history

1. The362nd Engineer Company (LE) originally started out as the 628th Engineer Company (LE). It was organized on 25 February 1943 And assigned to AIII Corps. The 628th was activated at Plattsburg Barracks, New York and was reorganized under a new TO&E in March 1943. On 6 September 1943 the company was temporarily transferred from Plattsburg Barracks, New York to Elkins Virginia. the company remained there until another temporary transfer moved it from Elkins, Virginia on 21 December 1943 to Fort Dix, New Jersey. It then transferred from Fort Dix to New York PO. (Staging at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey) enroute to permanent assignment in the European Theater of Operations. The company arrived in England on 13 February 1945 and remained there until 9 August 1945. In England they were again reorganized under a new TO&E. The unit was then transferred from England to a port in the United States for further movement to Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon arrival at Fort Benning, on 24 August 1945. the unit was assigned to Army Ground Forces, Second Army. On 3 October 1945 the company was relieved from its assignment to the Second Army and assigned to the First Army. The 628th Engineer Company (LE) was deactivated as of 15 November 1945.

The unit was redesignated the 362nd Engineer Company (LE) effective 16 July 1948. allotted to the Organized Reserve, and assigned to the Third Army, and activated at Gainesville, Florida. Effective 3 November 1948 the 362nd Engr. Co (LE) was redesignated the 362nd Engr. Co. (Heavy Equipment)and reorganized under a new TO&E for heavy equipment companies. Again in 1951 the unit was reorganized under a new TO&E. On 23 June 1953 the unit was deactivated. On 11June 1954 the 362nd Engr. Co. (HE) was redesignated the 362 Engineer Company. At that time it was withdrawn from the Army Reserve and allotted the Regular Army. It was activated as a Heavy Equipment Company at fort Knox, Kentucky. Effective 22 November 1956 the 362nd Engineer Company was deactivated. It was not until 22 March 1963 that the 362nd Engineer Company was reactivated as a Light Equipment Company at fort Lee, Virginia and assigned to the Second Army. The 362nd Engr. Co. remained at fort Lee until it departed for Qui Nhon, Republic of Viet Nam on 17 August 1965. having gone through so much the 362nd Engineer Company was awarded the Lineage of Honors by order of the Secretary of the Army.

2. The company arrived in Qui Nhon on 3 September 1965 and on 5 September 1965 one platoon was sent to An Khe to perform a construction mission in support of the First Cavalry Division (air mobile). On 3 April 1966 the first contingent of the company arrived in Cu Chi and by 27 April 1966 the company closed in Cu Chi. at that time they were attached to the 588th Engineer Battalion (C) (A) as part of the 79th Engineer Group (Construction). They were charged with the Base Camp development and assigned control of the laterite pit. On 10 August 1966 a reinforced platoon was sent to Tay Ninh for the purpose of developing a laterite pit. A rock crusher was set up by a half platoon at Long Binh on 10 November 1966. Another platoon was sent to Dau Tieng for support of the base camp development on 30 November 1966. The 362nd Engineer Company then supported the 588th Engr. Bn. on the dangerous Boa Loi Woods, clearing jungle and improving roads.

3. On ? March 1967 the entire company moved into Tay Ninh Base Camp There they had a platoon assigned to the Airfield rehabilitation of Tay Ninh West, and helicopter refuel pads. They were given the responsibility resurfacing 4L-22. Repairing and reopening IL-4 to Fire Support Base Barbara, and operating a laterite pit at Cao Ri to support constructions efforts at Tay Ninh. The 362nd Engr. co. also constructed the parimeter roads on Tay Ninh Base Camp, And hardstand areas for choppers to land.

4. In addition to the above, the "Deuce", which the 362nd Engr. Co. became known as, supported the battalion with all available equipment on projects committed to the line platoons and companies. They supported operations in Phu Loi with a loader, grader, and dozer. They supported the road project ?L-13 at FSB Thunder II with three Clark 290 tractors(scrapers) They supported Cu Chi with an asphalt distributor, water distributor, loader (MCA LOC), and a backhoe (MCA LOC.). A crawler mounted crane was sent to the 163d Engineer Battalion at Lai Khe for a short period. They also supported the laterite pit at Go Dau Ha with equipment. For their efforts in Viet Nam in 1967-68 the 362nd Engineer Company (LE) was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation award, by order of the Secretary of the Army Stanley R. Rasor.

