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December 2001
“The Monthly Diamondhead”
December 2001
Editor-Reporter-Chief Cook-Web Slave-
Ron Leonard
304-728-7012 rollayo@earthlink.net
Company Stuff:
This month brought several new people to the fold of long lost 25th Aviation Personnel. Newly found personnel for the month. For the Diamondheads Robert Giaccone, Robert L. Farris, Jerry Boyington, Charles Mitchell, John Liguori, William Leach, James Skelton, George Karcher, John Kuczek, Chuck Moore. For the Little Bears we have added, John Maloney, Dean Gonyaw, Tom Mathers, Marv Epstein. The contact information for these additions can be found on the proper roster on the web page. I have many more phone numbers and addresses posted to the rosters. If they are in red, they still need contacted. I have supplied the addresses and phone numbers to call, but I am only one person and can't do all of it. If you have a notion, pick up the phone and call one. If the notation under the name says <card sent> that means I have mailed them a card but they have not responded as of yet. For additional new personnel, their contact information will be added as I find it, and also posted in red. I have received from several members' lists of company personnel names that I have not listed yet. I don't have the magic numbers for them, so they will be posted as names only until better information is available. That will occur soon.
Joe Finch has finally got his new book “Angels Wing” published. I have read part of it so far and it is pretty good. It realistically portrays the many things all of us did during Vietnam, in particular the “Little Bears”. It reads well and is a mix of history and entertainment and is well worth adding to your libraries. Ordering information can be found on the PX page.
Since the additional memory has been added to the site many more historical documents have been added, and many more are In the preparation stages so no further slowdown should occur for several months. Additional pictures will be added soon as they are in the process of being changed from slides into web ready format. George smith has been a great asset taking care of that for us as has Tony Rentz.
There has been a new page added that is for one purpose. It is on-line free books that are of the Vietnam era both historical, political and novels. You can read them on line or download them to your computer or print them your self. Magazine publications are also included such as Soldier of Fortune, Soldier and more. It is worth the time to checkout.
Medical Stuff
****Bulletin***Important message for airline passengers with diabetes.
Traveling with insulin syringes and other diabetes supplies has always required advance planning. With the new security measures recently implemented at U.S. airports, passengers will need to do more planning. Here are some things you need to know if you will be taking a domestic flight within the United States. Contact your airline carrier for international travel regulations.
Ask your pharmacist to place one of his pharmacy's preprinted labels on a box of insulin you receive. This label should include your name and the type of insulin given to you. Be sure your name is spelled exactly as it is on your airline ticket and
retain the box so that it may be shown, along with your vial of insulin with the manufacturer's label attached, if requested by security at the airport.
Please note a prescription from your doctor may not be considered adequate proof, due to forgery concerns. ((As if anyone with access to a computer, scanner, and printer can't forge a label!!))This will serve as proof that you have diabetes and need to bring insulin syringes on board your flight. If you should have a problem with security, please ask to speak to one of the airline managers or a security supervisor to resolve the issue. ((From several reports I have read, this is pretty good insurance of raising your blood pressure and the probability of missing your flight.))
It is always advisable to bring along an extra prescription for your diabetes care needs. Keep in mind that local laws differ and even if your home state does not require a prescription for syringes or insulin, the state you're visiting may require you to have one.
Additional information, including requirements for travelers who need to carry lancets or a blood glucose monitor for blood glucose testing, is available on the Traveling with Diabetes page accessible from the American Diabetes Association web site: http://www.diabetes.org
Head's up Flight: Congress messing around changing Bennie's again. If you're over 65, with diabetes and have Medicare Part B coverage-- Click here for more information.
tp://www.directresultsnetwork.com/matria/matriaAS3.asp?keyword=Emrm
Gulf War Undiagnosed Illness: The VA has issued new regulations in the Federal Register that would extend the presumptive period for disabilities due to Persian Gulf Undiagnosed Illness for an additional five years. The current regulations were set to expire at the end of this year. The regulation reads:
"The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its adjudication regulations regarding compensation for disabilities resulting from undiagnosed illnesses suffered by Persian Gulf War veterans. This amendment is necessary to extend the period within which such disabilities must become manifest to a compensable degree in order for entitlement for
compensation to be established. The intended effect of this amendment is to ensure that veterans with compensable disabilities due to undiagnosed illnesses that may be related to active service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War may qualify for benefits. In light of the continuing scientific and medical inquiry into the nature
and cause of undiagnosed illnesses suffered by Gulf War veterans, the continuing military operations in the Gulf region, and the new claims still being received from Gulf War veterans, this document extends the presumptive period for disabilities due to undiagnosed illnesses that become manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more through December 31, 2006, a period of 5 years." [Source: VFW Washington Weekly 20 NOV 01]
TFL: OHI Cancellation: Tricare, by law, is always a second payer to other health insurance [OHI]. If you have dropped your other health insurance and didn't notify Tricare with the Beneficiary Information Update survey you should notify them now or at any future time you plan to drop it. Send a letter stating your intention to drop your OHI to the TRICARE claims
processor that supports your state. The letter should include: sponsor's name, sponsor's Social Security Number (SSN), beneficiary's name, beneficiary's SSN, OHI name and address, policy number, insurance type (Supplement, Medigap, long- term care, pharmacy, etc.), date coverage terminated and covered individuals. You can locate the TRICARE claims
processor for your state and the address where you should send your letter at TRICARE For Life Claims < http://www.tricare.osd.mil/main/chart.html >, or call 1-888-DoD- LIFE (1-888-363-5433) for assistance. [Source: NAUS
Update 30 NOV 01]
TRICARE Plus: TRICARE Plus allows some beneficiaries to enroll with a military primary care provider. Enrollees will be provided access to primary care on the same basis as those formerly enrolled in TRICARE Prime. Local timing and availability will vary, and opportunities may not exist at all military treatment facility (MTF) locations. PLUS is open to those eligible for care in military facilities and not enrolled in TRICARE Prime or a commercial health maintenance organization (HMO). There is no annual enrollment fee. Persons enrolled in Plus will be identified in the Defense
Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), and will use the MTF as their source of primary care. The new program differs from TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Senior Prime in several ways.
PLUS isn't a comprehensive health plan. It is a primary care enrollment program ONLY, and has no effect on the enrollees' use or payment of civilian health care benefits. Thus, TRICARE Standard, Tricare Extra or Medicare may pay for civilian health care services obtained by a TRICARE Plus enrollee. Plus doesn't lock beneficiaries in to "managed care." They may seek care from a civilian provider, but are discouraged from obtaining non-emergency primary care from sources outside the MTF where they are enrolled. In addition to providing access to primary care, this plan enables their physician to coordinate health care more effectively. Plus doesn't guarantee enrollee's access to specialty providers at the MTF where
they're enrolled. Plus isn't portable. Plus beneficiaries can't use their enrollment at another facility.
