Terry Ward

I was 1/8th S-2 during the operation. I'd like to shed some additional insight into the events as I recall them. Our Battalion Surgeon was Dr. Matthew T. Howard, MD. Matt was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on FSB 20. The red legs had their battery set atop the hill in the center of FSB 20, directly in line with our Battalion TOC. The Medical Center was adjacent to the command CONEX. We were being hit regularly by NVA artillery fire. The artillerymen were doing counter-battery fire at the same time we were receiving in-coming. One of the incoming rounds hit in the midst of one of the gun crews killing several and maiming others. Dr. Howard ran to their aid, and with additional rounds falling, did all he could to treat the wounded. The experience left him visibly shaken, not for his own safety, but for the lack of aid he could offer to the people who were beyond his help.
The Battalion Forward Observer was Lt. Doug Williams, West Point, '67. Doug was the first to spot the NVA artillery position. We were doing a recon flight when he happened to spot a muzzle flash. The tubes were dug into the reverse slope of a hill and nearly completely covered with trees, sticks, and ground cover. We had been trying to locate the position of the guns for DAYS. Later, one of the FAC pilots managed to confirm the location and only then did we start making life miserable for THEM. Capt. Ted Yamashita and his company later secured the guns after a significant amount of ordinance was thrown into the vicinity. The artillery pieces were U.S. manufactured 105's given to the French, taken after Dien Bein Phu, and then turned onto us. Doug Williams was a great spotter and tremendous shooter. More than once, he called for "battery six, open the sheath, TROOPS in the OPEN".
LTC Buckner was a tough guy. A former U of Kentucky football running back, he was fierce guy and working with him was like dancing with a chainsaw. During the shelling, Buckner's hootch took a direct hit with the Col. inside it. I managed to pull him out and dragged him to the medical center. There was plenty of shrapnel flying around and by the time we got to the aid center, it was hard to tell whose blood was on whom. Dr. Howard patched both of us up and all this experience did was make Buck madder. He took some aspirin and went back to business. We needed a tough guy and he fit the mold.
Sp 4, Jerry Lauks, 3-A 1/8 was offered a battlefield commission after his actions in this engagement. Lauks is, was and forever will be the commensurate warrior. He distinguished himself at FSB 29 and in other scrapes we had fallen into throughout his tour. I hope Jerry Lauks has done very well. He IS an American soldier....

Terry Ward

If you wish to contact Terry, send the email to me and I will forward it to him.

Jim Carriere,

57th AHC, Kontum, 68-69 ... Crew Chief -Gunner


I was at FSB19 on Aug of 1968, the second ship that dropped in more troops. We were shot down as we cleared the trees and barely made it to the field below.

If you have any information as to the soldiers we dropped in, I would enjoy learning more about them. I talked with one of them, because I saw...Crookston Mn. on his helmet.

He claimed that his people had only been in country for 3 months and it was his first combat mission. I had to tell him to pass along the information that FB-19 was hotter than hell and to lock and load.

I'll never forget listening to the Lt. or guy in charge on the headsets. It still brings back memories when I talk about it.

The next day we flew in to pick up the KIA's and this guy from Crookston was still alive. He helped load the dead aboard my helicopter. I can't remember how many loads we took. But I do remember my knees shaking and my chest getting tighter.

The helicopter that was shot down...was #264. As we disembarked from the Helicopter...mortars were being walked in on us.

Thanks for you service...Welcome Home!
You guys were our heros.

Dennis Crawford

Hello my name is Dennis Crawford.  I served with D Company, 1st of the 8th, weapons squad, M-60 machine gunner from Sept. 68 till Aug 69. I recognize Rick Abrams and Robinson. I have the cigarette lighter that you have shown online. I have picture of those guys and many more. I am trying to locate Rick Abrams. I am from long island NY. I would like to hear from you.

My name is Jack Hawkins and I flew Alligator 66-16422.

(See Four Double Deuce in Task Force Alpha account for date 30 MAR 1969)

Robert Legacy was my crew chief and John Morrison was my gunner. Robert had the day off on the day we extracted Task Force Alpha and unfortunately I do not remember the crew chief who was flying with us. I am sure Morrison does. I was part of the extraction from start to finish and the last trip in was my fourth trip of day. We knew there were two sorties left and we had about 4 slicks left that had not taken hits. Jim Hudkins said he would go in to get one and asked who was going to get the last. I was "tail end charlie" at that time and after a pause from the other two aircraft, I said I would. After Hud picked up the next to last sortie, a pair of cobras from across the boarder heard us and they came in and unloaded their rockets. I was saying the Lords Prayer when that was happening. I had come in the same way for three different times and felt I was pushing my luck there, so I changed my direction going in and missed the LZ. I told the guns covering me that I had fooled around there enough and went back to how I knew to find the LZ, which was low level until I flew over a flare chute and then flare and drop it in. I remember after we were loaded and took off, I went out another direction and saw someone shake his head as that was a bad direction to go. We made it out, I took one bullet hole in a rotor blade and was happy to have that over.

I grew up on a ranch in Texas and my dad was in the Appaloosa horse business. I had a "I would rather be riding an Appaloosa" bumper sticker on my sliding amour plate. After we landed at Polei Kleng, a black trooper came running up with a beer and said the other guys were good, but I was the best. That was the best recognition I have ever received. Several of us received Distinguished Flying Cross for that day, but the present of a hot can of beer was better.

Later the next month, I had an engine failure in 422 out by Blackhawk towards the Mang Yang pass. I think it was part of the same troops that cut out an LZ.

I am still flying and am in Antarctica. The company I work for has the contact with the National Science Foundation here in Antarctica. I am the manager but still love flying. The days I fly are the best I have down here.

I do remember you, and am sure I may have flown you more than once. I also arrived in Viet-Nam in August of 1968. Except for some of the memory details, it still seems like yesterday. Where are you from and where are you currently living. My life has been good, I married a good woman, had two sons, one to West Point as a infantry officer and the other one is a Blackhawk pilot currently flying Medevac in Afghanistan. Pray for him.

