NDP – OPS – PATROLS
North and West of A-4
Sgt. Barrows/others where were we when we found those NVA
guys who smelled sooo BAD? I recall we smelled them long before we saw them. I
think the artillery had killed them some days before and they sat out there rotting
and waiting for us to find them. We were told to take off their gear. I put my
gas mask on and still couldn't stand the smell. Guess I got a profile not to
take the gear due to extreme nausea. Malan
Yea they definitely had a severe case of BO. Evidently stood
to close to the impacting rounds as they came in. We could smell the
bodies from at least a qtr of a mile away. That was my first day’s introduction
to
I can't remember the COs APC hitting a mine that day we Found all the NVA
bodies rotting but I was sick enough of the smell I can't remember anything
else. If that was your first day in country the only thing you may have missed
was the rockets and mortars that were usual for breakfast. Malan
We were on a hellacious dismounted patrol the day
before. For some reason, we picked the hottest part of the day to go walking in
some of the toughest brush anyone could have thought of. JB was leading the
patrol, I still remember that Duffy kept saying, "what they gonna do, send
me to '
The next day, we went back to the Oasis, where we found 15 or so NVA in the
crispy critter mode. Some bodies looked like they were trying to ward the
flames away as if it were just raining, some were in running poses. It was an
awful sight and the smell was so bad, it had it's own
Apparently the NVA were waiting in ambush for us, and most certainly would have
wiped us out, had we had the energy to walk there. Pineapple
You sure this was the same gooks? These guys smelled
like about 3-4 days old and don't remember and burn damage. Pretty sure this was
artillery defcon stuff. Malan
oh yeah, it was napalm, you remember craters and blown apart bodies, or were
they all intact? I rest my case. Pineapple
Actually, it was hot as hell and the bodies were bloated,
but as far as the smell, it was the normal fucked up dead body smell that we've
all smelled before, They weren't 3-4 days old with
maggots or anything. Pineapple
The temp was way over 80 and they had begun to ripen. The guys had to collect
all weapons and ammo and strip the uniforms off of the bodies. We threw all of
the bodies in a bomb crater and covered them up. All of the shit we collected
was sent back to S-3 for them to analyze. I will never forget the smell.
Keith Eaton
I remember a time out round Con Thien or around there
somewhere on a NDP one night we had our one of our claymores stolen and in its
place was left a piece of paper with a poem on it about some river up north
somewhere, it goes without saying after that we became a lot more proficient in
our own booby traps making and for awhile there we would get one of those
little sneaks in the middle of the night. Do you remember what tank that got
all cleaned up and painted so nice? It was for some visiting senator or
something I can't remember' hell I can't hardly remember my own name sometimes.
Later.
Duke
Does anyone remember when the troop was operating around an abandoned LZ called
Angel (I think that was the name) somewhere up near Charlie 2 in late 1969 or
early 1970? One day the company dropped off around 8 of us from each platoon to
form 3 separate night ambushes. The rest of the troop then went back to
wherever and was going to pick us up the next day. I was with the second
platoon and carrying a M79. Our Sgt. was one that we called Paul Revere because
he always wore a patriot style hat. I can't remember his real name. Anyway we
formed the ambushes and had rendezvous locations in case we engaged and had to
leave quickly. I remember that the second platoon was just off a well-used
trail. Our claymores were placed real close to us. Luckily no one came by that
night and we all hooked back up the next day and waited for the troop to pick
us up in the afternoon. It was one scary night to be that far from our friends
with the ACAVs and tanks.
Bob Taylor
Ya Bob, seems REAL familiar...but I went on what seems like a lot of
ambushes...some were really scary, hell they ALL were scary. Just real lucky
they were mostly all just 'camp outs'!!!!!!!!!! I remember we did blow the
claymores one night when we heard voices moving into the kill zone and laid there the rest of the night scared shitless until we
could get back into the womb in the AM.
Bob Rebbec
John, I remember the night well. I can't remember if I was on the mortar track
or another scout track. The mortar track didn't run most of the time. I
remember that it was a badass place to be after dark. I think that we all hit a
mine or two. I was on the Passion Wagon, I think 23,
when me Scotty and Dierling hit a mine near Rocket Ridge. We had our scrawny
mustaches burned up, but no injuries. That was in July of 1969, one month after
I got in country. Because we were short on APC's, I rode on a tank for a while.