The availability of TRICARE Plus in a location, and the number of enrollees, will be based on the local MTF commander's determination of enrollment capacity. If the number of applicants exceeds the capacity for Plus enrollment, enrollees will be selected by a fair process. Beneficiaries with existing primary care relationships at participating MTF's, including those enrolled in the TRICARE Senior Prime demonstration, will have the first opportunity to enroll as long as a
facility has the resources to provide the necessary primary care. MTFs will review continued enrollment in TRICARE Plus annually. If there is no longer any capacity at the MTF, beneficiaries may be disenrolled. This won't affect their TRICARE or Medicare benefits.
In times of enhanced security at military installations it may be difficult for TRICARE beneficiaries to access uniformed services hospitals and clinics. TRICARE guidance for beneficiaries seeking emergency, urgent and routine care at uniformed services facilities under these conditions is: Beneficiaries who believe they are experiencing a serious medical condition that requires immediate treatment should go to the nearest emergency room. This is true whether or not they are enrolled in any
TRICARE program. TRICARE will assist in paying for the cost of their care.
· TRICARE beneficiaries who become ill but don't require emergency care as described above needing urgent care. Those enrolled in PLUS are encouraged to call their primary provider for assistance. Providers or staff members at military treatment facilities can inform beneficiaries of their best options for necessary care. In many circumstances, this may
include taking care of oneself under the advice of a provider or a change in timing of the needed visit as appropriate. Beneficiaries may contact their regional Health Care Information Line for information on self-care.
· During times of increased security, routine appointments should be rescheduled if access to a military treatment facility is restricted. As with urgent care, beneficiaries should call ahead to their providers' offices for guidance.
For more information about TRICARE Plus, call 1-888-DOD-LIFE
(1-888-363-5433), or visit the TRICARE website at: www.tricare.osd.mil/Plus.
VA Co-payment 2002: Effective 6 DEC 01, co-payments for non-service connected conditions are changed, Per Department of Veterans Health Administration Directive 2001-072, dated November 28, 2001. The new charges are:
n Inpatient Hospital Care - The lesser of the inpatient Medicare deductible for the first 90 days of care and one-half of the inpatient Medicare deductible for each subsequent 90 days of care during a 365-day period; or VA's cost of providing the care; and $10 for every day the veteran receives inpatient hospital care.
n Outpatient Care - a three-tiered co-payment system will be effective for all services provided on an outpatient basis of No Co-payments, Primary Care $15 Co-payment or Specialty Care $50 Co-payment. If a veteran has one or more primary care encounters on the same day and no specialty care encounter on that day, the primary care co-payment for one visit is charged for that day. If a veteran has one or more primary care encounters and one or more specialty care encounters on the same day, the specialty care co-payment for one visit is charged for that day.
Effective February 4, 2002, co-payments for non-service connected medications will increase from $2 to $7 for a 30 day supply. Future increases will be determined by the Prescription Drug Component of the Medical Consumer Price Index to be effective on January 1st of each year. Those who have a service connected disability of 50% or greater (Enrollment
category 1) are exempt from the co-payment for non-service connected medications. Medications for service-connected conditions continue to have no co-payment. For more detailed descriptions of what each tier covers, which veterans are not subject to copayments, and which services are not subject to copayment refer to the Bulletin Addendum 37. [Source: Veterans Health Administration Directive 2001-072, dtd November 28, 2001]
Vital Signs - Pain: The 4 vital signs usually measured by medical personnel are the blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and temperature. It has become increasingly popular for doctors to ask people who are having pain to rate the degree of their pain by a 1-10 scale. This number is sometimes listed as the 5th vital sign. Because people vary so much in their perception of pain, the number, by itself, is not of much value. Where it becomes useful is in following patients over time, to determine their perception of pain. The following numbers are commonly used:
0-Pain free
1-Very minor annoyance -mild aches to some parts of the body. No pain medication needed.
2-Minor annoyance- dull aches to some parts of the body. No pain medication needed.
3-Annoying enough to be distracting. Over-the-Counter pain relievers (such as Naproxen Sodium, Acetaminophen, or topical treatments such as Absorbine or Arthritis Pain relieving rubs) take care of it.
4-Can be ignored if you are really involved in your work, but still distracting. Over-the-Counter pain relievers remove pain for 3-4 hours.
5-Can't be ignored for more than 30 minutes. Over-the-Counter pain relievers help somewhat (bring pain level from 5 to a 3 or 4) with pain for 3-4 hours.
6-Can't be ignored for any length of time, but you can still go to work and participate in social activities. Stronger painkillers (such as Ultram) relieve pain for 3-4 hours.
7-Makes it difficult to concentrate interferes with sleep. You can still function with effort. Stronger painkillers (such as Ultram) are only partially effective. (Stronger pain killers bring pain from a 7 to 4-6.)
8-Physical activity severely limited. You can read and converse with effort. Stronger pain killers (such as Ultram) are not effective. (Narcotic pain killers do bring this pain down to a level 3 or lower.)
9-Non functional for all practical purposes. Cannot concentrate. Physical activity halted. Panic sets in.(Narcotic Pain killers bring the pain level from 9 to the 4-6 level.)
10-Totally non-functional. Unable to speak. Crying our or moaning uncontrollably - near delirium.
[Source: Doctor Healthy net 18 DEC 01]
Agent Orange: This is a letter I received from one of our 12th Evac Nurses. It has to-do with Birth Defects and other important issues. As you know I have been studying Spina Bifida in grandchildren and it's relation to Agent Orange. This letter should be most interesting to any of us that were in Cu Chi.
I'm blown away about your grandchildren. Not that I don't know about it, but that so many of them have Spina Bifida. George Claxton from VVA has been working on Agent Orange issues for about 30 years. He is responsible for
helping Dr. Schecter's research in Vietnam. He told me over 10 years ago that birth defects are showing up in the 3rd and 4th generations. He wanted to have research done in Vietnam because the damage would be more extensive. <He was shot down by the US government>
I don't know how much you know about Spina Bifida, but the cause is developmental meaning that the development of the organs and systems are not completed. The neural tube did not close and left an opening, hence, SB. In my son's case, 50% of his large intestines does not have nerve cells. And he nearly died. While the doctors were operating on him, a father sat with me and my ex for support. His son had it worse and I learned he had served in the Coast Guard but we both were kind of ignorant about agent orange in those days. Then again, Cu Chi was not only sprayed with agent orange, but with
agent blue (which had arsenic in it so the spray would be on vegetation, mammals would eat the vegetation and then the VC or NVA would), sounds like biological warfare. Cu Chi was also sprayed with agent white.
