Fred Quarnstrom Vietnam War Collection

The Fred Quarnstrom Vietnam War Collection documents Quarnstrom's service as a combat dentist and the construction of Chu Lai Air Base during the Vietnam War. The collection is comprised of color 35mm photographic slides taken May-December 1965, digitized film clips, and a personal memoir written in 2018-2019.

The 327 color 35mm slides make up the bulk of the collection. The slides were numbered and inventoried by Quarnstrom, though they do not appear to be in any particular order. The slides were numbered 1-329; slides 100 and 112 are not present. The slides depict life and activities of the Seabees, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 10 (NMCB-10) at the camp at Chu Lai, including construction of the airfield, roads, helicopters pads, fuel farms, equipment yards, wells, and other necessities. Both American and Vietnamese troops are pictured. Named individuals pictured include General Walt, LtJg Zander, Skip Coglan, Ens. McBride, Ens. Nenier, Dr. Starr, and Ens. Pat Donnelly, as well as actor George Jessle. The battalion's mascot, Booboo the Malaysian honey bear, appears in some images, including ones where he is undergoing dental treatment by Quarnstrom. Aircraft depicted include A-4 Skyhawks, UH-1 Huey helicopters, DHC-4 Caribou cargo planes, C-130s and C-123s. Many of the images show life in the local villages and feature villagers, children, fishermen, and workers in rice paddies, as well as local restaurants and markets. Street scenes, buildings, and sights in Saigon and Hong Kong are also present.

The video clips are digitized from 8mm films taken by Quarnstrom and depict scenes from training at Camp Pendleton and Okinawa, Quarnstrom's eight months in Vietnam, and the return home, per donor notes.

Quarnstrom's memoir is a 75-page bound typed document written in 2018-2019 to record his memories of his service for his grandchildren. The text is interspersed with photographs and maps. The memoirs chronicle Quarnstrom's service and tell many specific anecdotes of his time there.

Available Digital Materials: The slides and typed memoir are available from this collection.