WARNING!    This section has disturbing and graphic descriptions of shocking physical damage to the flesh and horrible human suffering.  Skip over the red italic sections if your are easily affected.  The story will still be complete, only lacking some of it's emotional impact.  You may never get over the memory of those scenes depicted in red italics.  I know I haven't over a quarter of a century later.  I am serious...you don't need to read these sections to understand the stories.  I relate them only to be true to the reality of the horror of warfare. It's these memories that keep veterans silent about combat for so long afterwards.   


4th Infantry Division Commanders
Rank - Name - Date Assumed Command

BG David O. Byars, AUG 1966
MG Arthur S. Collins, Jr., SEP 1966
MG William R. Peers, JAN 1967
MG Charles P. Stone, JAN 1968
MG Donn R. Pepke,  DEC 1968
MG Glenn D. Walker, NOV 1969
MG William A. Burke, JUL 1970
BG Maurice K. Kendal (acting), DEC 1970
 

1st Brigade 4th Infantry Commanders

Col Joseph E. Fix III, 24 APR 68 - 23 OCT 68
Col Hale H. Knight, 24 OCT 68 - 31 JAN 69

Battalion 8th Infantry Commanders

LTC William W. Tombaugh, 2 MAR 68 - 1 SEP 68
LTC William D. Old, 2 SEP 68 - 19 JAN 69
LTC Allen M. Buckner, 20 JAN 69 - 31 JAN 69

FEB - MAR 1969 1/8th Commanders

Bn XO, MAJ Donald W. Androsky
Bn S-3, MAJ John M. Trebbe
Bn S-2, LT Terry W. Ward
Bn S-3 Air, CPT Garnett L. Jarrett
Company A, CPT David Hockett
Company B, CPT James Deross
Company C, CPT Stephen J. DeHart...CPT Herbert F. Gagne
Company D, CPT Ted N. Yamashita
Company E, LT James R. Ghent

Additional Info about Commanders and Dates would be appreciated....

Division Headquarters Locations in Vietnam

Pleiku, SEP 1966 - FEB 1968
Dak To, MAR 1968
Pleiku, APR 1968 - FEB 1970
An Khe/Pleiku, MAR 1970
An Khe, APR 1970 - DEC 1970

Infantry Battalions and Nicknames

1st Bn, 8th Inf - Bullets
1st Bn, 12th Inf - Red Warriors
1st Bn, 14th Inf - Golden Dragons
1st Bn, 22nd Inf - Regulars
1st Bn, 35th Inf - Cacti Green
2nd Bn, 8th Inf - Mechanized Panthers
2nd Bn, 12th Inf - White Warriors
2nd Bn, 22nd Inf - Triple Deuces
2nd Bn, 35th Inf - Cacti Blue
3rd Bn, 8th Inf - Dragoons
3rd Bn, 12th Inf - Braves
3rd Bn, 22nd Inf - Regulars

4th Infantry Division Operations

Attleboro, 14 SEP - 24 NOV 1966

Paul Revere IV, 18 OCT - 30 DEC 1966 ... PAVN KIA 977

Sam Houston, 1 JAN - 5 APR 1967 ... PAVN KIA 733

Junction City, 22 FEB - 14 May 1967

Francis Marion, 5 APR - 12 OCT 1967 ... PAVN KIA 1,203

MacArthur, 12 OCT 1967 - 31 JAN 1969 ... US KIA 700+, PAVN KIA 5,731

Battle of Dak To, 3 NOV - 21 NOV 1967 ... US KIA 376, ARVN KIA 73, PAVN KIA 1,644

Walker, 16 JAN 1968 - 31 JAN 1969

Pershing II, 20 JAN - 1 MAR 1968

Patrick, 1 MAR - 31 MAR 1968

Mathews, 24 MAY - 12 JUN 1968

McClain, 20 JAN 1968 - 31 JAN 1969

Hines, 1 FEB 1969 - 17 NOV 1970

Wayne Dart, 2 FEB - 7 FEB 1969

Wayne Grey, 1 MAR - 14 APR 1969 ... 45 days ...4th Infantry, 5 Bn's - Kontum and Pleiku Provinces. US KIA 76, PAVN KIA 608

Wayne Javelin, 13 APR - 18 OCT 1969

Putnam Tiger, 22 APR - 22 SEP 1969 ... 154 days ... 4th Infantry, 8 Bn's - Kontum and Pleiku Provinces.  US KIA 81, PAVN KIA 563

Any additional information for this section would be appreciated.

1968-1970.

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Click on Globe to see animated Gif file created from Google Earth of Flight From

Seattle Washington to the Republic of Vietnam...Sixteen hours flight time, 12,000 miles ... half way around the world, with stops in Alaska and Narita, Japan.

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Some sounds you may remember from Vietnam will posted here. Please add to them if you can.
Click on the icon to go to my sounds of Vietnam Page.  

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The time line entries below indicate incidents which I intend to turn into stories in the future and shows the relationship to stories already completed.                 Any help in recreating any of these events will be greatly appreciated.

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Record of periods of service of
Richard J. Steedly in the Confederate States Armies
during the United States Civil War
(1861 - 1865).

1. Richard J. Steedly enlisted at Summerville, South Carolina, April 11, 1861, for one year's service in Company "F", South Carolina Volunteers, Confederate States Armies.

2. He reported as present at roll call and muster, held at Coles Island, April 11, 1862, and was discharged.

3. He re-enlisted at Coles Island, April 12, 1862 and was advanced to the rank of Second Sergeant, between May 18th and December 31st, 1862. On this date, April 12, 1862, a reorganization was held, and Company "F", S. C. Vol CSA was mustered in as Company "G".

4. He was advanced to the rank of First Sergeant between January 1st and January 15th, 1863.

5. Promoted from First Sergeant to Second Lieutenant, January 15, 1863.

6. Promoted from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant, April 16, 1863.

7. Reported as present on roll call and muster, April 30, 1863.

8. Reported on June 30, 1863 as absent, on leave of furlough of indulgence since June 26, 1863.

9. Reported as present on muster roll, August 31, 1863.

10. Reported as present on muster roll of December 31, 1863. Reported as on extra duty, Superintendent of Shoe Shop since December 29, 1863.

11. Reported as present on muster roll, June 30, 1864.

12. Promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain on October 1st, 1864.

13. Reported as present on roll call on February 28, 1865, and was discharged as Captain commanding Company "G", South Carolina Volunteers, Confederate States Armies.

The family history of Captain Richard Joseph Steedly, son of David and Patty Steedly, who lived in sight of the Hunter's Chapel Baptist Church in Hunter's Chapel Community, Bamberg, South Carolina.