Jack Hawkins
Aircraft Commander of Alligator 422


Thank you for your comments. There comes a time when you resign yourself to what is about to happen. You had already done that when you thought you were left. You were going to give it your all and that is the way it is. I would not have wanted to trade places with you. In both of our cases, a person has to have confidence in what he is doing, think he is a little better than the other guy and then give it his best shot. I don't know who told you that we were not coming back, but that never came up with us. As long as we had aircraft flying, someone would have gone in. Hud and I were the senior AC's and it was up to us.

A little history on Jim Hudkins....He was a special forces NCO sometime around 1963 in the Duc Co area. He was evacuated after he took some shrapnel from a mortar round and then left the army. He was a class behind me in flight school, but I knew him and recognized him for the leader he was. I had just gotten into the 119th and about a week later Hud showed up. He was always in control in his calm way, and was an example to us all. He had his ground war experiences and knew more than any of us what you were going through. Thank goodness we had some good examples to follow. Hud died a few years ago with cancer. He was my best friend and is missed.

In 1984 a few helicopter pilots started the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association. I finally went to one reunion in Ft. Worth, Texas,  back to Mineral Wells and the place where we all started. The turnout was about 1500 including spouses. We were pretty rowdy, but it was the release that so many of us needed. Small groups would gather in rooms and we would talk about those in our past who did not make it, about the times that we were scared to death, and about the times that were funny. It has become more and more about the times that were fun. The only thing really bad about the reunions are that the Cav pilots with their black hats are included! (my brother-in-law was a Cav pilot) There is a lot of good banter back and forth and it has healed a lot of wounds. When I see pics of our era, I still cannot believe what you guys went through. I can't understand how you did it and I saw it, and I know that someone that was never there cannot even start to comprehend what the grunts went through. It was a year sentence fighting with a ghosts. My hat is off to you.

I will call you sometime after the holidays. We are on New Zealand time here and are 6 hours behind you, but a day ahead. I want to know what was happening in the direction that we departed. I distinctly remember several of you in the back hollered no or indicated that was not a good departure path. Too late by then, we were committed.

Do you have any idea of the name of the black kid that gave me the hot beer? He jumped on right after we landed at Polei Kleng and gave it to me.

Do you know the name of the Lt. that was killed by a mortar fragment when Polei Kleng was mortared from the hills to the west? They managed to hit and set fire to a large stash of ordnance. After the gun ships got on the tube and the slicks took off, I went back in and picked him up. He was right by the burning ordnance, and I remember thinking that I wanted them to hurry up and get him on board as the fire on the wooden crates was starting to spread pretty rapidly. When I came back later it was still cooking off. I asked some Captain if the Lt. had survived and he told me he didn't. He was a really good guy.

Again, I don't want to tie up your Christmas and will give you a call later. Tomorrow, I will go down to the hanger where it will be quite and will go through your web site. Thank you for effort and trouble to record the events.

Regards,

Jack


Homer,

Use anything I have written. I will read your entire web page as your tour and mine coincided to the month and most of my flying was in support of the 4th. I have some stories I laugh about now that were not funny then. Like when Col. Knight threatened to shoot me if he ever saw me again. I had covered him with dust at Polei Kleng, when he was taking his shower. He was not grinning when he said it! And when Sgt. Maj. Gilbert kept us Warrants out of trouble at Dak To when crashing the 1st Brigade bar that was set up for officers. How dare they not let us in for a beer! Ha! The good ol' Sergeant Major Gilbert told us, "Boys, my tent is full of beer in a refrigerator that is cold, and you help yourselves. Discretion is the better part of valor and that is where we went.

And I do remember the red-headed freckled kid that we picked up. It seems you were 21 ? I was a lot older...22. You mentioned one of the guys was your RTO. My assumption is that the others were platoon Sergeants.

Later,



Homer,

If anyone wants to contact me, please forward their e-mail address. I will respond.

Where to start? I flew Alligator 66-16422 of the 119th AHC and never set foot in the Plei Trap, but during the month of March 1969, I flew nearly 180 hours. My crew chief was Robert Legacy from Boston and my gunner was John Morrison from Arkansas. At no time did Rob or John hesitate to go anywhere I went.

For me, the Plei Trap started at the first of March even though I had the day off from flying. The 119th inserted a company (?) into LZ Swinger after the Croc guns prepped the LZ. The fist ship dropped his sortie, but the second or third aircraft, Alligator 110 had its chin bubbles blown out by a command detonated mortar or mine and enemy positions opened up with automatic weapons. With troops on the ground under heavy fire, it took a while to get additional troops in. We lost a crew chief that day. From that day things really picked up for us.

Later in the month, a company was caught in an ambush on a ridge top (A 3/8 ?) and was in need of an emergency supply of ammunition. Dennis Klimezewski loaded up ammo and was trying to drop it off to the company under fire when his aircraft took several hits and his peter pilot (from Argentina) took a round in his heel. I think another aircraft dropped off ammo later but am not sure. The next day I was part of the recovery flight and we picked them up at least 8 miles from the contact site. I think I had 5 or 6 of the survivors on board and will never forget the look they had. We had a couple of boxes of C-Rations on board which I offered to them, but they declined. I smoked at that time and offered my cigarettes and they accepted. If I remembered correctly, it only took 5 or 6 ships to pick up the survivors.

Somewhere deep in the Plei Trap just down hill from a firebase a platoon ? was in a firefight and needed an emergency supply of ammunition. We loaded the aircraft up with several cases and I was to air drop it. I had two Croc gun ships covering me. The platoon in contact had the high ground which was steep and the bad guys were below and on their flank. I approached the contact area flying downhill from the direction of the firebase with a high rate of descent and probably a tail wind. As I came over the popped smoke, I got into a settling with power situation where the more power you pulled, the faster the sink rate. I over flew the drop area, had my crew chief and gunner kick out the cases of ammo and just barely recovered prior to going into the trees. We were receiving ground fire, but the Crocs could not return fire due to where the friendlies were. I went back to Polei Kleng and got more ammo and successfully dropped it at the correct location the second time. I was very close to having to put it into the trees just past the friendly lines right in the midst of the bad guys. I don't know if any of the ground guys remember that, but I surely do.

