PART TWO 
AFTER THE USNS GORDON WAS OFFLOADED COMPLETELY AND EVERYONE WAS ACCOUNTED FOR, WE WERE BUSED TO THE QUI NHON AIRSTRIP TO WAIT FOR C-130 FLIGHTS TO PLEIKU. I DO REMEMBER THE BUSES WERE REINFORCED WITH A HEAVY STEEL MESH ON THE WINDOWS AND WERE ESCORTED BY HEAVILY ARMED MILITARY POLICE JEEPS. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE AIRSTRIP IT WAS HURRY UP AND WAIT TIME AGAIN. WE SPENT THE BETTER PART OF THE DAY BEING AMAZED AT WHAT WE SAW. TELEVISION, RADIO, AIR CONDITIONED BUILDINGS, SIDEWALKS, A SNACK BAR WITH ICE CREAM AND ICE FOR DRINKS, WE ALL THOUGHT, "HELL, THIS TOUR ISN'T GOING TO BE SO BAD." I REMEMBER TALKING TO ONE SOLDIER THAT HAD BEEN THERE FOR OVER TWO YEARS. HIS DUTY WAS TO RUN THE NEWS/MAGAZINE STAND. WOW! WHAT A DUTY ASSIGNMENT. THE LAST TIME HE HAD SEEN HIS ASSIGNED WEAPON WAS WHEN HE WAS REQUIRED TO QUALIFY ON A RANGE, AND HE SAID THAT WAS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
SAND WAS EVERY WHERE, WHAT WASN'T SAND WAS DUST. WE WERE WEARING OG-107 FATIGUES, THIS ADDED TO THE DISCOMFORT WITH THE HEAT. WE HAD SPENT ALL DAY JUST LOOKING AROUND AND TAKING IN THE SIGHTS. LATE THAT NIGHT OUR PLANES ARRIVED AND WE PREPARED TO BOARD. SINGLE FILE OUT TO THE RAMP, STANDING IN LINE BEHIND THE PLANES FOR ANOTHER HEADCOUNT. THE PROP BLAST ALMOST FELT GOOD BLOWING ON YOU, BUT THE FUMES FROM THE ENGINES OUT WEIGHED THE COMFORT. AFTER THE HEADCOUNT (I THINK ABOUT THE 100th ONE THAT DAY) WE BOARDED, SAT DOWN ON THE WEB SEATS WITH OUR DUFFLE BAGS BETWEEN OUR LEGS. AFTER A FEW MINUTES SOMEONE CAME ON BOARD AND TOLD US TO STAND, FACE THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND MOVE FORWARD, THE WEB SEATS WERE FOLDED UP AND MORE TROOPS WERE LOADED. AGAIN, A FEW MORE MINUTES PASSED, THIS PERSON BOARDED AGAIN AND TOLD US TO PLACE OUR DUFFLE BAGS BETWEEN OUR LEGS, AND MOVE FORWARD AGAIN, MORE TROOPS WERE LOADED. I THINK ABOUT EIGHTY TROOPS IS ABOUT THE AVERAGE FOR A C-130, WE HAD ABOUT 150 ONBOARD. SO HERE WE ARE STANDING, DUFFLE BAGS BETWEEN OUR LEGS, SO CLOSE TO THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU WE COULDNT MOVE, HOLDING ON TO A CABLE THAT AIRBORNE TROOPS USE FOR THEIR STATIC LINE. SOME OF THE LAST TROOPS TO BOARD WERE STOOPING WAY UP ON THE REAR DOOR, (THE PART THAT GOES UP WHEN THE BOTTOM RAMP GOES DOWN.) I ONLY THOUGHT I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE, THESE GUYS IN THE REAR WERE ON THE FLIGHT FROM HELL. AS THE PLANE TAXIED, SHE TURNED AND THE PILOT GAVE HER FULL THROTTLE FOR TAKE OFF, WE ALL WERE FORCED INTO THE LEAN BACK POSITION. ITS WAS SORT OF FUNNY, THE GUY IN FRONT OF YOU USING YOUR BODY TO HOLD HIM UP AND YOU DOING THE SAME TO THE PERSON BEHIND YOU. THE POOR FELLOW AT THE END CAUGHT ALL THE WEIGHT. THE FLIGHT TO PLEIKU TOOK ABOUT FORTY MINUTES. THEN IS WAS A REPEAT, ONLY IN REVERSE, THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN, REVERSED THE PROPS, AND EVERYONE WAS LEANING FORWARD, NOW THE GUY IN THE FRONT CARRIED ALL THE WEIGHT.