CPT Richard Joseph Steedly, born 18 FEB 1831 - died 3 NOV 1902, married Emma Elizabeth Edwards, born 26 MAR 1841, near Cattle Creek Camp Ground located between Branchville and Bowman, in Orangeburg County, S. C. She died 20 SEP 1897.

CPT Dick, as Richard Joseph Steedly was commonly known and his wife had nine children, six sons and three daughters.

1. Russell David Steedly
2. Mamie J. Steedly
3. John Wesley Steedly
4. Abraham Joseph Steedly
5. Thomas Richard Steedly
6. Fred Edwards Steedly
7. Otis James Steedly
8. Betty Emma Steedly
9. Fannie Aletha Steedly

John Wesley Steedly, Sr., born 26 FEB 1870 - died 29 JUL 1930, married Mary Jane Miley, born 19 MAY 1873 - died 6 FEB 1937.

John Wesley Steedly, Sr. had 12 children.

1. Richard Joseph (Dick) Steedly
2. Ernest Steedly, died in infancy.
3. James Wilson (Jim) Steedly
4. Vivian Steedly, died in infancy.
5. Emma Elizabeth (Betty) Steedly
6. Charlotte Aletha (Lottie) Steedly
7. Mary Jane (Janie) Steedly
8. Julia Arimental Steedly
9. John Wesley Steedly, Jr.
10. Harriet Adella Steedly
11. Ethel Steedly, died in infancy.
12. Baby boy Steedly, stillborn.

Richard Joseph (Dick) Steedly, born 26 March 1900 - died 15 NOV 1941 married Lelia Marie Wilson, born 23 MAY 1902. They were married 25 APR 1920. She died suddenly at age 28 on 2 AUG 1930. Dick never recovered from the loss.

Richard Joseph (Dick) Steedly had five children.

1. Homer Richard Steedly
2. Evelyn Ileta Steedly
3. Leila Elizabeth Steedly
4. Edith Leone Steedly
5. Helen Virginia Steedly

Homer Richard Steedly, born 14 MAR 1921 - died 31 JAN 1986, married Betty Gumbmann, born 1 NOV 1927 in Erlangen on 5 SEP 1945, while serving in the US Army in Germany.

Homer Richard Steedly had four children.

1. Homer R. Steedly Jr., born 7 JUN 1946 (This is me...)
2. Nancy Jo Steedly, born 22 OCT 1949
3. Anthony Leslie Steedly, born 17 OCT 1950
4. Linda Claire Steedly, born 14 JAN 1953

Homer R. Steedly Jr. served in the US Army in Vietnam from August 1968 until March 1970. I enlisted in the Army as a Private on 4 OCT 1966 and left the military service after nine years service with the rank of Major. I worked for the University of South Carolina until retirement in 2001. At the time the I was the Assistant Director of the Computing and Information Technology Center for the College of Liberal Arts. I married late in life, to Elizabeth Little Dozier on Valentines Day, 1995. They have no children.  What follows is my story.

25 JUL 63

Attended the State 4-H Club Week proceedings at Clemson University.

30 SEP 66

On Friday I found out that I was failing most subjects at Clemson University and would be put on academic probation the next quarter. I had expected this, since I realized last quarter, after a year of studying as hard as I could, that my small rural Bamberg High School simply had not given me the necessary tools to compete with the other students here at Clemson. I had studied classical geometry and algebra in high school. My fellow Clemson students had all taken two semesters of calculus and trigonometry as well. I was considered a science "whiz kid" in high school, but when I took my first chemistry class at Clemson I was totally lost. I was taught the Bohr planetary ring explanation of atoms, with protons, neutrons, and electrons. I had never heard of quantum mechanics or such things a neutrinos, quarks, or charmed particles. My classmates all understood such concepts and were moving on from there. My parents struggled to put me through my first year and I lived with my Aunt Hattie to save on room and board, so I did not want to waste any more of their finances just to flunk out. I took the last quarter off, academically, hardly attending any classes and spent almost every day in the library, studying the high school text books there in an attempt to give myself the missing part of my education. I stumbled upon two archives in the basement of the library that fascinated me. Every day, after supper, I would go back to the library and read back issues of Science Digest and Scientific American. I also spent part of the evening reading the transcripts of the Nuremburg War Crimes Trials. I went to the registrar's office after finding out that I was being put on academic probation and withdrew from the University.

1 OCT 66

I got up early then hitch hiked home to Bamberg. I stopped in town at the post office and saw the Army recruiter. He assured me that I would get into the Chemical Corps and get specialized training with them. He also said that since I was not 21 years old yet, I had to get my parents signature on the application forms. I caught a ride home and after supper I broke the news to my parents. When I told them that I intended to enlist in the Army and catch up on my high school education while in the service and then use the GI Bill when I got out to go back to college, Dad hit the roof, flatly stating that he would not give his consent. After a few heated words, we avoided each other and I went to bed.


2 OCT 66

To my shock, on Sunday morning Dad sat down with me and asked me if I really had my mind set on going into the Army. I told him I did and explained why. He said he thought I was making a mistake, but if I really wanted to he would sign the papers. I now realize that Dad's reaction was a natural result of his own memories of combat and his certainty that I would be sent to Vietnam. I did not expect to see combat, since I expected to be in the Chemical Corp.

3 OCT 66

I enlisted in US Army at the Bamberg Post Office early Monday morning. The recruiter told me to report to Ft. Jackson in the state capital, Columbia, South Carolina the next day. I was given a bus ticket to Columbia and told that a military bus would be at the terminal to take us to the Fort. At Ft. Jackson.

4 OCT 66

The in processing at Ft. Jackson began with a physical. All of us stripped naked and lined up along both sides of the hallway. A couple of Doctors moved down the line asking us questions and checking for hernia's. Next we were taken to a large waiting room and called out one at a time for a more detailed physical. When I got to this stage, the Doctor weighed me and told me that at 94 lbs. I was underweight and could not enlist. I protested, but he just told me to get dressed and report to the front reception area for a bus ticket home. I left, dejected, then decided to just join the next group coming in for processing and try again. First I went to the water fountain and drank until I thought I would die. This second time I hoped I would be just over the minimum weight requirement. As luck would have it, I was sent to the same Doctor I had seen earlier in the morning. He took one look at me and asked what I was doing back. I told him and when he weighed me, he said I was still 2 lbs. underweight, but said if I was that determined to get into the Army, he would pass me anyway.