5. The Deuce became involved in many projects which kept them busy in the Tay Ninh area for two and a half years. The 362nd Engr. Co. was also awarded the Valorous Unit award for their efforts during their stay in Tay Ninh. They were also commended by the Battalion Commander of the 588th Engr. Bn. for their efforts during this crucial period. During the early part of 1970 they assumed responsibility for the shoulder construction on L-32 and rehabilitation Thien Ngon Airfield. They also sent a platoon to Katum six miles from Cambodia to rehabilitate the Airfield and road to Katum. They also sent a platoon to FSB Doomsday seven miles from Cambodia. The Deuce then moved to Katum on12 May 1970 in support of the 588th Engr. Bn. There they moved their equipment into Cambodia. on L-4 north From Thien Ngon the Deuce moved their equipment on L-22 into Cambodia. From FSB Doomsday the Deuce moved their equipment within two miles of Cambodia on L-13. The Deuce remained in complete support of the Cambodian Operation until 2 July 1970. During this time they operated a quarry at Nui Ba Den and crusher at FSB Duel which they also aided in building. They supported the 588th Engr. Bn. with equipment in various other areas such as FSB Carolyn, bridge construction at Thien Ngon, a dozer with a roaming artillery unit in Cambodia, and dump trucks to FSB Colorado in Cambodia, which was in support of the 31st Engr. "The Deuce" was painted on all vehicles of the 362nd Engineer Company (LE) became widely known throughout Viet Nam as THE DEUCE. After the Cambodian operation the Deuce was moved to Cu Chi where they became involved in many projects. The deuce sent a platoon to FSB Grant 20 miles east of Tay Ninh on L-13 which was later sent off with with an Infantry unit and had to be rescued. They also had a platoon at FSB Lanyard north of Thien Ngon on l-22. They had equipment in support of the 588th Engr. Bn. Suan Loc, Than Lieu, and Lia Khe on TL-13. The Deuce also had two cranes at the Co Dau Ha rock pile

6. The Deuce had one last project in Viet Nam which was to pull all of their equipment out of the outlined areas. The equipment had to be cleaned and turned in. the Deuce is finally returning home. Vehicles with the Deuce painted on the front and back no longer move throughout Viet Nam but will never be forgotten because of all the roads and structures left behind by the Deuce.

That's all I have for now if anyone has more to add let me know. I would like to bring the history up to the present.

I was in the Deuce from 1966 through Nov 67 and your history page has something wrong on it. We opened the rock crusher and quarry at Black Virgin Mountain near Tay Ninh late in '66 or very early in '67, beause we had four men killed there on the night of 6-7 Feb 1967. I know because I was there at the set up and left to go back to the Company area at Tay Ninh that morning of 6 Feb and missed it by that much. We had just got our GP-medium tents set up ready for the whole crusher/quarry crew to move in with a little permeter wire and some infantry from 196th (I think) for security with a 40 mm Duster at the gate. We had been living in covered-over dozer slots, which you can see in the photos at the 175th Engineer wesite of our quarry. The photo with the crusher next to a deuce-and-a-half cargo truck is us. In fact, I think that's me standing to the left of the deuce-and-a-half with his hands on his hips.

Also, your company roster from November 1967 is different from the one you had on the website a couple of years ago. My name was on the one before, listed as "Lloyd N. Willis", but a handwritten "W" looks like an "N". But, my name is missing from the November '67 roster you have up now. It's okay. I was there.

I had left a messge on your boards a couple of years ago. And yes, the guys used to call me the "Jew", even though I'm not Jewish, I suppose because my damned nose is so long and hooked they thought I was Jewish. And I operated the asphalt trailer at Dau Tieng, FSBs around the province, 3rd Brigade 4th ID chopper pads, roads between Tay Nihn and Dau Tieng. At Dau Tieng, SFC Johnson was our Platoon Sergeant. Also, at Cu Chi, I was acting jack platoon sergeant for a couple of months until "The Penguin", SFC Gibson, got to the unit. I was there at Dau Tieng when they bought the asphalt trailer and we painted it Army Green and I handpainted "Wild Thing" on the front end of the tank, because the damned trailer when it was full weighed so much it kept pulling the towing pintle out of the 3/4 ton they gave us. We ended up having to use a 5 ton tractor bob-tail to pull it. The first time we towed it full with the 3/4 ton, the towing pintle pulled out of the truck and the trailer with me on the running board, ending up in the ditch, fortunately for me with the side I was standing on up. That's when I painted it, 'cause the damned thing nearly killed me, first time out.

If you're wondering about the signature, I had a total of 14 years of active duty, got out in '79. Stayed out until 1997 and came back into the Reserves. We were called up for Iraq, but since I'm 58 now, they made me the Rear Detachment here. With a little luck, I may actually retire this year -- well, maybe next year, but certainly by 2007, because I'll be 60 that January and they have to retire me, it's mandatory age retirement. I'm working at the Reserve Center right now on temporary AD orders for a couple of months.

Thank you so much for the great website. We didn't take many pictures that survived the war and our home-comings in the earliest days. I was in-country from October '65 through Jan '69: Company C, 299th Engineer Battalion (came to 'Nam on a troop ship); transferred to the Deuce in late '65; went home in November 1967; re-upped in Jan '68 - couldn't find a civilian job I could stand - and served with HHC, 169th Engineer Battalion in Long Binh and HHC, 159th Engineer Group and HHC, 31st Engineer Battalion (guess I wasn't doing too well at the time but who knew?). When I left 'Nam, I was sent to Thailand where I spent three years. Well, enough of my old-man remembering. Thanks again. I was sorry to see that Pancho passed away; he was in Support Platoon we me at Cu Chi. I hope it was easy for him at the end. God bless all of us, especially you guys who work so hard to keep us in touch with this stuff.

Unit History