I believe it was 26. APC's don't fair well when the mine hits. It sounds like
we are going to have a bigger reunion this year! I joined the Society of the
Fifth Division and read the article from the chopper pilot but didn't connect
it with Wally. I also received the M48 and an ACAV model. It was interesting
hearing the story of Capt. Spruill and the War Lord.
Bob Taylor
John, I remember
Bob Taylor
I remember when we went on that big task force operation out
by Khe Sahn, then back through the Ba Long Valley in the summer of 1970. They
had a 175mm unit inside our perimeter while we were at the old Marine firebase
Van der Grift. One afternoon they were using the 175s to do H&I fire. They
were shooting into the wooded draws along a ridgeline to our west, probably
less than a mile away. One of the rounds must have hit right at the base of a
big tree. BIG TREE. Hard to say how tall it was, but
it looked like a tree that was 3 to 5 feet in diameter and 30 to 50 feet tall.
That big old 175mm HE round launched the tree straight up. Looked like a rocket
taking off from
Jim Good
One morning, Capt. Kaufman lines up the troop, line abreast
on the road between C2 & A4, facing west. It is a glorious sight, but it is
raining and we're looking at low elephant grass covering a sea of mud. He gives
the signal to "charge. The old 1-2 is slow to move. Everyone
else who does decide to "charge gets stuck. The troop spends the
rest of the day pulling tanks and tracks out.
(Pineapple)
While operating near LZ Nancy, Kaufman decides to lead dismounted "night
patrols into the jungle. It happens that he picks a succession of moonless
nights. No one can see. People have to have physical contact with the person in
front of them, and even then, the person in front of them often disappears down
unseen bomb craters. It is very slow going. One of these patrols gets
horrifically lost and opens fire on an ARVN outpost when Kaufman hears
Vietnamese voices and orders us to shoot. When the return fire sounds like
M-16's, we flee. The next morning, we discover that we have caused KIA and WIA
on an ARVN outpost. The night patrols are stopped, and nobody is the wiser.
The 1st platoon scouts are offered LRRP rations and camouflage fatigues if they
volunteer to make long range dismounted patrols out into the bush from
(Pineapple)
BR: "I dropped off the track like the experienced IDIOT I was (I'd been
in-country almost 13 months), took an M79 into a wash-out and ran smack into a
GOOK. The '79 chose then to miss fire! (lucky for me
really. We were only about 6 or 7 FEET apart!) The Sarg had followed me in ( which I didn't know) and covered me as I ran for my
life!!!!"
(Bob Rebbec)
Was that the day after the new troop commander took over
after CPT Smith? Would have been the summer of 1970 sometime.
If it is the incident I'm thinking of, the 2nd Plt was on the northwest side of
a stream, and sent some people in to check it out. The 3rd Plt was on the southeast
side. After you guys ran into the gook(s), I saw 3 of them in the open through
the sights of my Sherridan. Unfortunately, one of our 3rd Plt tracks was right
in line between me and the gooks, just downhill a bit, and the second platoon
was straight on beyond the stream. I wanted to fire up the 3 NVA, but the new
troop commander and my TC said not to. That was one of only two times in
(Jim Good)
A couple of unlucky NVA troopers, an RPG team, were crawling up to our NDP one
afternoon in July 1969 when we were working to the west of LZ Nancy doing
"blocking" assignments. Track 1-3 neglected to retrieve their
claymore ambush from the night before. Their philosophy was: if we aren’t going
nowhere (& we weren't because we were waiting for
a mechanic to install a needed part for my track) why bring in their stuff?
Ka-boom the NVA ran into the ambush. The rest of us thought that it was
incoming and dove for the dirt. 1-3 started firing wildly into the bush because
they knew what it was. To make a long story short, that night, when it was my
turn for guard at around
Drake was one of my first tank commanders in
(Jim Good)
Got an E- Mail at last. Even learned how to check it. Need to send Sgt Barrows the
history of the cav. We were talking the other day and we've both got stuff to
add (pages). Some you may not want to publish, but a lot is humor, like
One time on the Z we found a tunnel and using a tank jumper cable lowered Lt.