10 OCT 66
10 OCT 66

I stayed at Ft. Jackson for over a week doing odd jobs, mostly litter pickup. When the Drill Sergeant in charge asked if anyone knew how to march, I raised my hand, having learned Drill and Ceremonies at Clemson in the ROTC program. From then on I was in charge of the other inductee's and after teaching them the basics of marching in ranks, the Sergeant let me move them from place to place. I took a placement test of OCS, but failed one section by two points. The officer who administered the test said that I had been too honest. He advised me the next time I took the test to answer the questions, as if I were answering for someone else, whom I really admired. He said to answer all the questions as if looking at that person displayed up on a pedestal in a hall of heroes. He told me to take it again when I got to AIT.

14 OCT 66
14 OCT 66

This is a photo of me in Basic Training.

23 OCT 66
23 OCT 66

I went to Ft. Lewis Washington for Advanced Individual Training in January of 1967.

9 JAN 67
9 JAN 67

29 JAN 67
29 JAN 67

20 FEB 67
20 FEB 67

2 MAR 67
2 MAR 67


I shipped out to Ft. Benning Georgia in April 1967 for 23 weeks of Officers Candidate School. I was in 53rd Company. The infamous Lt. Calley was also in my training company.  I remember him as short in height and "hard core".  He was referred to as one of the old "Brown Boot" Army types, a term referring to the "lifer" NCO types who had been in the Army, back when boots were brown.  He was pushy and not very well liked by those candidates I knew, but nevertheless very competent. No one would have ever expected him to do anything that would reflect poorly on the Army.  He loved command too, much for that.  I still find it difficult to understand what happened at My Lai.  I fully expected him to have a long career in the military.  Probably not General material, but certainly someone who had found a home.

2 APR 67
2 APR 67

23 APR 67
23 APR 67



Click on image to enlarge.  This is the Code of Conduct card each soldier had drilled into their heads.

28 APR 67
28 APR 67

28 APR 67

18 MAY 67
18 MAY 67


Click on image to enlarge.  This is the card from OCS laminated with tape, that I used in Vietnam.

2 JUN 67
2 JUN 67

7 JUN 67

Qualified Expert M16 rifle.

2 JUL 67
2 JUL 67

8 JUL 67
8 JUL 67

11 JUL 67
11 JUL 67



7 SEP 67

OCS. This photo shows me just before graduation. I was in Lt. Calley's Class.  He went on to become infamous for his role in the My Lai Massacre.

23 SEP 67

Assigned Ft. Jackson, SC. HHC Committee Group, USATC.

26 SEP 67

Assigned OIC,  Basic Rifle Marksmanship Committee, Quick Kill Range.

12 DEC 67

I was assigned to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, General Subjects Committee, Officer in Charge of the Land Navigation and Map Reading Committee. I was tasked to write an Army Subject Schedule for approval by Department of the Army to teach Map Reading and Land Navigation skills to the basic trainees, since the word back from Vietnam was that most soldiers couldn't navigate by map. I wrote the documents, got DA approval, and then built the training course at Ft. Jackson and trained the instructor's.

8 FEB 68

We have finished setting up the Map Reading and Land Navigation course and after running a couple of companies of basic trainees through the training and course,  I was taking a long weekend to drive from Ft. Jackson, in Columbia to my folks home in Bamberg, a little over 50 miles. When I got off the interstate and started down highway 301 into the town of Orangeburg around 8:45 pm, heading directly past the campus of South Carolina State University. As I approached the campus, traffic slowed to a crawl, but I couldn't get off that road, so I crawled along wondering what kind of wreck had tied up traffic. At one point I though I hear some gun fire up ahead. About 50 yards from the main entrance to the campus, I saw lots of people milling about, and quit a few highway patrol troopers, some with rifles, dispersing the crowd. I began to get worried at this point, since I had a 6 mm bolt action rifle, a 308 cal Remington bolt action rifle with a 3x9 variable power sniper scope on a swing off mount, with two canisters of illegal steel jacketed military ammo, and a 357 magnum pistol all lying on the back deck of my Volkswagen Station wagon in plain view. Weapons I had purchased while working on the rifle ranges, where I often fired over a thousand rounds a day at the 300 meter targets to maintain my proficiency for the shooting demonstrations my NCOIC and I gave on the quick kill range. I had intended to get in some target shooting at home over the weekend. Now I looked up to find an armored personnel carrier blocking the road and state troopers stopping and searching every vehicle, before allowing them to take a right turn to bypass the campus and continue downtown. At this point I had no clue as to what was going on, but I definitely knew I would have a hard time explaining all the weapons, especially the sniper rifle and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. I had visions of courts martial for the unauthorized use of military ammunition off post. I was too close to the action to even turn around and try to cover up the weapons. As the vehicle in front of me pulled off, I rolled down my window and before the trooper could bend down to look inside the vehicle, I asked frantically, how I could get to the hospital, claiming that my sister said that my mom was dying and I had to get there quickly. He quickly gave me directions, then waved me on without even looking into the back window, where all my weapons were in plain sight.

Talk about relief!!! I did not find out what had happened until I heard the Charleston TV news the next morning. Then I really got scared. If they had seen the weapons, I would surely have been arrested.

21 FEB 68

While sitting in the range shack today, waiting for a group of trainees to return from the compass course, one of my NCO's came in looking very scared.  He said some troop had come back with what looked like a live high explosive mortar round of some kind he had never seen before.  I went out and the kid was waving it around.  It was a WW I round that detonated when the nose was pushed in far enough to invert a bezel spring.  The nose was partially deformed!  I told the soldier that the round was a live high explosive and the detonator was damaged and might go off at any second.  I then told him to very gently place the round on the ground, being very careful not to jar it or let the damaged nose touch first.  Then I had him and everyone else move out of the area.  We got on the range phone and call the base EOD team and told them what we had.  They said the would send someone over right away.  About an hour later, a jeep with a trailer pulled up and the young SP/4 enlisted man with the EOD patch on his fatigues jumped out.  I showed the round to him and he just grabbed it and threw it into the trailer.  I jumped back in horror, then proceeded to warn him about what I thought the dangers might be.  He just laughed and said he did this kind of thing all the time.  We found out later that the jeep trailer had been destroyed in front of the EOD building, when the round exploded in the sun as the tech filled out the paper work to get an explosive block to destroy it.



5 JUN 68

On June 5, 1968 Robert Kennedy was assassinated in California,
while thanking his supporters for his victory in the California Democratic presidential preference primary .

13 AUG 68

Arrive Cam Rahn Bay, RVN.

18 AUG 68
18 AUG 68

Arrive Pleiku, RVN, for a week of training. It rains constantly you are often shivering cold from the wet at night. When it stops raining the temperature often soars 90 to 110 degrees with 90% humidity. The whole place, people and all, are red from the red mud everywhere.

