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Downloaded from
YTS.MX

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(Helicopter whirring)

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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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(radio chattering)

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We had been out on a search

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and the battalion had called down

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and told us to move to a

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because they would have

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move us back to a base area.

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And from there we would launch into

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And as we were getting ready to go back,

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and we're moving in a column of twos

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cutting our way through the jungle.

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And we had stopped.

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and all the way back down the line,

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each of the following three platoons

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are broken out column

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And then about every hour,

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and we'd stop and

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And each platoon would put

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or the left flank to

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in case the enemy slipped up on us.

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I remember standing up

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And we began to move out.

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And way back in the back,

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his name was Fritz,

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and he went up to squad

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"We've left the two guys back

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They haven't come back in,

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And the squad leader just sort of

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I mean, the troop is moving,

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And he said, "Oh, it's okay,

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They'll be here."

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And so we moved.

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And so after a while,

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and went up to the next guy

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and all this time we're still moving.

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And finally the patrol leader

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he says, "Sir,

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And so we halted the column

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and I went back to where

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and we sent a fire team of five guys out

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to see if they were still there.

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And there they were about 50 yards out,

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laying down on a trail protecting us

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and we'd gone off and left them.

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I turned to Fritz,

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and there was the squad

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and on either side of his collar

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He was a Sergeant.

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And I took his stripes off of him

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and I said, "You're relieved.

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And I turned around and there was Fritz,

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the guy who had alerted us,

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and I reached down and pined the stripes

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"Fritz, you're a Sergeant

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And he did.

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He had them dig deep that night,

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had them check their grenades,

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make sure everything was safe.

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He would be killed on the 29th of June.

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(Sombre music)

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[Shawn] That's my father in 1966.

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He survived two tours of Vietnam

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and three helicopter crashes over there.

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He commanded troops in combat

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with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

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He earned the Silver Star,

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the Army's third highest honour

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the Distinguished Flying Cross

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the Bronze Star for valour in combat,

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which he earned seven times,

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and the Purple Heart for

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That's me in 1966.

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For most of my life, I really had

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Yes, I knew he had been in Vietnam,

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I thought he had a desk job over there.

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I suppose I was like a lot of

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You took what your

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He didn't talk about the war.

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During a recent trip to the

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I started asking him questions

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and he agreed to tell me

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(Soft music)

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(triumphant orchestral music)

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It seems like all my life

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I was prone to something to

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At an early age I went to

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in St. Petersburg, Florida,

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and then for college

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As soon as I graduated,

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in the Army, and then I was off.

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And it seemed to me that

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if I wanted to advance,

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if I wanted to learn

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about being an infantry officer,

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about being an Army officer,

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I needed to be where the battle was.

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And I requested assignment to

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And that was all well and

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and told my wife what I had done.

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Then my husband came home

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for Vietnam and he

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And I thought, I didn't know

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volunteering for Vietnam or

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I think maybe telling me he volunteered

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was the craziest thing. (Chuckles)

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In fact, I remember very clearly

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I wrote down on a piece of paper,

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I promise I will not

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[Shawn] My dad invited me

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to go to the 173rd

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to meet some of the men

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so I would have a better understanding

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of what they experienced.

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It had been 50 years

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since they had been in Vietnam together.

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I got out of high school in

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I joined the Army.

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I went down to a recruiter.

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My dad was a career Marine.

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My mom and dad had to sign off

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when I got out of high school and,

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I was drafted, I got my high

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and my draft papers in the other

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and I was off and running

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I enlisted in the army

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still in high school.

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I'd always wanted to

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and I wanted to become a

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I had started working at

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right out of high school and

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Was drafted about a year later.

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I was graduating high

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and a good friend of mine decided,

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that we wanted to enter the military.

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I joined shortly after high school.

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It was a 4th of July.

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I was out with some of the

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and we weren't paying attention to

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and we hit the back of the

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and we locked our bumpers together.

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So my dad said it'd be a good idea

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to go and talk to him and apologize.

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He sat me down at a

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We started talking and right

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I'll never forget it.

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It was a poster of a Golden

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I went home that night

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"So what'd you do today?

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I said, "I did."

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He said, "Where?"

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I said, "United States Army." (Laughs)

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I had a buddy that had agreed

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to go in the military

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cause we were both in the lottery

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and he was a student

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And September when I got

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I called him and he said,

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My grades are good and I'm

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Well, I had my doubts about that.

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Gus wasn't a good student.

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But Gus got drafted and

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And when he came home for Christmas,

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I was home from advanced infantry

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And Gus was having a hell of a time

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cause that military school

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So he didn't go back to Fort Benning.

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He committed suicide on

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And his funeral was on Monday

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and I had to be back at Fort Jackson,

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so I missed his funeral.

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So I started my whole army career out

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with one of the biggest traumas

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you can imagine in your life.

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(Soft combat music)

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Getting to Saigon when

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was a really exciting experience,

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but you didn't know what to expect.

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And they ushered us into

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and they put us in a circus tent.

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The mortars hit the tent and

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and there was a lot of

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So they got who was able

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We loaded buses and left Saigon,

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40 or 50 miles an hour right

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And our first look at Saigon

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was just by the lightning flashes.

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There was a heavy storm

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Appropriate for us. (Chuckles)

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I got to A Company on March 15th, 1966.

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The next morning I got up,

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I was on my way to breakfast

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and there was a couple of guys

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listening to the firefight that

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That was my first experience

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with even being associated

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I can remember my response

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to the Company armourer at the time.

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I said, "I don't even

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And he said, "Just wait a

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Well, when I first got there,

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They had a major engagement

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while we were down in Tan Son Nhut

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and they were coming

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and got ambushed on a

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I don't know how many were killed,

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but many, many were wounded.

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And so when we got up there,

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When we first got in the Company area,

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we heard some choppers coming

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all the guys that had

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started coming in and they

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And the looks on their faces,

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Everybody looked like

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and nobody talked or anything.

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It was just pretty damn scary.

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And then they came back and

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and then I was the FNG. (Chuckles)

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Yeah, but it was an experience.

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Great group of guys.

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Made some of the best

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That was my first night in Vietnam

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and I spent about probably

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before it got daylight and I got up

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and started looking around

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It was a desolate place.

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All them old tents looked

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but nobody lived in them but

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That's where we'd go get rested up

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and take a shower and get our C-rations

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and the brass would get the orders

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and we'd load up and go out

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and do another search and destroy.

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That's about all we did.

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The officers had their own officers club

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and they kept their liquor

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We were coming back

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and noticed that the hinges

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were pinned on the outside of the door

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with a padlock on the handle,

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so we took the pins out,

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went in and stole a whole box of liquor,

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different bottles,

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They never realized anything was gone,

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so we did it again at

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The third time we went back,

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the hinges were on the

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Now, that was fantastic. (Laughs)

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That was probably the funniest

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that we got away with the

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(Helicopter whirring) (radio chattering)

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After about three weeks in the country,

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for a week at a time or more

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and spend a few days

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Your first patrol when

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you're just nervous

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what the hell you're looking for,

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And you think any moment

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you're gonna get ambushed and blown up.

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[Terry] Triple canopy was

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but you heard every little bug, insect.

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It was constant, you were soaking wet

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all the time from sweat

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As time went on, the old guys

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for a month or two would

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and what you're doing and

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that were gonna keep you alive.

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You caught on quick.

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It was a matter of life

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So I was on radio watch one night,

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Sergeant Brown was over here,

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I was next to him and

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spread out a little bit.

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And I heard this strange noise coming

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and it was in the trees.

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I couldn't figure out what it was.

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And it got louder and it got

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So finally I woke up

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"Sergeant Brown, Sergeant Brown,

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I don't know what it is."

282
00:13:46,959 --> 00:13:48,035
And he looked at me and he said,

283
00:13:48,085 --> 00:13:49,705
"It's monkeys, get under your poncho."

284
00:13:49,755 --> 00:13:52,836
And so we rolled over under the poncho

285
00:13:52,886 --> 00:13:55,748
I mean, it must've been

286
00:13:55,858 --> 00:13:58,209
and they're crapping on you

287
00:13:58,319 --> 00:13:59,432
And finally they left and he said,

288
00:13:59,482 --> 00:14:00,935
"Okay, you can come up now.

289
00:14:00,985 --> 00:14:02,897
And we were just covered

290
00:14:02,947 --> 00:14:04,358
And I said, "Does this happen often?"

291
00:14:04,408 --> 00:14:06,237
He said, "Yeah, every once in a while

292
00:14:06,287 --> 00:14:07,406
you'll get stuck with it."

293
00:14:07,456 --> 00:14:09,034
And he said, "They just

294
00:14:09,084 --> 00:14:10,787
and they're extremely noisy."

295
00:14:10,850 --> 00:14:13,358
And it was a little bit terrifying to me

296
00:14:13,436 --> 00:14:15,982
because I had no clue what

297
00:14:17,772 --> 00:14:20,592
You moved along in areas hopefully

298
00:14:20,881 --> 00:14:24,184
where you had a lot of cover.

299
00:14:24,325 --> 00:14:26,985
Many movies depict infantry

300
00:14:27,035 --> 00:14:29,020
and moving across open fields.

301
00:14:29,231 --> 00:14:32,454
We did our best to never do that

302
00:14:32,504 --> 00:14:34,917
unless there was no other way to do it.

303
00:14:35,171 --> 00:14:37,547
Sometimes you had to

304
00:14:37,765 --> 00:14:41,163
and unless you wanted to spend

305
00:14:41,241 --> 00:14:42,631
you had to go across it.

306
00:14:43,702 --> 00:14:46,606
You tried to avoid any trails

307
00:14:46,656 --> 00:14:49,403
and that's when you really

308
00:14:49,445 --> 00:14:54,445
for trip wires or pits

309
00:14:54,984 --> 00:14:57,377
Most of the patrols were very slow.

310
00:14:57,427 --> 00:15:00,174
If they weren't slow,

311
00:15:00,224 --> 00:15:03,848
The reason they were slow is

312
00:15:04,132 --> 00:15:07,202
You had to put out flank security,

313
00:15:07,249 --> 00:15:08,148
security in the rear.

314
00:15:08,198 --> 00:15:09,525
You had maybe a couple of point men

315
00:15:09,575 --> 00:15:12,417
that would go ahead and

316
00:15:12,464 --> 00:15:14,925
and look for enemy and

317
00:15:14,964 --> 00:15:18,042
Whenever the point man

318
00:15:18,092 --> 00:15:20,777
he would stop and you'd investigate it.

319
00:15:20,941 --> 00:15:23,894
And sometimes you get yelled

320
00:15:24,155 --> 00:15:25,525
"Move it up, move it up, move it up."

321
00:15:25,575 --> 00:15:27,653
And to your people

322
00:15:27,695 --> 00:15:29,495
"Yeah, you're not down here."

323
00:15:29,770 --> 00:15:31,932
You move as fast as you safely can.

324
00:15:32,045 --> 00:15:33,917
We seem to just hit a lot.

325
00:15:33,963 --> 00:15:35,300
There was always

326
00:15:38,691 --> 00:15:42,355
guys leaving and new guys coming in.

327
00:15:44,202 --> 00:15:48,535
Young kids, we were all 18, 19 years old

328
00:15:48,585 --> 00:15:50,497
and you got very close.

329
00:15:50,547 --> 00:15:54,964
Tried not to 'cause you didn't

330
00:15:55,014 --> 00:15:57,677
cause it'd hurt when they got killed

331
00:15:57,727 --> 00:16:00,745
but you couldn't help but make friends.

332
00:16:00,870 --> 00:16:02,395
It wasn't about communism;

333
00:16:02,445 --> 00:16:06,862
it was about being airborne infantry.

334
00:16:06,912 --> 00:16:09,128
I was an enlisted forward observer.