Also, sometime during the middle of March, the 119th was shut down at Polei Kleng getting ready to make a big lift when Polei Kleng came under a mortar and recoilless rifle attack. During a short lull, a couple of gun ships managed to get up in the air and put some fire on the motor positions. All the slick drivers got their aircraft off the ground and I heard a request for a Medevac in the middle of the apron. I landed by a stash of ordinance that had been set on fire. The injured was a Captain with a serious head injury. I remember sitting next to several truck loads of ordinance and the wooden cases on fire that was spreading pretty rapidly. We took the injured Captain to either Kontum or LZ Mary Lou. I heard later that he did not survive and also heard that he was a really great guy.

We had several aircraft shot up going into and out of TFA. I went in one day with ammunition, (Or at least I hope it was ammo and not grenades) and water. About the time I set down on the pad, mortar rounds started going off pretty close to the LZ. The RTO hollered for us to leave, but I didn't want to have to come back in again, so we threw off the water and boxes. A couple of guys jumped on board, and if I remember correctly, one or both were past their DEROS date. We drew a lot of fire leaving, but received no hits.

I did other supply runs into TFA, but do not remember any specific incidents. I would always come in from the mountains from the north (?) low level as fast as I could fly looking for a flare chute hanging in a tree just prior to the LZ opening, I would flare the aircraft and kick in right pedal to kill my airspeed and about the time it had bleed off, I would be in position to drop into the LZ that would be to my left. I remember a tree in the middle of the LZ that was always in my way. I would have to clear that tree before I could get below the tree line. If I had it to do over again, I would have that tree cut down.

During the extraction of TFA, we used most of the company slicks and two sets of guns and borrowed guns from the 57th Cougars. Sometime during the early phase of extraction, Mark Garrison, one of the Croc guns made a statement over the radio that "he had taken fire from the N, from the W, from the S, and now he was taking fire from the E. It looks as if the Son of Bitches have us surrounded." He later took some kind of heavy round under his peter pilots armored seat. One of the Cougars took several hits and I believe had his wind screen shot out. I chased one of the slicks flown by Windy after he took a spent .50 cal hit in his transmission. He landed on a fire base a couple of miles away. Bob Nilius, platoon leader of the second platoon took hits later in the day and had to return to base. To the best of my memory, 9 aircraft took hits, of which several were disabled on the firebase or at Polei Kleng. The mountain we called Big Mamma cut off communications, so after we would pick up a sortie and head to Polei Kleng, we would be in the blind as to what was still going on. Towards the end of the extraction, Jim Hudkins and myself had been in and out three times and we were regrouping to see who still had aircraft left to fly. At that time I had not taken any hits. There were four or five of us that departed Polei Kleng to go and pick up the last two sorties. Hud said he would go in first and asked who would go in and get the final sortie. After some hesitation, I said I would. Hud got in and out without incident, and I was getting ready to go in to pick up the final four. A pair of cobras that had been working in the area had been monitoring the extraction and stated that they both had full rocket pods and did I want them to unload. The answer was a definite yes, so I held back while they fired their rockets around the hill. I had already made three trips using the same flight path and felt that I was pushing my luck on that route so tried to change my approach into the LZ. The bottom line was that being low level, I got disorientated and missed the LZ. I fooled around for a few seconds trying to find it and remarked that I was getting out and would come back in a different way. I wound up coming in again over the flare chute, the four remaining troops jumped on board and we were out. Again I was going to take a different direction out (I think it was to the south) and heard them holler no! I was already committed and accelerated as fast as I could staying low. We came out hot, and unknowingly, I took one round in one of the rotor blades. I definite remember Homer on board but do not remember any interactions. We made it directly to Polei Kleng, where when the four unloaded, a black trooper jumped on board and gave me a hot can of beer saying I was the best. That was the greatest award I have ever received, a hot can of beer.

Going in and out of TFA was about the only place where, as I sat waiting for the aircraft to be unloaded or loaded, I would look and see the troopers fire their weapons into the bush. I remember a stump a few yards in front of where we landed (just beyond where a mortar round had gone off) and seeing a troop firing up in the trees. We had a lot of aircraft that took hits going into and out of the LZ, but I don't remember anyone personally taking a hit. I feel for the ones that had to hump the bush and I don't think anyone that was not there can understand their story. I flew them in and out, and I cannot imagine the horror and agony that they endured. People that did not experience this cannot fathom that all we had was each other. When someone told Homer that we were not coming back to pick them up, they were all wet. That was never considered, it was never discussed. Know this, I did not expect to make it in and out the last trip, but I was going to give it my best effort. Homer stated that he was praying prior to our arrival. I was too.

Jack Hawkins
Aircraft Commander, Alligator 422
119th AHC

If you want to get in touch with Jack, just email me here at the site and I will forward your email to him.

Posted 30 DEC 2007

Arty Dovers

Homer … I was with the C/1/8 Nov 69 - Feb or Mar 70, then went to 3/8 and that company broke up, so I went to S&T Company and worked on a gun truck until Nov 70. Saw just a little of your site tonight, going to look better tomorrow. I believe I saw you over there. In Dec 69 while on a hump ,working off Fire Base Hard Times, I found a sack in a hut with two diamonds inside and a lot of NVA Doctor’s medical records. I turned them in to our Captain. Your story made me remember this. Thank you.
Arty Dovers
E4 (clay more)

Would like to hear from any one whom may remember me….

I have Arty's Email address on file...contact me and I will forward your email to him.

Posted 7 DEC 2007

Ed Warneld US Army Ret  

DC ,25th Wall- Parade 8 Nov to 11 Nov 07

There are 4 of us from D Co 1st of the 8th going, we departed Ft Lewis on 9th Aug 67 with the newly formed D Co 1st Bn 8th Inf. We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, Arlington Va. Any other who want to join us give me a call at  the Hotel 703 528 4444 Rooms can be booked on line at a great savings.