21 AUG 68

FSB-1, Dak To 17:17 hours received 21 rounds 122mm rockets. 1 US KIA, 1 US WIA, two OV-1 aircraft damaged.

24 AUG 68
24 AUG 68

25 AUG 68
25 AUG 68

27 AUG 68
27 AUG 68


Arrive Dak To, FSB-1, 1/8 trains.

27 AUG 68

Get 1st Platoon B Co., 1st of the 8th, 4th Infantry Division on hill 1089. This photo was taken there.
I have 39 men.


28 AUG 68
28 AUG 68

Riots at Democratic National Convention (Chicago)
On August 28 ten thousand anti-war demonstrators battled Chicago police and national guard units.

Came in to Dak To to coordinate the choppers to lift the company out and got stuck here because of rain. We will need 35 birds for the lift..


1 SEP 68
1 SEP 68

3 SEP 68

CO reformed company into four platoons of 30 men each.

4 SEP 68
4 SEP 68



Company at Dak To on perimeter duty. My platoon on ready reaction standby

.


7 SEP 68
7 SEP 68
 



It has been raining for nearly two weeks here and the mud is from just ankle deep to waist deep in places. The mud is like soup, but I manage to keep dry most of the time. Contrary to popular belief it does get cold in Viet Nam, especially here in the Central Highlands. I'm in the battalion base camp now. We're pulling perimeter security and it's really great. Three hot meals a day, showers, occasionally a movie, but there is still mud, perimeter guard duty, rain, cold at night , mosquitoes, rats, and boredom. My radio call sign is "Swamp Fox". Orders cut for 1st LT.

9 SEP 68
9 SEP 68



My platoon is on 15 minute alert today. They have a chopper down about 15Klicks North of us and the  Cav is going to go get the pilots out. They can only get one bird on the ground at a time in that area with seven men on each bird. Since the NVA have three well dug in machine gun positions around the LZ those first seven men are really going to have it rough. If the Cav unit gets in real trouble my platoon will go get them assist in their extraction. This photo shows me waiting on alert standby at the Dak To perimeter.


11 SEP 68
11 SEP 68



13 SEP 68
13 SEP 68



Had to take weapon from  a battle fatigued LRRP by butt stroking him, when he attacked me with knife.

14 SEP 68
14 SEP 68


BN CO LTC Tombaugh, "Bullet" pins my Silver 1st Lt. bars on personally. The orders were actually cut on 7 SEP 68.


15 SEP 68
15 SEP 68

17 SEP 68
17 SEP 68

17 SEP 68
17 SEP 68


My platoon and the newly formed 4th platoon were chosen to go to fire base 29 along with "C" Co. 

18 SEP 68

My 1st and the 4th platoon CA to FSB-29 with C Co., but only my two platoons actually make it. C Co. rained out. 

21 SEP 68
21 SEP 68



The first two days here at FSB-29 were total confusion. I landed first with my two platoons, but "C" company was supposed to be here first. The bunkers were in a sanitary mess and we had to clean them all. They had food cans, crap, mud, collapsed sandbag walls, and many were nearly full of water. We are now rebuilding all of them. I have two platoons, 66 men, half the company to keep protected until "C" company gets here and assumes control. Photo taken on first day of a very naive second lieutenant, note clean fatigues and no weapon. This photo was taken on the second day.

22 SEP 68
22 SEP 68



Rest of B Co. CA's to FSB-32. Still no sign of C Co. I know you won't believe it, cause I can't hardly, but the rucksack I carried to FSB-29 weighed over 60 lbs., not to mention a bag of gear that was about 30 lbs. You should have seen me! I fell when we were unloading the chopper and had to take the rucksack off to get up. The 75 yards up that slippery red clay hill to FSB-29 was almost straight up. Several people slipped back down the hill (rucksack, weapon and all) before we all got up. One guy hurt himself when he fell and coughed blood for a while, but he's O.K. now. The land out here is so thick with bamboo, woods, elephant grass, and wait-a-minute vines that you have to cut your way through with a machete or else you just can't get through. When I send these people out 3 to 6 klicks through that stuff in a day, they really show guts in doing it. They don't have to be coaxed or watched though, they're men and good men. Even when they can barely take another step you won't hear any complaints.

23 SEP 68

C Co. Arrives at last.


24 SEP 68
24 SEP 68



We run patrols out of here for three days at a time, really three nights and four days, using four-man recon teams. These men leave here with 60 lbs. packs or more, plus weapons, grenades, etc. and then chop, push, and climb six to seven kilometers through 800, 900, 1000 ft jungle covered mountains in 80 to 95 degree heat, and sleep in cold night rain, fight mosquitoes and leeches in enemy territory for two or three days, them almost crawl back only to find C-rations, guard duty, and details waiting for them.

26 SEP 68

C Co. CA's out leaving me with my two platoons and one of theirs.

28 SEP 68
28 SEP 68

1 OCT 68
1 OCT 68

2 OCT 68
2 OCT 68



We are getting probed here at FSB-29 every night, mostly AK-47's, B-40's, and grenades. This photo was taken while I had command of the hill.

5 OCT 68

Before I tell you what happened I have to tell you what a Claymore mine is like. It is a plastic cased mine about 10" long and 6" wide and 2" thick. It has 700 steel buckshot in it, which are propelled forward by a couple of pounds of C4, plastic-high-explosive. The mine has a kill zone of 50 meters by 100 meters and is set off by an electric charge. The wires go to our bunkers and the claymores are set all around the perimeter about 50 meters in front of the bunkers. All night long we got a real heavy rain with plenty of lightening, not real good on an 800' hill. I was in my bunker just about asleep (just about 2200 hrs.) when a large explosion threw me out of my bedroll. I ran outside to see what it was, because it didn't sound like "in coming". What had happened was lightening struck the hill and set off about 30 claymores (equivalent to about 100 lbs of TNT). My two people on LP reported they had been shaken pretty bad, but were unhurt. Later we found out that both claymores in front of them had gone off simultaneously with the 28 other claymores all around the perimeter and that was what shook them so much. About the time things settled down I was called to the Tactical Operations Center and told that my company would make a Combat Assault at 0830 the next day. I ran back and gave a briefing to my squad leaders to start packing for the CA, then briefed the other platoon leader here at FSB-29. Then we got a call from the company commander at FB 32 and Capt Brennan gave us the entire operations order. His two platoons and the company headquarters at FB 32 would go in first and then the choppers would pick the two platoons at FB 29.