It angers me that we who went, suffered the wounds of war and then passed that legacy on to our children and their children and their children. There is so much more to war than what the public knows. But it doesn't take away
from what I feel was an important task for me to do in this life, which was to save lives and to support those who were taken away from us. I feel that it is my duty to educate others so that they may know war and work to prevent it. I can also serve in the present to teach how we can destroy an environment and that the results will affect our children and unfortunately
it continues to. I've become one of those crazy environmentalists because my family and I suffer from the use of chemicals on our planet. And, yes, I'm also one of those who question what we are doing right now in other countries. I worry about our military and I worry about the civilians. But I remain optimistic that all will come out alright because I still have faith
in a Universal Spirit.
I try wish you and yours a very happy and peaceful new year.
Wage peace!
Lily
If you need a copy of your DD Form 214, here is how to get it.
Telephone:
Army 314-538-4132
Air Force 314-538-4218
Navy 314-538-4200
USMC 314-538-3155.
Be prepared to provide complete name, SSN, Branch of Service and dates of
service.
For any of you guys who are eligible for a reserve retirement at age 60, I recommend this web site. It will answer many of your questions.
Reunion Stuff: 100 Days and counting down
For the benefit of the new guys I am going to repost the reunion Informational Letter. It will save answering many questions again, and remind the rest of you who have not responded by now. If you are planning on attending, we need to know so enough rooms can be reserved.
There has been a reunion countdown counter added to the front page to keep posted on the time left. The response is increasing weekly. If you are planning on attending please let me know if a Diamondhead. I need to know 1: If you plan on attending even tentatively, 2: How many people, and 3:If staying at the Holiday Inn
To all Little Bear Reunion Attendees;
The Little Bear Association Reunion will be held on April 12, 13, 14, 2002 in beautiful, historic Charleston, SC. The reunion hotel is the Holiday Inn Mt. Pleasant, 250 Johnnie Dodds Blvd, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. The Holiday Inn, Mt. Pleasant is conveniently located three miles from the famed Historic District just across the Cooper River from downtown Charleston and near most of the tourist sites and only five miles from the sun and sand of the Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island. They also offer more in-hotel facilities for the value spent. A tour representative will be present at registration so attendees can sign up for tours as desired.
A special room rate of $99.00 plus 11% tax has been negotiated for those attending the reunion. This room rate includes Continental Breakfast, newspaper and late checkout for those who join the "Priority Club". There is no cost to join the Priority Club, just ask about it and signup when you register. This rate will also be available for those of you who may want to stay longer in the Charleston area. Many other hotels are available in and around Charleston, however most are $125 to $350 per night, plus tax. The Holiday Inn, Mt. Pleasant is currently undergoing a complete remodeling and will be almost brand new for us in April 2002. All rooms have been remodeled and the common use areas will be completed by November 2001.
Reunion costs (banquet, hospitality rooms, and gratuities) will be covered by registration fees and Little Bear Association funds. Therefore, all Little Bears attendees are expected to be a member of the Association. If you are not a member, please send your membership dues ($25) to our Treasurer:
Terry Mix
4610-176 Avenue S.E.
Bellevue, WA 98006
Registration for the Little Bear Reunion is as follows:
Little Bears (members and guests) - $45 per person
Other Battalion personnel <Diamondhead, HHC etc>and guests - $55 per person
Each attendee will be responsible for their transportation, lodging and other associated costs.
Holiday Inn-Mt. Pleasant reservations can be made from now until March 2002. However, you should make them early to assure your room is available.
Contact: Susie York, Reservations Manager:
Phone 1-800-290-4004 ext. 122
Tell them you will be attending the Little Bear Reunion. The code for our blocked rooms is "COA".You can view the hotel at http://www.holidayinn-mtpleasant.com
A parade and ceremonies is being held at the Citadel at 3:45 PM on Friday April 12, 2002. Reunion attendees are invited to attend as "Honored Guests”. If you would like to attend the Citadel parade and ceremonies, plan accordingly
Below is a list of Diamondheads that are tentatively planning on attending as of today. This list grows constantly, and we are still finding people weekly, so it will grow much more. If you are not on the list and plan on attending let me know ASAP so we have enough rooms blocked and reserved. At this point 95 rooms have been reserved.
Attendee.............number.............Staying at Holiday Inn
Ron and Carol Leonard-Holiday Inn
Don Cannata-?
Dianne and George Pendleton-?
Danny Driscoll-?
Steve Thorp-?
Bert Rice and wife-Holiday Inn
Ed Schenk-?
Nolan Little and Robyn- Holiday Inn
Ray and Michelle Huntington-?
Bob Seger-Holiday Inn
Art Gravatt-?
Sam Boswell-?
David Stock-?
Charlie Burnett-Wife -Holiday Inn?
Ron White-?-?
George Heneveld- Wife- Holiday Inn
Robert Michaels-?-?
Robert Giaccone-Mary Jo-Holiday Inn
Jerry Boyington-Linn-Holiday Inn
Steve Thorpe-?-Holiday Inn
|
Neil Weems-?
Gary Tompkins-?
Ed Schenk-?
Ralph Little and Robyn-Holiday Inn
Rob Amiot-?-Holiday Inn
Charlie Edwards-wife-Holiday Inn
Sal Ambrosia-GF-Holiday Inn
Ron Skamanish-Wife-Holiday
Gonzalo Salazar-wife-Holiday Inn
Al Lewis- Holiday
George Smith-Wife-Holiday Inn
Jack Mosely-Wife-?
Troy Thomas and Paula-Holiday Inn
Fred Panhorst-Wife Holiday Inn
William Connell-Wife Holiday Inn
Richard Eichler-?-?
Don Helmeich?-?
Greg Bucy-wife-holiday inn
Jake Jacobs-?-Holiday Inn
Chuck Moore-alone-holiday
Hayne Moore-brother-no
|
A Little Humor
December 1st
To: All Employees
I am happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23 at Luigi's Open Pit Barbecue. There will be lots of spiked eggnog and a small band playing traditional carols... feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if our Manager shows up dressed as Santa Claus to light the Christmas Tree! Exchanging of gifts among employees can
be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10.