27SEP 2007

Leslie Durkee,

D/1/8 came into the Company about OCT 5th 1969 to the 1st Plt. as a rifleman. He humped the AN/PRC-25 radio and remembers always being up with the first squad while humping with the Platoon, so he must have been the RTO for the Plt. Ldr. He is looking for someone who remembers him, the V.A. has not been helpful in processing his claim for benefits. They don't think he was there. His records, Name and Soc. Sec. # are incorrect in the records data base. They have a "Kelly" Durkee, but not a Leslie, his Soc. Sec. # is one digit off from their records, so he is looking for someone to confirm he was there.

To refresh your memories, 1st Plt. was involved in a firefight on Dec. 5th, where Roger McWrite (sic) point man and their medic Jerry Hauschultz were killed as well. To further aid your memory, I think someone took a round in the helmet during that and wasn't killed. Leslie broke his wrist that day and was dusted off to An Khe and never returned to the field, consequently he never received any of his records or awards or personally signed out of the company.

He remembers his Plt. Ldr as Pete Dripps. I remember the incident he talked about, but not a Lt. Dripps. I wonder if it wasn't Lt. Peoples? I thought Lt. Holder was the Lt. of the 1st Plt. about that time. I think Glenn Sattler was in the 1st Plt. as well, either as Acting Plt. Ldr or Plt. Sgt. or Lt. Bruce Simmons. Carl Nagel a squad leader, was in the first Plt. then as well. I am hoping our 3rd Plt Medic Ray Hubbard will remember the incident as well.

If you remember him, or would check with any of your contacts and see if they remember him, it would be very helpful to him.

You can email me here at the website if you have any news for Leslie...

Thanks...

Homer
 

Posted 17 MAY 2007

Dennis Wolf...

Thank you for the development of this site which enables those of us who served in Vietnam to make contact with those that we were with.

I was in C 1/8 from March 1969 to Feb. 1970 and came in country when the Company was on Hill 467. I have some very vivid memories of those two days that I spent on that firebase. I completed my tour in 1970 and returned to civilian life. I am now retired and four years ago went back to Viet Nam on a two week visit. I spent the first week in the Saigon area, an area that I previously had not experienced, with the second week in the Central Highlands. The trip was very good for my soul and I was very surprised at the attitude of the Vietnamese toward Americans and former troops. We met with some NVA Officers and were able to ask them any questions we wished. That was a very insightful exchange for me.

I am interested in contacting anyone who served in Charlie Co. 1/8 during the period of time that I was in country.

I have Dennis's Email address on file...contact me and I will forward your email to him.

Posted 15 AUG 2007

Kent Phillips

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_875#Background

The taking of Hill 875 in November of 1967 during the battle of Dak To, saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the Vietnam War.  The link above is to an account on Wikipedia.  During the battle the 2nd and 4th Bn's of the 503rd Infantry suffered 33 MIA, 158 KIA, and 411 WIA. During this same time period, the 173rd Airborne Brigade lost 60 MIA, 272 KIA, and over 900 WIA fighting around the Dak To area.  Enemy loses were estimated at 3000.

This email is from Kent Phillips, who is interviewing survivors of the battle for Hill 875 for a screen play about that action.

I hope this e mail reaches you. Here in Ft. Wayne is a sky soldier who was with the 173rd Airborne. I am assembling facts  for a screenplay about Hill 875 and the men who were there. The number of people to interview is becoming limited, as most are the same age as myself (61). I am going to donate all of the proceeds (if there are any) , to veterans of this battle, and/or their families. I am working with Shane Black, who wrote all of the Lethal Weapon movies, A Long Kiss Goodnight, and most recently directed Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang. I feel he has the right talents for what I want to accomplish with this treatise, as it moves onto the screen.

My goal, primarily, is to contrast America in 1964, with America in 1969. To share the events in my life as a Four F, person, living on campus, then working for Sun Records and the “identity crises” we all felt. We loved our country, yet the majority of the people our age were tearing down every thing we believed in:  the government, social mores, sexual activities, drug use, etc. It was the closest time since 1780 that the United States came to being in the throws of revolution. When we returned to our own age group, we could never feel comfortable. Even the distrust of those who claimed that POT would never hurt you, but cigarettes and liquor caused cancer, etc, was not accepted by us. It is fine to post this e mail on your page, and/or send it to all of those you have contact with. I would love to visit with them and hear their story. It is a story beyond the much touted 101st Airborne. The Fourth and the 173rd , hit the NVA head on and were victorious. I have seen the KIA lists. This was one of the bloodiest battles in Vietnam, and the people who fought it were my age. I was safely nested away with my guitar in Muscle Shoals, Nashville, and Florida, being paid to have fun and drink Busch Bavarian. I feel guilty for not being at your side. Thank you for reading this and your courage as a young boy. You may reach Kent at the email address shown below.

Kent I Phillips
Chief Executive Officer
Databank Limited


 

Posted 4 AUG 2007
 

Col. Craig B. Collier

Does anyone know the 4th ID unit that CA'd Sept 1968 onto the old abandoned
FSB 19 (Hill 1258) just west of Dak Seang in Sept 1968 - landing squarely
on NVA in the old bunkers with the initial platoon more on less wiped out.

I was a new helicopter pilot in the 57th AHC, the first bird to be driven
off - no one could get another lift in for hrs due to the fire; took a lot
of hits, med evac went down, our helicopter platoon pretty shot-up trying to
get at least one more platoon in, etc.

I have always wanted to know who the infantry lieutenant was on the ground; we
listened to him bleeding (to death), alone.

Somewhere, I heard he survived. Would like to say hello to him - and
express my admiration. And I have one pic of the grunts in the back of our
ship taken about a minute before we set them in - always wondered it they
made it. Good Folks. If anyone can id those units, or give a website, or
id the LT-would appreciate it.,

PS:

Found the Unit involved was C / 3-12. Looks like the 1LT died (a 1LT Mercer was
on the wall); The platoon SSG Guy got a citation - DSC.

But can not find any HQ Unit for that BN.

Would appreciate if you could post request where ever you think best for anyone
in that unit on the 30 Aug 68 CA or just from that unit Aug-Sept 68.

Thanks, Craig

Craig B. Collier, MD, MPH
COL MC SFS

One final Question - and I'll move on - do you have the contact emails for that LT who lead A Co out - and the one who had D Co in the March 1969 Operation Wayne Grey - I gave gunship support to A CO and always wanted to talk to the LT's of both companies.