6 OCT 68

After packing most of the night, I got the squad leaders together and issued my own operations order. At 07:00 we were on the chopper pad in full field gear ready to go. We waited there ready till 12:30 when the choppers finally got there. The CA itself was hot, tiring, sweaty work, but my people really made a good show. We landed third, but were the first platoon to secure their section of the company perimeter, first to clear fields of fire, first to dig fighting positions, first to send out our patrol, and first to get our OP out. The battalion commander, "Bullet", really praised the CA and the chopper pilot, who does nothing but fly CA's said  was the best he had seen during his tour in Viet Nam. It takes about two weeks for mail to reach the world from over here.


9 OCT 68
9 OCT 68



Got word to be ready to pull out of FSB-32 with a platoon from C Co. on FSB-29  for a CA to FSB-30. The company CA'd out, but the birds were pulled before my platoon got picked up.


12 OCT 68
12 OCT 68



Monsoon's almost over at last, but now temperatures are so high that even the dirt will blister your skin. On days when it doesn't rain, the temperatures soar well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, sometimes hitting 115.  Any metal object left in the sun for long, gets so hot that it will blister your bare skin. Seems you just can't drink enough water and salt tablets are essential.


13 OCT 68

Contact with 3 NVA at 15:15 hours by SRP from C Company, YB812212.  1 US KIA, 1 US WIA.  PFC Wayne Elledge killed in sight of firebase, while returning from patrol. This photo was taken minutes later and shows the location of the ambush site.

14 OCT 68

Not sure of the date, but somewhere along now, the NVA attempted to overrun FSB-29. This photo shows the strong point on a smaller hill next to the main base. They attacked right up the valley between us. It was a massacre.

17 OCT 68
17 OCT 68


Finally get to join rest of company at FSB-30. Building bunker 12' x 15' x 6'. Some bunker, beds, table, chairs, and all. It's going to take about 3,000 sand bags to cover the roof alone and lots of wooden ammo crates. This photo shows artillery smoke round marking prefired night defensive firing positions for FSB-30.

21 OCT 68
21 OCT 68


It has rained for seven days straight without a stop until today. My platoon Sergeant, my two RTO's (radio-telephone operators) and I spent 8 days building our bunker. This is a photo taken during construction. It is really something,  The hole for it is 12' x 15' x 4 '. When  finished it will extend only 3 ' above ground. It took nearly 4,000 sand bags to build it. It's the envy of the whole company. Wood floors, bunks, shower, closing windows, wood door, table, chairs, plenty of head room (7' high).  Things are going pretty smoothly right now, if the rain ends it should be real nice here on FSB-30. The jungle around here is just unbelievable. Bamboo 6" thick and 30' high, growing so close together you can't get through.

28 OCT 68
28 OCT 68


I told you "B" company really had some good luck; we moved from FSB-29 over here to FSB-30 and 10 days after we left FSB-29 got mortar and 75mm rockets. They have had incoming for three days now. Guess they will get a ground attack soon. This photo shows our medic showing my squad leaders how to administer serum albumin, a blood volume expander, that he finally got permission to administer in the field, there by keeping people from dying from blood loss in the field waiting for a Medevac.

29 OCT 68

FSB-29 located at YB839223 at 1705 hours received 100 rounds of 82mm, 102 mm, and 75 RR rounds. 1 KIA and 4 WIA.

1 NOV 68
1 NOV 68


Big Snake Step                                                                         I have expanded this entry into full length story.

1 NOV 68
Slippery Red Clay                                                                 I have expanded this entry into full length story.


1 NOV 68
Two Step                                                                                 I have expanded this entry into full length story.


1 NOV 68
Good Soldier                                                                        I have expanded this entry into full length story.



5 NOV 68
5 NOV 68

02:00 left for a village cordon and search operation, then walked back to the Dak To perimeter. This photo is of my platoon sergeant and I after the search.

6 NOV 68

BDA North of FSB-29. Half of B Co. returned to 32 with CPT Brennan, other half go with me to FSB-29 to assist CPT Morris of C CO.

ArcLight BDA                                                                 I have expanded this entry into full length story.


7 NOV 1968

The 5 1/4 truck in front of me in the convoy got hit by a command detonated land mine.  I ran up during the ensuing fire fight to help the driver.  I found him lying on the side of the road dead, but with no visible wounds. When I attempted to roll him over, I almost threw up.  It felt like he was just a blow up doll full of water.  The concussion from the landmine, had pulverized every bone in his body.  It took four of us to roll him onto a poncho so we could lift him into another truck for the ride to the Graves Registration tent. If I keep running the road by myself so much, I could very well end up just like him.

8 NOV 68

Awarded CIB, Combat Infantryman's Badge..

9 NOV 68
9 NOV 68

12 NOV 68
12 NOV 68

In field with company again, found tunnel complex with 82mm and 75 RR positions, probably ones that have been hitting FSB-29.

13 NOV 68 - 2 APR 69

Task Force Alpha                                                             I have expanded this entry into full length story.

Click on the hyperlink above to go to this story.


4 APR 69
4 APR 69




8 APR 69
8 APR 69

17 APR 69
17 APR 69


We just finished moving to An Khe where we are going to start a pacification program. We will search and clear the area, then help the people with medical and dental teams, schools, relocating small villages into larger ones in more easily defended areas, etc..

19 APR 69
19 APR 69

24 APR 69
24 APR 69



I'm in An Khe again. I have to go to the field for a few days to get some papers signed by Capt. De Roos. I will have to come back then to pick up the payroll. After payday I will be staying out in the field most of the time to give Capt. De Roos a break and get used to running the company. We are set up on a patrol base on the only hill within 12 klicks, sending out patrols and ambushes. Not much work, but a real chore trying to keep up with all the patrols and their locations. I am trying to get my 30-day leave set for the middle of June to the middle of July. I'm still not sure about the R&R to Australia.

1 MAY 69
1 MAY 69


The monsoon season is here again. It rains almost everyday now.


12 MAY 69
12 MAY 69

20 MAY 69

Appointed CO HHC 1/8th.

24 MAY 69
24 MAY 69

29 MAY 69
29 MAY 69



Well I am now Headquarters Company Commander. I will keep it until I get my leave. This photo was taken while Lt. Owens and I were visiting a nearby village, trying to win their "hearts and minds".

1 JUL 69
1 JUL 69



The monsoon rains have hit in full force at last, and it has rained continuously for the last four days. The fine dust that was all over the ground is now in the form of a liquid mud that manages to get all over everything and into open or closed containers. The fog is creating problems, because we have to keep people on the bunker line on guard duty all day now. Other than the fact that the weather is miserable, things are going pretty well. I am enclosing some pictures  I took when I was XO of Bravo Company, just out of Polei Kleng. I found them in my rucksack when I went to turn it in. In one of them you can see how dust it is during the dry season by the dust on my face.