335
00:16:09,247 --> 00:16:11,097
It was just an adventure

336
00:16:11,165 --> 00:16:15,167
and I was having a good old time

337
00:16:15,331 --> 00:16:18,601
And then when you get in a fight,

338
00:16:20,206 --> 00:16:23,058
I don't think the reality of war

339
00:16:23,235 --> 00:16:26,233
had really struck any of us.

340
00:16:26,283 --> 00:16:28,612
All our middle names were John Wayne

341
00:16:28,662 --> 00:16:30,728
and we were gonna end all this crap.

342
00:16:32,659 --> 00:16:36,331
And that lasted until that

343
00:16:40,184 --> 00:16:42,021
Then reality did strike.

344
00:16:44,902 --> 00:16:46,731
(Light tense music)

345
00:16:46,781 --> 00:16:49,238
And the orders came

346
00:16:49,347 --> 00:16:51,620
we were gonna leave out

347
00:16:51,748 --> 00:16:53,994
I passed it down to my platoon leaders,

348
00:16:54,044 --> 00:16:57,918
"Once we're there, I want each

349
00:16:57,968 --> 00:17:00,964
I want the first platoon

350
00:17:01,141 --> 00:17:04,431
I want the second platoon

351
00:17:04,481 --> 00:17:08,183
I want the third platoon to remain

352
00:17:08,279 --> 00:17:09,941
and then I'm gonna keep

353
00:17:09,991 --> 00:17:12,652
under Lieutenant Vendetti

354
00:17:12,956 --> 00:17:14,533
Once battalion clears us,

355
00:17:14,583 --> 00:17:16,454
I want each of you three platoon leaders

356
00:17:16,504 --> 00:17:19,418
to start moving to the west

357
00:17:19,468 --> 00:17:21,547
to see if you can find

358
00:17:21,597 --> 00:17:23,342
The battalion commander

359
00:17:23,392 --> 00:17:26,640
a thousand meters apart

360
00:17:26,690 --> 00:17:28,560
It's gonna be a problem later on.

361
00:17:28,610 --> 00:17:30,314
If we're a thousand meters apart

362
00:17:30,364 --> 00:17:32,235
and each company was doing that as well,

363
00:17:32,285 --> 00:17:33,737
we would cover more area.

364
00:17:33,787 --> 00:17:37,244
We would have a chance to screen out

365
00:17:37,294 --> 00:17:39,660
to make sure we didn't

366
00:17:40,643 --> 00:17:41,794
[Shawn] Did you want your platoons

367
00:17:41,844 --> 00:17:43,172
to be a thousand meters apart?

368
00:17:43,222 --> 00:17:44,222
No.

369
00:17:46,826 --> 00:17:48,283
We never did it again.

370
00:17:49,688 --> 00:17:53,331
June 28th, we had come to this area,

371
00:17:53,658 --> 00:17:55,886
we'd been moving around

372
00:17:56,012 --> 00:18:00,581
and we came to this area

373
00:18:00,631 --> 00:18:02,925
Now, my platoon was set up on a ridge.

374
00:18:03,167 --> 00:18:06,191
There was a valley, there was

375
00:18:06,323 --> 00:18:08,681
It went into a village and a road

376
00:18:08,870 --> 00:18:11,870
and there was a road that came

377
00:18:12,136 --> 00:18:14,356
And when we got off the helicopter,

378
00:18:14,406 --> 00:18:16,862
it was dry next to a

379
00:18:16,912 --> 00:18:19,613
where we were supposed

380
00:18:20,454 --> 00:18:22,581
and it was supposed to

381
00:18:22,683 --> 00:18:25,706
before we made the charge on the 29th.

382
00:18:26,639 --> 00:18:29,136
But when we got in the rubber trees

383
00:18:29,269 --> 00:18:32,558
and we got comfortable

384
00:18:32,608 --> 00:18:34,979
and got ready for the rain,

385
00:18:35,089 --> 00:18:38,695
some of the second platoon

386
00:18:38,745 --> 00:18:41,408
They had been in a mess

387
00:18:41,458 --> 00:18:42,828
and they were worn out

388
00:18:42,878 --> 00:18:44,958
and they did a lot of stuff

389
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,540
So they told us to go

390
00:18:48,598 --> 00:18:50,133
and they were gonna take our position

391
00:18:50,183 --> 00:18:52,647
and rest up in the perimeter.

392
00:18:53,858 --> 00:18:55,728
So that kind of pissed everybody off.

393
00:18:55,778 --> 00:18:59,026
And I had just gotten my tent set up

394
00:18:59,076 --> 00:19:00,821
and I couldn't wait to get my boots off

395
00:19:00,871 --> 00:19:03,082
and get in there and

396
00:19:03,136 --> 00:19:04,629
before I had to do guard duty.

397
00:19:05,019 --> 00:19:08,019
And they came up and I

398
00:19:08,097 --> 00:19:11,902
"Now this is my place and it's

399
00:19:12,011 --> 00:19:13,929
put you own up but

400
00:19:13,979 --> 00:19:16,699
with them muddy boots

401
00:19:17,019 --> 00:19:19,858
We had had lots of villagers

402
00:19:19,908 --> 00:19:21,918
cause there was this trail

403
00:19:22,660 --> 00:19:24,617
And they weren't armed.

404
00:19:24,832 --> 00:19:26,037
And I remember seeing pieces

405
00:19:26,087 --> 00:19:27,873
of white tape on some of the bike tires,

406
00:19:27,923 --> 00:19:30,183
which we at the time

407
00:19:30,574 --> 00:19:32,591
Cause I learned this later going back,

408
00:19:32,641 --> 00:19:33,843
this is how they did it.

409
00:19:33,972 --> 00:19:35,304
Count the number of revolutions of

410
00:19:35,354 --> 00:19:37,642
the tire multiplied times the

411
00:19:37,692 --> 00:19:38,978
and you've got the distance.

412
00:19:39,028 --> 00:19:43,954
A rough distance from where you've got

413
00:19:45,230 --> 00:19:48,371
(Explosions booming)

414
00:19:48,421 --> 00:19:50,313
Right when the sun was breaking,

415
00:19:51,844 --> 00:19:54,090
we received two mortars,

416
00:19:54,140 --> 00:19:56,293
I don't think it was one,

417
00:19:57,688 --> 00:19:59,340
right in our lines.

418
00:19:59,651 --> 00:20:06,441
It a killed Jesse Felder

419
00:20:09,587 --> 00:20:14,045
And all we heard was the bloop,

420
00:20:14,095 --> 00:20:19,898
It was a mad rush to get our dead

421
00:20:20,391 --> 00:20:24,578
cause I helped carry Felder

422
00:20:28,916 --> 00:20:31,375
and his arm fell out, hit me on the leg.

423
00:20:31,796 --> 00:20:34,385
(Sombre music)

424
00:20:35,738 --> 00:20:40,273
I went on the LP and I was out

425
00:20:43,055 --> 00:20:45,259
It never occurred to me

426
00:20:45,341 --> 00:20:49,048
to where we were until we went back in

427
00:20:49,121 --> 00:20:51,166
the morning of the 29th.

428
00:20:53,264 --> 00:20:58,432
It was my hammock that the

429
00:20:58,654 --> 00:21:02,370
and Felder died from the mortar blast.

430
00:21:02,647 --> 00:21:04,338
And that's where I'd have been

431
00:21:04,748 --> 00:21:07,161
if they hadn't taken our position.

432
00:21:07,281 --> 00:21:08,566
If they'd have been on LP,

433
00:21:08,616 --> 00:21:10,996
I would have been there

434
00:21:14,670 --> 00:21:16,916
So I had that to think

435
00:21:16,966 --> 00:21:20,127
we got on the chopper that day.

436
00:21:21,641 --> 00:21:23,887
[Bill P.] And I remember us

437
00:21:23,937 --> 00:21:29,135
going to another area,

438
00:21:29,307 --> 00:21:32,557
and then being split up into platoons.

439
00:21:32,830 --> 00:21:37,112
I met some Lrps,

440
00:21:37,339 --> 00:21:39,793
that were there because they briefed me

441
00:21:39,843 --> 00:21:41,589
and they told me they'd

442
00:21:41,639 --> 00:21:43,073
and they hadn't seen a thing.

443
00:21:44,068 --> 00:21:47,942
Now, knowing now what I know now,

444
00:21:47,984 --> 00:21:51,362
how they didn't see

445
00:21:51,908 --> 00:21:53,159
I don't know how they did it

446
00:21:53,221 --> 00:21:56,979
because there was a whole large

447
00:21:57,293 --> 00:21:58,747
He said, we've been out

448
00:21:58,797 --> 00:21:59,957
and it's pretty quiet.

449
00:22:00,007 --> 00:22:01,168
And as he was getting on the chopper.

450
00:22:01,218 --> 00:22:02,128
He said, "Oh, by the way, " he said,

451
00:22:02,178 --> 00:22:03,047
"There's an old path over there

452
00:22:03,097 --> 00:22:04,823
and there's some footprints.

453
00:22:05,225 --> 00:22:06,637
We couldn't find the end of it."

454
00:22:06,687 --> 00:22:07,847
And he said, "Oh yeah, one more thing.

455
00:22:07,897 --> 00:22:09,752
There's some commo wire out there."

456
00:22:09,901 --> 00:22:13,151
And he said, "We never

457
00:22:13,909 --> 00:22:16,330
And all of a sudden I'm like, "Hmm."

458
00:22:18,251 --> 00:22:21,916
(Soft tense music)

459
00:22:21,966 --> 00:22:24,714
It had rained for two days previously,

460
00:22:24,764 --> 00:22:27,844
and so we started out

461
00:22:27,894 --> 00:22:28,929
I believe, four groups,

462
00:22:28,979 --> 00:22:30,700
but I was part of third platoon

463
00:22:31,682 --> 00:22:35,651
and we were probably out for

464
00:22:35,701 --> 00:22:41,010
I use the word stumbled,

465
00:22:41,087 --> 00:22:43,049
Vietcong battalion base camp.

466
00:22:43,174 --> 00:22:47,635
[Mike S.] We had come across some trails

467
00:22:48,016 --> 00:22:53,018
and it was pretty muddy and

468
00:22:54,968 --> 00:22:58,684
The front squad had noticed

469
00:23:00,533 --> 00:23:02,069
a latrine

470
00:23:02,252 --> 00:23:06,251
that would be used for a larger element.

471
00:23:06,301 --> 00:23:11,471
We were getting ready to

472
00:23:11,838 --> 00:23:13,776
and the firing started.

473
00:23:14,150 --> 00:23:15,602
Don't remember exactly,

474
00:23:15,652 --> 00:23:19,568
but maybe four or five shots

475
00:23:19,618 --> 00:23:23,815
And then shortly after that,

476
00:23:24,712 --> 00:23:26,620
It was horrendous gun fire.

477
00:23:26,807 --> 00:23:30,256
And they just opened up on

478
00:23:30,306 --> 00:23:33,956
Small arms, machine guns,

479
00:23:34,695 --> 00:23:38,039
pretty much wiped out the

480
00:23:38,890 --> 00:23:41,312
The first time we knew that

481
00:23:41,367 --> 00:23:43,866
was not because of radio

482
00:23:43,916 --> 00:23:45,156
we could hear it.

483
00:23:46,093 --> 00:23:47,706
And then the communications

484
00:23:47,756 --> 00:23:50,378
and the platoon began to

485
00:23:50,428 --> 00:23:52,006
and it was a large force

486
00:23:52,056 --> 00:23:54,499
and within 30 or 40 minutes

487
00:23:55,515 --> 00:23:58,015
They were in deep trouble

488
00:23:58,707 --> 00:24:00,617
Sergeant Morris came back

489
00:24:00,906 --> 00:24:03,361
and I believe he was wounded

490
00:24:03,499 --> 00:24:05,991
and told us to dig in the best we could.

491
00:24:06,041 --> 00:24:09,164
I remember trying to dig

492
00:24:09,214 --> 00:24:11,084
but it kept filling with water.

493
00:24:11,134 --> 00:24:14,281
From then on, the firing

494
00:24:14,406 --> 00:24:15,927
That's the thing I remember the most.

