Wakeland Dr Mort 6 2016

I vividly recall stepping off the plane in South Vietnam. Stepping through the door of the plane, the heat & humidity hit you like a ton of bricks. I instantly broke out in a profuse sweat that never ceased the whole time I was there. True confessions, had to look profuse up – I have about 5 Franklin Word Spellers, thank God!! Never could spell good.



Was initially assigned to a mechanized unit along the DMZ. We rode in APC’s (Amoured Personnel Carriers) with .50 cal machine guns. Am in the guts of one next door. Our task was to halt any massive invasion of the North Vietnamese across the DMZ. In the back of my mind I kept thinking of “Custer’s Last Stand.� I thought if I can make it to the river, and hold my breath, I may make it to the ocean. Never had to test that!



Cleaning one’s self was far and few between. The uniform became a smelly mess of sweat, blood, and mud. On one occasion, the Perfum River became a welcomed bath after months without much personal hygiene. One platoon at a time while the other stood guard. We all stood naked in the water, but with our M-16’s held ready to use if necessary. Wish I had that pic – laugh. Geeze,  that water was cold as ice, but felt soooo good. Clean, finally!



Some aspects of war you can share, and some things you leave inside, for they are unthinkable for those who have never faced death straight in the face. Some boys cracked, or “went off the deep end,� whatever you wanna call it, and had to be sent home in “straight jackets.� I felt lucky to have survied, mentally, perhaps it was the fact I watched too may GI Joe movies and played “Army� as a child? Without getting into the details I was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery, 4th down from the Medal of Honor. My men derseved it more. Nuff said. Oh, the ole “flintlock� under my medal is for being under enemy fire for so many days – Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Proud I have that one too!



Monsoons in full swing, Nixon wants to reduce troops in Vietnam. If you are going back to school, you can get an “early out� says our “second Luie (Lieutant).� Letters began flying out from me to various schools. Ya know, it was nice to write where the stamp goes, “FREE.�



University of Wisconsin graduate school accepts me. Thank God, see Lieutant, I’m going back to school. Good job “Sarge,� fill out this paper work and you’re on your way back to the states.



Horror stories abound about leaving Vietnam. Did you hear about that flight yesterday? A Vietnamese RPG (rifle propelled gernade) slammed into the plane as it was taking off and all were killed. We process out, it’s New Years, we save our tracer rounds and in the compound we fire off like drunken teenagers. Next day, silence as we get on the plane, will we get hit with an RPG as we take off? Oh my God, women with round eyes – drop dead gorgeous, they smell heavenily. Engines reve, down the runway, lift off, in the air, higher we go, we are out of range of those damn RPG’s. The most explosvie shouts came from all on board, we are alive and we are headed home. Hello Fort Lewis Washington we are back from “across the pond.� Where are the “shit burners� we all laughed – inside joke for Vietname Vets.



Processing out was a joke. Some young “second lieu� asked how many wanted to “re-up?� Of the 30 or 40 men in the room all of us waded up the “re-up� papers and throw them at this young nim-wit who had not seen one day of combat in his life. He says, “you can’t do the to me.� We respond with verbal abuse calling him very un-mentionable names. He knows he’s out classed and slinks away.



747 back to Kingsport, Tennessee where the wife has been waiting. Been up now for several days. Am a walking zombie. Met at the airport with geers and condemnation by protestors, where the hell is my M-16, will send those spinless nematoads to hell.



Posted By: NS Administrator - 05-13-2016
Views: 1604