This is a booklet put out by the Public Information Officer about the Fourth Infantry Division's role here in Vietnam.

Click on the image above to page through the pamphlet.

8 JUL 69

800 men from 9th Infantry sent home. First stage of phased troop withdrawals.

7 SEP 69

This is the 4th Infantry Division quarterly publication for Fall 1969. It provides a record of the action for the Division. I would like to get other official in country publications to put on the site.

Click on the cover image to page through "Esprit" Fall 1969.

Orders cut for Captain.

16 OCT 69
16 OCT 69



I got here safe and sound (obvious since I'm writing this letter). I am Delta Company Commander and will be impossibly busy from now till March.  Letter addressed CPT Steedly, Pleiku. I inventoried Delta Company's property here in base camp, and spoke with the company clerk. I then packed my rucksack and got a CAR-15. Will go forward tomorrow.

17 OCT 69
17 OCT 69

18 OCT 69

I came out to LZ Pat to see the Colonel and stayed since my company came here also. I am now in charge of Delta Company 1st Bn 8th Infantry. My XO is 1LT. John Hines, 1SG Madden is our "top NCO". TOC is located up here with us, and the usual problems of being on the same firebase with the boss. Sent second platoon to secure a tank for 1/69 armor. Had to borrow some rations from Capt Gold of A Company to give them. Third Platoon is on ambush. Lt. North  is 20 klicks from help of any kind. I hope nothing goes wrong. First impression of Lt. Holder is,  plenty of potential, but needs to be motivated. Top is calm and efficient. We are going to get along just great I think. Mortar section needs some work.

16,17,19 OCT 69
16,17,19 OCT 69



Ran Mang Yang Pass with mail truck to get to An Khe. I am going out to take over Delta Company tomorrow and will be very busy till the 7th because we are moving 30 miles north of here to "Bong Song" near the coast.

19 OCT 69
19 OCT 69



LZ Pat---Expect 2nd & 3rd platoons back tomorrow with 1st on 15-minute standby. Required daily rations of Dapsone visually verified by squad leaders and once a week rations for Chloraquine-Primaquine visual verified by platoon leaders . Also by Sunday a report on protective masks and steel pot needed. Daily by 07:00 weapons cleanliness status report. Briefed RTO on my radio policies. Put out word about grenades double pinned, taped & in pouches. Got in Beer & Soda today 56 cases. Finally got my rucksack. In about 3 or 4 days I will be moving Delta to take up road security along QL19 (14) from An Khe to the Mang Yang Pass. Around the 1st of the month we are going to move the entire Bn. to Bong Song, 30 Kilo's North of An Khe, near the coast. It's still raining off and on so things get pretty bad every now and then, but no enemy action yet.

20 OCT 69

Finally got orders cut making me CO D Co. 1/8th.

22 OCT 69
22 OCT 69



I am acting as a "switching station" right now. Sending my 4 platoons here, there, and yonder as Bn CO directs.

27 OCT 69

Charlie hit the oil pipeline around noon, we sure keep very busy here at LZ Pat.

28-30 OCT  69

Ambush                                                                                    I have expanded this entry into full length story.

Click on the hyperlink above to go to this story.

31 OCT 69
31 OCT 69



LZ Pat. I have been real busy since Charlie decided to hit the pipeline again. 12:00 noon on the 27th he began blowing roads and pipelines, and we've been busy ever since. Time sure is passing fast. We haven't been paid yet. I spend most of the time in the air or on the ground chasing Charlie, so I don't get much time to write. Got a real bad morale problem, because they have had so many different Company Commanders in the last 6 months. I hope to get them working as a team again.


7 NOV 69
7 NOV 69



The weather has turned just terrible, rain and wind all day and all night. Really miserable living out here in the field. Mud gets on everything. Freeze at night and sweat all day, soaked with rain most of the time.

10 NOV 69
10 NOV 69



LZ Pat. I just finished a night combat assault. When I jumped from the chopper I sank over my head into the soft mud of an old rice paddy.  The only thing that saved me was my RTO, who saw my hand sticking out of the water, holding the radio handset from the PRC/25, that I carried in my rucksack.  It took him and two other guys to pull me out of the mud.  Some fun.   Turns out the LRRPS we were sent to rescue, just got spooked.  There was no enemy around, that we could find.  I sure do keep busy as a line company Commander! You just wouldn't believe it. From 01:00 at night to 04:30 in the morning for sleep, if I'm lucky, but I don't even notice it. It has turned rainy and cool with high winds here, and anything hot sure is good. Got to run, they just blew the pipeline again.

11 NOV 69
11 NOV 69



LZ Pat. I just can't possibly explain how busy I am as a commander. I have over 100 people who look to me for everything and that's a full time job.   We captured an NVA soldier and a chopper came in to take him back to base camp for interrogation. On the chopper was an American NCO, a Captain, a "Civilian "Interrogator" (introduced as a member of the Phoenix Program) and one Vietnamese soldier. They took the prisoner and headed back to the chopper pad. About five minutes later, one of my men came to my CP and told me that they were torturing the prisoner down by the helipad. I grabbed my pistol, and headed out. My 1SGT followed, bringing along a machine gunner and several other soldiers. When I got to the pad, the "Civilian" had my prisoner, with his hands still tied behind his back, on the ground, the two American soldiers standing on his upper arms, pinning min to the ground. They had wrapped a towel around the prisoner's head and the "Civilian" was pouring water from a canteen onto the towel, choking the prisoner. The Vietnamese soldier was shouting questions to the prisoner. I ran up drawing my 45 cal pistol and chambered a round pointing it straight at the "Civilian" telling him to stop or I would shoot him dead on the spot. He laughed, then started to reach for his own weapon, when the machine gunner let out a long burst over our heads. I turned around to see nearly a dozen of my men drawing down on the scene. The "Civilian" brought his hands up slowly and started backing up. I told them to take the prisoner back to my unit trains area, where they would be met my supply sergeant, who would accompany them to the Provost Marshall's Office to turn the prisoner over to the proper authorities. I assured him that if the prisoner did not arrive at the trains area, or if anything untoward happened to him on the way, every man in my unit would make it their personal mission to find and execute them all. Since I had two men going back on the chopper for sick call, I was certain they would not chance any more mischief. The "Civilian" looking quite terrified at this point, turned and got into the helicopter. The other American soldiers and the Vietnamese soldier loaded the prisoner and left, without any of them making eye contact again. I called my trains area and told the supply sergeant the situation. He returned my call a couple of hours later, stating that the Provost Marshall had taken charge of the prisoner and assured him that no such interrogation procedures would be tolerated within his perimeter. I never saw any of the people involved again. I have never quite gotten over this incident. To hear that we still employ "water boarding"...and do not consider it torture is very upsetting. Perhaps we should tie the president down and pour water up his nose for a half hour and let him see if he still thinks it is not torture! If my sergeant had not taken the step of backing me up with the machine gunner, I do not know what might have happened. I know that at that moment, I definitely would not have hesitated to shoot and I would not have backed down under any circumstances.

