Don Gordon Bell's photo album #1

“High School photo, what a geek.”

“High School graduate with my Ford Maverick. Check out the bellbottoms.”

“Camp Reasoner, 1st Recon Battalion, US Marines, Vietnam. 1970. Our motto ‘Swift, Silent, and Deadly’”

“Lean and mean at 18 years old, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, A company, Danang, South Vietnam 1970. Later with 1st Force Recon Co.”

“Firing Russian AK-47, captured from North Vietnamese captain. Very useful when I "walked Point", fooled NVA and VC several times carrying AK-47. Also had M-79 Grenade launcher, Swedish-K submachinegun, two pistols, bags of mini-frag grenades, knives and OF course some food, lots of water. No wonder I was skinny.”

“Kajukenbo karate from Hawaii, back in 1975. Los Angeles, California, met in instructors garage in the beginning. Here we were meeting in Civic Center of West Covina, Cal.”

“Ifugao warriors from Banaue, Philippines. They were the extras in "Apocalyspe Now", playing the Montenards Hill tribes. The real Montenards joined with US Special Forces, the Green Berets against the Communists.”

“Don, Lou Whitehead Casting Director, Coppola's nephew, Thomas. The Casting crew of Apocalypse Now.”

“D'Ifugao Tribe with Paul Thomas (casting Assist), Scott Glenn, Mayor Ben, Banaue, Dennis Hopper, me (behind Dennis who raised up in front of me), Martin Sheen, Eva Gabor (not related to ZsaZsa)”

“Ifugao women interpreters from Banaue, Philippines. Just friends...”

“Don with Vietnamese boy during Apocalypse Now shooting. Not my son, just an extra, one of the Vietnamese Boat People that fled after communist takeover. Anyone connected to the old regime or helped the US forces was marked for Re-education camps. Thousands chose to flee, facing pirates, overloaded boats sinking, starvation, etc. They left their land, everything for Freedom.”

“Cast and Crew of Apocalypse Now. In this photo: Don Gordon Bell, Dennis Hopper, Marlon Brando, Eleanor Copolla, Francis Ford Copolla, Jerry Zeismer, Larry Franco

“Apocalypse Now reference”