AFTER OFFLOADING THE AIRCRAFT WE WERE PILED ONTO THE BACK OF 5 TONS FOR A SHORT RIDE TO ARTILLERY HILL. BY NOW IT IS ABOUT MIDNIGHT. WE HAD BEEN UP SINCE BEFORE DAWN, TIRED, HOT, SMELLY AND HUNGRY. OUR HOST UNIT HAD A MEAL PREPARED FOR US. I REMEMBER THEIR MESS HALL WAS TOWARDS THE TOP OF THE HILL. UPON ENTERING WE WERE GREETED BY RED CROSS GIRLS. THE FIRST AMERICAN FEMALES WE HAD SEEN IN A MONTH. THEY WEREN'T THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE HAD A HARD TIME TRYING TO CONVINCE US. AFTER A GOOD MEAL, (BY THE WAY, THE MEAL WAS COOKIES, WARM KOOL-AID AND CANNED MILK.) WE WALKED BACK DOWN THE HILL TO OUR BATTALION AREA, RECEIVED A BRIEFING ON WHAT TO DO AND WHERE TO GO IF THE SIRENS WENT OFF. WE THEN BEDDED DOWN FOR THE NIGHT. I USE THE TERM BEDDED DOWN LOOSELY. BRAVO BATTERIES BUILDING WAS JUST A WOODEN FRAME, WITH A TIN ROOF, HALFWAY UP THE SIDES WERE SAND BAGGED AND THE UPPER PART OF THE BUILDING WAS SCREENED. OUR RACK FOR THE NIGHT WAS LYING ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR WITH NOTHING BETWEEN YOU AND THE CONCRETE BUT A PONCHO LINER. BY THAT TIME IT WAS WELL INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. AFTER A FEW HOURS SLEEP WE WERE AWAKENED AND REALITY SET IN.
ARTILLERY HILL WAS A REDDISH ORANGE CLAY (LATERITE), SO, IN TURN, EVERY THING ELSE WAS REDDISH ORANGE IN COLOR FROM THE DUST. THE ARMY DID THEIR BEST IN MAKING SURE YOU HAD WHAT YOU NEEDED. THERE WAS A LATRINE, (A TWO HOLER DOWN BY THE PERIMETER,) MESS HALL, AID STATION, NCO CLUB, PX AND SHOWERS. WASN'T THE SAME AS STATESIDE, BUT IT WASN'T BAD. WE SPENT THE NEXT FIVE OR SIX DAYS, EITHER BURNING SHIT, PULLING PERIMETER GUARD, COURTESY PATROL DOWNTOWN, OR FILLING SANDBAGS. I HAD ONE NIGHT OF COURTESY PATROL, THAT WAS AN EXPERIENCE. WE DIDN'T KNOW JACK ABOUT ANYTHING. OUR MAIN GOAL WAS TO JUST HELP DRUNK GIs. ON ONE CORNER WE WERE SURROUNDED BY A HERD OF BABY SANS. THESE LITTLE GUYS WERE EXPERT THIEVES, BEING FNG's WE WERE QUITE NAIVE ABOUT THE LOCAL CULTURE, AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. LITTLE HANDS WERE EVERYWHERE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THEY TOOK OFF IN A FLASH, EVERY POCKET WE HAD WAS UNBUTTONED. WE HAD NO WATCHES, CIGARETTES, LIGHTERS OR WALLETS. I HAVE HEARD THESE KIDS WERE SO GOOD THEY COULD STEAL YOUR RADIO AND LEAVE THE MUSIC BEHIND. THE MOVIE DUMB AND DUMBER COULD HAVE BEEN BASED ON MY BUDDY (SGT LEROY EAST) AND ME.