Posted 5 MAR 2007

Chuck Michaeli...

I am Chuck Michaeli  2nd Platoon B company 1/8th INF from May 15, 1967 to May 10, 1968, weapons squad and carried the M-60. I was called Mother Gook or Mac, due to the fact that I used vines to suspend my air mattress off the ground. Some of my platoon leaders were 1st. Lt. Allen, 2nd Lt. Wilson (GOLDEN BOY). I don't remember the rest. I had three COs. I don't remember the first. The second was Captain Christie (Cpt. Crunch) and Captain Moore. I remember the tall man from Tennessee who was the CO's. RTO. I was wounded in the knee at Dak To on FEB 6, 1967.  There was a Gary Dice who was in the 1st. Platoon. He was wounded at the battle of the Nine Days of May  in July 1967, but later returned to B Company. Gary Dice became a pilot for North West airlines and died of cancer in 1987. Gary was good friend of mine. There was a Steve Smith who was in the 2nd Platoon. Steve was wounded in the Nine Days of May and he also returned to B Company. Steve worked for the railroad out of St. Louis Missouri. I visited him in 1970 and 72. Steve was the youngest man in B Company. He turned 18 in May 1967. I am writing about the events that happened to B Company for the VA and VFW. I will be e-mailing you from time to time looking for information. I hope you don't mind me doing this. There were a SPC4 Lenix and a SGT. Ryeburg and a PFC Grace in B Company with me also.


Our XO was a 1st Lieutenant King from Texas. One of our Battalion Commanders was Lt Col Gail Wilson. In a battle North of Jackson Hole,  We could only make a small LZ to get our wounded out. Lt. Col Wilson came in with his little bubble helicopter and stayed on the ground with us. We put two men at a time on his bubble helicopter and evacuated them to the aid station at Jackson Hole. Lt. Col Wilson then walked with us (2000 meters) to the next LZ, where we could make it big enough for three helicopters to land. On 9/3/67 B Company and A Company 1/8th INF were waiting outside of Due Co Special Forces Camp for Lt Col Wilson to arrive by helicopter and let us know which way we were going into the ID Drang valley. We waited for four hours and word came down that LTC Wilson's helicopter crashed and he was killed. He was a great leader that will be missed.

We had five black soldiers who would sing songs every night after we dug into our defensive perimeters. They would sing the great songs of the 60's, like Down on the Boardwalk. One singer was SP/4 Shorty Davis, a 5 foot tall black man. Whenever we went in the rear area, Shorty would put on the yellow Sergeant First Class strips on his sleeves. We all got a kick out of the respect he got wearing those stripes. He would go in the NCO clubs and bring out whiskey for the rest of us. If he got caught, he would have been locked up. Shorty Davis made in home.

I don't know about the men in your time. but most of the men with me had good luck charms. One black soldier from New York City's, good luck charm was a white mussel T-shirt. When we got on the plane to go home, his T-shirt was black. My good luck charm was a orange and black tiger key ring from my high school. Those lucky charms made us bullet proof.

Some Short Stories every day events that happened to B company 1/8th. INF....

Monkey Assault
I remember that one night B Company was dug in on the side of a large hill with big trees for cover. During the night a wild monkey came down from one of the trees and jumped on a sleeping soldier. His screams woke up his buddies. They were all trying to get the monkey off him and in the confusion that followed three or four men were bitten by the monkey. I think they were all in the 3rd platoon. All of those soldiers had to get rabies shots.

Captain Christie goes monkey hunting.
When we moved off the mountain with the monkeys, we moved in two columns through the jungle. We entered a area where the trees were spaced out a little and they were not as tall. Two monkeys started jumping from tree top to tree top. Captain Christie using his little M16, chased the monkeys and  shot both of them. I was impressed with the Captains shooting.

Snake Steak
One of the men in the 1st Platoon brought in a 12 foot python he had killed while on patrol. One of the black soldiers an E-6, who was a cook before joining B Company 1/8th, cooked up the python and several  soldiers ate the snake. I was told it was good, but did not get any of the snake to taste.

Dragons do exist!
I was on a five man patrol and we were taking a break from walking through the jungle, when the grass in front of me started to move. I watched as a large lizard come out of the grass and head toward me. I shot that lizard in the head with my M-16. It was 6 1/2 feet long and weighed about 125 lbs. It was around 40 inches is diameter in the middle of it's belly. The E-6  cooked up the lizard and I got to taste it. Not bad, but it did not taste like chicken.
Captain Crunch chewed my ass out for shooting that lizard and compromising the patrol. My excuse was that all I saw was the grass moving and I fired. I don't think Captain Crunch believed me but I did not change my story around him.

Pork Barbecue
B Company was moving up a long finger going up a mountain, when the CO decided to call a 10 minute brake. I had to take a dump and moved down the hill with only my entrenching tool. I had my pants down around my ankles, when the front line opened up with small arms fire. There was a lot of screaming, that sounded like wounded men, as I was trying to run up the hill with my pants around my ankles, falling on my face several times. When I arrived back at the company perimeter, I was told that Sergeant Premo Herandazs and his squad had opened up on eight to ten little pigs. What I had heard was the wounded pigs screaming. Sergeant Herandazs and his men took the best four pigs they shot back to the company perimeter, where the black E-6, cooked up the pigs over a spit that Sergeant Herandazs buillt. I was told they were good eating, but once again I missed out.

Package Home
One night B Company and D Company were set up together at the OASIS Fire Support Base. My night position was next to the last night position of D Company 1/8th. I was rolling up my air mattress, when one of the men from D Company came over to me. He had a large black scorpion in a small box and said that he found it under his air mattress. He told me, that he was going to mail it home to his Mom, for her to put in his bug collection. MOM or who ever opens that box will be very surprised.

These are just some of the daily things we went through just trying to get each day to pass.

Thank you for your web site. Chuck Michaeli


Check out Chuck's story about his first patrol with B/1/8 in July 1967 and the account of setting up Fire Base Dogbone.