Canda down the hole with his .45 caliber pistol. Was really
steep. While he went to explore the hole, Dodds and me pulled up the
cable and let him sweat for a while, yuck, yuck. Malan
The entire troop was working one day on the Z, we were heading for a ridge line
and ran into muddy dirt and had to detour about 400 yards to the left. As we
were turning back to the ridge 5 or 6 large blasts went off on the ridge where
we had 1st approached the ridge. The NVA had set up claymores and would have
peppered us if we hadn't had to move to the left. Barky was in the air and
radioed he could see the NVA running on the other side of the ridge. The entire
troop pulled on line and opened up on the valley. We shot all of the main gun
ammo in the turret, called in air strikes with F4s, arty etc., When the smoke cleared a bit the CO told 1st platoon to
sweep the valley and 2&3rd stayed on the ridge. The 3 tanks were out in
front of the APC's by 30yds. or so. Barky or the CO
was talking on the radio saying we were about to run over the NVA we were so
close to them. I couldn't see anything but jungle thru the sight on A17 but
fired several canister rounds anyway. Sgt Barrows said the barrel was pointing
down when I fired and Bamboo and crap flew all over the place...he thought we
had been hit for a minute. After a couple of rounds I shouted to the loader I
wanted another canister round and got no response. I looked over and the loader
was gone. I ask Barrows where he was and he said "the back deck". I
told him to tell him to get back inside. He wouldn't get back in. I think this
was Dodds when he was fresh off an APC. Anyway I loaded and fired several
rounds myself. About this time an NVA stepped out from behind a bush and Sgt.
Barrows shot him 2 times with the .50 in the upper leg. The CO called down and
said if he was alive S2 needed prisoners. We pulled up beside him and he had
his hands underneath him as if he might have a grenade. We let him bleed for a
while due to this danger. In the meantime the 1st platoon had stopped the
sweep. Lt Canda's APC was to our right rear about 20 yards away and there was a
bomb crater between us. The Lt. dismounted and was walking around with his .45
pistol. I had left the turret and was sitting beside Sgt Barrows with an M16.
Sgt Barrows always kept his .45 under his .50 cal (use to tease him that the
only thing it was good for was to shoot himself to prevent capture) and I
suddenly see him pull his pistol and begin to swing it back towards the Lt.
Knowing something was up I followed his swing with the M16. As Barrows came
down just about in line with the Lt. I see an NVA crawling out of this bomb
crater maybe 10 feet or so from the Lt. Barrows popped him with the .45 and I
emptied the clip on the M16 in one burst...Poor Lt started shouting "it's
me, it's me!" as if we were shooting at him Yuck, yuck. Malan
Then there was the time Aug? The brains from higher up came up with the mounted
ambush. Three M48s sneaking up on the NVA and ambushing them...go figure.
Anyway we were south of
Last week when I was talking to Barrows he said he remembers
trying to crawl into his steel pot. It stopped after that 3rd round. It was
8-inch gunfire. I recall it was the South Vietnamese being trained that fired
on us. Barrows remembers it was our own guys. Either way it was a hell of an
experience. Malan
I can't remember where we were but we were out in the field somewhere and sat up the NDP late. We had fire support from a 4.2" mortar outfit that night. Sgt Barrows called the mortar group on the radio to request an airburst marker round so we could get them on target. A few minutes later we heard a THUD out in front of our tank. Barrows called the team to tell them that the round was a dud and ask them to repeat the airburst. That round worked perfectly. The next morning I went out to pick up the trip flares and there was a 4.2" high explosive round sticking in the ground about 20 yards in front of A17. We had all been sitting around on the top of the tank when it hit and surely would have been peppered if the thing had gone off. Those guys must have been hitting the booze or smoke pretty heavy that might. Malan
Pineapple after we got the Sheridans and Sgt Barrows started getting the short timers increase Sphincter tone syndrome we started letting some of the other tanks take point. I think it was SSgt Skolnzovch in his Sheridan that hit 2 mines in about 2 weeks. The 1st one blew him and his entire .50cal turret off his tank with him inside it. Seems the next one was sort of a dud. A W.P. round went off under his tank. Seems that someone had stepped on a mine during this same period while dismounted. If memory serves me this SSgt had only been in country for a short time. He would hang his butt off the side of the tank to take a dump so he didn't have to dismount. Malan
We were set up in NDP out towards the beach somewhere in the
middle of nowhere and as I recall only 1st platoon was there. I was sitting up
on top of the turret behind the .50 cal doing my guard shift looking at the
fireworks here and there when I notice a twin 40mm open up. It was a long way
off and looked like it wouldn't come close to us. I was watching the tracers
burn out different colors at different ranges and began to realize it was going
to impact closer to us than I first thought. The guns were still firing when
the first rounds hit maybe 60-70 meters out to the north of us and proceeded to
sweep his fire through the platoon and stopped firing a little south of the
NDP. After a few minutes (reloading no doubt) they started firing again and
sweep back thru the platoon. Don't remember anyone getting wounded, do remember
itching to squeeze off a few 90mm rounds to return the favor. Do you remember
where we were Sgt B?
