Letters to Mike 5

November 26, 1967 Letter to Mike
Dear Mike,

I’ve forgotten the chapter numbers; what’s this no. 6?

Let me first explain about our “Rat Pack” and our Lt. Cito.

Like I said before, the Recon platoon mostly ran convoy security, etc., and therefore operated on their own and were in the base camp very seldom. They got the name “Rat Patrol” from the jeeps similar to the TV show.

Recon got quite a good reputation in the field, but in base camp they were accused, always, of stealing spare tires, tools, and cases of beer, etc., whenever they were in camp. Not all, in fact, probably very few of the accusations were false. It was (and still is to some extent) a platoon of con-men and rogues.

Some of the old-timers when I got here had been on some of last year’s big operations with the battalion’s infantry line companies, but mostly as a security force. Their contact with the VC [Viet Cong] was very limited, but the few times they saw VC the result was good. The record shows in three years of existence, the recon platoon hadn’t lost a man except for the rotation back home.

Part of the success for 7 months was due to Lt. Cito. He really knew his business and wouldn’t take orders from anybody if he disagreed with them. He’d tell a colonel to get fucked in such a way that the “Bird” would be apologizing for being such an asshole. He’s definitely a cool mother fucker.

Well, they pulled us out of Sugar Mill to go to Bao Trai to work with a platoon of ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Viet Nam].

Bao Trai is the capitol of Hau Nghia province, and the ARVN platoon was a special handpicked group specially put together to react to direct intelligence reports from the province S-2 office. Hence the name S-2 platoon.

In the NINE months they operated before we got there, they – 25 little ARVNs and their US captain – had killed 300 VC, with no loss of life on their side, and only 3 wounded!! This at first sounded unbelievable, but later I understood how it was done. The S-2 went out on direct intelligence from secret agents among the VC (real 007 type) and Chieu Hois [defected VCs]. Their missions - as well as ours – were all short two or three hour jobs, with targets such as three VC tax collectors. Almost an assassination team. They had large contacts but always came out on top. The S-2 is an outstanding unit.

We were there to add our fire power and knowhow to train their force. We became C.R.I.P. – Combined Reconnaissance and Intelligence Platoon.

We are for the most part free of any brigade or battalion control. We wear what we want in the field, and carry not only the M-16, but some people who don’t trust the thing, carry US 30 cal. carbines, M-1s, M-14s, Thompson submachine guns, grease guns (an actual gun) and one guy who has left, used to carry a Chinese AK-47 assault rifle he had taken during a large battalion operation last (1966) August.

Some of the weird weapons have disappeared with the people who have gone home, but we still wear non-issued camouflaged fatigues of various designs, bush hats, and there are a few tennis shoes worn in the swamps. We don’t carry the normal ammo pouches and web gear and steel pots (helmets). Mostly it’s bush hats, bandoliers, or specially tailored magazine vests we have made in town. We travel light as possible. Just recently the commander of the 29^th division authorized CRIP members to wear black berets as an award for our record.

We stay in an advisory team compound which is nearly as nice as Duc Hoa – trees, grass, indoor plumbing, showers, club, bar, movies. It’s small but quite comfortable, compared to a line company we have it made – I wouldn’t trade it for anything except a ticket to Columbus, Ohio.

Our operation is the same as the S-2’s before. Direct intelligence and short, quick, effective missions. When there is no intel, we relax and live, but intel comes at any time – usually, it seems just before chow, and we grab our guns and bullets and move out by foot, jeep, or chopper.

Our first mission we really learned to appreciate the ARVN. I learned that several of them are former VC!! They are tremendous at finding booby traps before they find you, and VC hiding places for weapons and shit. They’re really fine. A few speak English, but even without it, after a while language was no barrier to communication and understanding.

The land we operate on is all flat rice paddies waffled by small foot high, more or less, dikes which we walk on whenever possible. It’s wet and rough going at times, but now they’re beginning to dry up with the coming of dry season. The land is dotted with wooded areas – hedge rows, where the people build their homes. Here is where the action takes place, in these hedge complexes. They usually are our objectives.

Then there is the swamp by the Oriental River (size of the Sciota River). Two or three miles on each side of the river is marsh waist deep and tangled with grass, scrub bush, and even jungle. Fierce biting ants, leeches, artillery – water is a haven for hiding VC. I hate the swamp – give me rice paddies any day.

We walk I would guess nearly, on average, 3 miles a day. We go out nearly every day, but there are times when we have say, eight days straight with no operations.

Don’t get the idea we get shot at every time we go out. 90% of our missions have negative results. Booby trap, etc., are not an everyday thing. Maybe even rare. It’s not as hairy as some places in this country.

Day missions don’t bother me anymore – it’s night missions that scare the hell out of me. The whole place is different at night. There’s a VC in every shadow. You can’t see where you’re going or where to hide if someone starts shooting. It’s just plain damn scary. Thank God night missions are relatively few.