Posted 22 FEB 2007

Richard Lysinger

Homer,

Found your site at Pleiku Pals. I'm Richard Lysinger.  I was with Co A. 1/35 Inf. 3rd Bde. 4th Inf Div (Cacti) "Grunt".
Very nice site and was surprised when going thru your flashbacks and reading your letters, nice by the way, that we kicked the same dirt, humped the same mountains. Arrived in country on 4-68. My company built FB 28 around 5-2-68, later was told renamed FB Rainbow.  Remember writing home and saying how beautifully it was to see rainbows about every day. Then moved to build FB Dot around 6-5-68 same area, then built FB 31 around 7-7-68, then built FB Carmon around 9-11-68. Being a grunt didn't realize I'd become an expert on the shovel, do remember we got pissed off, build the base, secure the area, just to turn it over to some other company, and moved to do it all over again. In between fire bases did patrols and combat missions by Laos, Cambodian border, Dak To and Kontum area. On 9-25-68 remember that day well, and one lucky SOB got out of the field and a job back in the rear at Camp Enari pulling guard and running patrols.
If interested you can view my pictures at cacti35th.org click Photos, then click on my name Richard Lysinger. Didn't get my camera from home until I was on FB Dot.

Thanks to my wife of 39yrs for saving my letters home, and me writing on the back of most of my pictures that I remember anything. My biggest regret is the names of my brothers in combat, that have long left me. By chance that anyone recognize some one from my pics please contact me, or any comrade that wants to give a shout. All are welcome.
Again, nice site and enjoyed it, and will return now and then.

"Welcome Home"



Posted 26 JAN 2007

Johnny Basso

I found you in an email I got from the group called Pleiku Pals. I graduated from Senior ROTC at Eastern
Kentucky University and did my 6 weeks ROTC training at Ft. Riley, Kansas. I did not become an
officer because of a bad heart. I served in the Central Highlands from the sea to the tri-border area
at Than Cahn from 1970 - November 1971. I was in D Battery, 5/16th.



Posted 9 DEC 2006

Tommy W. Thompson
SFC, US Army (Retired)

I arrived in-country on 8 Aug 68, becoming a PFC when my foot hit the landing strip in Cam Rahn Bay. I was originally assigned to B Co 1/8th Inf. I believe that was on Hill 1089. We were the ones who were airlifted from Hill 1089 to investigate a site from which 122mm rockets had been fired, over us, towards the Dak To base camp. I believe that was in Sept. '68. That was my first "action". The day before, we heard the rockets going over the firebase. One old-timer saw where they were being launched from and started firing the .50 Cal. at them. They tried a quick shot at us, but they were rushed and the rocket landed near the base of the hill.

The next day we went in on Hueys to check it out. That was my first taste of elephant grass. I stepped out of the chopper, thinking we were only a couple of feet up. After dropping about eight feet, I had the breath knocked out of me and got a few cuts on my arms from the grass. Luckily, we were the only ones there and I had a chance to catch my breath.

A month or so later, when we went to FSB 32, which was a few clicks on the other side of the valley where Ben Het was from FSB 29, they needed 11C's and moved me to the 4-Deuce in the mortar platoon of E Co 1/8th Inf.

I was wounded on FSB 29 on 29 Oct 68. Larry Carpenter was wounded by the same 120mm mortar round. It landed in the doorway of our bunker, by the 4-Deuce gun pit near the TOC. That was the same day that Charles Hazlip, of the 105mm howitzers was KIA. After healing, I went back to my gun, which had been moved to FSB 32. A few weeks later, we were moved back to FSB 29. My gun crew then consisted of Carl Granger, James Floro (of Kansas City, MO), and Ken Holsen. A few months after that, I took over the 106mm recoilless rifle with Danny Huffman (of Jerusalem, AR) and Carl Granger took over the 4-Deuce. We manned the 106 on the FSB at/near Polei Kleng and later on LZ Bullet and one other FSB by a road between LZ Bullet and Camp Radcliffe.

After that tour, I spent two out of the next three years in-country. Most of that was as a grunt (C Co 52nd Inf - Saigon and E Co 2/1 Inf, 196th Light Infantry Brigade (mortars and recon) - Danang, Chu Lai, and Phu Bai). The rest was as an MP (with C Co 720th MP Bn and attached to A Co 716th MP Bn - Long Binh, Lai Khe, and Saigon) guarding convoys to just about everywhere in the delta region and over to the Cambodian border and guarding POWs, as well as patrolling Saigon with the Combined Police Patrol.

Ironically, when my third tour-of-duty was over, I was assigned to 2/22 Inf, 4th Inf Div, at Fort Carson, CO. That turned out to be a major blessing, since that is where I met and married my wife of 31 years in 1975. She was the one who finally helped me to "come home". I was medically reclassified out of the Infantry while serving in the Berlin Brigade in 1977. I pushed papers as a 71L for the rest of my 20 years as a soldier and retired from Fort Polk, LA, in 1988.

Tommy wants to find out the name of the person in the Enlisted Men's Club at camp Enari, Pleiku with him.

Posted 22 MAR 2006

Ralph McDermott

I visited your site and its great. I was an 11Bravo in C Co. 1-8. I came in country in May of 67 and went to B Co., got malaria in August and spent over a month in Cam Rahn Bay Hospital. When I came back I was put in C Co. and was there until DEROS in May 68. We were working West of Ban Me Thout when the thing erupted at Dak To. They convoyed us to a firebase somewhere a little south of Dak To and we were CA'd into an area south of Ben Het and West of the air strip. A couple of companies from the ( I think) 3/8th were to our East a couple of klicks in a major fight to keep a hill. The remainder of my tour was spent mostly between Hill 875 and northwest of Ben Het along the border to directly North of the airstrip.  I spent many a night on 3 man OP's or 5 man ambushes. I really would like to know exactly how much our rucksacks weighed after a resupply. I left the field to DEROS from FB-29. I never knew the names or numbers of most of the FB's until the internet came along. I can find some areas where events happened on maps on some of the websites. It would be great to have aerial photos of the entire area. It sounds as if the unit kept the same AO. I'm sure we humped some of the same trails and gazed at the night sky from the same hilltops.

