The news of the day as the 48th main body made its way to Vietnam aboard the United States Navy Ship Geiger
(Furnished by John Freiberger)
USNS GEIGER
Jim Davis (Lt. Commander, US Navy Retired) wrote me a note saying: "I loaded the 101st at Savannah, GA in 65 and took them to Qui Nhon in the USNS Geigher, Upshur, and Thatis Bay." "Col. Roberts was with me in the Geiger." "Did you have the pleasure of that passage?"
By 1965, the USNS Geiger was part of the MSTS (Military Sea Transportation Service) and Jim skippered her military crew. She was the only air conditioned naval ship in her class. In the 50’s, the Geiger belonged to the American President Lines and operated as a "round-the-world" luxury liner.
I did not make the 101st or the 48th’s voyage and know very little of the day-to-day events. There is, however, a ship’s newspaper from 20 November that recaps the days’ headlines. While the USNS Geiger skirted the Philippines in the San Bernardio Strait, our boys read reports about the battles in the Ia Drang valley and other news from around the world.
VIA UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
MOSCOW:
FIVE AMERICAN SENATORS IN SEARCH OF PEACE WITH NORTH VIET NAM CONFERRED FOR TWO HOURS AND 20 MINUTES WITH PREMIER ALEXI KOSYGIN. SOVIET SOURCES SAID THE AMERICANS CAME AWAY EMPTY HANDED. FOREIGN MINISTER ANDREI GROMYKO RECEIVED THE GROUP MORE OUT OF RESPECT FOR ITS LEADER, MIKE MANSFIELD OF MONTANA, THAN OUT OF DIPLOMATIC URGENCY. THE SOURCES SAID THE KREMLIN IS UNWILLING TO TAKE PART IN PEACE MOVES WITHOUT ASSURANCE OF AMERICAN CONCESSIONS, AT LEAST TO END THE BOMBING OF NORTH VIET NAM. THE SOVIET SOURCE SAID THERE WAS NO SIGN OF SUCH CONCESSIONS. SENATOR MANSFIELD INDICATED THE CONVERSATIONS COVERED A WIDE RADIUS OF SUBJECTS, AND WHEN ASKED WHO BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT OF VIET NAM, HE SAID BOTH SIDES DID.
SAIGON:
FLYING HORSEMEN OF THE FIRST CAVALRY DIVISION KILLED 1,411 COMMUNIST IN THE BATTLE OF CHU PONG MOUNTAIN, AN AMERICAN GENERAL SAID FRIDAY. OFFICERS SAID AN ESTIMATED 600 MORE WERE KILLED BY ARTILLERY, FIGHTER PLANE STRIKES, AND B-52 ATTACKS. AMERICAN LOSSES IN THE BATTLE ON THE CENTRAL HIGHLAND OF CHU PONG WERE DESCRIBED OFFICIALLY AS MODERATE, BUT BATTLE ZONE DISPATCHES INDICATED THE LOSSES WERE THE HEAVIEST SUFFERED BY U.S. FORCES IN ANY SINGLE ENCOUNTER IN THE VIET NAM WAR. CAVALRYMEN PUSHED DOGGEDLY FORWARD THROUGH JUNGLE OF THE TOUGH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IN SEARCH OF AN IMPORTANT COMMUNIST SUPPLY DEPOT, AS A SECOND MAJOR BATTLE SEEMED IN THE MAKING ALONG THE SOUTH COAST. ALSO OFFICERS INDICATED THE NORTH VIET NAMESE WERE TRYING TO DEFEND THEIR MAIN BASE NEAR THE CAMBODIAN BORDER BEING SUPPLIED BY PACK ELEPHANTS.
DANBURY, CONN:
HENRY A. WALLACE, VICE PRESIDENT IN THE F.D.R. ADMINISTRATION, AND TWO TIME CABINET MEMBER, AND UNSUCCESSFUL THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY, DIED IN DANBURY HOSPITAL AFTER A LONG ILLNESS, AT THE AGE OF 77. WALLACE WAS ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL POLITICAL FIGURES OF THIS CENTURY.
LOS ANGELES:
A CRIPPLING TWO DAY STRIKE AGAINST THE LOS ANGELES HERALD EXAMINER ENDED FRIDAY, WHEN MANAGEMENT AND THE LABOR GUILD CAME TO TENTATIVE AGREEMENT FOR A NEW TWO YEAR CONTRACT.
ST. LOUIS:
EIGHTEEN OIL AND ASPHALT COMPANIES WERE FINED UP TO 15,000 DOLLARS EACH AND SEVENTEEN INDIVIDUALS DREW FINES UP TO 7,500 DOLLARS EACH, IN CONNECTION WITH A FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLAR CORPORATE PRICE FIX.
PG#2 USNS GEIGER TAP - 197 2OTH NOV. 1965
RIO DE JANEIRO:
A BOMB EXPLODED EARLY FRIDAY IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING HOUSING THE MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS REPRESENTING THE 20 NATION ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (O.A.S.). THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES REPORTED.
NEW YORK:
THE STOCK MARKET INDICATORS RECOVERED FRIDAY AFTER A SIX POINT LAG ON THURSDAY, IN MODERATELY ACTIVE TRADING. 30 INDUSTRIALS CLOSED 952.72 AND 65 STOCKS WERE 334.76. BACHE AND COMPANY RECOMMENDED THAT INVESTORS SHOULD BE ALERT TO MARKET DIPS IN SELECTED ISSUES.