 AFTER ABOUT A WEEK OUR EQUIPMENT HAD ARRIVED AT QUI NHON. WE LOADED ON FIVE TONS AND CONVOYED TO THE PORT. I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A 150 KLICK TRIP DOWN HI-WAY19 TO THE PORT. (OTHER STORIES I HAVE READ CALL IT QL-19, WE CALLED IT A HI-WAY AND THAT NAME STICKS WITH ME TO THIS DAY). HI-WAY19 HAD SOME PAVED SECTIONS, BLOWN-UP BRIDGES, AND SOME BARE LATERITE SECTIONS. WE HAD FOUR MP JEEPS WITH M-60s, ONE DUSTER AND FOUR M-60 TANKS FOR OUR SECURITY, ALSO A SQUAD OF ENGINEERS FOR MINE CLEARING. THE MOST EXCITING TIME OF THE TRIP WAS THROUGH AN KHE PASS, AND THE HAIRPIN AT THE TOP. WE WERE ON OUR TOES DURING THAT PART OF THE TRIP.
THE CONVOY STOPPED OCCASIONALLY FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. I REMEMBER AT ONE STOP, THE MAMMA SANS OFFERED THEIR BOOM BOOM GIRLS, BEER AND SOUVENIRS. THE BABY SANS CAME BY WITH SHOE SHINNING KITS. I BOUGHT A WARM TIGER 33 BEER, AND BOOT SHINE. JUST AS THE BABY SAN FINISHED ONE BOOT THE CONVOY STARTED PULLING OUT. SO HERE I WAS WITH ONE SHINED BLACK BOOT AND ONE REDDISH ORANGE BOOT.
WE ARRIVED AT QUI NHON LATE IN THE AFTERNOON; WE MET UP WITH THE BATTERY MEMBERS THAT TRAVELED WITH THE VEHICLES ON THE EQUIPMENT SHIP. THEY BEDDED US DOWN IN THEIR TENTS AND WE FOUGHT THE MOSQUITOES ALL NIGHT. THESE THINGS WERE SO BIG THE RADAR AT THE AIRSTRIP COULD HAVE PICKED THEM UP. THEY SOUNDED LIKE C-130's WARMING UP THEIR ENGINES. I LAY THERE COVERED (IN THE HEAT) BY A PONCHO LINER, MY SHIRT PULLED OVER MY HEAD, TRYING TO USE MY SLEEVE AS A BREATHING TUBE. EARLY IN THE MORNING WE AWAKENED, SHOWERED, DRESSED (ONE SHINNY BOOT AND ONE REDDISH ORANGE BOOT) ATE SOME CHOW AND TRAVELED OVER TO A HUGE LOT. THE LOT WAS FILLED WITH TRUCKS, JEEPS, GUNS, TANKS, EVERYTHING THE ARMY/AIR FORCE/MARINES HAD IN THEIR INVENTORY. AFTER FINDING OUR TRUCK AND GUN WE LINED UP AND WAITED FOR OUR CONVOY TO FORM FOR OUR RETURN TRIP TO PLEIKU. COMING OUT THE EXIT GATE, THE GATE GUARDS (VIETNAMESE) WOULD STOP EACH VEHICLE AND CHECK PAPERS. I THINK THESE GUYS COULDN'T UNDERSTAND, SPEAK OR READ ONE WORD OF ENGLISH. THEIR JOB WAS TO AVOID ANYONE FROM REMOVING EQUIPMENT WITHOUT THE CORRECT OWNERSHIP PAPERS. THE WAY THEY LOOKED AT THE VEHICLES AND THE PAPERS WAS A JOKE. WE COULD HAVE (AND RUMOR HAS IT, WE DID) RIP THEM OFF OF ANYTHING WE WANTED. THE RUMOR WAS THE BATTALION MET SECTION DEPARTED WITH AN M-109 VAN, 2 1/2TON TRAILER, TWO 4.2 MORTARS, AND FIVE GENERATORS. OUR CONVOY BACK TO PLEIKU WAS AGAIN UNEVENTFUL; I WANTED TO STOP AT THE SAME PLACE ON THE RETURN TRIP TO GET MY OTHER BOOT SHINED.