My first platoon made heavy contact a few weeks back and lost 4 people. We counted 37 NVA dead. Sure hated to loose those 4 though. Hate writing letters to wives and parents. Things have been pretty quiet since then. We made one combat helicopter assault at night to help a long-range patrol, but that was no problem.  It has turned cold and windy and wet all of a sudden.

19 NOV 69
19 NOV 69



Dong Cha. Col. Haas is leaving the 15 of December, and things sure are in turmoil right now. I have a lot of new people, and they are real jumpy. I am running at about half regular authorized strength, but that is normal, and better than last week.

23 NOV 69
23 NOV 69



Still in Dong Cha. Our battalion is moving to somewhere near Pleiku, no one knows where or why just yet. I will be real busy until the move is complete, so I thought I'd drop a line to let you know.


25 NOV 69
25 NOV 69


Camp Enari for 48 hours stand down before we go out again.



2 DEC 69

Lt. Russell Pickering died tonight. He came to the company in early October, just a few days before I took over the company. His platoon was on an overnight platoon sized ambush just outside the wire at Camp Radcliff. It should have been a relatively safe mission. Around 2200 hours I got a frantic call over the radio that they were in heavy contact.  Lt. Pickering was very frantic and asking for everything I could get him. He had been hit in the leg and was bleeding very badly. I called Bn for artillery, but the Lt. could not see the illumination and marker rounds to adjust. Then I asked for gun ships, but was turned down, because it was too dark to see anything. Finally I succeeded in getting a spooky, AC47, gunship to support him with it's mini guns.  It helped, but a few minutes later another voice of a very frightened NCO came on the radio calling it off, because it was coming too close. Lt. Pickering had passed out from blood loss by then and the NCO was now in charge of the platoon.  We assembled a quick reaction force to go to their aid, but Bn would not let us go outside the wire. They were probably right. In the darkness, uncertain of the platoon's actual position, we would have probably wound up shooting each other. I sat there helpless all night, waiting for dawn to get them inside the wire. By then Lt. Pickering had bled to death. It was the most frustrating, helpless feeling to hear them in such need and so close and not be able to help. I completely repressed that night, until an email from Carl Nagel, who remembered the incident after talking with Gary Lysne over the phone.  Lt. Pickering, mortally wounded and probably acutely aware of that fact, continued to work to get help for his people until he passed out.  His courage will not be forgotten. He is one of the many unsung heroes this site is dedicated to. I wonder how many other stories like this I have repressed in self defense? Thanks to Gary and Carl for bringing this memory back.

More details are in the email from Carl.

Email from Carl Nagel about death of Lt. Pickering.

4 DEC 69
4 DEC 69



LZ Hip Shoot. I am 15 miles south of Pleiku on a small firebase we built our self. It is used for two 155mm howitzers as a firebase. We were given the job to secure it. A real easy job and a nice break for us. The only draw back is the dust. The monsoon is over here and we are on a plain of fine red dust. It gets into everything. The wind blows 24 hours a day and keeps it stirred up. At night you freeze to death and in the daytime you roast.

6 DEC 69
6 DEC 69



I have finally have Delta Company on its feet again. We built firebase Hip Shoot from nothing, and everybody is real proud of the speed and design used to complete it. Even General Wheelock liked it. The Colonel is just tickled pink of course.

9 DEC 69
9 DEC 69



We got the word today that we would move to Division Base Camp at An Khe on the 11th. The last unit stayed on bunker guard for a month, so maybe we might get to spend Christmas in An Khe. I got my stateside assignment  today, Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. We ran into some punji stakes during a firefight a few days back. I got a stake through my wrist, when I dove off the trail to get out of the line of fire, nothing serious, just through my left wrist. It was just enough to require a bandage and drainage tube. Went right through the old scar I had there, but the Bn Surgeon said it would heal just fine.


10 DEC 69
10 DEC 69



We are at Camp Radcliff-An Khe for a stand down (rest). We will probably be here until after New Years. Got a new Battalion Commander, LTC Mark. He is real competent  and very easy to work for. Delta Company is right now the best company in the Battalion. The morale is really high again after LZ Hip Shoot.

20 DEC 69
20 DEC 69

25 DEC 69
25 DEC 69


Sending out night patrols on perimeter security for Camp Radcliff.

9 JAN 70
9 JAN 70


From calm perimeter duty to fire fight 42 Kilo's away. Got two enemy in a bunker complex. Back now at LZ Hard Times. Met "Crash" when he gave me a recon ride up the hill in his LOH.

15 JAN 70
15 JAN 70


Just got in from a 7 day search and destroy. It rained day and night. Found lots of bunkers, but no enemy.

21 JAN 70
21 JAN 70


Been out in rain over a week now. Starting to see signs of trench foot.  Began daily feet inspections by medics.

24 JAN 70

Assigned Bn S-3 Air.

31 JAN 70
31 JAN 70


Back  at FSB-Hard Times.

6 FEB 70
6 FEB 70

Now OIC for the Battalion TOC. Heard that two hours after I left, the new CO forgot to send in an updated location and got two people killed from artillery fire.

9 FEB 70

Awarded my second Bronze Star medal for meritorious service for period Aug 69 - Mar 70.

14 FEB 70

Awarded second Air Medal for completing another 25 combat assault landings into LZ's under enemy fire, for a total of 50 hot LZ's total during my two tours.  This award was for the period of 12 OCT 69 - 15 JAN 70.  Seems hard to believe there were that many.

19 FEB 70
19 FEB 70


Settling into TOC. Everyone from Delta who passes through, stops by to wish me luck.

25 FEB 70
25 FEB 70

11 MAR 70

 Left Cam Rahn Bay a little after 8:00 am and after just under three hours later we landed at Narita Airport in Japan.  Due to electrical problems, we stayed on the ground for over an hour.  Then the seven and a half hour flight to Alaska for refueling and finally about three and a half hours to Seattle Tacoma International Airport in Washington State.  The out processing center in Cam Rahn Bay gave us these magazines as part of our outprocessing.