495
00:24:15,977 --> 00:24:17,764
The sound of the 50 calibres.

496
00:24:17,814 --> 00:24:19,643
Even the trees falling.

497
00:24:19,693 --> 00:24:22,941
[Mike T.] I was probably

498
00:24:22,991 --> 00:24:24,652
They shot the two guys on point

499
00:24:24,702 --> 00:24:27,132
and people were hit left and right.

500
00:24:27,293 --> 00:24:30,124
And there was an ant hill

501
00:24:30,218 --> 00:24:35,210
And I laid down behind that thing

502
00:24:36,057 --> 00:24:39,957
I think that cord will probably

503
00:24:40,059 --> 00:24:41,141
And he had it stretched

504
00:24:41,191 --> 00:24:42,645
as far as it would go and standing up,

505
00:24:42,695 --> 00:24:43,911
talking on the radio.

506
00:24:44,532 --> 00:24:47,153
Next time the fire came, it hit him.

507
00:24:47,231 --> 00:24:49,918
And I remember turning around

508
00:24:50,004 --> 00:24:53,356
and his rifle was slung on his shoulder.

509
00:24:53,883 --> 00:24:56,296
And it looked like to me

510
00:24:56,346 --> 00:24:59,098
and his arm was hanging on

511
00:24:59,226 --> 00:25:01,306
We heard gunfire; it was quick.

512
00:25:01,356 --> 00:25:02,683
It was very fast.

513
00:25:02,733 --> 00:25:05,364
It was (mimicking gun

514
00:25:05,645 --> 00:25:08,068
And right away I knew from

515
00:25:08,118 --> 00:25:09,363
that that's not a good thing

516
00:25:09,413 --> 00:25:11,576
cause then you know what's coming next.

517
00:25:11,626 --> 00:25:14,874
And then all of a sudden

518
00:25:14,924 --> 00:25:17,462
(Gun firing)

519
00:25:17,512 --> 00:25:19,549
And they were calling for

520
00:25:19,599 --> 00:25:22,028
"We're surrounded, we need help."

521
00:25:22,223 --> 00:25:25,143
And Captain Kelley was on

522
00:25:25,193 --> 00:25:26,395
he just told all of us,

523
00:25:26,445 --> 00:25:29,193
"Everybody now,

524
00:25:29,243 --> 00:25:30,737
[Jack] We're all gonna kind of converge

525
00:25:30,787 --> 00:25:32,282
and see what we can do to

526
00:25:32,332 --> 00:25:33,785
that was in so much trouble.

527
00:25:33,835 --> 00:25:36,206
[Bill V.] We just moved out

528
00:25:36,256 --> 00:25:37,857
We'd never run that fast

529
00:25:38,607 --> 00:25:41,271
with rucksacks on our

530
00:25:41,552 --> 00:25:44,451
And when we got close

531
00:25:44,647 --> 00:25:48,068
had us drop our rucksacks

532
00:25:49,412 --> 00:25:51,277
And I have no idea who it was.

533
00:25:51,327 --> 00:25:55,053
He said, told somebody

534
00:25:55,501 --> 00:25:56,829
To guard them.

535
00:25:56,879 --> 00:25:58,249
And at the time I thought,

536
00:25:58,299 --> 00:26:00,342
"God, I wish that would have been me."

537
00:26:00,845 --> 00:26:02,537
Later I'm sort of glad,

538
00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,262
who would want to be left out

539
00:26:05,312 --> 00:26:06,748
I'm so glad it wasn't me.

540
00:26:07,061 --> 00:26:09,854
You'd see a grenade come

541
00:26:09,904 --> 00:26:13,787
and come in and you'd

542
00:26:14,754 --> 00:26:19,105
The mortar rounds were worse,

543
00:26:19,367 --> 00:26:21,906
and then you just had to wait and try

544
00:26:21,988 --> 00:26:25,378
and hear it come through the trees

545
00:26:26,102 --> 00:26:28,348
[Jack] The enemy actually

546
00:26:28,398 --> 00:26:30,226
This was a battalion size unit

547
00:26:30,276 --> 00:26:32,857
against this platoon of 30 or 40 guys.

548
00:26:32,907 --> 00:26:36,530
[Bill P.] To this day,

549
00:26:36,580 --> 00:26:40,207
the gunpowder smell, the smoke.

550
00:26:40,422 --> 00:26:42,749
Everywhere you looked,

551
00:26:43,510 --> 00:26:45,058
bodies, the wounded.

552
00:26:45,324 --> 00:26:47,426
Some of the guys that took some hits

553
00:26:47,467 --> 00:26:51,384
that were probably really

554
00:26:51,443 --> 00:26:54,418
and, unfortunately, that just drew fire

555
00:26:54,532 --> 00:26:59,683
and most of those ended

556
00:26:59,714 --> 00:27:00,878
just because of that.

557
00:27:01,011 --> 00:27:03,199
There's two things that

558
00:27:03,269 --> 00:27:05,878
One was, "Medic, " and the other was...

559
00:27:05,928 --> 00:27:08,636
There were several that would say,

560
00:27:08,851 --> 00:27:12,457
I distinctly remember tracer rounds

561
00:27:12,566 --> 00:27:15,378
hitting between myself and the M60.

562
00:27:15,683 --> 00:27:19,213
At that point I was hit

563
00:27:19,287 --> 00:27:22,589
in front of us and stunned me.

564
00:27:22,683 --> 00:27:26,368
And I went the rest of the

565
00:27:26,426 --> 00:27:30,785
Then we came across some

566
00:27:31,761 --> 00:27:34,214
We thought that'd be a good place to be.

567
00:27:34,276 --> 00:27:35,853
And as soon as we got close to them,

568
00:27:35,903 --> 00:27:38,441
they really opened up on us.

569
00:27:38,491 --> 00:27:40,426
They had that whole area covered.

570
00:27:41,347 --> 00:27:44,536
We moved back and at that time

571
00:27:44,586 --> 00:27:45,663
I knew I was in trouble

572
00:27:45,713 --> 00:27:47,458
just 'cause I couldn't get my breath

573
00:27:47,508 --> 00:27:51,956
and I could hear the

574
00:27:52,184 --> 00:27:55,516
So I had something...

575
00:27:55,558 --> 00:27:58,062
My lung was opened up.

576
00:27:58,237 --> 00:28:00,491
Luckily it was just one. (Chuckles)

577
00:28:00,743 --> 00:28:04,023
There was a big termite mound,

578
00:28:05,126 --> 00:28:07,872
probably a four foot in diameter

579
00:28:07,922 --> 00:28:10,586
by three foot high dirt mound.

580
00:28:10,636 --> 00:28:14,763
And I started pulling

581
00:28:15,938 --> 00:28:20,044
Hido and Fritz, they were the first two

582
00:28:20,906 --> 00:28:23,419
and they were pretty shot up.

583
00:28:23,676 --> 00:28:27,305
Fritz was just bleeding out.

584
00:28:27,368 --> 00:28:30,477
There wasn't much I could

585
00:28:32,055 --> 00:28:35,851
he was missing an arm.

586
00:28:40,861 --> 00:28:45,010
I tried to get that stopped

587
00:28:45,049 --> 00:28:48,284
"It's getting so dark in here,

588
00:28:48,334 --> 00:28:53,301
And I kept trying to get

589
00:28:54,241 --> 00:28:55,785
and he just bled out.

590
00:28:56,996 --> 00:28:59,987
I was in a position where I

591
00:29:00,057 --> 00:29:02,978
that was happening and

592
00:29:03,020 --> 00:29:05,237
I had my radio and then I made contact

593
00:29:05,284 --> 00:29:08,990
with the artillery folks and

594
00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:10,660
that lasted about 10 minutes,

595
00:29:10,710 --> 00:29:12,997
putting in some test rounds

596
00:29:13,047 --> 00:29:15,586
to sort of get a bearing

597
00:29:15,636 --> 00:29:19,678
And my estimate was, they were

598
00:29:19,728 --> 00:29:22,108
So I told them to drop a hundred

599
00:29:22,381 --> 00:29:23,685
and they got in a discussion with me

600
00:29:23,735 --> 00:29:25,981
and I found out later

601
00:29:26,031 --> 00:29:28,131
had done a couple of

602
00:29:28,178 --> 00:29:30,231
but they got in a discussion with me

603
00:29:30,490 --> 00:29:34,092
about whether that would be too close.

604
00:29:34,154 --> 00:29:37,256
And at the time, this horrific fight

605
00:29:37,428 --> 00:29:39,215
and my response to him was,

606
00:29:39,265 --> 00:29:41,022
"We're on the point of being overrun,

607
00:29:41,115 --> 00:29:45,029
drop a hundred and fire,

608
00:29:45,610 --> 00:29:48,232
And then they tried to overrun us.

609
00:29:48,282 --> 00:29:49,986
(Gun firing)

610
00:29:50,123 --> 00:29:52,741
They first opened up

611
00:29:52,791 --> 00:29:55,990
and then the 50s and fired

612
00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:58,600
One of the rockets landed right

613
00:30:00,639 --> 00:30:02,009
in the middle of us.

614
00:30:03,228 --> 00:30:05,654
I remember an arm flying by me.

615
00:30:09,592 --> 00:30:14,725
Then that's when they really opened up

616
00:30:15,602 --> 00:30:18,475
Fortunately, we were able to repel that.

617
00:30:18,674 --> 00:30:20,837
Someone said, "Why isn't

618
00:30:20,887 --> 00:30:22,422
And I said, "It's because

619
00:30:22,472 --> 00:30:24,339
He said, "Bring the radio over."

620
00:30:24,602 --> 00:30:27,432
And so it was about 40, 50, 60 feet.

621
00:30:27,482 --> 00:30:29,270
And so I left.

622
00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,741
By that time, my M16 was jammed.

623
00:30:32,511 --> 00:30:35,745
So I was in between

624
00:30:35,874 --> 00:30:39,664
And I actually left the

625
00:30:39,714 --> 00:30:42,587
and I went across this area

626
00:30:42,637 --> 00:30:43,800
They had deep bunkers,

627
00:30:43,842 --> 00:30:45,590
overhead cover that they had built in,

628
00:30:45,684 --> 00:30:47,722
trenches going from position to position

629
00:30:47,772 --> 00:30:49,808
so they could move about and fire.

630
00:30:50,151 --> 00:30:52,147
I remember that several of my guys

631
00:30:52,197 --> 00:30:54,151
reported that they had,

632
00:30:54,201 --> 00:30:56,011
they had cut out through the brush

633
00:30:56,247 --> 00:30:57,199
so that they could fire through that

634
00:30:57,249 --> 00:30:58,701
and they still had protection

635
00:30:58,751 --> 00:31:01,191
and camouflage so that

636
00:31:01,449 --> 00:31:04,378
And I took the radio

637
00:31:04,428 --> 00:31:07,051
and first thing he said before

638
00:31:07,101 --> 00:31:08,762
he says, "Where's your rifle?"

639
00:31:08,812 --> 00:31:11,309
I said, "Back jammed behind the tree."

640
00:31:11,359 --> 00:31:12,478
Then he said, "Okay."

641
00:31:12,528 --> 00:31:13,965
He said, "You leave the radio here

642
00:31:14,011 --> 00:31:17,831
and you get back and put that

643
00:31:18,058 --> 00:31:20,041
So I went back and I

644
00:31:20,136 --> 00:31:21,787
but I was in a process

645
00:31:21,837 --> 00:31:23,685
when I got shot the first time.

646
00:31:25,284 --> 00:31:27,175
Then we were getting low on ammo.

647
00:31:27,261 --> 00:31:29,970
So I was crawling up front,

648
00:31:30,020 --> 00:31:34,284
and taking the ammo off the dead guys.