ST. LOUIS:
PRODUCTION OF THE TWO MAN GEMINI SPACE CAPSULES AND PHANTOM JET FIGHTERS FOR THE NAVY WERE HALTED FRIDAY BY STRIKE OF MORE THAN 17,000 MACHINIST AGAINST MCDONNELL AIRCRAFT CORP.
LONDON:
PARLIAMENT FRIDAY JOINED QUEEN ELIZABETH IN PAYING TRIBUTE TO LOYALIST GOVERNOR SIR HUMPHREY GIBBS OF RHODESIA, WHO STALWARTHLY STANDS FOR BRITISH RULE IN THE BREAKAWAY AFRICAN COLONY. AT THE CAPITOL OF SALISBURY REBEL PREMIER IAN SMITH AND HIS REGIME WERE TRYING TO COUNTER AN EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT OF RHODESIA.
AFRTS/NPN SUPPLEMENTARY NEWS ITEMS:
IN SPORTS;
PRESTIGE, BOWL BIDS, AND EVEN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RIDE ON THE OUTCOME OF SATURDAY’S FOOTBALL GAMES. BIGGEST ONE IS AT SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, WHERE MICHIGAN STATE PUTS ITS TOP RANKING ON THE LINE AS A SLIGHT UNDERDOG AGAINST DANGEROUS NOTRE DAME. THE SPARTANS HAVE NINE CONSECUTIVE VICTORIES, THE BIG TEN TITLE AND A BERTH IN THE ROSE BOWL. NOTRE DAME HAS A SEVEN-ONE RECORD, LOSING A TWENTY-FIVE TO TWENTY-ONE SQUEAKER TO PERDUE. MICHIGAN STATE’S ROSE BOWL OPPONENT WILL BE DECIDED IN A CLASH BETWEEN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND UCLA AT LOS ANGELES. USC IS FAVORED BY FIVE POINTS MAINLY BECAUSE IT BOASTS THE NATION’S MOST PRODUCTIVE RUNNING BACK, MIKE GARRETT. BOTH TEAMS HAVE BEEN DEFEATED ONCE, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BY NOTRE DAME AND UCLA BY MICHIGAN STATE.
A BIG BATTLE ALSO IS SCHEDULED IN THE SOUTHWEST. ARKANSAS PLAYS TEXAS TECH AT FAYETTEVILLE AND A BID AS HOST TEAM IN THE COTTON BOWL HINGES ON THE OUTCOME. ARKANSAS IS FAVORED BY TWO TOUCHDOWNS. IN THE EAST, THE IVY LEAGUE RACE HAS GONE DOWN TO THE WIRE WITH TWO UNBEATENS. PRINCETON AND DARTMOUTH, FIGHTING FOR THE TITLE, DARTMOUTH MAY HAVE TROUBLE WITH PRINCETON’S SINGLE WING OFFENSE AND ODDSMARKERS HAVE MADE PRINCETON A ONE TOUCHDOWN FAVORITE.
PG#2 (CONT) USNS GEIGER TAP - 197 2OTH NOV. 1965
AMERICANS MARTY RIESSEN AND CLARK GRAEBNER HAVE WON THE DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE NEW SOUTH WALES TENNIS TOURNAMENT IN AUSTRALIA.
GOLFER MARLENE HAGGE SHOT A ONE OVER PAR SEVENTY THREE TO CAPTURE THE TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR ALAMO OPEN AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, SHE ENDED THREE STROKES OVER FAST CLOSING KATHY WHITWORTH AND CAROL MANN.
CHICAGOS BOBBY HULL HAS FALLEN OFF IN HIS TWO-GAOL PER GAME CLIP, BUT HE STILL HAS A SHARE OF THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE SCORING LEAD. HULL HAS TWELVE GOALS AND SIX ASSISTS IN NINE GAMES FOR EIGHTEEN POINTS. BOBBY ROUSSEAU OF MONTREAL HAS THE SAME NUMBER OF POINTS ON SEVEN GOALS AND ELEVEN ASSISTS. CHICAGO NET-MINDER GLENN HALL LEADS THE GOALIES WITH A TWO-POINT, TWO GOALLED AVERAGE.
LAS VEGAS NEVADA:
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION CASSIUS CLAY AND CHALLENGER FLOYED PATTERSON HAVE FINISHED TRAINING FOR THIS COMING MONDAY NIGHTS FIGHT AT LAS VEGAS.
KEY WEST FLA:
TWO UNITED STATES CHARTERED BOATS FERRIED AN ADDITIONAL 186 CUBANS TO FLORIDA FRIDAY, INCLUDING THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE CUBAN CINEMA PHOTOGRAPHERS FEDERATION.
UNITED NATIONS:
THE FORMER BRITISH COLONY OF GUIANA WILL OFFICIALLY BECOME INDEPENDENT AS A NATION ON 26 MAY 1966 WITH THE NAME OF "RUYANA, COLONIAL SECTY GREENWOOD ANNOUNCED ON FRIDAY.
VATICAN CITY:
AN HISTORIC DECLARATION RECOMMENDED BY THE POPE "FREEDOM OF WORSHIP FOR ALL MEN", WON A FINAL VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE ECUMENICAL COUNCIL ON FRIDAY.
WASHINGTON:
PRESIDENT JOHNSON DISCHARGED FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC PROBLEMS TO HIS CABINENT FRIDAY, THEN FLEW TO TEXAS TO STAY AT LEAST THROUGH THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
MOSCOW:
FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER MARSHALL GEORGI ZHUKOV, 69, SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK LAST WEEK, INFORMED SOURCES REVEALED TO THE PRESS WIRES.