Hear is a vivid memory of mine. I had been with B Co. about two weeks and we had been doing perimeter guard at a place called "Jackson Hole". It was a Brigade Command Post somewhere southwest of Pleiku (I think). We had run patrols, OP's, and ambushes from there because of the great number of green replacements in the Co. of which I was one. When it came time to go to the boonies we humped out of there in platoon size units to the west toward a high ridgeline running North/South. A few days before we left I was made the M-79 guy. I had fired 1 round from an M-79 and that was about 3 months prior in AIT. I wasn't familiar with the weapon. We had started up the side of that ridge, everyone was bent over with the weight of the rucks. I was bent over, M-79 resting on an ammo pouch on my web gear, my forearm was resting on the top of the stock. Somehow the lock for the trigger guard was tripped and the guard slid to the side. My forearm resting on top of the stock slid the safe to "OFF" and BLOOP!  I watched that round bury itself in the soft dirt at my feet, WOW- what a rush!!!  I'm still thanking the guy who thought of the self arming thing for those rounds. That was the first time I was to hear the words WHO FIRED THAT ROUND !?!  So much for noise discipline. There were about 30 other guys not happy with me right then. We traveled farther up the side of the ridge and about half way up we set up for the night. It was a small, tight perimeter, pitch black, monsoon rain , scared as hell -- first night in the bush.

In the morning we ate breakfast and slowly made our way up the top of the ridge getting there in the late morning. At the top there was a trail following the ridge so we sat up a perimeter dissecting it to eat our lunch. One M-60 on the North the other on the South. The perimeter is maybe 15 yards across. Had just started to heat some C's when the "gun" on the South end opens up with a really long burst of maybe 50-75 rounds. Hit the dirt a laid there and waited. I heard some low sounds coming from our guys over there and then my squad leader "Hurst" comes crawling over to me. "Mac, come with me!", so we go to where the M-60 is setting on the trail. He tells me that he and I are going to go down the trail and check out a body that is laying about 25 yds away. I told him I'd really like to have an M-16 in my hands when we did this, in fact I got a little adamant about it. So someone hands me a "buckshot round" for the M-79. That round wasn't very deadly looking and I'd only shot two rounds from an M79 and one of them was the day before that went into the dirt at my feet, but I loaded it and we went down the trail, Hurst first , me after on the other side. I wasn't prepared for what I was about to see. Hurst worked his way up to the body and threw back the AK-47, he was dead. Hurst worked his way around a little bend in the trail and just a few yards more there were three more NVA, all dead. There was body matter sprayed everywhere. The gunner had killed all four with that burst. We policed up their weapons and equipment and took it back to up the trail. They were traveling with very little, only about 90 rounds apiece with a few Chicoms and some water. It was said that they must have been a recon team. I wouldn't eat much for a few days but I learned a valuable lesson about growing complacent and bunching up on the trail. The saying "lets have 5 meters or one round will get you all" made a lot of sense. So my first few days in the boonies with B-1-8 were a real eye opener for this 19 yr. old.

 I'd like to be in touch with that squad leader Hurst. He was from Alabama and one of the originals that went over by boat from Ft. Lewis. He only had a few months to go when I arrived. He taught me a lot. Its hard to believe that it will be 39 years in a few months since that all that happened. I had a few good experiences like being stalked by a tiger on a 3 man night LP and being targeted by our own aircraft with only a few seconds before from having F-4s drop their ordinance on us because a FAC pilot mistook us for NVA and marked us with a rocket. Friendly Fire- is there such a thing?  I chuckle now but when that jet was making that big circle to get into position to make his run I was looking at some worried faces. The sound of a fighter screaming in on a run is a special sound isn't it?   It gives goose bumps just thinking of it. One of the things that was most unnerving to me was being mortared while being on the move. Hearing the round leave the tube and wondering if it was" the one". A hole just a few inches deep can be quite a comfort when HE is headed your way.



Posted 24 FEB 2006

Ray Donis

SGT, E-5

I was a shake-n-bake with 2nd platoon, Charlie Co, 1/8th on Hill 467 early March 69. My LT was Robert Hahn from Chicago, IL. I remember C Co. going down into the valley and making contact with a NVA regiment. 2nd platoon was ordered to stay in the valley for a night and set up an ambush while the remainder of the company headed back to the top of the mountain. I remember being on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and finding a Russian truck and then being chased by the NVA for the entire next day. Late in the afternoon, I remember hearing a resupply chopper pilot telling us to hurry because there was an enemy force on our tail. We made it to the top and rejoined the other companies on the hill and that night in Charlie Co sector, we were probed and eventually attacked. The next day, we found approximately 1/2 dozen bodies and a whole lot of weapons. The bodies were brought in and stacked outside our perimeter and then the weapons were blown up and burnt. I remember one night where "Snoopy" was called in and it firing orange lines as it circled its target. You could hear the engines of vehicles down in the valley but after "Snoopy" circled, what was heard was numerous explosions. In the morning, you could still see smoke rising in the valley. I also remember coming back from an ambush one morning and sitting under a large tree watching two 81 MM mortar squads on a fire mission. They were having a contest to see how fast they could load and fire the tubes. As I watched, I saw a mortar man hang a mortar at the muzzle of the tube and there was still a round in the tube. As it went off, it hit the mortar at the end of the muzzle and flew maybe 50 feet vertically and came back down and exploded between the two pits. I believe the crewmen were hit by shrapnel in the groin and also believe some fingers were lost. Dust offs were called in and the wounded were evacuated. Later, I went over to look at the site and remember seeing the end of the tube had numerous chips taken out of the metal. I also remember being on the first sortie of choppers that flew the companies off that hill. I believe we landed at a fire base called Black Hawk. The crew shut down the bird after we landed and we all got out and looked as the crew released the shrouds that covered the tail rotor drive shaft. There was a 1" hole halfway up the tail rotor housing and it just missed the tail shaft and that bird was taken out of action. I remember there were 17 choppers involved in air lifting all the companies off that hill and 11 were hit. I have a scrapbook filled with many pictures and items I'd like to show you. I live in SE Pennsylvania and would like to meet and talk with you. My call signs were 78TANGO and 21XRAY. Welcome Home Brother.