Merry Christmas to you and your families,---
-Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
December 2nd
To: All Employees;
In no way was yesterdays memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Hanukkah is an important holiday that oftem coincides with Christmas(though unfortunately not this year). However, from now on we be calling our party a "Holiday Party" The same policy applies to employees who are celebrating Kwanzaa at this time. There will be no Christmas tree and no Christmas carols sung.
Happy Holidays to you and your families-
Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
December 3rd
To: All Employees:
Regarding the anonymous note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table, I'm happy to accommodate this request, but, don't forget, if I put a sign on the table that reads, "AA Only", you will no longer be anonymous. In addition , forget about the gift exchanging-- no gifts will be allowed since the union members feel that $10
is to much money.
Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
December 7th
To All Employees:
I've arranged for members of Overeaters Anonymous to sit farthest from the dessert buffet and pregnant women to sit closest to the restrooms. Gays are allowed to sit with each other, and Lesbians do not have to sit with the Gay men; each will have their own tables. Yes, there will be a flower arrangement for the gay mens table.
Happy Now!!????
Patty Lewis, Human Racehorses Director
December 9th
To: All Employees:
People, people -- nothing sinister was intended by wanting our Manager to play Santa Claus! Even if the anagram of "Santa" does happen to be "Satan" there is no evil connotation to our own "little man in a red suit."
Patty Lewis, Human Ratraces
December 10th
To: All Employees:
Vegetarians -- I've had it with you people!!
We are going to hold this party at Luigi's Open Pit whether you like it or not, you can just sit at the table farthest from the "grill of death," as you put it, and you can have salad bar only, including hydroponic tomatoes. But, you know, tomatoes have feelings, too. They scream! I'm hearing them right now.. Ha! I hope you all have a rotten holiday! Drive drunk and die,
The Bitch from Hell!!!
December 14
To: All Employees
I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery from her stress-related illness. I'll continue to forward your cards to her at the sanitarium. In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay.
Terri Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director
War Stories
This is the time of the year I remember the long nights fighting for a partialy overrun Fire Support Base. We killed pleanty of VC and we lost good men in the process. I must admit that I found it amusing that the Battle for FSB Burt was the inspiration for the movie Platoon. In the movie they violated the number one rule of not leaving anyone behind and so impinged upon our reputation. Still pisses me off when I think about it.
Wayne “Crash” Coe
Here is part of the story.
Soui Cut, Jan 1-2 1968
The Battle for Fire Support Base Burt.
I loved the view from the top of Nui Ba Din. You could see the lights from the far away cites. And I loved the challenge of a perfect pinnacle landing. In the early evening, just as the sun drops below the horizon. It was my last stop, I could go back to Tay Ninh for the nights festivities at the club. It was amazing how fast they could get the cases of Champaign off my helicopter.
Tonight would be great fun, Captain David R. Warden our Group Flight Surgeon, would be on the courier from Cu Chi, and would be staying in the guest quarters, I loved flying with Doc and we had flown a lot of missions together. Doc is the greatest storyteller of all time, and tonight I would get a double dose, staying up late for New Years stand down.
I was the last bird in that night and after fueling and a quick stop at the arming pits for some linked 7.62 for the M-60's, I put my D-model in the revetments, and started the hike to the operations tent, walking right past the mortar watch ships, WO Bill Britt saying something is cooking down at fire support base Burt, and they were on alert. Bill Britt, Frenchy Gibault, what a team.
I find Doc and we start cooking a steak, out on the grill set up behind the Officer's club. I liked it when the army made an attempt during the holidays. Almost anything was better than C-rations. The party had started before Doc and I got there and seemed to be in full swing by the time we sat down to eat our steak. WO Jim Conde, could get anything, these steaks were proof. I looked up to Jim, a Special Forces type that went to flight school, he could speak the local language and he knew people in low places, if you know what I mean.
The party was a success, we watched a movie, heard and told some great stories (all true of course) and I headed off for bed, wishing the tent had cooled down enough to be able to sleep in. I walked over with Doc to find him a Cot in the tent we kept for visiting crews, and on my way back was stopped by the on duty orderly.
"Mr. Coe find your Doctor friend and get to operations now." I thought, what kind of silly bullshit is being pulled now by one of my more than slightly inebriated flying buddies. So rather than wake up the Doc, I walked over to the Operations tent and a very serious Major Bauman looks up and says "where is your Flight Surgeon." Well, I started to speak and he cut me off, "get him now, and get back here as fast as you can, your crew has been sent for, hurry."
Doc was still awake, he jumped in his boots and grabbed his gear and out the tent flap in one move. For a huge airborne ranger, Doc moves so well, the word would be graceful, if not applying to 250 pounds of raw muscle and brains. My flying gear is in my tent and we both double time over to it and double time to the operations tent.
Major Bauman looked very unhappy, he was gruff when he was happy, he looked sinister tonight. "Men I have a bad job for you two tonight. Mr. Coe you are my only sober pilot, and Captain Warden, I have to send you as the Co-pilot, I have no one else to send." I looked at Doc and he smiled at me. I knew he was up to it what ever it was, I think the word is fearless. "the medevac choppers from the 45th are having problems getting in to Fire Support Burt. Our boys need ammo and medevac, I am sending a fire team to cover you in and out, it looks bad down there."
We were taken to the revetment by Jeep, and my crew had the bird untied and ready to rock and roll, we were airborne in minutes. First stopping by the ammo bunkers and taking a full load of ordnance. As my heavy helicopter
staggered for some altitude, I noticed just how black it could be in Vietnam, and started to fly on my instruments, tuning my radios to the Ground FM, the FAC on VHF and my company UHF. "Blackhawk 54 inbound with a load of ordnance, where do you want it, over." No response. We must be too far out for them to hear us, and I pulled a little more pitch and grabbed
some more altitude to help with the radio.
I was busy flying, I could hear the gunships on Victor and I could hear fastmovers on Uniform, no grunts on Fox-trot. Doc keys his mike "good night,look at the fire fight going on out there." In the inky darkness was the fountain of horror, a full fledged fire fight, tracers coming in, tracers going out, explosions, fire, it looked like a real mess down there. Bullets
ricocheting at every angle, I knew our mech. men were fighting for their lives down there, and they would be needing our ammo and medevac now. I ask the FAC for the ground frequency and he gave it to me.