649
00:31:35,573 --> 00:31:36,701
Also,

650
00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:39,495
taking

651
00:31:41,792 --> 00:31:43,553
battle dressings off of them,

652
00:31:44,632 --> 00:31:47,755
because we were all out of those

653
00:31:47,853 --> 00:31:53,049
and the wounded guys needed

654
00:31:53,899 --> 00:32:00,596
First time I get shot, I got shot in

655
00:32:00,703 --> 00:32:02,518
all I was doing, I couldn't breathe.

656
00:32:04,043 --> 00:32:05,747
It was like blood in and blood out.

657
00:32:05,797 --> 00:32:08,471
That was the time that I

658
00:32:10,775 --> 00:32:14,291
Next thing I remember is James Miskel

659
00:32:14,604 --> 00:32:19,182
on the other side of the M60

660
00:32:19,534 --> 00:32:23,135
He pulled the plastic wrap

661
00:32:23,414 --> 00:32:27,705
He packed the wound with gauze

662
00:32:27,755 --> 00:32:29,876
or whatever was available

663
00:32:29,926 --> 00:32:32,381
and he put the plastic over that

664
00:32:32,431 --> 00:32:34,593
and then wrapped it tightly.

665
00:32:34,643 --> 00:32:36,022
When I had been hit,

666
00:32:37,190 --> 00:32:38,851
I was having a lot of trouble breathing

667
00:32:38,901 --> 00:32:41,816
cause both bullets had

668
00:32:41,866 --> 00:32:45,072
and both had hit ribs

669
00:32:45,122 --> 00:32:47,786
And then all of a sudden I had

670
00:32:47,836 --> 00:32:52,503
And I did what 50% of the people did.

671
00:32:52,553 --> 00:32:54,006
I called for the medic

672
00:32:54,056 --> 00:32:56,951
and someone, I don't know who,

673
00:32:58,799 --> 00:33:00,753
And we were out of morphine

674
00:33:00,819 --> 00:33:02,699
and the medic had been killed

675
00:33:03,824 --> 00:33:07,214
and there was none left in his bag.

676
00:33:07,746 --> 00:33:10,112
So I went up farther up

677
00:33:10,170 --> 00:33:14,921
and that's where Charlie

678
00:33:14,963 --> 00:33:19,430
and some of the other guys were

679
00:33:20,674 --> 00:33:23,547
And what had happened

680
00:33:23,613 --> 00:33:25,483
in this right-hand pocket

681
00:33:25,533 --> 00:33:30,493
and I had been hit

682
00:33:30,543 --> 00:33:32,722
and when I pulled the compass out first,

683
00:33:32,808 --> 00:33:35,582
it was all gnarled where

684
00:33:35,970 --> 00:33:38,508
And then the bullet came out up above.

685
00:33:38,613 --> 00:33:40,805
And I had this big

686
00:33:40,855 --> 00:33:42,199
where the bullet came out.

687
00:33:42,274 --> 00:33:44,770
But what it had been,

688
00:33:44,820 --> 00:33:46,022
and the only way I can describe it

689
00:33:46,072 --> 00:33:47,859
is if you take a baseball bat

690
00:33:47,909 --> 00:33:48,945
and just hit someone in the chest.

691
00:33:48,995 --> 00:33:50,372
That's how it felt.

692
00:33:51,583 --> 00:33:54,372
And the bullet went out

693
00:33:54,422 --> 00:33:55,874
It was deflected, I believe,

694
00:33:55,924 --> 00:33:58,355
by the compass because the

695
00:33:58,722 --> 00:34:00,091
I dropped the compass.

696
00:34:00,141 --> 00:34:01,553
It would have been the

697
00:34:01,603 --> 00:34:02,471
but that's what you do.

698
00:34:02,521 --> 00:34:03,974
And I dropped the compass.

699
00:34:04,024 --> 00:34:06,753
And I thought everything

700
00:34:06,971 --> 00:34:09,831
And I didn't have the rifle

701
00:34:09,985 --> 00:34:12,566
but then right after that,

702
00:34:12,624 --> 00:34:14,495
and then I got shot twice in the back.

703
00:34:15,230 --> 00:34:16,414
I was out of it for a little bit,

704
00:34:16,464 --> 00:34:19,706
but I do remember being

705
00:34:19,784 --> 00:34:23,344
pretty much the rest of the time,

706
00:34:23,394 --> 00:34:26,402
and getting weaker as the time went on.

707
00:34:26,683 --> 00:34:30,175
Remember being very low or out of ammo.

708
00:34:30,241 --> 00:34:32,653
It was real apparent that

709
00:34:32,703 --> 00:34:33,865
and that I needed to get out of there.

710
00:34:33,915 --> 00:34:35,785
And there were two

711
00:34:35,826 --> 00:34:41,347
two black guys that were

712
00:34:41,847 --> 00:34:43,299
And they said, "Why don't

713
00:34:43,349 --> 00:34:44,134
come over here?"

714
00:34:44,184 --> 00:34:45,595
And I can remember,

715
00:34:45,645 --> 00:34:47,099
and it wasn't the brightest

716
00:34:47,149 --> 00:34:49,566
but I asked him something like,

717
00:34:49,932 --> 00:34:53,063
And they said, "Get the F over here."

718
00:34:54,412 --> 00:34:56,700
So I crawled over there

719
00:34:56,750 --> 00:34:59,664
I couldn't stand up any more

720
00:34:59,714 --> 00:35:03,933
And that's where I spent

721
00:35:04,081 --> 00:35:06,260
As we were moving towards them,

722
00:35:06,310 --> 00:35:08,515
And we were getting very close to them

723
00:35:08,565 --> 00:35:10,017
and then there was a...

724
00:35:10,067 --> 00:35:12,423
I couldn't tell you how many

725
00:35:12,508 --> 00:35:14,031
and they started shooting at us.

726
00:35:14,259 --> 00:35:18,074
And one of them was blind from

727
00:35:18,485 --> 00:35:20,563
and one of them had been

728
00:35:20,755 --> 00:35:22,541
and of one of them's name was Leon Exum.

729
00:35:22,591 --> 00:35:24,954
The other one,

730
00:35:25,095 --> 00:35:30,688
And all we had left, they had

731
00:35:31,093 --> 00:35:32,795
There was an M79 grenade launcher.

732
00:35:33,548 --> 00:35:38,111
So the three of us in kind

733
00:35:38,599 --> 00:35:40,511
put that M79 into play.

734
00:35:40,835 --> 00:35:42,246
And I had been shot in the right side

735
00:35:42,296 --> 00:35:44,392
but I can put my arm up like that.

736
00:35:44,676 --> 00:35:48,299
The guy that was blind actually propped

737
00:35:48,349 --> 00:35:51,341
the M79 grenade launcher on my elbow.

738
00:35:51,605 --> 00:35:53,309
And the guy who had been

739
00:35:53,334 --> 00:35:55,808
who owned the M79,

740
00:35:55,989 --> 00:35:57,651
he actually gave the guidance

741
00:35:57,701 --> 00:36:00,949
and we would pop off a round

742
00:36:00,999 --> 00:36:04,029
We did this until we

743
00:36:04,130 --> 00:36:07,865
What I do know is the Vietcong,

744
00:36:07,985 --> 00:36:10,997
they have the same routine

745
00:36:11,059 --> 00:36:14,141
because we were causing some damage

746
00:36:14,191 --> 00:36:17,560
because after the rounds would go off,

747
00:36:18,084 --> 00:36:22,751
There was a small gully

748
00:36:22,832 --> 00:36:24,552
as long as we didn't stand up,

749
00:36:24,615 --> 00:36:27,424
we could crouch down and move along.

750
00:36:29,068 --> 00:36:33,887
And when we got toward

751
00:36:33,937 --> 00:36:35,607
where we could get out of it,

752
00:36:36,731 --> 00:36:39,486
everybody checked their self,

753
00:36:40,784 --> 00:36:41,967
got ready to go.

754
00:36:43,121 --> 00:36:47,879
And that's when John

755
00:36:48,193 --> 00:36:50,336
He went up out of the ravine

756
00:36:50,386 --> 00:36:53,884
and as soon as he got both

757
00:36:53,934 --> 00:36:55,553
he got killed.

758
00:36:55,603 --> 00:36:56,843
Shot in the neck.

759
00:36:57,566 --> 00:37:00,113
(Sombre music)

760
00:37:03,654 --> 00:37:07,493
When the third platoon initially

761
00:37:07,550 --> 00:37:10,372
it was because their

762
00:37:10,419 --> 00:37:15,091
some enemy latrines and

763
00:37:15,141 --> 00:37:18,180
The point squad was led by

764
00:37:18,412 --> 00:37:20,616
He immediately found it,

765
00:37:20,702 --> 00:37:21,952
told him the enemy was there.

766
00:37:22,077 --> 00:37:24,734
No sooner had they reported that,

767
00:37:24,944 --> 00:37:27,842
and eventually they got surrounded

768
00:37:27,957 --> 00:37:29,869
But Morris again took his squad,

769
00:37:29,919 --> 00:37:31,702
He found the enemy was firing at him.

770
00:37:31,881 --> 00:37:33,501
He and two other guys moved out behind

771
00:37:33,551 --> 00:37:35,797
from where they were and

772
00:37:35,847 --> 00:37:37,467
Later on, the enemy put a 50 calibre

773
00:37:37,517 --> 00:37:39,680
and tried to put it in

774
00:37:39,820 --> 00:37:42,015
He and another guy,

775
00:37:42,116 --> 00:37:45,422
The other guy was killed in action,

776
00:37:45,547 --> 00:37:47,500
I remember him coming back to us

777
00:37:47,703 --> 00:37:51,328
and I'm fairly certain he was,

778
00:37:51,378 --> 00:37:54,166
but he was probably seriously

779
00:37:54,216 --> 00:37:56,337
and he spent most of his time at that...

780
00:37:56,585 --> 00:37:58,257
From that point forward,

781
00:37:58,307 --> 00:38:00,971
he spent most of his time

782
00:38:01,021 --> 00:38:02,307
working with that group,

783
00:38:02,357 --> 00:38:04,144
although he continually made rounds,

784
00:38:04,194 --> 00:38:06,240
made sure everybody was okay.

785
00:38:07,116 --> 00:38:09,382
Assigning firing lanes.

786
00:38:09,812 --> 00:38:12,368
Making sure everybody had areas covered.

787
00:38:12,418 --> 00:38:15,625
But Morris was, he was an

788
00:38:17,578 --> 00:38:18,630
He was an infantryman

789
00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:21,998
and intended to do everything

790
00:38:25,276 --> 00:38:27,021
to make the mission work.

791
00:38:27,132 --> 00:38:28,664
He was that kind of guy.

792
00:38:28,773 --> 00:38:32,824
I can remember Charlie

793
00:38:32,874 --> 00:38:34,285
at the Vietcong saying,

794
00:38:34,335 --> 00:38:38,890
"Come on, I've only got one good

795
00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:41,048
And they were actually

796
00:38:41,098 --> 00:38:45,974
And I believe that it was

797
00:38:46,024 --> 00:38:48,186
as a paratrooper, as a warrior.

798
00:38:48,236 --> 00:38:52,486
It uplifted me to hear

799
00:38:52,536 --> 00:38:54,449
Me and somebody that came up behind

800
00:38:54,499 --> 00:38:57,234
Showalter advanced toward the fire

801
00:38:58,298 --> 00:38:59,626
and we didn't go that far

802
00:38:59,668 --> 00:39:01,750
before we ran into Morris and Coney.

803
00:39:02,007 --> 00:39:05,929
And Morris looked like a pin cushion

804
00:39:05,979 --> 00:39:08,429
and it looked like he

805
00:39:08,523 --> 00:39:09,978
Both of them did.

806
00:39:10,257 --> 00:39:12,492
He would be hit at least

807
00:39:12,554 --> 00:39:14,077
by individual weapons fire

808
00:39:14,171 --> 00:39:16,788
and he'd be covered with

809
00:39:16,913 --> 00:39:19,497
or other mines or things like that.

810
00:39:19,547 --> 00:39:20,445
He was wounded.