Posted 6 FEB 2006

George Callan,

son of Lt. Callan.  See Task Force Alpha, Flashback...5 MAR 1969 for the story. His father and I were friends in Vietnam.  Lt. Callan never made it home to see his son George grow up, but I can state for a fact, that he has a son he can be very proud of, who loves and remembers him sincerely.  Lt. Callan is one of those fine young men whose memory still causes tears to well up when I think of him.

If you knew Lt. Callan of C/1/8, his son would love to hear from you. Contact him through my email address at bottom of page.

Dear Mr. Steedly,

Hello again. I want to thank you for the time that you spent discussing your service and the interaction you had with my father in early 1969. I have spent the large majority of my life wondering about Vietnam and thanks to the 4th ID website, and to men like you, I have been able to learn a great deal about my father and the place where he died. I have been educated about the Central Highlands, Plei Trap, and triple canopy growth that made it dark enough to need a flashlight during the day. I am still reading through your website and it has just demanded my attention like no other. The daily responsibilities and challenges faced by combat infantrymen during Vietnam serve to inspire me whenever I feel that my own life is becoming difficult. The fact that my father died there serving his country, and attempting to recover the M60 that went down when the point man was hit, always reminds me that I owe my best to whatever I am facing in my life. If you know any others who served with my dad and would be willing to talk about it, I would appreciate it. I have a 3 year old daughter who will need to know who her grandfather was and why she never met him. My father's name and info are:

Lt. George A. Callan C/1/8. He was KIA on 03/05/1969. You discuss it in your flashback re Task Force Alpha / Hill 467.

God bless you Homer. You have helped me to know more about my dad and his last months of life. I cannot thank you enough for sharing your time and memories.

Email me at the address at the bottom of the page and I will put you in contact with George.

Robert H. (Bob) Robbins  "ARKIE"

I was with the second platoon of Charlie Company on hill 467.  I was also one of the platoon RTO's.  I was on the first bird off 467 and was not happy to be on it due to the fact we were not sure if it could get out without being shot down.  I will never forget the sound of it coming up to side of the hill (North side I think) at treetop level at full speed trying to avoid detection.  After making it to Polei Kleng we took over a water truck at the frustration of the driver.
I was listening on the PRC 25 as you were trying to get off the hill and letting our people know what was going on.  At this time we were getting ready to volunteer to try and go back in and try to walk out with you.  I am not sure how we thought we could do this and I am glad that we did not need to try.
I went in Country in September 1968 and also arrived on Hill 29 some time in late September.  Thanks for cleaning up the hill.  By the time I had arrived it was in pretty good shape, only the memories of it almost being over run a few weeks/month earlier.  Feel free to add this to your Guestbook.  I would like to find any of our Brothers in Arms.

Posted 27 DEC 2004

Ron Carey
119th Assault Helicopter Company
1st Flight Platoon
Jan.1968-Sept.1969

After reading your site and our talk on the telephone, I again thank God that I was in aviation and not the infantry. I don't think I could have functioned as an 11 Bravo. Engagements with the enemy as a crew chief were short and sweet. I still feel that when those times happened, time must have stood still. The human brain is not made to remember the madness which happens during those times. Thirty years have past since that time and I still recall the moments as if it were yesterday. Some are blended together but others have stayed with me.

The one that has always remained was the time my weapon jammed. It was the second attempt into LZ Brace. I remember trying to clear my gun but now I watch it as a movie from the outside of my body. After talking to you and others I think you will agree. Thanks for putting together an "OUTSTANDING" web-site and I hope it continues to grow.

I have Ron's Email Address on file...Contact

Posted 12 JAN 2005

John Ranney
C/3/8
08/68-05/69

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your tales about Wayne Grey. I also participated in the Wayne Grey operation with C/3/8. I have read Ron Carey's account and the after-action report about A company. The only point I can add to the tales are Welcome Home.

Posted  26 JAN 2005

Reginald Mongeur

I was with D/1/8 from Sept 1968 until March 1969. We were on FSB 32 I believe. It has been so long that I am not sure. My PSG was Francis Daniels. He was an E-6. Tall guy with a handlebar moustache. My squad leader was E-5 Ron Nelson from GA, I think.

I am always looking for guys from my time in the NAM



Thank you BROTHER
You have a great website!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted 28 JAN 2005

Gary Lysne

I was with the company from Jan 69 through Jan 70.  I was a SSG instant NCO who was always with the 3rd Plt, the first month or so as a squad ldr, and then Plt. Sgt or Plt Ldr. depending on the vacancy.   When you came into the company Lt. Stephen North was brand new as 3rd Plt. ldr and I was the Plt. Sgt.  Someone sent me your website and I have just finished reading it in its entirety.  Thank you for your website.

I am the policeman from Seattle, that you talked about in your Oct. 69 ambush story that carried one of our casualties off the hill.  I returned to the Police Dept. and retired Oct. 94, for service with 27 yrs.

I would like to hear from anyone in the unit.

I just read your account of OCT 30,1969 with as much detached interest as I could muster. It was upsetting, to say the least, way too close to home. I was the 3rd platoon medic assisting doc Keyes pull the wounded and dead back to safety. He and I had no covering fire with the exception of Sgt Ted Bahle, whom I would love to contact and thank one more time. I may have been too busy to hear or see the covering fire, as I was concerned with the comments from yourself and Top Madden "You have 5 minutes to get them out. I've got artillery coming." followed by "You have 5 minutes to get them out. I've got gun ships and planes on the way". Although your name rung no bells, your picture did. As one of the paths I've crossed, I thank you for being a part of my life, leader, comrade, protector. I now live my life in Missouri, healthy for my age and pray my children never have to tell stories such as yours. Those who now serve are wished well and Godspeed. Be advised of an upcoming event in Branson, Missouri third week in June, 2005.
For more info go to this website                     http://www.operationhomecomingusa.com/
Being only a few hours from me, I plan to attend and God willing anyone else from first of the eighth who can make it.   Welcome home.

Posted 4 MAR 2005

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