[Erasmo]

OK ya'll, this old Texas soldier found a few of the photographs! Now, if I can figure out how to post them, I'll put up a few.
Bob Hillerby
Combat Photographer
B 1/9th Cav, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
Republic of Vietnam 1966-1967

You have to put the url of your image between tags, for example:

[IMG]www.thedomain.com/yourpicture.jpg[/IMG]

[Peter Zack]

When you are posting pictures here, just click on the "quick Reply" button and then click in the "Go Advanced" button under the dialog box. Scroll down and you will see a button "manage attachments". Click on that and you can then browse and load images from your computer.

They will need to be resized for the site and need to be Jpegs. A decent size is 1024 x1024 or so.

[hillerby]

OK,
I'm gonna' give this a shot (no pun intended). I'll try to attach a photo with this post.
In this post, I'm going to try and start addressing some of ya'lls requests.
One of the earlier requests was about some of the terms we (Combat Photographers) used.
1. F/8 and Be There: This was a "general" expression that was thrown about that referred to the ever-changing problem with getting exposure and framing the picture; which was difficult to say the least. Moving through triple canopy jungle meant that you were constantly moving from direct sunlight to very dark shade. Hence, if in doubt set the aperture at f/8 and with Tri X film, you could generally use a high enough shutter speed to catch most anything. Additionally, Tri X was pretty forgiving in terms of exposure (compared to Ektachrome).
2.LZ: LZ stands for Landing Zone ... a place where the choppers came to deposit or pick up the troops. By the way, not a safe place to be as a Helicopter makes a very LARGE target. The safe thing to do was get off the LZ as quickly as possible.
3. Set the hyperfocal distance and shoot: This referred to our practice of shooting with wide angle lenses to reduce out of focus problems. By setting the lens focus at the hyperfocal distance, you had the maximum depth of field for that particular lens.
4. Short Timer: This was a reference to anyone who had less than 60-90 days remaining on their tour of duty.
5. Always have a rubber: In those days, the lens caps for the lenses didn't have any sort of catch or latch on them and were frequently lost. The ever ingenious nature of GI's was to come up with a "field expedient". The Combat Photographers allmost ALWAYS had a least a few "non lubricated" condoms. These could be stretched over the front of almost any lens carried to protect it from dust, sand, water, etc.

Those are just a few .... I'll try to post additional terms later. Now for the pix (I've tried to attach), If it doesn't get through I'm sure someone will let me know.
At any rate, the picture is a (poor quality) scan, from a rather poor quality Ektachrome 35mm slide that is showing it's age very poorly. The photo is a head shot of me that was taken by one of the guys on my photo team.
The picture was probably taken on the Michelin Rubber Plantation in an area known as "The Iron Triangle" (google that sometime. Anyway, we were operating with the 1st Infantry Division at the time.
As you can probably tell, we'd been in the field for several weeks. That means thirsty, hungry, hot and dead tired. Days went by with no end. If you got 3 hours sleep a day you were lucky. Not to mention some S.O.B. out there was doing his level best to kill you if possible! The photo was no doubt taken when we'd stopped to call in a SitRep (situation report) to higher headquarters, checked our location, or perhaps just a short break before moving on again. If you can see the "look" in my eyes and read the expression on my face, it's what we called a "thousand yard stare".
Enough of this, I'll see if I can successfully attach the picture now.
Bob Hillerby
Combat Photographer
B 1/9th Cav, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
RVN 1966-1967

Hillerby, unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a photo attached. Are you hosting it somewhere?

[hillerby]

NOPE! I wanted it to be attached to the message. I guess I didn't get it right. Damned technology is killin' me! As my Brit cousins would say, "I'll have to give it another go"

Bob, try this:

"EDIT" on post -> "Go Advanced" -> "Manage Attachments" -> browse the wanted image file from your computer -> "Upload" -> "Save changes".

Does it work like this? Note that the images have max sizes, both in pixels and bits and the max sizes can be seen under the upload part.

[lithos]

OK,
1. F/8 and Be There: This was a "general" expression that was thrown about that referred to the ever-changing problem with getting exposure and framing the picture; which was difficult to say the least. Moving through triple canopy jungle meant that you were constantly moving from direct sunlight to very dark shade. Hence, if in doubt set the aperture at f/8 and with Tri X film, you could generally use a high enough shutter speed to catch most anything. Additionally, Tri X was pretty forgiving in terms of exposure (compared to Ektachrome).

Fun Fact: In (famous NY freelance press photographer) Weegee's time, the saying was "f5.6 and be there." Of course, back in those days, the fastest film he used would've been something like ISO 50.

Maybe we should update it to "f11 and be there" for today.

Really, keep the stories coming. I think there's another Vietnam Vet on the forums who took a Spotmatic with him on patrol (I think he said his Takumar f1.4 50mm caught an AK bullet...)

