Here is a flyover of the former Fort Ord military base. This is off the lightfighter drive exit. Home of the 7th division lightfighter infantry unit, and the Manchu 9th Reg.
12 miles from my doorstep!! It is being subdivided in many parts, and being built-up with modern businesses, university schooling structures, along with residential housing.
At the beginning of the video fly over was the 14th ENGR BN. I could see my room window! I was a medic attached to C company. This brought back many memories...I could hear the rumble of whole battalions of soldiers marching or running and the cadences we all sang. Alot of things I learned as a medic in our Aide Station or at Silas B Hayes hospital ER I still utilize to this day.
Yes! 14th combat engineer battalion. I saw the buildings too, and the armory/orderly room we used to get our weapons from. I spent 1990-1992 at ord & Irwin a lot.
April 1974 I was assigned to Company C, 14th Engineer Battalion, in support of the 7th Infantry Battalion. LTC, 0. K. Hill was the Battalion Commander. CPT, Robert R. Heinen was the Company Commander. SFC, Henry L. Hypolite was my Platoon Sergeant. I was 2nd squad leader in the 2nd Platoon. Staff Sergeant Danner was the Acting First Sergeant when I arrived to at the 14th. In July 1974 the 14th Engineer Battalion was ordered to Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation for our yearly training exercise. That is when we had to suspend training and fight a fire started by a group of bikes. They were told they would have to move their campsite. They were camped in an area that was closed for our training excises. The bikers did not like giving up their campsite. After packing up their gear they rode off on their bikes. Later a few of them came back. Riding through the tall grass with lit road flares. Setting off a long line of fire behind them all most encircling some of the Engineer Companies. Some of the units only had five minutes notice to pack and move before the fire arrived at their bivouac area. Left Fort Ord in June of 1975. It was the best duty station I was assigned to. Thank you for the video, it was nice to see my old unit area, just sad to see it so rundown. Sgt Helbling
Visited Ord for basic/AIT January 1969 thru May 1970. Never realized the massive size of this base. Of the video, didn't recognize too much. Took basic/AIT while occupying the old WWII barracks which I did not recognize in this video. Greatest experience of my live. Long live the U.S.
Dude awesome! The very first one story building you fly over was the old MP station I was there in 1983. Ill never forget that place I felt so free and excited even in the Army one of the best duty locations a solider could ask for. Thanks for sharing dont know if you get back there much I do not been twice since it closed. Love to see of the E Garrison also. thanks!
RJ B I've lived on the property where the drone took off for 5 years. they're getting ready to knock down all the buildings East of me. Feel free to contact me if you ever head back that way.
Was stationed there 77 to 80.571st/54th MPCo,s The flashback are fantastic...barracks were in front across from Sylas b Hayes Hosp. Behind my barracks was the 7th MP Co..This video is a blessing THANK YOU.. Ken Simoneau 571st/54TH ...spent time at Hunter Liggett also.
I was there 71-72. I was in the 54th too but I was a 95C stockade guard. I didn't recognize any of this but I was hoping to get a shot of the old girl. I don't even know where the stockade would be in relation to this. We were still in the old WWII barracks when I was there.
I watch this video at least 2 or 3 times a year. This was right in bewtween the 14th an 2/9 Manchus. A lot of this stuff is torn down now. Thank you for this video. Ive ben there a few times in recent years, but didnt have a drone to do what you did. Thanks for making this. You have preserved memories for all of us lightfighters and FORSCOM veterens. Is there any chance I can get a RAW video copy of this? I would like to make my own video to accompany my own home videos and ictures to give to my kids. Again, thanks!
I have a drone of my own and wonder the legality of flying that close to Fritzche Airfield (Marina Municipal). I plan to travel there sometime in the near future? Any problems??
I have Some Photos somewhere of the light fighters command center in the bottom of one of the Barracks Buildings. Saw the black widow and lightfighters Creed on walls. Took photos. I will try to find them and send them to you Frank.
Great aerial footage! I'm glad to see some of Fort Ord is still left. Did they tear down all the barracks to the west of those solar panels because they didn't want any shadows on them?
They would need to be completely refurbished , then you would have to get the mess halls up and running then you would need to have hundreds of people to clean up after them .
Mar 1985- Dec 1989. HHC 5th Bn 21st Inf. Great meaningful years at Planet Ord, Ft. Hunter-Liggett, Camp Robert's, Travis AFB. Once a Lightfighter, always a Lightfighter!!
Very disappointing video. You stayed almost exclusively in the new barracks area and didn't go anywhere near the old barracks area (where I spent most of my time) or any of the rest of the place.
Opening sequence......official homeless RV welcome wagon......in another video it was mentioned that homeless had found Ft Ord and all it's empty buildings.......looks nothing like I remember back in '68......
Actually, puny peck, that was my Home, a 1989 Komfort Trendsetter. I lived in that home after giving 4 properties I had purchased on my own by the age of 27 back to the bank in 2009, and relocating to California, where I graduated from Law School in 2015, on Fort Ord, 1/4 mile down lightfighter. I had a lease on that property, and lived there for 4 years, where I had 5 acres and 20,000 square feet of old buildings to call home, along with that homeless RV welcome wagon. I helped Hostelling International, a 501C3 non profit organization take care of that property, and do pre-construction planning for a youth hostel they're planning on building at that site. While attending Law School on Fort Ord, and studying and living in the official homeless RV welcome wagon, I gained connections where I was ultimately able to launch a sucessfull public works contracting company, where I often make 5-10k a day, and I do work as a construction expert witness in Monterey where I charge $425 an hour. So next time you try to look down your snooty nose at someone you think is homeless, think again, Boomer.
Some funny stuff going on there, one guy in our barracks hid his civilian clothing in the crawl space in the attic and later on when he crawled up to retrieve his items he fell through the ceiling😂. This was in '64.
The 2 story building at beginning of video once was HQ for 1st BCT Brigade. I know because I was the legal clerk assigned to work at Courts & Boards division in 1973. We moved and relocated down the street across from the service club the following year after 3rd Brigade took over BCT mission.
