Scope and Contents

A North Vietnamese propaganda pamphlet left at Fire Base Mary Ann after it was overrun by the Viet Cong. Andrew Olints of D Company, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, picked this pamphlet up on March 28, 1971 when his unit arrived at Mary Ann the day after the base had been overrun. This collection includes a large amount of letters between Andrew Olints and his family members during his time in the Noncommissioned Officer Candidate Course (NCOC) School and in Vietnam from November 1969 to April 1971. The collection also includes a boonie hat with patches, a Seiko watch, rosary beads, and a metal necklace with pendants and a cross.

Biographical / Historical

Born in 1945 in Wilks-Barre, Pennsylvania, Andrew Olints volunteered for the United States Army in 1969 and served for two (2) years. After training, he was assigned to Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division and served as a Squad Leader. He was stationed at Fire Base Mary Ann located in Quang Tin Province and held the rank of E5. He saw extensive combat earning multiple medals, ribbons and commendations (including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star) before being discharged in 1971. After Vietnam, he became a Tool and Die Maker. Andrew Olints is a member of the DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Purple Heart Association, the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), and the Americal Division Association.