811
00:39:20,624 --> 00:39:25,258
I tried to get Charlie

812
00:39:25,308 --> 00:39:27,513
and he was having no part of that.

813
00:39:27,563 --> 00:39:29,850
And he said, "No,

814
00:39:29,900 --> 00:39:30,811
I'm staying right here

815
00:39:30,861 --> 00:39:32,710
until everybody else is gone."

816
00:39:32,906 --> 00:39:35,399
Morris didn't want to go out.

817
00:39:36,890 --> 00:39:38,157
Your adrenaline is going crazy,

818
00:39:38,207 --> 00:39:40,036
your heart's pumping

819
00:39:40,086 --> 00:39:42,023
is get there because

820
00:39:42,085 --> 00:39:43,459
You want to get there;

821
00:39:43,509 --> 00:39:45,255
And I could hear,

822
00:39:45,305 --> 00:39:48,298
I could hear some of the radio

823
00:39:48,368 --> 00:39:51,225
and they were really in a point

824
00:39:51,275 --> 00:39:53,353
where it was almost over for them.

825
00:39:53,529 --> 00:39:56,431
Now, I know we were very low.

826
00:39:56,509 --> 00:39:59,806
and the only ammo I had

827
00:39:59,963 --> 00:40:02,827
And then we were really

828
00:40:03,083 --> 00:40:09,038
And I was stacking dead bodies

829
00:40:10,336 --> 00:40:12,975
That was gonna be our final stand.

830
00:40:13,225 --> 00:40:15,631
The guys that were wounded...

831
00:40:16,014 --> 00:40:20,803
We all had grenades and very few rounds.

832
00:40:21,592 --> 00:40:23,578
So the next time they hit,

833
00:40:23,628 --> 00:40:25,791
we'd get as many of them as we could

834
00:40:25,841 --> 00:40:29,186
and then use the grenades on ourselves.

835
00:40:41,955 --> 00:40:43,847
But thank God we didn't have to.

836
00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:48,428
The enemy react to what you do.

837
00:40:48,593 --> 00:40:53,061
And that's what your job is as

838
00:40:55,169 --> 00:40:57,248
is to communicate with

839
00:40:57,321 --> 00:40:59,943
that makes them think that

840
00:41:00,032 --> 00:41:01,788
you have more guns than they do

841
00:41:02,079 --> 00:41:03,530
or you're badder than they are,

842
00:41:03,580 --> 00:41:05,009
and they're gonna get

843
00:41:05,139 --> 00:41:09,751
The Vietcong, one of their

844
00:41:09,801 --> 00:41:11,795
any time they felt that

845
00:41:11,881 --> 00:41:13,279
they would immediately

846
00:41:13,334 --> 00:41:15,595
These guys were professional soldiers.

847
00:41:15,645 --> 00:41:17,592
They weren't gonna stay

848
00:41:17,693 --> 00:41:20,498
I didn't have a battalion,

849
00:41:20,561 --> 00:41:23,493
So I figured the only way we're

850
00:41:23,634 --> 00:41:25,740
is to make them think

851
00:41:25,938 --> 00:41:30,282
So I took my 20 to 30 guys

852
00:41:30,340 --> 00:41:32,461
which is a very,

853
00:41:32,511 --> 00:41:33,720
cause there was nobody behind them.

854
00:41:33,775 --> 00:41:35,216
But I put them all on line.

855
00:41:35,266 --> 00:41:39,265
I took the two M60 machine guns

856
00:41:39,315 --> 00:41:41,269
so I could concentrate the fire

857
00:41:41,319 --> 00:41:42,898
and we just move forward

858
00:41:42,948 --> 00:41:46,738
like you see in the

859
00:41:46,788 --> 00:41:48,992
Move forward in a single

860
00:41:49,042 --> 00:41:51,943
firing like hell with

861
00:41:52,190 --> 00:41:54,129
and darn if it didn't do the trick.

862
00:41:55,029 --> 00:41:59,138
The NVA or VC, the enemy,

863
00:41:59,188 --> 00:42:01,015
than we were because generally the way

864
00:42:01,065 --> 00:42:03,529
you tell how big a unit is,

865
00:42:03,863 --> 00:42:06,263
A platoon usually has

866
00:42:06,341 --> 00:42:08,435
A company will have

867
00:42:08,622 --> 00:42:12,138
A battalion could have 18 to 20,

868
00:42:12,176 --> 00:42:14,046
depending how broad it was,

869
00:42:14,174 --> 00:42:16,380
just moving through a jungle area.

870
00:42:16,646 --> 00:42:19,255
And I wanted them to think

871
00:42:19,552 --> 00:42:24,568
And obviously they did because

872
00:42:26,388 --> 00:42:28,997
We were just laying there waiting to

873
00:42:32,084 --> 00:42:33,888
hit them one more time.

874
00:42:36,310 --> 00:42:38,846
I could hear the steps

875
00:42:40,392 --> 00:42:42,630
and I was kind of zeroed in on that.

876
00:42:42,927 --> 00:42:45,732
And then all of a sudden

877
00:42:46,027 --> 00:42:47,615
come out of the brush.

878
00:42:53,292 --> 00:42:54,701
Damn good feeling.

879
00:42:55,754 --> 00:42:57,863
When we finally got to third platoon,

880
00:43:00,805 --> 00:43:05,637
the first person I saw was Mike Sturges

881
00:43:05,957 --> 00:43:09,160
First platoon had made it into us.

882
00:43:10,855 --> 00:43:13,269
The first guy out was Woody Davis.

883
00:43:13,371 --> 00:43:16,527
And he looked up at me

884
00:43:16,621 --> 00:43:22,512
and that's when I've

885
00:43:22,594 --> 00:43:25,508
at that time where he was thinking,

886
00:43:25,825 --> 00:43:28,426
"If I could just get up,

887
00:43:30,207 --> 00:43:34,027
And then later we were

888
00:43:34,066 --> 00:43:36,715
and he told me that he

889
00:43:39,606 --> 00:43:41,759
and until he saw the top of my helmet,

890
00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:44,558
he was gonna use those six.

891
00:43:45,548 --> 00:43:48,449
He could hear me coming,

892
00:43:49,556 --> 00:43:53,699
So that's when I said maybe

893
00:43:54,742 --> 00:43:57,480
"Thank God I didn't pull

894
00:43:58,625 --> 00:44:00,801
At the time, I didn't know Woody.

895
00:44:02,481 --> 00:44:04,441
I know they just secured,

896
00:44:05,715 --> 00:44:07,840
new medics got us patched up.

897
00:44:08,118 --> 00:44:09,358
He got medevaced.

898
00:44:10,262 --> 00:44:17,535
And the next time I saw him was at

899
00:44:17,783 --> 00:44:20,223
We were standing at one end of the bar

900
00:44:21,153 --> 00:44:25,488
and this guy kept staring

901
00:44:25,603 --> 00:44:29,860
The reason I knew it was

902
00:44:30,812 --> 00:44:35,808
fussing with his boot or

903
00:44:36,248 --> 00:44:40,121
And he looked up,

904
00:44:40,167 --> 00:44:43,191
and I said, "Holy shit." (Laughs)

905
00:44:44,088 --> 00:44:45,160
Yeah.

906
00:44:45,277 --> 00:44:48,777
And then he just dropped his

907
00:44:51,926 --> 00:44:54,140
And he says, "You don't

908
00:44:54,190 --> 00:44:55,517
And I'm like, "No."

909
00:44:56,598 --> 00:44:58,379
And he said, "I'm Woody."

910
00:44:58,582 --> 00:45:04,207
He said, "I was the first

911
00:45:04,613 --> 00:45:07,340
And he said, "I'll never forget

912
00:45:10,090 --> 00:45:14,449
the look on your face of

913
00:45:16,566 --> 00:45:19,030
We've shared a lot of beers since then.

914
00:45:24,004 --> 00:45:28,223
And then I realized that we were really

915
00:45:28,591 --> 00:45:30,316
There was riblets of blood in it.

916
00:45:34,184 --> 00:45:37,523
(Tense emotional music)

917
00:45:39,831 --> 00:45:40,831
Sorry.

918
00:45:44,769 --> 00:45:46,565
And then we started seeing teeth.

919
00:45:47,417 --> 00:45:49,413
And what I mean by that is

920
00:45:49,463 --> 00:45:54,589
we started seeing gray faces smiling,

921
00:45:55,466 --> 00:45:57,053
it was the third platoon.

922
00:45:57,987 --> 00:45:59,557
First thing I saw when

923
00:45:59,607 --> 00:46:02,612
was five bodies laying

924
00:46:02,675 --> 00:46:06,323
I mean, it was just horrible

925
00:46:06,870 --> 00:46:10,128
The ground was moist, soggy, discoloured,

926
00:46:11,315 --> 00:46:12,807
and I didn't realize it.

927
00:46:12,940 --> 00:46:17,362
For a while it took me to

928
00:46:19,914 --> 00:46:22,815
partially on top of one

929
00:46:25,102 --> 00:46:26,491
He was dead.

930
00:46:27,411 --> 00:46:31,272
There was so much dirt,

931
00:46:31,413 --> 00:46:36,249
I didn't even realize I was

932
00:46:38,606 --> 00:46:41,237
And that's where I spent

933
00:46:47,533 --> 00:46:49,954
It was just a really, really bad day,

934
00:46:52,209 --> 00:46:53,840
especially for those guys.

935
00:46:54,338 --> 00:46:57,552
(Soft emotional music)

936
00:47:00,683 --> 00:47:04,767
When I got up to Morris and Cooney, there

937
00:47:04,817 --> 00:47:11,640
that were either moaning

938
00:47:11,710 --> 00:47:14,843
or there was somebody trying

939
00:47:14,905 --> 00:47:18,296
and it was just a mess, it was carnage,

940
00:47:18,417 --> 00:47:20,171
but the fighting was over.

941
00:47:20,841 --> 00:47:24,256
That's when the realization

942
00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:27,725
really just slapped

943
00:47:27,943 --> 00:47:30,197
God darn, it was...

944
00:47:34,616 --> 00:47:38,358
One of my buddies that I

945
00:47:38,459 --> 00:47:41,495
Carl Fishburne,

946
00:47:41,554 --> 00:47:42,798
We were talking about and he said,

947
00:47:42,848 --> 00:47:45,155
"Is that the night we

948
00:47:47,658 --> 00:47:48,617
Yeah.

949
00:47:59,022 --> 00:48:03,947
(Soft tense music) (radio chattering)

950
00:48:09,022 --> 00:48:10,053
[Bob L.] Somebody was on the radio

951
00:48:10,107 --> 00:48:12,575
calling for medevacs and stuff

952
00:48:12,614 --> 00:48:14,525
so you couldn't land any choppers.

953
00:48:14,575 --> 00:48:16,321
[Bill P.] They cleared an

954
00:48:16,371 --> 00:48:18,350
to drop a basket down.

955
00:48:18,536 --> 00:48:21,287
I remember being loaded

956
00:48:23,787 --> 00:48:25,529
[Jack] Some of the unique

957
00:48:25,576 --> 00:48:27,842
that you normally don't think of

958
00:48:27,936 --> 00:48:29,772
is our Chaplain, Conrad Walker.

959
00:48:30,029 --> 00:48:32,303
When the battle took place,

960
00:48:32,686 --> 00:48:35,440
When we eventually got our landing,

961
00:48:35,490 --> 00:48:37,131
where we're gonna lift

962
00:48:37,156 --> 00:48:38,982
and winch and things like that.

963
00:48:39,272 --> 00:48:41,744
He carried just about

964
00:48:41,794 --> 00:48:44,207
I joined him, but we carried

965
00:48:44,257 --> 00:48:45,584
but he was with every one of them.

966
00:48:45,670 --> 00:48:48,068
We called him our shepherd

967
00:48:49,392 --> 00:48:52,373
[Carl] But all the people we

968
00:48:52,490 --> 00:48:56,105
the Chaplain loaded them

969
00:48:56,155 --> 00:48:58,276
That helicopter had a spotlight.

