139 days, 15 Jan/68, Mon.
Lazy morning after a crazy night. Someone came in the hutch at about 1:00
saying that everyone was to get up and go to their positions, that there were
50 or so VC breaking the wood line outside of town. We waited for an hour for
an attack, then when nothing happened, went to bed. Late reports said that the
VC were really friendlies on an ambush patrol.
Ever since the big attack, everyone’s a bit nervous. That, plus the fact
that there are a great deal of VC coming into the area every night, from Cambodia. I’ll be glad when the dry season’s over.
I drove a captain to Cu Chi today. On the way we got into a conversation
about nearly everything. It got around to the Combat Artist deal, and I told
him I didn’t know much about it. He said he’d be glad to make inquiries for me.
So now I have a captain on m side.
We hit it off real good. He stays here on the compound and I always knew he
was a real fine guy – not the typical stuffy officer. He’s from Delaware, Ohio. Went to
OSU and had basic AIT and OCS at Ft.
Know – a lot in common.
138 days, 16 Jan/68, Tues.
I got some more slides today – all over-exposed. I think my camera is bad.
No sweat; in 31 days I’ll buy a good one in Hong Kong.
One of the MACV boys just got back and was telling me how nice Hong Kong was. Two of our guys go there the first of Feb.
They’re going to make hotel reservations for me while they’re there (I go the
18th of Feb.). Stayed at home today.
137 days, 17 Jan/68, Wed.
We were scheduled for a joint ARVN operation today, but the first few loads
into the area (2 ARVN battalions) ran into heavy contact and it was 2:30 in the
afternoon before we even left the compound when they finally released the
choppers for us (3 were shot down).
When we went in, it was nearly over and we walked about 1500 meters or so
in the swamps and then walked back to BT. We heard someone still fighting
somewhere to our left as we walked out; just a few shots now and then I guess
on the other side of the river, they had an ARVN company surrounded by 2 VC
battalions and the fighting was hand to hand. They’ve got to do something about
these infiltrations from Cambodia! It’s 13.6
miles away, and 2 VC battalions this close to Bao Trai is too many too close.
Tonight is my night in the water tower. How exciting!
136 days, 18 Jan/68, Thurs.
The tower is only about 50 feet high, but the ladder is so straight up! Two
of the rungs are broken, and held in place with baling wire and the rest are so
rusted they threaten to go any minute (something like the old Rambler).
At the top (a circular area about 20 feet across) there is a tripod for the
shot-up .50 machine guns, and sleeping room for 5. There is a wall of sandbags
4 feet high around the circumference, with improvised poncho shelters for
sleeping.
We could see for miles from the top. I had heard it was cold on top, and
while the wind was blowing, it was. Later on it died down and we slept warm and
comfortably. We had air mattresses, blankets, and field jackets, which we
carried up with us, as well as 2 sandwiches a piece from the mess hall. Oh,
yes, we had a radio (transistor for listening and Army for calling artillery if
need be) and a compass.
We couldn’t see any sense in standing guard since no one could sneak up on
us up there, and if any mortar should come in, we would be up right away.
Besides there were three ARVNs up there who pulled a regular guard shift all
night.
So we ate and then crawled under the poncho shelters and had a better night’s
sleep than I’ve had the past 3 or 4 nights in the hutch.
Today we did nothing.
I got a letter from the parents, saying something about Jere being drafted
for the 24th of Jan. I really am sorry to hear it, but no more than
Jere was I’m sure. I just pray that he somehow manages to stay away from here.
Is the draft 3 years now?
If he goes in on the 24th, he should get out of AIT somewhere
around the 29th of May. So at least we’ll be home on leave at the
same time. I fear, however, that he’ll be going and I’ll be coming back. At
least I’ll be able to give him plenty of up-to-date information, and give him a
little bit of an idea what to expect. Although I hope he’ll be needing
information on Germany or someplace other than
Vietnam. More than ever, now.
Pray for peace, Bob
135 134 days, 19 & 20 Jan/68
Didn’t do anything at all on the 19th. Didn’t even write a
letter – had tower guard again.
The people of Cu Chi did have something to do that night. At about 7:30
they received a ground and mortar attack which lasted till about 10:00. We
really had a ringside seat for the contest – 6 miles away. We could see
everything (you can even see a lighted area on the horizon from the lights of Saigon).
Today I went into Cu Chi and had my khakis washed for R&R. We also got
the new M-16s with the chrome-plated, slightly enlarged chambers. Really nice,
only I haven’t had a chance to fire it yet. I also picked up a copy of the 25th
Division’s weekly paper, and saw a headline which read, “25th
Division Needs Artists”.
All talented and interested people were to submit 3 samples of their work
to the Adjutant General. After my letter tonight, I will be doing some drawing.
We got back from Cu Chi and found we had a mission waiting for us. A
chopper pilot had seen some “VC” dumping “heavy equipment, possibly mortars”
into a small lake outside of Duc Hanh ‘B’.
We went out to check it out. The lake was difficult to find, probably
because the “VC” (farmers) had pumped the lake – actually a pond – all but dry
with the “heavy equipment” which consisted of a water pump and some hose. Well,
that’s one water pump Charlie will never hit us with. I wish all his mortars
would turn into water pumps.
Time to draw. I’ll just add that right now Cu Chi is being hit again
tonight – this time, they’ve already knocked out two of Cu Chi’s tanks. No
sweat; it would talk at least the whole NVA to overrun that base camp.
133 days, 21 January/68, Sunday
Everyone went in to get the new ‘16s today (everyone in VN is supposed to
get them sooner or later). I turned in by three doodles and now it’s “Don’t
call us, we’ll call you”. They have to go from the company orderly room to
battalion HQ, to the Adjutant General’s office, then to the 18th
Military History Detachment, which could be in Saigon
for all I know. I don’t know how long it will take. I just hope the man at the
end of the lone accepts them meanwhile, I wait. If I do go, I’ll go to that detachment
– hopefully in Saigon.