"Ground control Blackhawk 54 over." I could hear the din of battle behind a voice on the radio. "Blackhawk 54 we are under heavy attack and are requesting you stand by, say again ordnance on board," "Roger Ground, I have 105 Beehive and a Doctor." After a moment of silence ground comes back on the radio "it is too hot to land now, but we urgently need your load." I don't hear the Rat Pack, so I call the Stinger gunships, "Stinger lead, Blackhawk 54, over," "Stinger go ahead" "I have 105 beehive and a Doctor on board can you get us in?" "If you want to go in there we will escort you in, what is you location?" "Blackhawk 54 is North West 5 miles out." "Roger Blackhawk come to the south end of Burt, we will pick you up and escort you in, but there is a lot of fire down there so make it a fast approach." We fly south of Burt and I can see the gunships coming out to get us. I start the 120 Knot approach, at first going past the gun cover, but then as I start to flair they are by my side, mini guns roaring, low level insanity. I can't see a fucking thing with all the smoke and flares competing with the tracers. I see a lone trooper standing with his arms over his head, guiding me in, exposing himself. The bravery of the men on the ground chokes me up. I am guided to a spot with wounded men, Doc is out of his seat on the ground, doing the much-needed triage, so we can take the worst hit out and hope to save them. Men come from the dark and take the Ammo off, the volume of fire in the perimeter is intense, I am taking hits, it will only be a matter of time and this helicopter will never fly again, Doc has his load and is back in the right seat, I call coming out, and look up to see a pair of gunships covering my ass coming out. We are low level in the dark with a load of men, all severely wounded, Doc says "I had better get busy," and jumps over the console and starts taking care of the men. I fly directly to the 12th evac pad in Cu Chi. I call "Golden Umpire, Blackhawk 54, inbound with eight wounded about 10 minutes out." The calm voice of Bill Giles on
the radio comes back "late night 54, you are our only chopper land on pad one." Nice to hear a familiar voice on the radio. I wondered if he ever slept, he was always there when I needed him. He will expedite the unloading of our wounded. Best Pad Man in Vietnam.
Cu Chi tower clears me direct to the Medevac Pad and I come in hot flaring sideways to clear the tail boom, and I am almost down and on jumps Big Bill Giles and he takes charge. Bill strips off the loaded weapons and explosive devices, gently lifting the men on to stretchers waiting by the open door. Bill does his work like a mad man, but every move is practiced. Bam, Bill hits me on top of my helmet to tell me he is jumping off and I can pull
pitch. Total time on the pad maybe two minutes, but probably less.
We lift to a high hover and ask tower for permission to go to the ammo bunkers, and they clear us direct. The ammo lumpers know what is going on and have our load waiting, we watch them put it on in the aircraft, then a quick call to the tower and we are staggering into the air again. We have enough fuel, and I would like to be light going in, to help with the control of the aircraft down low behind the perimeter of Burt.
Doc and I start to hear the radios first, things are bad, looks like one of the gunships is down, in the dark. Shit. I see the fast movers laying down Napalm, lights things up, kind of pretty, and deadly at the same time. I can not see Burt yet, but the fire works were spectacular coming from a concentrated spot on the horizon. As we get nearer we call the ground and
ask for status, they wave us off, too hot. Fuck, now fuel was a problem. It took a few minutes to find a gun team, they had one down, and were pissed off big time. I think they would have escorted me into hell if I had ask. They called the fire and I made the approach, we turned this one around in seconds, not one mistake, in and out. I called Big Bill and Doc went to work
in the back.
Doc and I flew all night, and in the morning we landed by the shotdown Stinger gunship so Captain David Royal Warden Jr. MS could perform his duties as a flight surgeon and issue a cause of Death for the crew. The men
in the stinger gunship had been burned very badly by the fire, I know it was a shock to Doc, his whole demeanor changed. Fight all night and then in the morning perform autopsies on the men who had been covering your ass all night, is a tough one.
Doc and I flew into Burt numerous times, but what we really remember is the aviators we lost, not the men we saved.
Wayne R. "Crash" Coe
Blackhawk 54
187th Assault Helicopter Company 1967-8
Brothers In Arms
Soui Cut Jan 1-2 1968
January 1, 1968 I was one of the pilots hauling ammo in and wounded out of Fire Support Base Burt. It was a long night. One thing stands out in my memory bright and clear about that night. Was a buck Sargent directing traffic with two hand held flares. As I would come screaming in through the dark and smoke, with gun cover on each side, I could see very little except for the tracers going both ways. He would stand up tall and brave with a flare in each hand and while every God Damn Dink in the fucking world would try and hit him with automatic fire, he would calmly direct me to the nearly invisible pad, drag off the ammo and load the wounded. We were turning it around fast and he never failed to catch my attention coming in fast through the smoke and dark. I could have never gotten on the ground in the seconds
required with out him risking his life for every helicopter approach. We were blind with out him.
After the battle I found the LT in charge of the awards and told him of the heroics of the Buck Sargent on the helipad. Doc Warden wanted to put him in for Bronze Star and we wanted to thank him for the great job he had done at
bringing us in. No one could seem to find him, and my Peter Pilot and I went back to Tay Ninh. I wanted to thank him then, but I am going to get a chance to thank him now.
Here is part of the letter I just received from him.