[hillerby]

OK,
I'm gonna' give this a shot (no pun intended). I'll try to attach a photo with this post.
In this post, I'm going to try and start addressing some of ya'lls requests.
One of the earlier requests was about some of the terms we (Combat Photographers) used.
1. F/8 and Be There: This was a "general" expression that was thrown about that referred to the ever-changing problem with getting exposure and framing the picture; which was difficult to say the least. Moving through triple canopy jungle meant that you were constantly moving from direct sunlight to very dark shade. Hence, if in doubt set the aperture at f/8 and with Tri X film, you could generally use a high enough shutter speed to catch most anything. Additionally, Tri X was pretty forgiving in terms of exposure (compared to Ektachrome).
2.LZ: LZ stands for Landing Zone ... a place where the choppers came to deposit or pick up the troops. By the way, not a safe place to be as a Helicopter makes a very LARGE target. The safe thing to do was get off the LZ as quickly as possible.
3. Set the hyperfocal distance and shoot: This referred to our practice of shooting with wide angle lenses to reduce out of focus problems. By setting the lens focus at the hyperfocal distance, you had the maximum depth of field for that particular lens.
4. Short Timer: This was a reference to anyone who had less than 60-90 days remaining on their tour of duty.
5. Always have a rubber: In those days, the lens caps for the lenses didn't have any sort of catch or latch on them and were frequently lost. The ever ingenious nature of GI's was to come up with a "field expedient". The Combat Photographers allmost ALWAYS had a least a few "non lubricated" condoms. These could be stretched over the front of almost any lens carried to protect it from dust, sand, water, etc.

Those are just a few .... I'll try to post additional terms later. Now for the pix (I've tried to attach), If it doesn't get through I'm sure someone will let me know.
At any rate, the picture is a (poor quality) scan, from a rather poor quality Ektachrome 35mm slide that is showing it's age very poorly. The photo is a head shot of me that was taken by one of the guys on my photo team.
The picture was probably taken on the Michelin Rubber Plantation in an area known as "The Iron Triangle" (google that sometime. Anyway, we were operating with the 1st Infantry Division at the time.
As you can probably tell, we'd been in the field for several weeks. That means thirsty, hungry, hot and dead tired. Days went by with no end. If you got 3 hours sleep a day you were lucky. Not to mention some S.O.B. out there was doing his level best to kill you if possible! The photo was no doubt taken when we'd stopped to call in a SitRep (situation report) to higher headquarters, checked our location, or perhaps just a short break before moving on again. If you can see the "look" in my eyes and read the expression on my face, it's what we called a "thousand yard stare".
Enough of this, I'll see if I can successfully attach the picture now.
Bob Hillerby
Combat Photographer
B 1/9th Cav, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
RVN 1966-1967

OK, I'll try this again. I think it failed last time because the file size was toooo large! I've reduced the file size and see how this goes. If it works, I'll have more pix later

Bob, it's here loud'n'clear! Who's that - you? Waiting for more pictures. Was this taken with the Leica?

EDIT: I see the file name says "my portrait"

[hillerby]

Bob, it's here loud'n'clear! Who's that - you? Waiting for more pictures. Was this taken with the Leica?

EDIT: I see the file name says "my portrait"

Yep, that's me in another life. More info regarding the picture is in the post above yours!
The picture was taken by one of the guys on my team, so it would undoubtedly have been shot with either a Spotmatic, or perhaps a Nikon F2.
I'll see if I can't get a few more posted later

[séamuis]

Yep, that's me in another life. More info regarding the picture is in the post above yours!
The picture was taken by one of the guys on my team, so it would undoubtedly have been shot with either a Spotmatic, or perhaps a Nikon F2.
I'll see if I can't get a few more posted later

I never knew that the US military issued Soptmatics. or anything from Asahi Optical for that mater. the only photo I have ever seen of Pentax equipment in Viet Nam was a photo of two Vietnamese photographers, carrying what look like pre-spotmatic SLR's and undoubtedly 135mm lenses. oddly though, neither photogropher looked more than 12-13 years old.

More info regarding the picture is in the post above yours!

Sorry, I somehow skipped the quoted part. "Thousand yards stare". What one can really see in your face is how trying time that must've been. An old man's expression on a young man's face.

[ovim]

Subscribed! I too think this is going to be something really interesting.

[Ratmagiclady]

I never knew that the US military issued Soptmatics. or anything from Asahi Optical for that mater. the only photo I have ever seen of Pentax equipment in Viet Nam was a photo of two Vietnamese photographers, carrying what look like pre-spotmatic SLR's and undoubtedly 135mm lenses. oddly though, neither photogropher looked more than 12-13 years old.

My understanding is that the 'official' military cameras for a while were of a special American-made type, (blanking on the name) but they would buy other, more portable things for the field in small lots, whatever made sense at the time.

*little salute to OP, though*

I learned a lot from people who were military photographers, at least some attitude. . one I can remember being almost literally knee-high to. Never assumed he was in combat, (And I think more Korean Conflict vintage, at the latest... he seemed unfathomably-old to me at the time. When he finally passed on, (I was older by then, ) they cleared out all manner of old-school things no one else understood, and I pocketed a well-worn press camera lens-shutter that's managed to stay with me all this time and is one of my treasures. ( By then I was in my teens) And always think of that 'old dude.'

He was also the one responsible for my times working with a 6x7.

So, be very welcome.

[Peter Zack]

An old man's expression on a young man's face.

Emr, I was trying to think of something to post when I read your comment. That's exactly the emotion that photo evokes.