970
00:48:58,326 --> 00:49:00,531
I don't see how he could

971
00:49:00,573 --> 00:49:02,021
but we threw smoke

972
00:49:02,084 --> 00:49:04,288
and he put the gurney

973
00:49:04,338 --> 00:49:06,998
and we'd load it and he'd pull it up

974
00:49:07,092 --> 00:49:10,021
and all day until we

975
00:49:11,670 --> 00:49:13,229
The battle for most part is over now.

976
00:49:13,311 --> 00:49:15,474
We got some sniper fire coming

977
00:49:15,524 --> 00:49:17,060
They haven't completely given up.

978
00:49:17,110 --> 00:49:18,813
And while we're carrying

979
00:49:18,863 --> 00:49:21,444
we'd bring the helicopter

980
00:49:21,494 --> 00:49:23,740
but again, it would

981
00:49:23,766 --> 00:49:28,225
and we would tie one of our

982
00:49:28,299 --> 00:49:30,169
and they would just

983
00:49:30,219 --> 00:49:31,630
Not infrequently,

984
00:49:31,680 --> 00:49:33,693
but a lot of times we'd

985
00:49:33,817 --> 00:49:35,353
And they'd just about drop the guy.

986
00:49:35,413 --> 00:49:36,824
They'd say, "Well here,

987
00:49:36,898 --> 00:49:38,428
And the Chaplin would say, "It's okay.

988
00:49:38,776 --> 00:49:40,188
It's okay. Don't worry about it.

989
00:49:40,238 --> 00:49:41,566
Just bring him on up here.

990
00:49:41,616 --> 00:49:43,303
We'll get him on this helicopter

991
00:49:43,745 --> 00:49:45,532
So even under fire, he didn't move.

992
00:49:45,582 --> 00:49:46,818
He was there. He was a rock.

993
00:49:47,178 --> 00:49:48,327
For his action on that day,

994
00:49:48,377 --> 00:49:50,624
he would get the Silver

995
00:49:50,674 --> 00:49:51,783
One brave guy.

996
00:49:54,451 --> 00:49:57,407
I wasn't medevaced out

997
00:49:57,457 --> 00:50:03,131
They put me in a body bag

998
00:50:03,386 --> 00:50:05,631
and then tied the rope

999
00:50:05,722 --> 00:50:08,511
and lifted me out.

1000
00:50:08,561 --> 00:50:10,056
I don't know which was worse,

1001
00:50:10,106 --> 00:50:13,605
the firefight or dangling on

1002
00:50:13,655 --> 00:50:17,111
just knowing that there

1003
00:50:17,161 --> 00:50:19,082
and they were gonna open fire.

1004
00:50:20,334 --> 00:50:21,661
Then I saw a clearing

1005
00:50:21,711 --> 00:50:24,490
and there was a dust

1006
00:50:24,744 --> 00:50:27,909
It felt like we were doing

1007
00:50:27,990 --> 00:50:31,765
but that pilot just

1008
00:50:31,815 --> 00:50:34,695
right next to the medevac and,

1009
00:50:36,490 --> 00:50:38,026
off I went.

1010
00:50:38,076 --> 00:50:41,428
(Helicopter whirring)

1011
00:50:41,474 --> 00:50:44,317
It was really a relief to

1012
00:50:44,391 --> 00:50:47,638
To know I was back on the

1013
00:50:48,203 --> 00:50:50,467
I remember them working on me.

1014
00:50:51,740 --> 00:50:53,903
Sticking a large tube in my side

1015
00:50:54,233 --> 00:50:56,608
and I probably passed

1016
00:50:56,633 --> 00:50:58,754
or either they put me out.

1017
00:50:59,093 --> 00:51:00,695
Cause the next thing I,

1018
00:51:00,745 --> 00:51:05,093
at least another day,

1019
00:51:05,670 --> 00:51:07,921
And I never saw those guys again.

1020
00:51:08,509 --> 00:51:09,713
And that's sort of the nature

1021
00:51:09,763 --> 00:51:13,803
of what happens in a

1022
00:51:13,853 --> 00:51:17,186
you go to one hospital,

1023
00:51:17,527 --> 00:51:20,038
I ended up in Japan for 108 days

1024
00:51:20,235 --> 00:51:22,600
and that's why I have one picture of me

1025
00:51:26,461 --> 00:51:29,292
and that's because all my pictures

1026
00:51:29,451 --> 00:51:31,906
were in the base camp and

1027
00:51:31,972 --> 00:51:36,972
None of my equipment ever

1028
00:51:37,189 --> 00:51:39,128
I enjoy coming here to these events

1029
00:51:39,778 --> 00:51:42,784
because it's important,

1030
00:51:44,952 --> 00:51:48,253
it's an opportunity to touch with people

1031
00:51:48,393 --> 00:51:51,284
because like I say, I have one picture.

1032
00:51:51,741 --> 00:51:52,850
And that's it.

1033
00:52:02,155 --> 00:52:03,566
So we got into their perimeter

1034
00:52:03,616 --> 00:52:04,902
and sent my medic over there

1035
00:52:04,952 --> 00:52:06,659
to start working on the wounded,

1036
00:52:06,997 --> 00:52:08,867
start assessing the wounded,

1037
00:52:09,168 --> 00:52:11,935
put men around it to secure the area

1038
00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:17,482
and started looking

1039
00:52:17,568 --> 00:52:19,471
and making sure everybody

1040
00:52:19,521 --> 00:52:21,309
That's when I found Sergeant Morris.

1041
00:52:21,359 --> 00:52:26,646
He was laying on his back

1042
00:52:26,802 --> 00:52:27,880
He looked dead to me.

1043
00:52:27,936 --> 00:52:29,371
If I had to bet, I'd say he was dead.

1044
00:52:31,039 --> 00:52:32,931
He had two sucking chest wounds.

1045
00:52:33,768 --> 00:52:36,315
I also noticed that his hands...

1046
00:52:37,163 --> 00:52:38,550
It's why I thought he was dead.

1047
00:52:38,600 --> 00:52:40,560
His hands were not moving.

1048
00:52:40,938 --> 00:52:44,027
In each thumb contained grenade pins.

1049
00:52:45,516 --> 00:52:47,262
He had thrown so many grenades

1050
00:52:47,289 --> 00:52:48,825
and had been wounded so many times

1051
00:52:48,953 --> 00:52:49,905
he didn't have the strength

1052
00:52:49,955 --> 00:52:51,966
to take the pins off his fingers.

1053
00:52:58,309 --> 00:53:01,315
His thumbs were filled

1054
00:53:02,855 --> 00:53:06,103
So, I walked up to him and kicked him.

1055
00:53:06,153 --> 00:53:07,605
I kicked him in his feet,

1056
00:53:07,655 --> 00:53:10,786
kicked him in his boots just

1057
00:53:13,483 --> 00:53:14,987
He opened his eyes...

1058
00:53:17,341 --> 00:53:18,961
He opened his eyes and he looked at me

1059
00:53:19,011 --> 00:53:20,560
and he put his arm up and saluted

1060
00:53:20,585 --> 00:53:22,581
and he says, "All the way, sir."

1061
00:53:22,726 --> 00:53:26,734
(Triumphant instrumental music)

1062
00:53:30,366 --> 00:53:32,361
You could have knocked

1063
00:53:32,411 --> 00:53:33,405
when he did that.

1064
00:53:33,455 --> 00:53:35,159
So I went, "Holy shit."

1065
00:53:35,209 --> 00:53:37,496
And I started yelling for a medic.

1066
00:53:37,546 --> 00:53:40,168
This guy was above and

1067
00:53:40,218 --> 00:53:43,174
I remember that on the

1068
00:53:43,224 --> 00:53:44,761
when we were trying to

1069
00:53:44,811 --> 00:53:46,833
and get the rest of our killed out,

1070
00:53:47,810 --> 00:53:50,521
he was wounded and I went by him.

1071
00:53:50,825 --> 00:53:53,068
And the first platoon

1072
00:53:53,118 --> 00:53:55,466
and Lieutenant Vose had checked

1073
00:53:55,665 --> 00:53:57,535
And I went by him and

1074
00:53:57,585 --> 00:53:59,956
and he was moving and

1075
00:54:00,006 --> 00:54:01,417
How could he... bloodied,

1076
00:54:01,467 --> 00:54:04,507
he just looked like a sieve

1077
00:54:04,557 --> 00:54:07,554
And I said, "Sergeant, are you okay?"

1078
00:54:07,604 --> 00:54:08,848
And I knelt beside him,

1079
00:54:08,898 --> 00:54:10,644
and he looked up at me and he reached up

1080
00:54:10,694 --> 00:54:12,605
and he grabbed me by the collar here.

1081
00:54:12,630 --> 00:54:13,949
And he'd yanked me down

1082
00:54:14,568 --> 00:54:16,248
and he said, "Captain."

1083
00:54:16,580 --> 00:54:18,826
He said, "I want you to

1084
00:54:18,876 --> 00:54:19,974
I said, "Sure."

1085
00:54:20,036 --> 00:54:22,366
He said, "Promise me you won't

1086
00:54:22,759 --> 00:54:26,013
until all the rest of the

1087
00:54:26,474 --> 00:54:28,857
Please don't leave anybody behind.

1088
00:54:29,313 --> 00:54:32,018
Please sir, don't leave anybody behind."

1089
00:54:32,068 --> 00:54:34,022
And I said, being all knowledgeable,

1090
00:54:34,072 --> 00:54:36,091
being a captain and knowing everything,

1091
00:54:36,159 --> 00:54:38,521
I said, "Okay, Sergeant,

1092
00:54:38,580 --> 00:54:39,865
Cause see, I already

1093
00:54:39,911 --> 00:54:41,411
This guy was just shot to pieces.

1094
00:54:42,672 --> 00:54:44,380
And we lifted him out last.

1095
00:54:44,916 --> 00:54:49,115
A year later, I received a call

1096
00:54:49,309 --> 00:54:52,098
"The President of the United States

1097
00:54:52,148 --> 00:54:54,435
Do you think you could come

1098
00:54:54,694 --> 00:54:57,318
And I said, "Well,

1099
00:54:57,519 --> 00:54:58,679
And I went to Washington

1100
00:54:58,744 --> 00:55:00,833
and I saw the president

1101
00:55:01,207 --> 00:55:03,044
place around Charlie Morris

1102
00:55:03,231 --> 00:55:05,450
the Medal of Honour around his neck.

1103
00:55:05,694 --> 00:55:08,583
And I thought, as great as that was,

1104
00:55:08,888 --> 00:55:12,178
the thing I remember is not

1105
00:55:12,228 --> 00:55:16,404
but Morris saying, "Sir, please,

1106
00:55:16,592 --> 00:55:17,875
Take me out last."

1107
00:55:20,294 --> 00:55:24,982
My claim to fame in Vietnam

1108
00:55:25,660 --> 00:55:29,138
And I would say, look up June 29th, 1966

1109
00:55:29,219 --> 00:55:31,800
and look up Charles B. Morris and realize

1110
00:55:31,850 --> 00:55:34,810
that I had the privilege of

1111
00:55:38,654 --> 00:55:40,442
One of the things that

1112
00:55:40,492 --> 00:55:44,958
there is a horrendous

1113
00:55:45,859 --> 00:55:47,246
You don't feel bad necessarily,

1114
00:55:47,296 --> 00:55:50,724
it's just that you're exhausted

1115
00:55:50,969 --> 00:55:54,388
because your adrenaline's

1116
00:55:54,727 --> 00:55:56,747
and so when it stops,

1117
00:55:57,023 --> 00:56:00,279
you just may pass out or

1118
00:56:01,198 --> 00:56:02,802
I was exhausted

1119
00:56:03,117 --> 00:56:07,161
and I just remember laying down

1120
00:56:07,677 --> 00:56:08,565
It was over.