ARRIVING BACK AT ARTILLERY HILL, WE PLACED THE GUNS IN FIRING POSITIONS AT THE PERIMETER EDGE. THE NEXT FEW DAYS WE FELT AS IF WE WERE GUN BUNNIES BACK AT FORT SILL IN WEEK TWO OF AIT. WE TRAINED BY FIRING PLATOONS ON DIFFERENT AZIMUTHS. THE FIRST DAY WE JUST SHIFTED AND LAID IN A DIRECTION OF FIRE AND A SAFETY OFFICER WOULD COME CHECK ALL YOUR DATA, THE SECOND DAY WE GOT TO SHOOT HE. DON'T THINK IT WAS ANY CONTACT TARGETS, JUST CALIBRATION ROUNDS. WHEN ALL THE GUNS WERE CALIBRATED, WE DID THE TRADING WITH A AND C BATTERIES. MATCHED TUBES WERE ASSIGNED TO THE SAME BATTERY.
WE SPENT A WEEK TRAINING ON AZIMUTH SHIFTS. EACH BATTERY WAS TESTED AND PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS. NOW IT WAS TIME FOR US TO HEAD OUT TO THE BOONIES. BRAVOS FIRST POSITION WAS A TRIP SOUTHWEST DOWN HI-WAY 14, AND HI-WAY 19, TO FSB OASIS. THE OASIS WAS A FORWARD BASECAMP FOR A BRIGADE OF THE 4th DIVISION. ACTUALLY OUR POSITION WAS ON THE EDGE OF AN ARVN COMPOUND ABOUT A KLICK AWAY FROM THE BASECAMP. THE SITE WAS A SMALL VILLAGE, SURROUNDED BY PERIMETER WIRE AND BUNKERS. OUR POSITION WAS OUTSIDE THEIR PERIMETER WIRE, THE ENGINEERS HAD BULLDOZED A STRIP ABOUT 50 METERS WIDE, AND 75 METERS LONG. AS THEY DOZED, ALL THE DIRT (REDDISH ORANGE CLAY) WAS PILED UP AND USED AS A BURM, BEYOND THAT WE PLACED OUR PERIMETER WIRE AND CLAYMORES.
 OUR FIRST TASK AFTER THE GUNS WERE EMPLACED WAS SAND BAG FILLING FOR THE AMMO, POWDER, GUN AND THEN US. BEING FNGs WE HAD STUFF SCATTERED EVERYWHERE. I RECALL SWINGING A PICK INTO THE GROUND AND IT BOUNCED UP. THE GROUND WAS LIKE CONCRETE. I HATE TO KEEP USING THIS TERM, BUT BEING FNGs WE WEREN'T SMART ENOUGH TO PLAN OUR GUNS PITS. WE HAD HOLES STARTED EVERYWHERE. FROM EXPERIENCE WE LEARNED TO FILL ALL BAGS FROM ONE OR TWO HOLES, AND THOSE HOLES BECAME YOUR LIVING AREA. AFTER ABOUT TWO DAYS WE FOUND OUT THAT DOWN BY THE RIVERBED, YOU COULD BUY A FILLED BAG, ONE P AND ONE EMPTY BAG FOR EACH FILLED BAG. WE PASSED THE HAT AROUND AND BOUGHT FOUR OR FIVE TRUCKLOADS FOR OUR GUN PIT AND BUNKER. THIS POSITION WAS FAIRLY SECURE; WE HAD A MESS TENT, FUEL TANK SHOWER, AND LATRINE. EXCEPT FOR A FEW, MOST OF OUR FIRE MISSIONS WERE H&I. A BETTER PART OF EACH DAY WAS AMMO RESUPPLY, GUN MAINTENANCE AND REBUILDING OUR BUNKERS AND GUN PITS. USUALLY AFTER A NIGHT OF FIRING, THE GUN BLAST WOULD BLOW A WALL DOWN. REMEMBER, WE WEREN'T PROFESSIONAL BUNKER BUILDERS YET. WE LATER BUILT BUNKERS JIM WALTER WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF.
