An Update
From
an eMail received on May 3, 2015:
Just ‘stumbled” on the OCS Signal officers web page….what a
revelation! All my classmates from OCS class 12-66, Ft Gordon,
graduation date 30 June, 1966. If you or your team update the class
sites from time to time, consider my information: In Vietnam twice, 1967
and 1968; OIC of Combat Photo Teams (DASPO). Served with 221
Signal(Pictorial) July, 1966-Feb. 1967, then to Hawaii from 67-69.
Operated in Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam. WIA 9 May 1968; Purple
Heart, Bronze Star with “V”. Resigned commission in late 1969, in grade
as Captain, to complete college education at Ohio State.
After welcoming Richard to the Association, he provided a bit more
information about his years in the wilderness. eMail received on May 5,
2015:
Just a bit more info for your data base: I enlisted Airborne Special
Forces in July 1966 and after 18 weeks of various infantry training
courses was offered an opportunity to attend Signal OCS, but had to
waive my enlistment preference. One of my best life decisions was to
join class 12-66 for Signal Officers training (if one could make it
through...we started with 54 candidates, graduated 17...somehow, my
peers decided to elect me class president). No question that, and my
commissioned Army experience, shaped my future. You cannot, in my view,
gain those life lessons of Honor, Integrity, Men and Mission in a class
room.... it must be lived, and applied to future civilian careers. And
live I did during that time... on one of my many missions, for
DASPO Pac, a highly specialized pictorial Signal unit, I was OIC of
the only military photo teams deployed to South Korea, to document
release of the Pueblo Crew in late December, 1968... from the DMZ to
inside the evac hospital South of Seoul. As OIC of DASPO combat photo
teams in Vietnam I had the honor of serving with and leading some of the
finest, bravest men I have ever know. For our actions during the first 5
days of the 2nd Tet offensive, May, 1968, my five man team was awarded
the Silver Star, three Bronze Stars with "V" and three Purple Hearts.
Many of our DASPO men remain in touch to this day. And OCS did much to
prepare me for these annealing experiences.
Life after the service, finishing my undergraduate degree work, found me
"falling" into a job in residential real estate development... and lead
to a 35+ year career with private and public corporations, living in
Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio, Toronto, Canada and Princeton New Jersey.
Whew!!! Well that is way more than enough for now. My deepest thanks for
allowing me to be a part of this amazing effort on your part and by so
many others. If you have anything on other members of my class, I would
so enjoying seeing it. I read
Feleciano's [Ed.
Another member of OCS
Class 12-66] commentary... I remember him well. A fine man and an
excellent soldier. I am certain he was an outstanding officer. Thanks
again for what you do for all of us. So appreciated.
Richard M. Griffith OCS Class 12-66
[Ed. In a P.S. follow up eMail, Richard added the following comments.]
Forgot to mention... there is a just released 12 part DVD called "Unseen
Warriors", "Signal Army Combat Cameramen in the Vietnam War". It was
nearly three years in the making, by a group called Traditions Military
Video, headed by Ellen Holzam. I mention this because she interviewed me
as her part 12 of the DVD, chronicled the events of "Second TET" May,
1968, around Saigon, the French National Cemetery, Cholon and the A Shau
Valley, thru the eyes of my men and their combat motion picture/still
documentation.
There is film of the team and me in all of this part 12 segment. The
other 11 parts are combat film records of the Vietnam experience, seen
thru the lenses and eyes of men from the 221st Signal (Pictorial), DASPO
PAC and 69th Signal... the godfathers of today's 55th Combat Photo. On
the DASPO web site there is a link called "DASPO shooters"; there are
several shots of me... one in uniform, with the caption, "Senator
Griffith" (an inside joke between the men and I) and others taken during
combat operations.
Thanks again for all you do!
- - - - -
Read the history of the Department of The Army Photographer service that
Richard was the OIC of by clicking here:
Trailers for the documentary can be seen by clicking
here:
Ellen Holzman, one of the co-owners of the production company, sent
these comments to us at Richard's request:
Several members of the Army Signal Corps Officer School Candidate School
Association are featured in or were consultants for a new documentary
about combat cameramen in the Vietnam War. The four-hour documentary,
titled "Unseen Warriors: Army Combat Cameramen in the Vietnam
War," focuses on the stories of combat cameramen, using raw film footage
that they shot and their personal photographs, much of which has never
been seen by the general public. Association members Marty Katz (Class
09-67) and Don Fedynak (Class 04-68) are featured in the documentary.
Nick Mills (Class 01-68) contributed photos and memories to the
documentary. Other signal corps officers [including Richard Griffith]
also contributed to "Unseen Warriors."
The documentary was produced by Traditions Military Videos, which has
been making film footage taken in Vietnam available to veterans for more
than 20 years. “For many years,” said co-owner Ellen Holzman, “we
largely ignored the slates identifying the combat cameramen who took
this footage. Like most film producers, we credited the National
Archives as the source of our footage. “With the 50th anniversary this
year of the expansion of the war in Vietnam, it’s important to give
credit where it is due, to the combat cameraman."