1121
00:56:11,255 --> 00:56:13,463
I think that what happened

1122
00:56:13,513 --> 00:56:16,677
we had them surrounded or a

1123
00:56:16,727 --> 00:56:17,721
and that's when they ran.

1124
00:56:17,771 --> 00:56:19,182
They took off.

1125
00:56:19,232 --> 00:56:22,480
Or they didn't realize they

1126
00:56:22,530 --> 00:56:25,927
I think that was what it was.

1127
00:56:26,379 --> 00:56:29,009
It was A Company. (Laughs)

1128
00:56:30,663 --> 00:56:35,021
We ended up having a reputation.

1129
00:56:37,503 --> 00:56:39,511
They called us No DEROS Alpha.

1130
00:56:39,980 --> 00:56:43,224
That means that if you were

1131
00:56:43,416 --> 00:56:47,427
you very possibly didn't get to serve

1132
00:56:47,591 --> 00:56:49,624
You left before your

1133
00:56:51,836 --> 00:56:53,163
one way or another.

1134
00:56:54,264 --> 00:56:56,562
My wounds weren't bad enough

1135
00:56:58,508 --> 00:57:02,639
to be evaced out of the country

1136
00:57:04,110 --> 00:57:05,396
Got out of the hospital

1137
00:57:05,446 --> 00:57:08,608
and I think I was in the

1138
00:57:09,454 --> 00:57:10,737
and got hit again.

1139
00:57:12,376 --> 00:57:14,213
That was the last one.

1140
00:57:16,425 --> 00:57:18,225
I got out of there then.

1141
00:57:18,537 --> 00:57:19,697
I was reading the paper,

1142
00:57:19,723 --> 00:57:21,819
sitting at the kitchen table one morning

1143
00:57:21,897 --> 00:57:24,767
and realized I was reading an article

1144
00:57:24,817 --> 00:57:29,061
about a firefight that

1145
00:57:29,342 --> 00:57:31,613
And then pretty soon there was a quote

1146
00:57:31,663 --> 00:57:34,869
by Captain Jack Kelley

1147
00:57:34,919 --> 00:57:36,373
who commanded this Company

1148
00:57:36,423 --> 00:57:38,750
that had been in this

1149
00:57:39,640 --> 00:57:42,866
That was really scary, but I thought,

1150
00:57:42,913 --> 00:57:44,585
at least I'm reading

1151
00:57:44,657 --> 00:57:46,983
So I know he made it through it.

1152
00:57:55,833 --> 00:57:57,953
I didn't enjoy the war.

1153
00:57:58,089 --> 00:57:59,834
I didn't join, I got drafted

1154
00:57:59,884 --> 00:58:02,005
and I was doing what a

1155
00:58:02,055 --> 00:58:03,319
was supposed to do.

1156
00:58:03,428 --> 00:58:06,501
Go and do what you're told

1157
00:58:07,782 --> 00:58:09,134
That's why I went.

1158
00:58:09,569 --> 00:58:12,692
I wasn't looking for any kind of glory.

1159
00:58:12,742 --> 00:58:16,079
and do my part and get my ass back home.

1160
00:58:16,751 --> 00:58:18,403
When I got out of the service,

1161
00:58:18,461 --> 00:58:20,751
I pretty well just put it behind me.

1162
00:58:21,172 --> 00:58:26,095
I think it obviously had a

1163
00:58:27,001 --> 00:58:30,017
I think I knew what I did not

1164
00:58:30,126 --> 00:58:33,775
and that was be a PFC. (Chuckles)

1165
00:58:33,825 --> 00:58:35,236
When I came out of high school,

1166
00:58:35,286 --> 00:58:37,760
I probably would have not

1167
00:58:38,432 --> 00:58:41,416
Family really couldn't have

1168
00:58:41,486 --> 00:58:43,971
Once I was wounded and became eligible

1169
00:58:44,887 --> 00:58:46,967
to go under the Disability Act,

1170
00:58:47,017 --> 00:58:49,471
which pretty much paid for

1171
00:58:49,521 --> 00:58:53,205
I'm gonna take advantage

1172
00:58:53,230 --> 00:58:56,728
So I went back, picked up

1173
00:58:56,910 --> 00:58:58,071
You know, I'm blessed.

1174
00:58:58,121 --> 00:59:01,760
I've never had a single

1175
00:59:01,919 --> 00:59:03,268
And I'd be in the hospital

1176
00:59:03,334 --> 00:59:05,680
and guys would wake up in

1177
00:59:05,766 --> 00:59:07,130
and I knew what was going on.

1178
00:59:07,180 --> 00:59:08,383
They were dreaming.

1179
00:59:08,571 --> 00:59:10,626
But I've talked to some therapists

1180
00:59:10,688 --> 00:59:14,243
and what they say is

1181
00:59:14,268 --> 00:59:17,579
are fortunate where they

1182
00:59:17,992 --> 00:59:19,321
that they can't pull it back out

1183
00:59:19,371 --> 00:59:22,619
and they said that might

1184
00:59:22,669 --> 00:59:24,163
I got out with a disability

1185
00:59:24,213 --> 00:59:29,173
and I ended up the first

1186
00:59:29,223 --> 00:59:30,675
that got out of school

1187
00:59:30,725 --> 00:59:34,107
and I wouldn't have done that

1188
00:59:35,197 --> 00:59:38,523
I carried the guilt a long time

1189
00:59:38,625 --> 00:59:41,656
before I shared it with a

1190
00:59:41,791 --> 00:59:47,031
I still sleep in a chair;

1191
00:59:47,118 --> 00:59:49,101
That's where I sleep

1192
00:59:51,226 --> 00:59:54,888
I didn't know if I was gonna be able

1193
00:59:54,938 --> 00:59:58,269
because I let this

1194
00:59:58,319 --> 01:00:01,023
for 52 weeks in a row

1195
01:00:01,062 --> 01:00:02,992
And he knew what he was doing.

1196
01:00:03,463 --> 01:00:06,025
He's a clinical psychologist.

1197
01:00:08,131 --> 01:00:11,337
The guy was able to take

1198
01:00:11,387 --> 01:00:12,171
and play with them.

1199
01:00:12,221 --> 01:00:13,424
When he put them back,

1200
01:00:13,474 --> 01:00:16,346
they didn't have as big

1201
01:00:16,396 --> 01:00:18,114
before I talked to this guy.

1202
01:00:19,486 --> 01:00:23,502
So the things that bugged

1203
01:00:25,260 --> 01:00:29,572
for 45 years, they got a

1204
01:00:38,188 --> 01:00:41,987
[Bill V.] I went back in '99

1205
01:00:43,198 --> 01:00:46,279
I was really a little apprehensive

1206
01:00:46,329 --> 01:00:49,370
because I didn't know what

1207
01:00:49,669 --> 01:00:50,829
[Bill V.] We were able to get

1208
01:00:50,879 --> 01:00:54,205
to the June 29th battle site,

1209
01:00:54,665 --> 01:00:57,370
which is now a rice paddy.

1210
01:00:57,475 --> 01:01:00,588
Totally cleared,

1211
01:01:00,915 --> 01:01:03,646
We weren't able to get out to it

1212
01:01:03,688 --> 01:01:07,354
because the flooding and

1213
01:01:07,745 --> 01:01:10,620
and we were done humping

1214
01:01:12,371 --> 01:01:16,830
We went to visit the 3rd

1215
01:01:16,998 --> 01:01:19,411
and that's where they brought everybody.

1216
01:01:19,476 --> 01:01:23,517
Now, it's a North

1217
01:01:23,567 --> 01:01:26,026
Upstairs were where the wards were.

1218
01:01:26,224 --> 01:01:28,487
That's where the museum is now.

1219
01:01:29,696 --> 01:01:33,995
And I could just feel the

1220
01:01:35,237 --> 01:01:37,104
and really getting nervous.

1221
01:01:38,387 --> 01:01:43,355
But we went in there and there

1222
01:01:43,447 --> 01:01:48,229
and Colonel and just one

1223
01:01:48,481 --> 01:01:51,088
that were running the museum.

1224
01:01:51,363 --> 01:01:54,604
And through our interpreters,

1225
01:01:54,721 --> 01:01:57,082
And it was really interesting

1226
01:01:57,132 --> 01:01:59,721
hearing their perspective of the war.

1227
01:02:00,101 --> 01:02:01,679
When we met this guy out there,

1228
01:02:01,807 --> 01:02:06,725
he had been a VC and he was now

1229
01:02:06,775 --> 01:02:09,299
And we talked about the war, battles,

1230
01:02:09,354 --> 01:02:11,610
and I asked him if he

1231
01:02:11,660 --> 01:02:12,737
and he kind of looked at me like,

1232
01:02:12,787 --> 01:02:14,248
"You stupid American.

1233
01:02:15,250 --> 01:02:17,127
You fought a battle out here.

1234
01:02:17,546 --> 01:02:19,250
I lived here my whole life.

1235
01:02:19,300 --> 01:02:23,516
I fought battles out here

1236
01:02:24,524 --> 01:02:25,511
He was very nice.

1237
01:02:25,561 --> 01:02:27,768
He wasn't arrogant.

1238
01:02:27,983 --> 01:02:30,855
We were able to meet up with

1239
01:02:30,905 --> 01:02:34,526
at a dinner and talked a lot more.

1240
01:02:34,565 --> 01:02:37,284
And one of them stated

1241
01:02:37,334 --> 01:02:41,375
to meet the Americans,

1242
01:02:41,425 --> 01:02:45,884
And he said something that

1243
01:02:45,934 --> 01:02:48,473
is that we were just all young men

1244
01:02:48,523 --> 01:02:51,916
doing what our countries told us to do.

1245
01:02:55,213 --> 01:02:57,604
And that really (chuckles)

1246
01:02:58,180 --> 01:02:59,180
rang true.

1247
01:03:03,294 --> 01:03:06,205
It was a great experience for me

1248
01:03:07,475 --> 01:03:10,486
because I let a lot of hatred go.

1249
01:03:10,776 --> 01:03:12,610
That was a very good catharsis.

1250
01:03:13,487 --> 01:03:15,205
Get rid of those old ghosts.

1251
01:03:21,168 --> 01:03:23,674
I've been back to Vietnam

1252
01:03:24,258 --> 01:03:26,697
And I went back the first time

1253
01:03:27,556 --> 01:03:30,783
with an objective of trying to find

1254
01:03:31,855 --> 01:03:33,786
where I'd been hurt and

1255
01:03:33,859 --> 01:03:35,312
It was just something in my...

1256
01:03:35,362 --> 01:03:39,445
I was driven and it got in my

1257
01:03:39,495 --> 01:03:40,906
And I wanted to go back

1258
01:03:40,964 --> 01:03:43,879
in 29th of June and in Silver City.

1259
01:03:43,921 --> 01:03:46,500
Jack Kelley had given me the maps

1260
01:03:46,550 --> 01:03:47,794
and that's what I had to work with

1261
01:03:47,844 --> 01:03:50,133
because we didn't have GPS back then

1262
01:03:50,183 --> 01:03:53,431
and it took me three trips

1263
01:03:53,481 --> 01:03:55,602
What we all remember as the jungle

1264
01:03:55,652 --> 01:03:59,307
and the clay bottoms and all

1265
01:03:59,376 --> 01:04:00,955
And then I had an urge to try

1266
01:04:00,980 --> 01:04:03,560
to get guys involved to do

1267
01:04:03,643 --> 01:04:05,370
because in the big city they got a lot

1268
01:04:05,420 --> 01:04:08,710
of opportunities Saigon,

1269
01:04:08,760 --> 01:04:12,217
But out in the country,

1270
01:04:12,267 --> 01:04:15,556
And so we got together and

1271
01:04:15,606 --> 01:04:17,142
that allowed some of these kids

1272
01:04:17,184 --> 01:04:20,182
during that same wet weather

1273
01:04:20,244 --> 01:04:22,674
rather than to shut down

1274
01:04:22,744 --> 01:04:25,700
And we built a dormitory

1275
01:04:25,861 --> 01:04:28,665
so that kids that came from a distance

1276
01:04:28,715 --> 01:04:30,835
because school buses and transportation,

1277
01:04:30,885 --> 01:04:31,901
they're too poor for that.

