia Khe and are protected at night by the 1st Infantry Division whose perimeter encircles their village. During the day they help their parents run Bravo Company’s laundry. No one likes a soldier in a dirty uniform.

Time for Supplies
The 1st Battalion 16th Infantry troops are being resupplied while they wait for assault Huey helicopters to arrive. Their “Anvil and Hammer” operation with the ARVN has escalated to a “Search and Destroy” mission and they are headed to the Parrot’s Beak. Fresh intelligence reports have just been received that a large force of the North Vietnam Regulars has just crossed into South Vietnam.

Iced Chilled Cokes from Mama-san
Vietnamese from a nearby village take advantage of this sudden assembly of American soldiers to fuel the local economy. They have appeared with ice chilled Coca Cola. The soldiers enjoy the treats and the prices are fair.

Montagnards Village
Day one of a “Search and Destroy” mission in the Central Highlands includes a “Cordon and Search” of this village of Montagnards. These are the indigenous people who were driven from the coastal regions by the current inhabitants of Vietnam in the 9th century. They are considered savages by the Vietnamese.

Empty Truck
On this day, it is suspected that these Montagnards are being forced to supply the North Vietnamese Army with food. This morning an empty truck returning to the village with its lights off is detained. The males are turned over to the ARVN personnel for interrogation. The women and children in the truck are allowed into the village.

Women and Children Over Here
These Montagnards practice Christianity, having been converted by early French and American missionaries. After 1975, when the North’s Communist Regime took over, these Christian people were targeted for extermination, and the women were subjected to forced sterilization programs.

Montagnard Villagers
These Montagnards are fearful of the Vietnamese government, who do not consider them part of the country. Many from these villages fight side by side with the US Special Forces and are known as fierce and brave soldiers.

Montagnards
The Americans who know the Montagnards have formed strong attachments with them. In 1986 a group of Special Forces Vietnam War Veterans formed an organization, later to be known as the Save the Montagnards People, Inc. Within the constraints of IRS 501(c)3 regulations, they are advocating for the survival of the Montagnards in Indochina.

Montagnards Man with Child
The Montagnards continue to be subject to human rights abuses by their government despite numerous sanctions and declarations by world organizations. Their fertile highlands have been taken for coffee plantations owned by international corporations, forcing them to less productive areas difficult to farm. Montagnards.org is the web site for Save the Montagnard People, Inc.

Letters from Home 1
The 1st Infantry Division believes in delivering mail from home to the troops wherever they may be, whenever it arrives. A bag of letters came for the 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company on a morning resupply helicopter. These riflemen have a minute to catch up on messages from loved ones before the days patrol begins.

Letters from Home 2
This machine gun ammo bearer is packed and ready to move out but while still standing, takes a moment to read mail delivered to him moments ago.

Letters from Home 3
In the middle of an old rubber plantation this soldier is greeted with a letter from home and has a chance to read it before the day’s mission begins.

Letters from Home 4
Bravo Company set up a night defensive perimeter in the middle of this rubber plantation last night. A morning resupply helicopter has to lower its load through the tree canopy while hovering above. Included with the ammunition and C-rations is a bag of mail.

Harmony
While waiting for word to pack-up and move out, these riflemen take a moment for some four-part improv Motown harmonizing.

I Want to Go Here
Lt. Colonel Latham, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Commander, indicates on a map to the point man on today’s patrol, exactly where he would like to go.

Waiting for "Go"
Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry command group waits in their Huey helicopter for orders to take off. The door gunner on the right will be recognized by his father’s friend during an Endicott, New York Kiwana’s Club luncheon presentation of these slides a year after the picture is taken.

Approaching LZ
A group of five troop-bearing Huey helicopters approach the landing zone (LZ) near the Cambodian border. 5 more are ready to turn and follow them in as soon as their live cargo is on the ground.

Leaving PZ
This Huey helicopter company, nicknamed the Tomahawks, is leaving the pick up zone (PZ) with 6 infantrymen. A challenge in planning an extraction is that each chopper has a limit of soldiers in addition to their own crew of 4 that they can lift. The pilot waves off all he believes he can not safely carry. If you are waived off, you have to scramble to get on another Huey. But, no one is ever left behind.

Moving Off a Cold LZ
The battalion-sized air insertion is going smoothly and has been unopposed. The troops are moving off the landing zone (LZ) to their designated assembly areas.

Sgt. Smith's 3rd Tour
Leading his platoon off the landing zone is First Sgt. Smith. Sgt. Smith, a 24-year-old veteran, has just returned to Vietnam for a voluntary third tour. He says the Army is the only family he has, and he belongs here with them. His preferred weapon in the bush was a shotgun.

RTO
This radio-telephone operator (RTO) must not only carry his own rifle and gear, but also a 23.5 pound PRC-25 radio. It allows for field communications among platoon leaders, company commanders and the battalion headquarters group. The radio is fondly referred to as the “prick twenty-five” by those who carry it.

New Standards
The “New Standards Men” program has been initiated by the State Department to accept those who previously had not met minimum mental or physical conditions. Promoted as part of President Johnson’s war on poverty, many believe it is to help meet recruitment needs. I have decided this young man is not safe on combat patrols. He is arguing that it is not fair to remove him from harm’s way when there are many still in the field with more time in country. What he lacked in aptitude he made up for in heart.

Sergeant First Class Valentine
Returning to division base camp after a week long mission, the 2nd Platoon is allowed time for a quick shower and change of clothes. Then they head to a sector of Lai Khe’s outer perimeter for night security duty. Platoon Sergeant Valentine sits on top the bunker writing a letter home while a young PFC from Cortland, New York lights up.

Day of Training
Bravo’s Company Commander, a volunteer from the US National Guard, is conducting a training class for the 2nd Platoon in front of their base camp barracks at Lai Khe.

Dreams of Cooperstown
The 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry is selected to move from the 1st Infantry Division to the 9th Infantry Division in exchange for a Mechanized Infantry Battalion. We are given a couple days off to pack up and relax. Some gloves, a ball and bat are located and a game of softball emerges.

Leaving Home Band
The 1st Infantry Division Band assembles outside the battalion headquarters building to play a few of our favorite marching tunes as the battalion gets ready to leave.

Auld Lang Syne
A few smiles are exchanged by infantrymen as the band strikes up Auld Lang Syne prior to the battalion loading up on C-123 cargo planes for the first part of the journey to our new home.

Welcome to the 9th
At the end of the day we arrive by boat at our new home with the 9th Infantry Division. We are welcomed to our new assignment by the 9th Infantry Division Band. Several soldiers ask me if they can join the band. I advise them not to send home for their horns yet.

Taps
Taps signals the last call of the day. All unauthorized lights are to be extinguished. It is also played at military funeral and memorial services, as was the case this day.

Fallen Souls
A few days ago Bravo Company was ambushed while returning from patrol outside the Lai Khe perimeter. The 1st Platoon was on the point. When the first explosive was detonated, two of its soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice. They are remembered on this overcast day in a service at the base chapel.