Our first body count (VC killed) was on the second operation. We were after 4 VC officials in a hedge complex by the swamp. We were sweeping through the area searching houses and had found some ammo boxes with U.S. M-16 magazines – loaded! They were under a pile of hay. Our Chieu Hoi guide led us right to them. – he had put them there a week before he gave up!!

The ARVNs uncovered all 4 VC in holes along the riverbank, and shot them where they hid. U.S. troops would never have found the well-concealed holes.

Since then we’ve done well. Our best was on August 17 when we flew after a squad of VC and ran into 27 which we killed as they were running away from us. It wasn’t 27 all running in a group, but as we entered a hedge row a couple would run out. We’re taught if it runs, it’s VC. Some had weapons but were so surprised by our airborne (helicopters) assault they had no time to fire back. It was like a turkey shoot. The gun ship accounted for 10 as they tried to run for the swamp.

The night before, we received word that according to a captured document we were in third place on a list of people or groups to be eliminated by the VC in this area. The first two were individuals they wanted to kill and three was “to inflict heavy casualties on the “the Rat Platoon”. After we killed 27 in 3 hours work, I’m sure we moved up to number 1.

The gunships I mentioned are nothing but the same helicopters we ride in, only armed with rockets, mini-guns, and grenade launchers. I’m sure you’re familiar with rockets and grenade launchers, but that mini-gun is something else. It shoots 7.62 mm  ammo (M-16 & M-60) but at a rate of 6000 rounds per minute, through six rotating barrels!! The M-60 shoots 800 rpm as a comparison. This mini-gun sounds more like a model airplane engine or a 2-cycle lawn mower when it fires, instead of a gun. It’ll cover a football field completely in 3 seconds, with every round only a foot apart!!

While we’re on weapons, I’ll tell you what CRIP has. Every man except for the machine gunners (4 M-60s) and grenade launchers (3 in Recon and several others in S-2) carry M-16s, including the S-2 – the first and only ARVN unit in VN to be so equipped. Except for a few who would rather carry dependable carbines. One guy carries two anti-tank rockets. Every man in Recon carries grenades, his basic ammo load of 9 M-16 magazines, or 30 M-79 (grenade launcher) rounds. Or 150 M-60 rounds. The rest of the M-60 ammo is divided among the other men, 100 round belt to each until there are 600 rounds per each of the 4 guns. One of which I used to carry.

Some interesting M-16 facts, then this goes into an envelope and I’ll have to start a third letter. This one’s getting too big. I’ll have to put postage on it if it gets much heavier. How many pages counting both sides was the first? These three together will have to be the longest letter I’ve ever written.

You’ve heard stories about the jamming characteristics of the M-16 – believe them. It’s a real piece of shit on that account. It jams after carbon or dust builds up in the chamber and the round expands with the explosion when fired, and jams in the chamber. The bolt fails to eject it. You need a bore rod to pound it out. That’s too close tolerances in the chamber and a powder that burns too hot and expands the cartridge too much.

Any failing of the round in chamber is caused by poor magazines, not the weapon.

I’ve heard that the gas ports are too small and build up carbon and the bolt is not pushed back. Bull shit! There is too much pressure in that gas tube for anything to build up – it is blown out. When fired in automatic, the gun operates TOO fast and sometimes the face of the bolt does not contact the cartridge before it is fired, and the cartridge is not ejected and the gun jams. The firing pin gets ahead of the bolt, it fires so fast. It fires 1 magazine of 20 rounds in 1 second!

Keeping the gun clean is fine, but after about 2 or 3 magazines, the carbon buildup in the chamber is enough to cause jamming.

But here’s the beauty of the thing. Its power! For only a .223 caliber round, it will ruin your arm if it hits you there. It travels at 32,000 f.p.s. The impact will shatter every bone in your arm if not tear it off completely.

At close range the speed is the primary destroyer. One round will LITERALLY blow out a man’s brain. I’ve seen VC heads only half there, looking like a smashed watermelon with absolutely no brains – or even pieces of skull – anywhere to be seen. This is at close range.

At about 100 meters or so it slows down some, but it is so light that after it slows, if it hits something, it tumbles immediately, tearing a huge hole as it leaves the other side of a person. After 300 meters with tracers - that’s all we shoot – you can see the bullet slow considerably and fall quickly. It’s accurate as hell up to 300 meters – for V.N. that’s plenty distance. All the shooting is close (the purpose of a power shell). Anywhere under 300 meters you don’t have to worry about arc; just aim “center mass” from 2 feet to 300 meters and you’ll hit! It’s beautiful – how it works. It’s made for this war.

I’ve got more to say, but I’ll have to put it in another envelope. Maybe you’ve been wondering about this great record of ours – wait a few more days – you’ll know.

Ain’t I Awful,

Bob