My Cat Lai Vacation

January 1967 - September 1968

Welcome Home!

Time flies when you are having fun! It is hard to imagine it has been 58 years plus since I was introduced to Cat Lai.

Hope everyone's summer is going to be great. Just set back, cool drink in hand and look around...you might see people or things you remember.'

This site is dedicated to all who served in the US armed forces in Vietnam; and especially to the members of the 124th Transportation Company, the 11th Transportation Battalion, the 4th Transportation Command, and all others that may have ventured to Cat Lai.

This is a brief look back, through hundreds of photos and a free downloadable video, from about 57+ years ago and a bit of information on how Cat Lai has changed over the years...all about a little place called Cat Lai, Vietnam.

Sad News to report - If you were in Cat Lai in 1967 - I am sure you knew Charlie Walker, the 124th Trans Co Armorer. An armorer is a specialized technician or craftsman responsible for the maintenance, repair, and assembly of weapons. He was a real whiz and deassembly and reassembly of almost any weapon at hand.

Charlie passed on April 9, 2026 in Slidell, LA. Go to the "In Memory of" page, and there is a link to Charlie's obituary. If you have memories, please share, as the family is very proud of Charlie, and would like to hear what you have to say. '

During that past year or so Kim Barkhouse and I conducted a search for Charlie, and we found him! From our immediate group at Cat Lai, Kim and I have located not only Charlie, but Frank Cooney, Gary Bates, and Marty Graczyk.

Manage Your Health Information

Proactively developing a long-term health care plan with your VA Health care team can help detect conditions early and treat or lessen the effect of complications resulting from exposure(s).

If you have already filed a claim with the VA, and have been denied benefits or are getting benefits, but you believe you may qualify for benefits or want to file for an additional presumptive benefit, call the numbers document below below and try again.

The presumptive conditions have been updated and now you may qualify.

Click Here - (PDF Download with additional information)

And while you are here, take time to check out all the Contributer's and Memorial pages. Many thanks to all for your submissions to this site!

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy!

Jerry Simmons
Cat Lai (01/1967-09/1968)

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Cat Lai back then and today...

Cat Lai in the news...

Here are a couple of News articles about Cat Lai. Sorry the quality is not better.

> Click image to enlarge - Right click small image to download large pic <

Faces seen at Cat Lai (1967-1968)

> Click image to start slideshow - Right click small image to download large pic <

Places around Cat Lai (1967-1968)

> Click image to start slideshow - Right click small image to download large pic <

view of theater and swimming pool over top of medic quanset

Cat Lai - 124th supply room looking towards HQ

CatLai then, today, and changes over the years...

> Click image to start slideshow - Right click small image to download large pic <

Cat Lai 1967-2009

Below is an image that shows Cat Lai in 1967, 2005, and 2009. The yellow arrow in each shows the location of the tent where I was housed while at Cat lai. I have made a best guess for the same location in the 2005 and 2009 pictures.
Click on the small pictures to see a larger version of each picture.
One of the pictures is of the new Phu My Bridge - located just south of Cat Lai. This bridge is over the Saigon River heading back towards Newport.

Cat Lai - 1967 Picture provided by Capt. Jerry Long, 11 Trans Bn

Cat Lai - 2009 Courtesy www.diaocthuthiem.vn

Phu My Bridge - South of Cat Lai - over Saigon River heading to Newport

Cat Lai 2011

Cat Lai port at work - (2011)

HCM City (Saigon)-(2011)

A bit of change since 1967!

cat lai today

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps

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Contact me...

Welcome to this brief look back at Cat Lai Vietnam

Click on any image to start slide show..right click to download picture.

My name is Jerry Simmons.

Enlisting 'RA' in December 1965 (hoping to avoid Vietnam); Basic Training at Fort Ord, California, Artillery Survey school at Ft. Sill Oklahoma; orders for Vietnam in October 1966; in country and arrived in Cat Lai in January 1967.

One day at a formation, a volunteer was needed that knew something about boats...being 'RA'...and having grown up on Summit Lake, Olympia Washington; and the great Pacific Northwest's Puget Sound...to make a long story short...two days later I was in Cat lai. I found Cat Lai very refreshing, lots of sun - right on the banks of the Dong Nai River and led to the reason why I call this web site 'My Cat Lai Vacation'.

I returned to the world in September 1968.

If you were at Catlai and have pictures you would like to share on this web site, please contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Jerry Simmons
Lacey, Washington