January 1967 - September 1968


Welcome Home!

Happy 2023 all! Stay safe - Stay Healthy!

January 2023, I celebrated my 56th Anniversary of arriving at Cat Lai. It is hard to imagine it has been 56 years!

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 nearly 600 different photos and a free downloadable video, from about 56+ 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.

Cat Lai back then and today...

Cat Lai in the news... Catlai 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) Faces

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




Places around Cat Lai (1967-1968) Places

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

view of theater and swimming pool over top of medic quanset along Cat Lai road along Cat Lai road Cat Lai boardwalk Cat Lai storm and chopper Cat Lai buildings Cat Lai - 124th supply room looking towards HQ New Cat Lai mess hall Looking down from tower at Cat Lai from Cat Lai tower Cat Lai bunker Cat Lai - working on a bunker Cat Lai from outside the north fence Cat Lai - bunker work Cat Lai new barracks on the way Cat Lai new barracks Cat lai new barracks Monsoons! Cat Lai floating crapper Cat Lai pier and Tug Bum boat at Nha Be Nhe Be tower On the river... Cat Lai pier Locals along the road along Cat Lai Road along Cat Lai Road monsoons! pickin up the butts Cat Lai new barracks 1968 Cat Lai base Nha Be village-caputred VC in jeep Nha Be village from tower Nha Be village from tower Painting bouys at Cat Lai

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

> 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 - 2005 Courtesy Google Earth Cat Lai - 2009 Courtesy www.diaocthuthiem.vn Phu My Bridge - South of Cat Lai - over Saigon River heading to Newport
Cat Lai over the years

Cat Lai 2011

  • Cat Lai port at work - (2011)



  • HCM City (Saigon)-(2011)

A bit of change since 1967!

cat lai today

Contact me... Contact me...

Welcome to this brief look back at Cat Lai Vietnam

Jerry Simmons-1966 Jerry Simmons-1968 Jerry and Jackie-1980 Jerry and Jackie-1980 Tampa, FL Jerry and Jackie at the beach-1983 Jerry and Jackie-1983 Jerry and Jackie-1996 - relaxing in Key West Data Warehouse Team 1997</br>(front row)Doug, Rob, Billy, Connie.</br>(backrow)Jacqui, Gary, Jerry, Alice, Warren</br>Info World 9/1997 selected the DW Project #8 in the nation for use of technology in government. Jerry and Jackie-1980 Jerry and Jackie-1980 Jerry and Jackie-1980 Jerry and Jackie-1980 Jerry and Jackie-1980 Google Earth 2011 Jerry Simmons-2012 Backyard 2019 Home 2019 Backyard 2019 Backyard 2019 Backyard 2019 Backyard 2019 Backyard 2019 JJ's Backyard Bar & Grill 2019 'When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are ... And when you wish upon a star you dreams come true' </br> Alkaid Covid Quarantine Backyard 2020 Covid Quarantine Backyard 2020 Covid Quarantine Backyard 2020 Covid Quarantine Backyard 2020 Covid Quarantine Backyard 2020 Covid Quarantine Christmas Tree 2020 - Very quiet holiday this year. Merry Christmas to all. Covid Quarantine Christmas Dinner for Two 2020 - Very quiet holiday this year. Merry Christmas to all.

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

KB7OZJ - Amateur Radio (HAM)

KWALACEY36 - Weather Underground

Contact Info

My email address is: azitiz@comcast.net

This site created and maintained by
Azitiz Consulting © 2001-2023
Lacey Washington/USA
Email: azitiz@comcast.net



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Last updated:
May 27, 2023

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