1278
01:04:32,158 --> 01:04:36,971
We were able to build a really

1279
01:04:37,850 --> 01:04:39,352
that allowed kids from the country,

1280
01:04:39,402 --> 01:04:42,525
poor kids to come in

1281
01:04:42,575 --> 01:04:43,777
Quick aside, you're not allowed

1282
01:04:43,827 --> 01:04:48,795
to name anything after

1283
01:04:49,358 --> 01:04:51,734
But what we did do when

1284
01:04:51,793 --> 01:04:54,219
was we put Malcolm Berry,

1285
01:04:54,274 --> 01:04:57,102
and he was actually what I

1286
01:04:57,440 --> 01:05:00,103
and we put his name on the bridge.

1287
01:05:00,192 --> 01:05:01,854
And so if you go up the

1288
01:05:01,896 --> 01:05:03,682
not a plaque because they

1289
01:05:03,740 --> 01:05:07,013
We had it engraved in a stone

1290
01:05:07,373 --> 01:05:08,658
but they put his name on the bridge,

1291
01:05:08,708 --> 01:05:10,912
and they put it on the side.

1292
01:05:10,962 --> 01:05:12,318
That's kind of cool.

1293
01:05:18,724 --> 01:05:22,184
After the war, I was constantly fighting

1294
01:05:22,234 --> 01:05:26,067
because of all the anti-war protestors

1295
01:05:26,117 --> 01:05:29,708
and sticking up for my brothers.

1296
01:05:30,000 --> 01:05:33,505
After a while, I was

1297
01:05:33,536 --> 01:05:36,646
because they were talking

1298
01:05:36,776 --> 01:05:38,786
You just couldn't get away from it

1299
01:05:38,833 --> 01:05:41,411
so I just finally started

1300
01:05:41,504 --> 01:05:46,224
and didn't even tell

1301
01:05:50,288 --> 01:05:54,079
I went on like that

1302
01:05:54,129 --> 01:05:57,752
Then through the association

1303
01:05:57,794 --> 01:05:59,665
hooking up with the guys again

1304
01:05:59,723 --> 01:06:02,094
and feeling relaxed and at home

1305
01:06:02,144 --> 01:06:04,181
and kind of unloading everything

1306
01:06:04,231 --> 01:06:06,599
that you'd been stuffing for years,

1307
01:06:06,685 --> 01:06:09,279
it seemed like we had all done that.

1308
01:06:10,810 --> 01:06:16,177
We used to call them beers and

1309
01:06:16,756 --> 01:06:19,341
A lot of bad memories from

1310
01:06:20,806 --> 01:06:24,054
But I never got wounded or

1311
01:06:24,104 --> 01:06:25,806
I really didn't know if I wanted to go

1312
01:06:25,856 --> 01:06:26,933
and my wife finally convinced me,

1313
01:06:26,983 --> 01:06:28,144
she said, "Why don't you go?

1314
01:06:28,194 --> 01:06:29,898
She said, "It could be good for you."

1315
01:06:29,948 --> 01:06:30,733
And I did.

1316
01:06:30,783 --> 01:06:31,985
And I got in there

1317
01:06:32,035 --> 01:06:34,656
and I think it was the

1318
01:06:34,706 --> 01:06:36,077
and I walked in with my bags

1319
01:06:36,127 --> 01:06:37,474
and I could hear all

1320
01:06:37,559 --> 01:06:38,964
It was very loud in there.

1321
01:06:39,006 --> 01:06:40,668
When I walked up to check in,

1322
01:06:40,718 --> 01:06:43,633
"Well, you can't check in right now

1323
01:06:43,683 --> 01:06:46,179
because the rooms are

1324
01:06:46,229 --> 01:06:47,515
She said, "Just leave

1325
01:06:47,565 --> 01:06:48,935
We'll get it to your room

1326
01:06:48,985 --> 01:06:51,064
and come to see me when you're done

1327
01:06:51,114 --> 01:06:52,865
and we'll give you a key at the desk."

1328
01:06:53,075 --> 01:06:55,363
And I walked into the bar and

1329
01:06:55,413 --> 01:06:57,075
and I grabbed it soon going to the bar.

1330
01:06:57,125 --> 01:06:58,870
And as luck would have it,

1331
01:06:58,920 --> 01:07:01,279
the guy who was next

1332
01:07:01,800 --> 01:07:03,337
And I didn't know him at that point.

1333
01:07:03,387 --> 01:07:04,715
Well, I did, I knew him over there,

1334
01:07:04,765 --> 01:07:06,927
but when you don't see somebody

1335
01:07:06,977 --> 01:07:10,308
So he was talking, he was drunk

1336
01:07:10,521 --> 01:07:12,747
He looked at me and he said,

1337
01:07:12,818 --> 01:07:13,732
And I told him.

1338
01:07:13,782 --> 01:07:14,985
He said, "What company were you in?"

1339
01:07:15,035 --> 01:07:15,819
"A Company."

1340
01:07:15,869 --> 01:07:16,863
"What battalion?"

1341
01:07:16,913 --> 01:07:17,948
"2nd Battalion."

1342
01:07:17,998 --> 01:07:18,833
"Me too."

1343
01:07:18,880 --> 01:07:19,618
"So What platoon?"

1344
01:07:19,668 --> 01:07:20,454
I said, "Second."

1345
01:07:20,504 --> 01:07:21,414
"Ah, I was in first".

1346
01:07:21,464 --> 01:07:23,529
"So you must know Leo?"

1347
01:07:23,677 --> 01:07:24,419
"Yeah."

1348
01:07:24,469 --> 01:07:25,997
He said, Leo "French' Pellerin."

1349
01:07:26,247 --> 01:07:27,716
So anyway, we hit it off.

1350
01:07:27,810 --> 01:07:29,679
And a bunch of guys came

1351
01:07:29,729 --> 01:07:32,059
and I think it was

1352
01:07:32,109 --> 01:07:34,099
when I left the bar to go upstairs.

1353
01:07:34,208 --> 01:07:36,484
I had no idea where I

1354
01:07:36,646 --> 01:07:38,571
But that was my first reunion

1355
01:07:38,621 --> 01:07:41,619
and I had so much fun in

1356
01:07:41,849 --> 01:07:43,289
that I said, "Yep, I got to keep going."

1357
01:07:43,450 --> 01:07:46,837
So since 1985, I've probably only missed

1358
01:07:46,887 --> 01:07:48,716
maybe four or five reunions.

1359
01:07:49,833 --> 01:07:52,306
I met James Miskel for the first time

1360
01:07:52,356 --> 01:07:54,310
in 50 years last night.

1361
01:07:54,360 --> 01:07:56,481
So I had a good conversation with him.

1362
01:07:56,531 --> 01:07:58,401
He told me I was actually

1363
01:07:58,451 --> 01:08:02,630
that was pulled out just because

1364
01:08:03,085 --> 01:08:04,031
I just

1365
01:08:06,138 --> 01:08:07,458
love these guys.

1366
01:08:07,677 --> 01:08:08,838
Every one of them.

1367
01:08:09,247 --> 01:08:12,303
Some of them were, to be polite, jerks,

1368
01:08:12,353 --> 01:08:14,771
but most of those guys

1369
01:08:17,974 --> 01:08:21,904
And you can tell Lieutenant Vose

1370
01:08:21,954 --> 01:08:23,533
And like any group of soldiers,

1371
01:08:23,575 --> 01:08:26,531
you get the disputes and

1372
01:08:26,589 --> 01:08:28,375
That stuff went away quick.

1373
01:08:28,425 --> 01:08:31,089
I think we had great

1374
01:08:31,139 --> 01:08:33,802
And the troops would do anything

1375
01:08:33,852 --> 01:08:35,055
When they carried me off there.

1376
01:08:35,105 --> 01:08:36,308
And I remember how they carried me off,

1377
01:08:36,358 --> 01:08:39,647
I didn't see the picture

1378
01:08:39,697 --> 01:08:42,027
I had been shot in the right side

1379
01:08:42,077 --> 01:08:43,696
and there was a big

1380
01:08:43,746 --> 01:08:45,116
And I'd been shot in the chest

1381
01:08:45,166 --> 01:08:46,677
and there was a big

1382
01:08:46,740 --> 01:08:50,752
And so when Jack gave me that picture,

1383
01:08:50,802 --> 01:08:53,089
I went out and had it blown

1384
01:08:53,139 --> 01:08:56,802
because it was just kind of cool

1385
01:08:56,981 --> 01:09:00,521
and I wouldn't have that

1386
01:09:01,911 --> 01:09:03,401
[Jack] All these guys

1387
01:09:03,451 --> 01:09:07,013
the names like Ferguson, or Ron Sedlack.

1388
01:09:07,091 --> 01:09:09,591
All these names are just stories

1389
01:09:10,107 --> 01:09:13,224
And I think about the

1390
01:09:13,497 --> 01:09:16,969
and I think about the

1391
01:09:17,019 --> 01:09:19,435
and how things would

1392
01:09:20,108 --> 01:09:21,269
I can't imagine.

1393
01:09:21,319 --> 01:09:23,319
I look at my family and my children,

1394
01:09:24,630 --> 01:09:26,427
just a stroke of luck I'm here.

1395
01:09:26,740 --> 01:09:32,357
Oh, I'm just very proud that I was able

1396
01:09:32,758 --> 01:09:39,841
the most highly decorated combat brigade

1397
01:09:40,849 --> 01:09:43,227
I'm proud I got to be a part of that.

1398
01:09:43,277 --> 01:09:47,466
And the men that were in

1399
01:09:48,496 --> 01:09:50,700
I think A Company was unique.

1400
01:09:50,750 --> 01:09:52,704
I know we had the highest casualty count

1401
01:09:52,754 --> 01:09:56,146
in the year that I was there,

1402
01:09:56,193 --> 01:09:58,716
We always did whatever

1403
01:09:58,766 --> 01:10:01,786
And I'm very proud of what I did

1404
01:10:01,880 --> 01:10:04,376
and proud of all my brothers

1405
01:10:05,487 --> 01:10:06,654
To the herd. (Chuckles)

1406
01:10:10,037 --> 01:10:11,448
[Shawn] Through this journey,

1407
01:10:11,498 --> 01:10:13,333
I learned more about my dad

1408
01:10:13,544 --> 01:10:14,956
although I will never truly be able

1409
01:10:15,006 --> 01:10:17,506
to understand what he

1410
01:10:18,635 --> 01:10:22,185
My father's only sibling died before

1411
01:10:22,854 --> 01:10:28,107
But what I discovered through this

1412
01:10:30,493 --> 01:10:34,501
(Triumphant instrumental music)

1413
01:11:14,954 --> 01:11:16,927
After 50 years,

1414
01:11:18,419 --> 01:11:19,896
Mainly of remembrance.

1415
01:11:20,339 --> 01:11:22,615
First of all, the guys

1416
01:11:22,849 --> 01:11:24,610
Lord help me not forget them.

1417
01:11:25,628 --> 01:11:27,372
For the guys who were

1418
01:11:27,437 --> 01:11:31,052
because of that, don't forget them.

1419
01:11:31,277 --> 01:11:34,458
For kids who will never know

1420
01:11:36,177 --> 01:11:37,406
For the heroism that I saw on that day

1421
01:11:37,456 --> 01:11:39,877
and that I remember, don't forget that.

1422
01:11:41,464 --> 01:11:45,170
For His word that says,

1423
01:11:45,220 --> 01:11:47,763
But that a man would lay

1424
01:11:47,910 --> 01:11:49,071
I saw that.

1425
01:11:49,098 --> 01:11:50,552
I remember that.

1426
01:11:50,847 --> 01:11:54,814
(Triumphant instrumental music)