OUR MESS SERGEANT WAS SSG BULLARD, OUR NICKNAME FOR HIM WAS "BUZZARD." NOT ONE TOOTH DID HE HAVE. WHEN STANDING HE ALWAYS DROOPED HIS HEAD DOWN AND HAD A LITTLE HUMP IN HIS BACK. HENCE THE NAME BUZZARD. LOOKED JUST LIKE A BUZZARD SITTING ON A TREE LIMB. BUZZARD HAD GUMS OF STEEL. HE WOULD CRUNCH DOWN ON AN APPLE AND IT WOULD SOUND LIKE A HORSE EATING OATS.
ABOUT THE THIRD WEEK AT THIS POSITION THE MONSOON SEASON STARTED. OUR BUNKERS LEAKED LIKE THE TITANIC AND THE GROUND SOFTENED UP. THE WEIGHT OF THE GUN MADE IT DIFFICULT TO JACK UP FOR FIRING. THE JACK PLATE WOULD SINK INTO THE GROUND. WE PLACED AMMO PALLETS UNDER THE JACK PLATE AND EVENTUALLY, AFTER THREE OR FOUR ATTEMPTS, WERE ABLE TO GET THE WHEELS OFF THE GROUND. DURING LONG FIRE MISSIONS THE GUN WOULD SINK BACK DOWN, IF IT WERE A CONTACT MISSION WE WOULD CONTINUE FIRING, THE PLATE WOULD SINK AND THE WHEELS WOULD BE ON THE GROUND. BEING A GUNNER, THIS MADE FOR A ROUGH RIDE ON THE TRAILS. FIRING A LARGE CHARGE WOULD FORCE THE SPADES TO DIG IN, AND CONTINUE TO DIG IN. SOMETIMES RIGHT THROUGH THE GUN PIT OR OUR BUNKER WALL.
 IT SEEMED LIKE THE MONSOON SEASON WAS WHAT SOMEONE WAS WAITING FOR, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED OUR MOVING. FROM THE OASIS WE MOVED ABOUT FIVE KLICKS. ATTACHED TO THE 173rd. THE NEW POSITION WAS IN A WIDE-OPEN AREA. THE ELEPHANT GRASS WAS ABOUT HOOD LEVEL ON THE TRUCK AND RAZOR SHARP. NOT MUCH ACTION AT THIS POSITION, BUT IT WAS VERY SPOOKY. WE WERE TOLD THE ENGINEERS WERE ON THE WAY OUT TO CLEAR A KILL ZONE, BUT FOR SOME REASON THEY NEVER SHOWED UP. AT RANDOM TIMES WE WOULD HAVE MAD MINUTES, RIFLES, M-60s, DUSTERS AND THE 173rd WOULD FIRE BEEHIVES. THIS TOOK PLACE CONSTANTLY NIGHT AND DAY. TO KEEP OUR PERIMETER AS SECURE AS POSSIBLE. LPs WOULD BE POSTED, BUT BEING UNDERMANNED MADE THIS DIFFICULT. MOST MISSIONS WERE H&I, WITH A FEW ILLUM MISSIONS FOR SOME FO TO SEE HIS UNITS PERIMETER OR USE THE LIGHT TO SHOOT AN AZIMUTH TO FIND HIS POSITION. WE WERE THERE ABOUT TWO OR THREE DAYS. WAS GLAD TO DEPART THAT AO.