Malan.
Jerry Are you talking about the time we were on the North side of the Cua Viet
River setting up our NDP and the Riverine Boat came down the River and was
firing the twins. Cpt Merk Merk called for the Mortar track to pop illum and I
was screaming No NO!! but they popped one and the Navy thought they had found a
good target, Us!! Everyone was up under the tracks while they were shooting the
Hell out of us. Finally got them stopped. That incident definitely stands out
in my mind!!
Sgt B
My 19 track was with me all the time. Don't ever remember calling for mortar fire except for one night we were called out to secure an AVLB that was stuck in the field (what is was doing I never had a clue!), but we were called out & set up a defensive perimeter. When it started to get dark they really didn't want to spend the night (I'm thinking we were at C-4 at the time, but not positive) so I had Sgt Lawrence fire illum so they could keep working. He fired every round they had and they finally got the damn thing unstuck. On the way back I got a call that there were friendlies in our area who had been sent out to back us up if necessary.
I had to tell my platoon
not to fire and we passed about a platoon-sized group of grunts that was going
out to set up an ambush in case Charlie showed up to see what the fuss was
about. Never did hear if they had any luck. I just don't remember having any
targets to use the mortars on. I think I used to hook it up with the 15 track
and use them as scouts. The platoon sergeant and I used to let men move tracks
or tanks if there was a need. I think I had an 11Bravo that became a tank
driver. Does anyone remember if that was Troy?
(Kershner)
Thanks six, I'd written what I knew about it, but as Jim said, we were just
pawns doing what we were told, never had a clue what the overall purpose was,
who else was involved or half the time, even where we were. Great to have the
big picture. One incident I didn't write in my journal (but I know happened)
and haven't heard anyone else reference, was the big perimeter fire that
happened on that big 5th Div. sweep where we had more of the 5th in the bush
than back at Quang Tri. Jim, (or Six) you seem to know all the details - still
envious of your memory - but weren't we real close to Laos on that one? Anyway,
someone's trip flare went off and lit up the elephant grass and the wind caught
it and we had to scramble to get as many claymores in as possible before the
fire got there. One track (tank?) was surrounded by fire and they used a dozer
to push dirt against it. We were beating back flames w/ our shirts and anything
else be could get our hands on. Wild & crazy night.
Skee
The big grass fire was in the Ba Long Valley, as we were returning from Van der
Grift & the Rock Pile to Quang Tri via the scenic route. The operation was
"Task Force 1-77 Armor" and it took place during the summer of 1970.
As you said, half the frickin brigade must have been on it. During the part of
that operation where the fire occurred, the artillery had already gone home via
QL-9, and the Cav, and I suppose most of 1-77 Armor and 1-61 Infantry along
with maybe some other support elements, were headed back through the Ba Long
Valley, then over some hills, and finally across the Quang Tri river near the
big bend south of the French Fort. We were out in that area for several days.