Dear Mr. Coe,
Hello, hope your are well. I just had to write you, hope you don't mind. The major point of this letter is to thank you for your story about Fire Support Base Burt. I just read it in the newsletter of the 22nd Infantry Society. Thanks, good story although it gave me, kind of a weird feeling. The major thing, is THANKS FOR COMING IN. I felt adrenaline, and a sort of Deja Vou, if that is how you spell it. I received the newsletter and an offer to join the 22nd Infantry Society in reply to a request for info in the 25th Infantry Div Assn. FLASHES. I was in the 2/77 FA on that same base, supporting the 22nd, fighting for my life, like them, and I was one of the people on that chopper pad to meet you as you came in. Funny thing, but I remember being choked up and thinking that Crazy Brave Son of a Bitch has
Guts! I'll be damned if I'd fly a target that big into this shit!! Your nickname is exactly what I thought was gonna happen to you, and your chopper! Either in a ball of flames from an RPG, or from not being able to see. I gotta tell you up front, that I was so scared, I went into a "Black Out", and except for brief periods of "Wakefulness," whenever the situation or what I was doing changed, I was on "Autopilot." I guess my mind just ran off and hid somewhere. I do seem to remember, though, there was a hell of a lot of dust and smoke, kinda turning the chopper pad where I was into a sort of weird, orange-ish daylight when my flares were up. All of a sudden, here' s this chopper coming out of the dark, with a least part of our survival on it. Yessss!!! I know what you mean, champagne and ammo come off choppers
pretty fast, or at least we tried to be fast. I remember the first chopper I saw. I don't remember how many came in or if there was more than one. I remember straightening up and rubbing my aching back as the last on was taking off, and noticing it was daylight and the shooting had stopped. I Remember waving at the first one I. I vaguely think I remember a brief flash of God, I hope he doesn't squash me, the first one I saw came out of the dark like a bat out of hell and along with the relief, hell is what it skeert out of me. Strange to me, that I should be scared, after I had already given up, tried to make my peace with HIM, just in case. I guess even though you give up, you never really give up. I don't know who else was on that chopper pad, how many of us there were and what units they were from except me and my helper from the 2/77. It was so loud on that chopper pad, I never tried to talk after the first few times, shouting in people's
ears and they couldn't hear me, nor me them when they shouted in mine. Besides only my robot was there, the rest of me ran off and hid somewhere. It was for me, just the natural turn of events that I ended up stayin there all night. After my Pard and I put our first one on the chopper, actually, as we were lifting him up it was heavy and then all of a sudden got a lot lighter, as the guys on the chopper had grabbed the litter to lend a hand. Thanks guys! I turned around and started to head back to the aid station for another litter, but surprise there were already some there! And I'm probably wrong, but it seemed to me like almost as we finished loading one chopper, there was another one to unload and then load. Seemed like they were coming in almost head to tail. And in between, I was breaking ammo out of boxes, the ones I couldn't break by basically bringing them off the chopper hard, hoping they would break open and be faster to get the ammo
out. We were in one hell of a hurry.
Funny how time flies. This December it will be 30 years since Burt, but sometimes it seems yesterday, anyway the parts I remember do. Just in case you may be interested in another perspective from the ground, I'm including
my account of it as much as I remember.
Take care of yourself.
Mike Pectol C/3/22
Year Of The Rat
By-Pat Eastes
As 1967 closed out and 1968 arrived, there was a noticeable pickup in hostilities. Even though we had been busy, it appeared that every time we went up, we were engaging the enemy. They seemed to be better armed, and there seemed to be more of them. The incident described earlier where Smoky got shot down and the 35 element got shot up occurred just two days prior to what is now known as Tet of 68. As soldiers in the front, we had no knowledge of any buildup other than what our intuition told us. I do not remember getting any intelligence from our briefings that there was a major buildup of enemy troops, but it was somewhat obvious that the war was accelerating. Cu Chi and Dau Tieng were getting mortared pretty regularly, keeping us tired and irritable. Sleep was never easy except with the help of alcohol, but now even the slightest noise kept us awake. "Incoming" was a cry/curse that was even heard during the day, which was out of character for the VC, who mainly mortared us at night.
31 Jan was the Vietnamese New Year, bringing in "The Year of The Rat". Having lived in Okinawa as a kid, I was somewhat aware of the Oriental New Year, and how each year was named the year of the Pig, Goat, Rat, etc., but it had no real meaning for an Occidental such as myself. I knew that the ARVNs were probably getting drunk in their celebration of the New Year, just as we did on the night of the 31st of December, and that was about the extent of my understanding. The North Vietnamese, much wiser, knew that this would be a perfect time to start a major assault on the South, while the ARVNs were down on their guard. Of course, we believed that the ARVNs had much to learn about how to fight, anyway. My experience with them was never good. They were very happy to let the Americans do the dirty work, and didn't seem to care much about whatever might happen to their country. At any rate, the NVA knew that the alert level of the ARVN would be even lower, making their job that much easier. Their buildup had been going on right under our noses for some time, and while we knew that there was more action, we had no real idea of what was going on.
I write this from the perspective of an individual of little rank, who basically was out of the loop as far as long range goals. The generals no doubt had much more that they knew, and the history books have proven
that. But for the Warrant Officer pilot, our world was from mission to mission, not really understanding or even caring about an overview. We were trying to not get shot down, not get killed or maimed in the mortar
attacks, and make it through another mission while counting the days to DEROS. This is pretty much the plight of the common soldier in all wars; while the big guys with the stars on their epaulets direct our
lives and think about the big picture, the people in the shit just try to make do, to survive to live and fight another firefight, while thinking about where they would rather be.
On the night of 31 Jan, I was detailed to fly a LRRP extraction. The LRRPS (Long Range Reconaissance Patrol) were along the Saigon River, north of Saigon, and they were reporting large enemy troop movements in their area. They rightfully were scared of being detected, and made their way to a spot where they could be picked up by one of our slicks. I flew gun cover, and I don't recall any problems with the extraction. Put yourself in the place of the slick crew, however. LRRP extractions were usually hot, you are landing in a spot where your only point of reference is a flashlight or strobe, you cannot use your landing light for fear of being shot, at any second you could be fired upon by unseen VC who are just waiting to be the proud soldier that got an American helicopter, and all the while the people that you are picking up are
speaking in frightened tones because they are surrounded by enemy troops. All I had to do was give gun cover; the slick had to make the approach, get the LRRPS, and get out in one piece. NO FUN!
During the extraction, we saw ARVN compounds all around the area welcome in the Year of the Rat, pointing their weapons skyward and firing tracers into the air. Of course, with us being IN the air, we weren't
too impressed with their lack of concern for our safety, but at the same time, the show was impressive. On our return to Cu Chi after the completion of the extraction mission, we took a wide berth around any
ARVN compounds so as not to become a casualty of their drunken revelry. About 0200, while we were trying to get some Zs, we were awoken by huge white flashes accompanied by tremendous explosions. My first experience with the NVA and their 122mm rockets was just what they hoped for; something that would scare the crap out of us, put us on edge, and generally disrupt our lives. As those first rockets started to fall, we in the Centaurs who were not assigned to fly made a mad dash to trenches which were in the process of becoming bunkers, but now were merely holes in the ground. We lay there, covering up as best we could, listening to a sound that in the next few weeks become all too familiar; the WHOOSH of the incoming rockets, followed by the deafening explosion and flash that made night into day for a millisecond. The enemy was evidently targeting the flight line and runway, and since we lived on the flight line, our area was nailed by the rocketeers. As the rockets came in, it became easy to judge when they were going to land close or pass us by, and as the close ones were about to hit, we hugged mother earth and hoped/prayed that it wouldn't be the last thing that we ever heard. The initial attack was over in a few minutes, and then, giving us a while to think that maybe it was over, another barrage ensued. By the second attack, I was in flak jacket and pisspot, but hearing the intensity of the explosions, there was little comfort in wearing such protection. As yet, I had not seen the crater that a 122 left. When I did, in our troop area and in the Corral after first light, it was obvious that if you were anywhere near the point of impact you could kiss your ass goodbye. All of a sudden, mortar attacks seemed almost fun in comparison to rockets.
