Mike's service in the military spurred a lifelong commitment to veterans' affairs. He is particularly concerned about the effects of Agent Orange, and veterans' mental health issues. He is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and a member of the American Legion and the Vietnam Veterans of America. As Washington’s First Gentleman, or "First Mike" as he prefers to be called, he tours the state meeting with veterans and active military personnel. He lobbies the Governor over dinner on veterans’ issues and is committed to making sure our state lives up to its commitments to our service men and women.
First Mike
Soc Trang
Home of the 120Th
In Vietnam the weather for convoys came in two types:
Dry, Hot, Humid and Dusty
and
Wet, Hot, Humid and Muddy
The
Men of the 120th Transportation Company
(comments below are written by me so don't blame First Mike the Pictures are his)
The make up of the 120th was much like our PBR units. The majority of the men were E-5 and below, all young men with a few old Sergeants and their Officers. Mike Gregoire was in Command of 30-50 men.
Unlike our “Smart” young PBR sailors who saw their draft numbers coming and joined the Navy so they would ‘NOT” end up in Vietnam the men of Mike’s unit knew that they would be in Vietnam. They had no surprises to deal with like PBR duty.
They, like our men, were some of America’s finest young men. The Vietnam War has made us all Brothers Forever!
The 120th Transportation Company delivered supplies throughout the Mekong Delta. To places like Bac Lieu and Ca Mau inland. Mike and his men also visited towns with names very familiar to us PBR sailors Rach Gia, Ha Tien and Chau Duc. If you were in one of these locations in 1970 – 1971 on your little Green PBR you may have seen Mike Gregoire and the men of the 120th rumble into town on their big green trucks.
The 120th would deliver their supplies to air fields and bases. They would unload at the air fields & make “every effort” to get back to a base camp before the sun went down!
I have colorized the map as it would have been illustrated at home in the local newspapers – Gray for those places controlled by the Vietnamese Government and Red the area’s controlled by the VC.
In fact most of the vast red areas were the rice paddies, farm lands and jungle lands where the local Vietnamese worked during the day. The North Vietnamese had their base camps in the area but the vast majority of the area was empty at night and allowed movement of all forces.
Mike Gregoire is seen here in a picture reminiscent of those seen from World War I/II forward and today in Iraq. American Military Men and Women have always had a special place in their hearts for the children.