We had a briefing this evening by some of the intelligence officers. They
pointed out to us, from the bunker line, where the VC had 4 machine guns, 2
RGP-7s, and one mortar position, all not more than 400-500 meters away!
All the positions were dug in and well protected. We didn’t destroy them,
so that is and when Charlie comes again, the chances are 80% he’ll use the same
holes, and this time we’ll know where he is – we’ve put up aiming stakes.
So far tonight Cu Chi has been left alone. We have an armored battalion
surrounding Bao Trai tonight, and there’s talk of 1/27, 2/27, and 4/23 armored,
starting an offensive down by the river to try to get rid of the “Red Menace.”
They should have done this before all this got such a good head start.
I heard an intel report on the 19th, while on the water
tower, which gave the positions, in
6-digit quad coordinates, of 5 know VC battalions (269, 267, 506, 507, and 237)
and one unknown battalion. I checked our map and found that they were spread
along highway One from above Trang Bang to below Cu Chi – a spread of about 10
miles!
If it’s not too late, grab the January 22 issue of either Time or Newsweek.
They have small article on our Jan. 8 attack and a picture of the (ugh) dead VC
display on the square. The report is rather distorted. They say the VC had
actually held the town for 2 hours, but didn’t do much terrorizing. Actually it
was the opposite. They terrorized for about 2 hours, but never actually held
the town. They never mention the compound or Recon. I guess TV is the only
place Recon (and our VC flag) rated any mention – can’t think of better place.
132 days, 22 Jan/68, on.
Well, now it’s “don’t call us we’ll call you” for sure. I’ve signed the
request for transfer and it’s on the way; no telling how long it will take to
either go through or be turned down.
While we fooled around in Cu Chi, the rest of the platoon was on a mission.
They killed one VC and had 4 more Chieu Hoi from a hole. Everyone test fired
their new ‘16s, except us in Cu Chi, so I still haven’t tried mine to see if it
works. A few of the others didn’t today.
I hope the rats are quiet tonight. I’ve moved to a lower bunk near the end
of the hutch where the rats have a square dance every night. Last night things
got out of hand and the square dance turned into a regular fire fight.
The rats have become quite a problem here. Every night live traps are set
all around the hutches and every morning we have contest to see who caught the
biggest. Some are huge. We’ve seen some in the field outside the bunker line
that are too big for the traps in fact, it’s a wonder they don’t set off those
mines out there.
They’re so hard to kill. We try to drown them, but they can hold their
breath longer that Lloyd Bridges, and swim better that Don Schollancer. That
one we saw form the bunker was a bruiser. We threw a sand bag at him bit it
bounced off and he picked up and threw it back.
We found the best way is to soak them in gas, while they’re still in the
cage, and light them, and set them loose. They run about 20 feet, then get
burned up they’re probably Buddhist anyway.
131 days, 23 Jan/68, Tues.
The national police captured 3 VC downtown last night, and spent the rest
of the night searching the rest of the town for more – but found none.
I had intended to write Jere a letter, but I just realized that he goes in
tomorrow. Do me a favor and send me his address – don’t forget.
Dad tells that he sold the Alpine for (only) $1200, and that you get the
Cougar and Marlynn gets the Volvo. See, things weren’t so bad after all. Who
gets the Chevelle? Who gets January? Bob
130 days, 24 Jan/68, Wed.
I had my khakis laundered, tailored, and pressed today. Now I start buying
all my authorized brass, ribbons, etc. just to fill up the page:
1. each arm – Spec 4 patch
2. each shoulder epaulette – Wolfhound crest
3. right shoulder – light blue Infantry braid
4. hat – Wolfhound crest
5. right collar – US brass on blue
6. left collar – Infantry brass (crossed rifles on blue)
7. left pocket, top to bottom – C.I.B., National defense ribbon, Vietnamese
ribbon with one star for every 6 mos. In-country, Vietnamese campaign ribbon,
expert M-14 medal, marksman M-16 medal, 25th division patch
8. right pocket – silver star unit award (1/27) and presidential unit
citation with 2 oak leaves, name tag.
A little more than I had when I came home from AIT as an E-2 pvt. I look
like a real war hero. I still might have a bronze star coming. Everyone in CRIP
– the original CRIP – is supposed to get one. That means Marlar, Jones, Raye,
Vance, Doc Brooks, and your truly, will get a bronze star.
The rest of them will get them too, but they will be in the world. Cito got a
silver star.
Doc Brooks is supposed to get another bronze star for bravery under fire
(which he richly deserves for more than one incident). From the night of the 8th
of Jan. when he tried to rescue the 3 guys from the hutch that was hit, while
the rounds were still hitting in the house next door. They had all been killed
instantly, so his efforts were in vain, but the has always been one of our best
heads under fire; better, I dare say, than Lt. Straub or Lt. Enbody.
We’ll have a big awards ceremony – 7 bronze stars, and about 12 purple
hearts for wounds received as a result of hostile action, at various times
during the past 6 months. That’s one medal I don’t want! The orders should all
come this month (Feb.) Plus about 7 PFC to Spec 4 promotions, and 5 Sp. 4 to
Sgt. promotions.
We had a mission at 3:00 this afternoon. We made contact with a squad, and
had our first actual firefight. We traded shots for about 10 minutes. I don’t
think either side even came close to hitting anybody, and when the two gunships
appeared overhead, the VC called it off and melted into the swamp. The choppers
saw nothing, and when we swept the area, we saw nothing. Almost made us believe
they weren’t there at all, and never had been.
Firefights cause butterflies.
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