Dawn of 1 Feb broke, showing overcast skies, weather indicative of our moods after surviving our first rocket attack. The craters left by the 122s were about 10 to 12 feet across, and maybe 6 feet deep. One had hit near my aircraft that I had flown earlier that night on the LRRP mission, and the helicopter would not be flyable for some time, having numerous holes ripped in it from the rocket. We dug part of that rocket
out of its crater, seeing ChiCom markings on it. As we were looking at it, the SCRAMBLE horn sounded from Operations. I didn't have an aircraft to fly, but went to Ops to see what was going on. Our Ops officer was giving the Number One standby team their mission; a large NVA force was attempting to overrun Tan Son Nhut Airbase, and they were to respond to give air support to the ground forces.
NVA!? Up to now, we knew that we had been fighting some NVA regulars, but most of our contacts were thought to be with VC. LRRPS had seen large movements of troops just Northwest of Saigon; that's why we got them out last night. Now Tan Son Nhut is being attacked. We always thought that TSN was out of the war; I had been to the Air Force Officer's club there once, and everybody looked like they were stateside. They seemed to regard us, in our worn fatigues, unshined boots, and "bush" odor as some kind of apparition. Now, they were getting attacked. At first, it almost sounded funny, and we could picture these guys in their starched fatigues or TWs(tropical worsteds) scrambling around, getting some of what we got, and not liking it.
Our Number One team cranked up, took off, and while still enroute to TSN called back and told Ops that there were NVA everywhere and that all available gunships needed to respond. All I could do was sit there,
having had my ship damaged by the rockets. I sat in Ops, listening to the battle, and heard Doc saying that he was going in near the perimeter of TSN. Our squadron commander, LTC Glenn Otis, had gotten one of our slicks to use as his C and C bird, and they went in and got Doc and his crew. I will not get into specifics of what happened with the 3/4 Cav ground troops on this day, other to say that they literally saved Tan Son Nhut from the NVA, and LTC Otis, with his leadership and bravery under fire, received the Distinguished Service Cross for his part in directing the ground units in their run from Cu Chi to Saigon. Without his actions, it is likely that the NVA would have taken TSN, at least initially. Other books have described what happened there, and did it much better than I can. My hoochmate, Mike Siegel, received a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions as Aircraft Commander in flying Col. Otis' bird. Acts of bravery that day were numerous, and many were no doubt unheralded.
Meanwhile, I sat in basecamp, a spectator in the first actions of Tet. That morning was long and, to understate, stressful. Those of us without aircraft to fly got sandbags and constructed makeshift bunkers.
It seemed, after events of that night, that we might be needing them in the near future.
By that afternoon, I got assigned to relieve one of the other ACs, who had been on station most of the day and was more than ready for a break. I had heard that on every run there was intense return fire, but I had also heard that we were giving out heavy casualties to the bad guys, and while scared, I was ready to get in the action. As I lifted off and started heading towards Saigon, the smoke and fires from the battle were evident all along Highway 1. When I got on station, I was told that we were needed to fire on a warehouse just off of TSN, in the Cholon section of Saigon. Other fire teams were in the area, shooting up the world. It seemed really strange to be rolling in on buildings in the city of Saigon, but it was happening, none the less. At this point, such things as "no fire zones" were not applicable..everything was a fair target, because the NVA were seemingly everywhere. As I started my run on the warehouse, we received heavy AK fire from it, and we returned with rockets, minis, and door gun. As we expended our weapons into the building, it quickly became a smoking hulk, looking a lot like pictures that we had all seen of WWII bombed out buildings. Whoever had been in the building was no longer returning our fire after our passes. And from the look of the building, it was not a healthy place to be.
We returned with rearmed aircraft and continued our assault on the city of Saigon. We were directed to targets of opportunity by the ground troops, and worked in conjunction with the "Razorbacks", the gun platoon of the 120 AHC, whose home base was Hotel 3, the Tan Son Nhut helipad. They lived in villas, and in comparison to us had a pretty good life, but they were in the War now, and they gave a very good account of themselves. We also worked with some Air Force "spookies", C47s equipped with several minieguns that were operated by hand by their crews. As we received more and more fire, with a lot of 50 cal. mixed
in, the Spookies climbed higher and higher, until their tracers were burning out above us, not doing a lot of good to the ground guys except moral support. In fact they put us at risk several times from being shot down by their fire.
Try to picture this scene; there are the Spookies, circling the fight at maybe 5000 or 6000 feet. Below them are helicopter flareships, dropping flares to illuminate the area in their eery glow. We are below the
flareships, along with one or two other gunship fire teams. All the guns are flying blacked out, in order to make less of a target for the 50s. We in the guns are dodging flares, Spooky fire, the other fire teams, and the 50 cal and AK fire that showers us whenever we make a gunrun. On the ground are many diverse units of US and ARVN troops, who are trying to stay out of our way and direct our fire on the best targets. The NVA are seemingly everywhere; whenever we make a pass on a target, Charles opens up on us from another position, not to mention those who we are shooting at returning fire at us in a most convincing
manner. Fires are all around, from burning buildings, vehicles and the like. And while all of this is going on, our helmets fill our heads with radio chatter from the grunts, the Spookies, the other fire teams, our wingman, and our own crew, calling out such niceties as "we just received 50 fire from that building" or "the gooks just RPGd that APC down there!". All in all, the confusion of war was all around us. The whole thing seemed at times to be surreal, like you were in some sort of dream but couldn't awake from it. It wouldn't get a lot better for a long time.
Upon returning to Cu Chi, we found that we had been rocketed again. This, too, was to be an unpleasant fact of life for the next few months. Not chancing what seemed to be inevitable, we went to our makeshift bunkers to try to get some sleep. I had just dozed off when another rocket attack started. Laying in a ditch, wet, tired, scared and pissed off does not make for deep sleep. Guns on the perimeter opened up in force. The gooks must be attempting to breach our wire. I really don't need this shit, I say to whoever is closeby, being the master of the Obvious that I am. The guys on the wire are really shooting now, and the rockets are still falling. I hunker up, trying to become small, but knowing that a direct hit on my bunker and I am little
more than a pink mist. I just hope that the odds will go my way for this attack. Although I know that I will never get used to this, in the months ahead I actually got to where I could sleep through a rocket attack unless they were landing right in our troop area.