If I recall correctly, we had been starting fires during the day with WP to
clear out any cover that the bad guys might have used to set up ambushes
behind. I don't know if the wind changed direction at night after we set up the
NDP, or if a new fire was started by a flare or WP round while registering Def
Cons. It seems that at least one daisy chain of claymores went off in the fire,
though I don't think anyone was seriously wounded by it. Big excitement, that
night, however. After the night of the fire, I think we were still in that area
for a couple more days. There were some AVLBs that we used to cross a couple of
very deep streambeds in the hills when we continued back toward Quang Tri. If I
recall correctly, we spent at least one more night in the hills on the way back
before returning to the Quang Tri area. I know the 3rd Platoon stayed on a
hilltop over-watching an AVLB one night, and we had movement in the streambed,
and fired up the area with one or more mad minutes of machinegun fire. The next
day, the AVLB crews had a hard time raising their bridge because of all the
damage we had done to it with small arms fire the night before. That was the
first time that most of us had been anywhere near the Rock Pile, Van der Grift,
or the Ba Long Valley. At the trooper level, we really didn't know very much
about where we were, or what we might expect to encounter out there. We did
know that we were close to Laos, and pretty well out in Indian Country. Pucker
factor was rather high throughout that operation. LT Schorpp and I talked about
this operation when we were at the reunion last year in Las Vegas. Earl Schorpp
thinks that it was done as a dress rehearsal for the Operation Lam San 519 or
whatever that cluster fuck was right after the first of the year in 1971 when
the ARVNs went into Laos and got their clocks cleaned. There is a picture that I
took of that grass fire in my slides on the picture site, on page 3 of the
photo albums.
Jim Good
Dang you and that fantastic memory of yours!! You still
remember more than I ever knew in the first place!! - even if it is a
"refreshed by Lt." memory. Thanks a bunch for the info, I'll print it
and add it to my collection. As I remember, we went there at almost the same
time they were crossing into Cambodia down south with much success and the
general feeling was that we might be going to try the same thing w/ Laos - but
then after sitting around on our thumbs for a few days w/o the top brass
knowing the next move - which further led to the belief things were coming down
daily straight from God, the Pentagon or somewhere up high, we just packed up
and as you said, took the scenic route home. VERY anti-climatic!!
Skee
1st Platoon was guarding Hwy. 1; we were facing the Rock 2nd or 3rd Plt. was to
our left rear on another hill as you face the Rock. They were overran with NVA
and had to call for our platoon to fire on their position with small arms and
mortars. They had dug in and had constructed bunkers while located on that hill
for two weeks. Charlie was trying to dig into their bunkers that night. We
could see gooks running in the perimeter as trip flares were burning. Our
orders were to fire at anyone we saw in the light--for all our guys were either
in bunkers or dead. Our position got plastered by incoming rockets every
afternoon about 3:00 o'clock. One guy (Greg Sessions) from my track (12) and another
guy along with a FO were airlifted to the top of the Rock to spot the location
from where the rockets were being launched. Arty from FSB Vandergriff would
plaster them. Khe Sanh was an adventure and a nightmare! [Buddy Puryear]
Wally
Welcome to the Club. I was on 13 in Feb of 1969 when it hit a mine and I still
have two scars on my forehead and one across the bridge of my nose that reminds
me of that night almost everyday. I couldn't even wear a baseball cap for years
as it would bother me. That is one club I really never wanted to join, but
thank God I only got scared and didn't lose anything but alot of
blood. That was the first time I ever rode on a track that Lucky Lou Larson
wasn't driving and damn if I didn't get hurt. I only trusted riding with Larson
and Ken Dye after that night. I'll also never forget the reception I got about
5 days later when I returned to LZ Nancy from the hospital and all the Troop
saw me walking down the road to the front gate. They didn't know if I had lived
or if I got sent home and would never be seen again. That day really proved to
me that I was in a SPECIAL unit with the greatest guys you could ever serve
with. I truly felt that every guy in that unit was my real Brother, It's a
feeling I have never forgotten and thank God all the time for letting me have
it and still be here to appreciate it,
Peace, Rag
. You also were saying about land mines. One day i was behind one of our tanks on a convoy and he turned a
sharp turn and pryed a land mine out of the ground in
front of me. What a close call! Another time up at the D.M.Z. i threw a track on my A.P.C.. The Captain left me and a
tank there by ourselves untill i
got the track back on. When we where leaveing the
tank backed onto an anti- personel mine. I thought
that was the end of the line for us. I don,t remember
the tank number, but i remember that the sgt. was shot and served another year in Nam..
Big Al
Big Al The tank commander I think was Sgt D [Jersey]