This magazine was published semi-annually by United States Army, Vietnam.  It is given to returning veterans upon completion of their tour of duty in Vietnam to help them tell the story of their role in the war.

Click on the image above to leaf through it's pages.



This is the Fall 1970 issue of "UPTIGHT" a quarterly magazine providing timely information to the troops in Vietnam.

Click on the cover image to read this magazine.

10 MAR 70

We landed in Seattle Tacoma International Airport about 0200 hours (2:00 am for you civilians), the day before we left Vietnam, thanks to the international date line. It was snowing, windy, and very cold. on the teens. Since we were all dressed in light weight tropical tan uniforms and had just come from the heat of Vietnam, we really felt the cold. It is about 45 miles from the civilian airport to Ft. Lewis, Washington, where we would get processed in and receive new clothing and some US currency. They had taken all our MPC script in Vietnam and made us send the money home in a money order, so we had no money on us. There was supposed to be a bus from the Ft. Lewis to pick us up, but our plane arrived late and the bus had left for the night. There we were, no money and no way to get to the Fort. As we all wandered around the nearly deserted airport trying to figure out what to do, we became separated from each other. I was walking to the baggage pickup section to look for a cab to see if they would take me to the Fort on the promise that someone there would pay for the fare, when this really beautiful young teenage girl, with long dark hair below her waist, dressed in a mini skirt and tube top with bare midriff, carrying flowers, approached offering me a flower and asked if I was returning from Vietnam. I said I was and she smiled sweetly, then screamed baby killer, spit into my face, and began hitting me with her fists. I grabbed her wrists in shock and restrained her as she continued to struggle, kicking at me and shouting obscenities. Suddenly two airport security personnel appeared and drug her off. As I stood there, totally shocked, another man came up and apologized and asked if I was OK. I said I was fine. He asked me if I needed help, so I told him my dilemma over transportation. He took me to a coffee stand and bought me a cup of coffee and told me to relax and he would be back in a couple of minutes. When he returned, he grabbed my duffel bag and told me to follow him, saying he had found a taxi driver willing to take me to the base. It turned out that the taxi driver was an ex Vietnam Vet himself. When we got to the base, neither of us knew where to go. I finally told him just to let me out and I would go to the nearest building and find help there. As he drove off, I felt the biting wind chill and had second thoughts. As it turned out, the barracks in this area were all empty and locked. I started walking down the road to find another area with some people in it, and the cold really started to hurt. I began shivering violently and my hands were so cold that I could not hold onto my duffle bag. I rigged the shoulder strap and began to run, hoping to generate some body heat. I guess hypothermia must have set in, because the officer in the jeep had to get out and shake me. He asked me who I was and what I was doing out in this kind of weather in summer uniform. When I told him I was just in from Vietnam and looking for the processing center, he took me with him in the jeep to the Post Headquarters. It turns out he was the Officer of the Day and had been checking guard shacks. After some hot coffee and warm blankets, they took me to a bachelor officers quarters room and told me to take a hot shower and someone would be by in the morning to pick me up for processing. On the way, he had stopped by his quarters, where he picked up a TV dinner for me to heat up after I showered.

I wonder if that young girl remembers the skinny, freckled faced, red headed soldier she attacked that night. She had the right motive, stopping the war, just attacked the wrong person. Hope she doesn't feel too guilty. I forgave her years ago, although I was pretty traumatized at the time. It was only the beginning of my re-introduction into the society, which had left me behind during my two tours in Vietnam.   I never got the chance to thank that taxi driver, but will be forever grateful.

By mid afternoon, I had new clothing uniforms, a pocket full of cash, and a plane ticket home for thirty day leave with orders to report to Ft. Campbell, KY.  Just over 24 hours after leaving Vietnam, I was asleep in my own bed at home in Bamberg, South Carolina, USA.  It was all so surreal...

I would love to hear from the taxi driver and the young girl.

27 APR 70

Assistant Training Officer G-3 Ft Campbell, KY.

21 AUG 70

Awarded MOS 2162 Operations and Training Staff Officer.  Awarded the Army Commendation Medal for service at Fort Campbell as Assistant G3, Training Officer and Chief of Unit Training, Headquarters, 101st Airborne Training Division for period of service of April 1970 through May of 1972.

11 SEP 70, Friday

I routinely left Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and drove the 500 miles to my home in Bamberg, South Carolina for the weekend, leaving around 6:00 pm Friday and being back on duty by 6:00 am Monday morning. It should be an 8 to 10 hour drive, but the Opel GT automobile I drove and raced back then would do 150 mph and I often did it in just under 6 hours, averaging 90+ mph in the dark, rain, sleet, snow, on two lane roads with peak speeds of 120-150 mph. I was of course fueling my adrenalin junky needs and I think perhaps playing with a death wish. PTSD???? Anyhow on one such trip I was stopped by one of Tennessee's finest, who had clocked me at over 130 mph, although I had been approaching 150 when I saw him pulling up on be from behind. I don't know why, but when he approached my car, he unsnapped his holster and drew his gun. When I saw that in my side view mirror, I came to within a heartbeat of pulling my loaded 357 magnum, which was never far from my hand in the first few months after Vietnam, and shooting first. He never saw the weapon and to this day does not know how close to death he came. I was in uniform, and he was a veteran himself, so we got to talking and he seemed quite impressed by speed I had been going.  He eventually suggested that I join the patrol if I liked speed. He said he gets to drive flat out all the time, and it's perfectly legal and someone else maintains his vehicle for him. I wanted to get out and kick his self righteous ass, but I thanked him for letting me go with a warning for going more that 5 miles over the limit. Later I thought long and hard about the incident and realized that with my uncontrollable combat instincts, keeping my weapons might result in my killing someone before I could stop myself. I sold all the weapons that same month and have not owned anything by a small single shot 22 caliber varmint rifle since then. I wonder how many other vets shot someone out of reflex and spent significant parts of their life behind bars as a result? I wonder how many died chasing that adrenalin high on the highways? Wonder how I got so lucky as to survive myself.

13 MAY 72

Left for Ft Benning to attend the Infantry Officer's Advance Course.

29 MAY 72

Company 72, 7th Student Brigade TSB, Ft. Benning, GA on temporary duty, waiting IOAC start.

2 JUN 72

Assistant S-3 USA Marksmanship Training Unit

27 AUG 72

IOAC 73-2 36 weeks.

18 JUN 73

Student Officer attending Columbus College, GA.

9 AUG 87

Black Water fishing in the Swamps of Hampton and Colleton Counties of South Carolina.

30 JUN 2001

Retired from University of South Carolina College of Liberal Arts Information and Technology Center, Assistant Director.

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