The next day brought little relief. I flew in support of more troops on the outskirts of Saigon, mostly Saber units that were cleaning up small patches of ground, retaking what had been ours a couple of days ago.
Each fight was fierce, and while we didn't get shot down, we got many holes in our aircraft, requiring some immediate repairs for such things as the tail rotor driveshaft that was nearly severed by a 50, radios
being shot out, and replacement of rotor blades when they got more than three holes in them (or, one 50, which would cause the aircraft to vibrate badly). On one of these numerous missions that all seem to run
together, my chopper lit up a "Hydraulics" warning light. On a UH 1C, there are two hydraulics systems which allow for a backup system in case of a failure of the other. Charlie models cannot be flown with no
hydraulics, unlike their other Huey brethren, because their larger rotor blades are just too powerful to be moved by humans. So, when we got the Master Caution light, our next procedure was to put the aircraft on the ground ASAP. We were only a short way from a Saber laager position, and as the bright young Warrants that we were, we decided to see if we could turn off the only functional system and see how the aircraft would handle. I had the aircraft, and my Peter Pilot turned off the switch for the number 2 hydraulic system (number one was the one that was inoperable). The helicopter immediately went into a violent right climbing turn, and I could not budge the cyclic, as much as I wanted to. As I was yelling to get the operable hydraulics turned back on, the Peter Pilot was reading my mind. As he flipped the switch back on, we both realized that if we should lose both hydraulics, we were screwed. We put the bird down at the Saber laager, hitched a ride back to Cu Chi in a passing slick, and left our aircraft to be towed back by a Chinook.
We learned more than we ever wanted to know about NVA 50 Cal. antiaircraft machineguns during this time. They were really 51s, being 12.7mm, but who was counting. The NVA were very good at setting up
triangulated AA positions, and when we would roll in on one, two others would open up from other directions on us. When the bullets went by, there was a loud "POP", and I swear that the tracers looked as big as
basketballs when directed at us. On one mission, I remember getting shot at by 4 different 50s from four different directions at the same time, with the tracers crossing each other and our ship as their intersection point. When the aircraft took a 50 hit, it wrenched violently, where with AK fire there might be a bit of noise and possibly you could feel the hit through the cyclic. With a 50, there was no doubt.
I know that on at least three different occasions that I destroyed 50 cal positions. Once, on a night flight in support of ground troops, we rolled in on the enemy which was engaging our grunts. As I touched off
the first rocket, two 50s opened up on us. One of them was almost on line with my line of attack, and with a small adjustment, I put the ship right on this particular gun crew and dumped all my rockets right on top
of him. At the same time, my wingman took on the other 50, nailing him with rockets, as well. There was no more fire from either of those positions, and I knew that my rockets had been on target. Another occasion was when we were again fired upon by a triangulated position, and one of the positions had the misfortune of being directly in front of me as I started my gun run. He, too, got several 2.75" rockets poured on top of him. This one was in the daytime, and not only did we not get any return fire, but we also got a secondary explosion, which indicated that the NVA also had other armaments in that position.
Another time, also during the height of Tet, we got scrambled to assist an ARVN company between Cu Chi and Saigon. It was reported to us that they were pinned down in a villa, and needed air support. When we got in the air, we made contact with the ARVNs US advisor via FM radio. As soon as we talked to him, we learned that he was wounded, laying in the courtyard of the villa, and that his ARVN troops had retreated to a safe area. They refused to make an attempt to retrieve the wounded American, wanting us to soften the enemy. We learned from the advisor that there was probably a platoon sized NVA element in a villa building about 30 yards from him, and as we made a low pass over the American's position, we received heavy AK fire, and a single 50 opened up on us, as well. We told the American to take whatever cover he could, and made a pass directly at the NVA building, breaking back over the wounded soldier. Again, we and our wingman took heavy fire, and my aircraft was rocked by a hit from the 50. But now we had the 50's position, and on my second pass I placed about 6 or 7 rockets right on top of him. The American, who could see what had happened from his very close position, told us that one of the rockets had been a direct hit on the 50 crew's position. The AK fire lessened, as well, and we called upon the ARVN to go after the advisor. They weren't about to budge. The American was trying to maintain radio contact with us, but it was plain that he was badly wounded, and our orders to the ARVN leader became more and more demanding that they go after him so that we could get him medevaced to Cu Chi, which was only a 5 minute flight away. No, they would not go after him. It was at this time that we seriously contemplated rolling in on the ARVN troops, since the cowardly little bastards were not about to save the poor American. Not wishing to be courtmartialed, we decided that we would not kill our supposed allies, but it was Oh so tempting. Our crew was fuming, screaming every kind of obscenity at our Brothers in Arms, who were going to let that American soldier die because of their cowardice. We flew ever lower and slower over the wounded American, firing miniegun and door guns at the NVA position until there was no return fire. Even then, the spineless bastards refused to retrieve what was now the body of an American serviceman, there in their
country to save them from Communism. We left, helpless, without ammo, furious, and hoping that the NVA would kill every cowardly ARVN in that contingent. When I returned to our Operations, I gave an angry account of our allies' fighting ability, which I was assured would be forwarded to a higher authority. I don't know if anything happened to that ARVN unit, but I hope that they were all killed. They richly deserved it.
Tet rolled on. Day after day, the battles, rocket and mortar attacks, sleepless nights and constant contact became a blur. It is amazing that when under this type of combat stress, the body seems to be on auto
pilot, and exhaustion from lack of sleep becomes almost normal to the point that we seemingly could still perform well for days on end. I am sure that our combat readiness suffered badly, but we were all so tired
that nobody seemed to notice. The Offensive lasted a month, and during that time my unit alone was in on the deaths of many, many VC and NVA. Our losses were zero killed, but several wounded. In the war of
attrition, there can be little doubt as to who the victor was. While we decisively won the battles during Tet, and put such a crimp in the enemy that the VC were virtually wiped out during the time, the press corps
and the anti-war protestors gave the victory to the North. The political ramifications were harmful to the war effort, and the high officials did little to make it better. Tet became a political victory for the Communists, despite them getting their butts severely kicked militarily. Those of us who were doing the fighting and saw how both sides were faring never could understand how the NVA/VC got one in the Win column for this fight, but that is how the history books record the Tet Offensive.
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers,
For he today that sheds his blood with me, Shall be my brother."
-Wm Shakespeare-
Well guys Until next month..keep a smile on your face and your skids out of the TreesJ--Ron