1st Battalion 39th Infantry Regiment: 11/05/25

Wednesday, November 05, 2025

Ted Thomas, Medic Platoon, Paddy's Gang 1979-1982

Here are two comments from Ted Thomas that I've pulled together into one post. 

Bill [billy.estay@yahoo.com], I was a medic on the rock from 79 til 82, I remember your accident, we [Sgt Crocker] did dressing changes for you at the aid station. . . name is Ted Thomas email flabella@neo.rr.com

I was a medic in HHC and from 79-82, Lt. Flanagan ["CPT Tim Flanagan, 1978 - 1981] took over after Capt. Van Dyne left..Flanagan was a big guy, I think he played football for Army. . . . 

AAAO!

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SP/4 William A. Barbosa, Paddy's Gang, 1/39 Inf (M) 1972-1975

Here are some memories from 1/39 Infantry back in 1972-1975, from SP/4 William A. Barbosa.

We seldom hear from the battalion's Viet Nam era veterans. It turns out the stories we heard about USARER back in those days were at least partly true. 

Served at HQ, Communications Unit, spent most of my time at the motor pool at the commo shop. Spent a lot of time in Idar Oberstein drinking beer, dancing disco with a random bar fight here and there. Those were some rough years but, still, to this day I remember a lot of very good times I had there.

I remember all those guys, Otero, Negron, Rivera. We were always together listening music and drinking beer. Drugs and fights were rampant. Lot of good and bad memories mixed together.

William A. Barbosa
wbarbosa0652@gmail.com

Hard to believe this was all only about ten years before my own time there.

(First posted 05 November 2020)

AAAO


p.s. didn't find what you were after? Try looking in the 'previous posts' over to the right, or use the search tool at the top left of this page. Barring that, check back later to see if it's been added. You might also want to check out the Frequently Asked Questions.