WE SPENT THE NEXT MONTH OR SO HOPPING AROUND TO DIFFERENT FIREBASES IN SUPPORT OF THE 4th DIVISION. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, SOME SECTION CHIEFS WERE SENT BACK TO BASE CAMP TO FORM D BATTERY. I BECAME SECTION CHIEF OF GUN #3. ANOTHER POSITION I REMEMBER THAT WAS QUITE SPOOKY WAS ABOUT FOUR KLICKS FROM JACKSON HOLE (FORWARD BRIGADE BASECAMP.) WE STARTED OUT ABOUT FOUR IN THE AFTERNOON, A VEHICLE AHEAD OF OUR CONVOY HIT A MINE AND WE WERE STALLED UNTIL THE ENGINEERS MADE A SWEEP OF THE ROAD. WE SPENT ABOUT THREE HOURS IN DEFENSIVE POSITIONS OUT TO THE SIDES OF OUR VEHICLES. WHEN WE GOT MOVING AGAIN IT WAS DARK AND THE LAST THREE KLICKS OR SO TO OUR POSITION WAS MADE IN THE DARK, UNDER BLACK OUT DRIVE. IT WAS A VERY NARROW ROAD WITH A STEEP SLOPE ON OUR LEFT SIDE AND A CLIFF STRAIGHT UP ON OUR RIGHT SIDE. I REMEMBER THINKING THIS IS A HELL OF A PLACE TO BE HIT. OUR ADVANCE PARTY WAS FLOWN OUT AHEAD OF US WITH NO EXTRA SECURITY. SSG BIFFLE (AMMO SERGEANT) WITH SEVEN ADVANCE PARTY MEMBERS WAS ALL THAT WAS THERE. OLD BIFFLE WAS SURE GLAD TO SEE US. OUR NICKNAME FOR HIM WAS "BAD FOOT", HIS FEET WERE SO BAD, HE COULD PLACE ONE ON A TRUCK TIRE AND TELL YOU THE TIRE PRESSURE. THIS NIGHT WAS SLEEPLESS, STARTED RIGHT AWAY ON GETTING THE GUNS READY TO FIRE AND DIGGING IN. THE NEXT DAY THE AIR FORCE ASSIGNED A GROUND FAC WITH US TO COORDINATE AIR SUPPORT. OUR FIRST MISSIONS WERE CHARGE 3 GREEN BAG. WE KNEW THEN THAT THIS WASN'T A GOOD LOCATION TO BE IN. I DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THIS FIREBASE, BUT IT WAS AN OLD BURNED-OUT VILLAGE. JUST INSIDE OUR PERIMETER WAS A WATERHOLE. ABOUT TEN FEET WIDE AND MAYBE THREE FEET DEEP. GOOD CLEAN FRESH WATER. WE WOULD USE THIS FOR BATHING, FIRST YOU WOULD THROW TWO OR THREE GRENADES IN IT TO KILL THE SNAKES AND BUGS, JUMP IN WASH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND HAUL BUTT BACK TO YOUR GUN.
OUR SECOND DAY THERE, WE WATCHED 122s TAKE OFF FROM A HILLSIDE IN THE DISTANCE. TWO GUNS WERE ALREADY LAID ON THAT AZIMUTH, AND STARTED FIRING COUNTER BATTERY IMMEDIATELY. THE GROUND FAC GOT ON THE RADIO AND CALLED JACKSON HOLE TO ALERT THEM ABOUT THE INCOMING. AS THE RTO KEYED HIS MIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, THE SOUND OF THE ROCKET EXPLODING COULD BE HEARD OVER THE RADIO. ABOUT THE FOURTH ROUND GUN#2 FIRED WE SAW A SECONDARY EXPLOSION. THE GROUND FAC CALLED IN AIR STRIKES TO FINISH THE JOB. THE NEXT NIGHT WE STARTED FIRING A CONTACT MISSION, AGAIN CHARGE 3 GREEN BAG. THIS WAS GOING TO BE AN ALL NIGHTER. GUN #2 GOT CARRIED AWAY AND THE POWDER MAN GOT AHEAD OF THE PROJO MAN, WHEN THE LANYARD WAS PULLED, THE CHARGE (WITHOUT PROJO) SHOT OUT THE END OF THE TUBE IN A HUGE FIREBALL. AT FIRST WE ALL THOUGHT IS WAS INCOMING. WE SPENT ANOTHER FOUR OR FIVE DAYS IN THIS POSITION. AND WE FELT RELIEVED IT WAS TIME TO MOVE.
