Scope and Contents

Less than one linear foot of two 8mm film reels, one audio cassette tape with narration to the films by Roy Fox, and a VHS tape that contains the footage of the reels plus the narration combined document Fox's time in Vietnam while he worked for Quinton Bud Long Engineers, training and supervising teams to drill for water wells and install water systems for the United States Army, 1970 - 1971. The VHS tape was made by Darryl Henley after Fox provided the narration for the films in 1993.

Biographical / Historical

Roy F. Fox (1920?-2 February 2000) was born in West Virginia. He served in the Merchant Marines throughout the Pacific during World War II, as his eyesight was too poor for military service. Following the war until 1965, Fox primarily lived and worked in the Philippines and other islands in a variety of legal and illegal activities. During the Korean War, Fox gained experience in drilling water wells in Korea.

In May 1965, Fox moved to South Vietnam where he was the installation manager in charge of repairs and utilities for the 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon. His work, along with that of the hospital Commanding Officer, Major Sterling B. Mutz (Army Medical Corps), was instrumental in getting the hospital converted from a high school to a 300-bed hospital. During this time, Fox also owned or controlled about five apartment houses near the hospital, near Tan Son Nhut, which he rented out to U.S. military and civilian personnel, as well as a night club called the South Seas Cabaret, which he opened in early 1966. Fox was also very skilled in operating on the black market and useful for the 3rd Field Hospital at trading for hard to get supplies and equipment.

From November 1970 to September 1971, Fox worked throughout Vietnam for Quinton Bud Long Engineers, assigned to Water Resources Development, U.S. Army Engineers. His specific duties were to train and supervise six ten-man teams to drill for water wells and install water systems for the U.S. Army. The drilling rigs and all supporting equipment were purchased by the Army from Winter-Reece Co. of Colorado at about one million dollars per rig.

From 1972 until his death in February 2000, he lived mostly in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

[Above information was taken directly from a biographical information sheet written by Darryl E. Henley in August 2006 which accompanied the collection materials.]