DURING OUR STAY THERE THE ENGINEERS BULLDOZED A 50-METER WIDE PATH OUT FROM EACH SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT RAN THROUGH A FLAT AREA. THIS GAVE US A GOOD FIELD OF FIRE IN CASE OF AN AMBUSH. THE SECOND TRUCK IN OUR CONVOY HIT A MINE. TO SAVE TIME AND PREVENT US FROM MOVING AGAIN AT NIGHT, SOMEONE DECIDED TO DRIVE IN THE DOZED OUT SECTION. REMEMBER THIS IS DURING THE MONSOON SEASON. THE TRUCKS BOGGED DOWN TO THE AXLES. WE HAD AN M-60 PULL US OUT AND ANOTHER 50 METERS OR SO WE WOULD SINK BACK DOWN. WE ENDED UP STAYING OVERNIGHT WITH LITTLE DEFENSE. GUNS COULDN'T BE PLACED IN FIRING POSITIONS BECAUSE OF THE MUD. JUST BRAVO BATTERY (ABOUT 70 STRONG) AND ONE M-60 TANK. ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT IN RVN. THE NEXT MORNING THE ENGINEERS SWEPT THE ROAD AND THE M-60 STARTED PULLING US OUT OF THE MUD. BY THE TIME WE GOT ALL THE VEHICLES BACK ONTO THE ROAD, WE HAD VERY FEW BUMPERS LEFT.
 WE MOVED AROUND TO A FEW MORE POSITIONS IN THAT AREA, (DUC CO, PLEI ME, PLEI DJERENG TO NAME JUST A FEW) AND THEN NORTH TO KONTUM PROVINCE. WE WERE ATTACHED TO THE 1st CAV. SPENT THE NEXT MONTH FLYING FROM LZ TO LZ. NAMES I REMEMBER ARE LZ ENGLISH, LZ ARBUCKLE, LZ DARBY, LZ ABBEY. THEIR WERE OTHERS BUT THESE ARE THE ONLY NAMES I CAN RECALL.
AFTER THINGS CALMED DOWN THERE, WE MOVED BACK DOWN SOUTH TO A POSITION BETWEEN PLEIKU AND AN KHE. THE EDGE OF OUR PERIMETER WAS MAYBE 50 FEET OFF OF HI-WAY 19. THIS WAS A FAIRLY SECURE AREA AND WE WERE PROVIDED WITH A CHANCE TO REST. WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD BE THERE FOR TWO WEEKS. OUR SECTIONS WERE ONLY ABOUT FIVE MEMBERS STRONG AND WE WERE EXTREMELY TIRED AND WORN OUT.
AT THIS POSITION, A GUN PER DAY STOOD DOWN AND THE GUN CREW WAS FLOWN BACK TO ARTILLERY HILL FOR MEDICAL AND RECORD CHECKS. THIS WAS THE START OF THE INFUSION PROGRAM. WHERE A UNIT, THAT ARRIVED IN COUNTRY AS A UNIT WAS SPLIT UP. MEMBERS WERE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER UNITS AND NEW MEMBERS WERE ASSIGNED TO US. THIS PREVENTED A UNIT FROM LOSING 100% OF ITS MEMBERS AT THE END OF TWELVE MONTHS. USUALLY A UNIT LOST ABOUT 50% OF ITS OLD MEMBERS AND RECEIVED NEW MEMBERS IN THEIR PLACE. THIS WAS A SAD PERIOD BECAUSE BATTERY MEMBERS THAT BECAME YOUR FAMILY, MEMBERS THAT SHARED ALL THE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS WITH YOU WERE GONE. ME, MY BUDDY LEROY AND ONE OTHER CHIEF STAYED WITH BRAVO BATTERY. (WE WEREN'T FNGs ANY LONGER.) I RECEIVED FOUR NEW CREWMEN, NOW HAD A GRAND TOTAL OF 6. ONE I REMEMBER QUITE WELL WAS NAMED LEROY KEMP, 19 YEARS OLD, TALL AND SKINNY. HE WAS FROM CHATTANOOGA, TN. COULD NOT READ OR WRITE ONE WORD. BUT YOU COULDN'T CHEAT HIM OUT OF ANY MONEY. IN THE BUNKER POKER/BLACKJACK GAMES, HE WOULD LOOK AT HIS CARDS AND COUNT OUT LOUD USING HIS FINGERS. WE KNEW IMMEDIATELY IF WE SHOULD CALL HIM OR THROW OUR CARDS IN. WHEN HE ASKED FOR CHANGE IT WOULD TAKE TEN MINUTES TO GET THE NEXT HAND STARTED, BECAUSE YOU HAD TO WAIT FOR HIM TO COUNT IT.
ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS POSITION WAS, THE TRUCK CONVOYS MOVING SUPPLIES FROM QUI NHON TO PLEIKU, A TRUCK WOULD ALWAYS BREAK DOWN. THE DRIVERS WERE TOWED INTO OUR POSITION TO SPEND THE NIGHT. DURING THE NIGHT WE WOULD RIP OFF THE TRUCKS. EVERYTHING FROM BEER, LUMBER AND CHOW WAS THERE FOR THE TAKING. IT JUST DEPENDED ON WHAT THEIR LOAD WAS AND WHAT WE NEEDED, OR WANTED.
ABOUT A KLICK OR TWO DOWN THE ROAD WAS A WATER POINT. LEROY (EAST) AND I WERE GIVEN THE JOB OF GOING DOWN THERE TO FILL UP A WATER TRAILER. IT WAS ON A RIVER WITH A NICE SANDY BEACH. THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS STRIP DOWN TO OUR UNDERWEAR AND GO SWIMMING, WE THOUGHT, JUST FOR A LITTLE WHILE, IT WOULD'T HURT. GOOD CLEAN, COOL WATER. MAMMA SANS WERE SELLING TIGER 33s (BEER) CHILLED BY THE RIVER WATER. WE THOUGHT, HELL A COUPLE OF BEERS, JUST A COUPLE, WOULDN'T HURT. THE NEXT THING WE KNEW IT WAS ABOUT FOUR O'CLOCK AND A JEEP PULLED UP WITH SFC BRANCH (SMOKE) WE GOT OUR BUTTS CHEWED, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO OUR FIREBASE, WE CAUGHT HELL FROM EVERYONE. ALL THE MESS POTS WERE DIRTY. A HOT MEAL COULDN'T BE SERVED BECAUSE THEY HAD NO WATER TO CLEAN THEM AFTER BREAKFAST, NO SHOWERS WERE AVAILABLE FOR THE BATTERY BECAUSE WHAT LITTLE WATER WE HAD IN THE TANKS WAS USED BY THE COOKS.
THE NEXT DAY WAS PAYBACK TIME. GUNS 2&3 (LEROY AND ME) WERE SENT OUT ON AN ARTILLERY RAID. TWO GUN CREWS TO A HILLTOP IN MANG YANG PASS, ABOUT FIFTY ROUNDS EACH. THE XO TOLD US THE MISSION WAS TO FIRE ON SUSPECTED VC POSITIONS, WE HAD ABOUT 10 DIFFERENT AZIMUTHS TO LAY FIRE. WE FIRED ALL FIFTY ROUNDS AT THE CORRECT AZIMUTHS IN RECORD TIME. "OUR MISSION" WAS TO SHOOT THIS MISSION AND GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE. WE DID HAVE A FEW SECONDARY EXPLOSIONS.
MY FINGERS ARE STARTING TO GET TIRED SO I WILL PLAN ON CONTINUING THIS JOURNEY LATER. FROM HERE WE MOVE ON TO DAK TO. THIS IS WHERE I SPENT MY LAST SIX MONTHS IN COUNTRY. |
