The West Pointer Captain Mertz’s plan to wait for resupply and take credit for the kills, along with any wounded NVA left behind, made logical sense. Neither I, nor any of the Marines in the company, gave a tinker’s damn about who got credited for anything, or who was decorated for it, either. I was concerned, however, about what condition our equipment would be in when we returned to our position back up on the mountain ridge. I tried to convince myself that it wouldn’t be a problem, at least with respect to whatever was left of the supplies when Kilo got done going through them. If our belongings were gone, then resupply would at least make up for some of what was lost. Our dead were another matter, left on the ground and stacked like black plastic cord-wood for the Huey pickup.
We began the hard hike back by going straight into the climb. It would be a gently-angled climb until we made the turn west to the much higher ground where we’d left most of our gear. The Marines took the forced march in silence, except for the tinny blare of the small transistor radios. Brother John came on to announce what he called an ‘appropriate song’ to start the morning. It was called White Rabbit. The lyrics played and I listened. Brother John was right. The song was all about Alice in Wonderland and Alice falling down that proverbial rabbit hole. “When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead, and the White Knight is talking backwards, and the Red Queen’s off with her head, remember what the dormouse said; feed your head, feed your head.” I walked fast, agreeing with Brother John at the same time I tried to get enough traction to avoid slipping backwards with each step. In training I’d learned the art of the forced march the Marine Corps was famous for. No running. Running burned energy four times faster than walking, even really vigorous walking. Fast, long-legged strides were what was required. Once into the gait of it, great distances could be covered rapidly without expending too much energy.
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Interesting read. I notice you dismissed the lessons, the training you had prior to confronting life in the Vietnam war. You saw them through your eyes, based on your experience, your understanding. Perhaps you were not ready for the training. It is noteworthy that you survived. Semper Fi; USMC Vietnam Vet, Victorious in TET 1968.
I did not dismiss the lessons. I sure as hell compliment the training at Fort Sill.
And the map reading at TBS and then later on at other aspects of the training. Come on!
There was zero training about friendly fire or even its existence. There was zero training about
race nightmares going on right at the time all over the place. There was zero training about fauna and flora of
the place were were being sent. The list goes on. Was I ready for the training? Is any college kid stepping off
that bus in Quantico ready for the Marine Corps? I think not.
Thanks for the honest comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
WOW, state side training is never going to be what is experienced in real combat conditions. I was Navy and my on the line experience was well beyond boot camp and various schools. They give you as much as they can in a very condensed period of time. Like everything in life actual on the job experience is what matters and that takes time. In the Army a new officer is know as a DASL. Dumb ass second lieutenant! By the time Captain rolls around one should start to get smart.
Yes, I was a DASL too. How can one not be under the circumstances? But there it was and somehow fate and some special people got me through.
Semper fi,
Jim
Got there in time for Tet ’68. Never spent much time in the bushes but it seemed like somebody I couldn’t see, much less shoot at, was trying to kill me every day.
Had a nice trip to the rim of the A Shau to set up a relay radio rig between div. HQ and an operation going on in the valley. Six grunts gave it all to keep my skin intact during an attack on our hilltop LZ by a battalion-sized force of NVA. We all would have been killed or made POW if not for a Marine Scout-Sniper who was on his way back to his unit and noticed us Army guys in more trouble than we knew.
He told me he got chewed out for using 37 more rounds than he needed to accomplish his mission. But I am forever grateful.
My son wanted to get into the military after 9/11 so I encouraged him to join the Marines because I felt that with Marine training he’d have a far better chance of survival than with the Army.
I believe the Marine Corps has come a long way from your days with Basic School. Reason being: my son was taken off of a plane headed for Iraq with the 2/5 and put with a new unit in 29 Palms that, simplified, went over after-action reports from the field and put Marines through that grinder to teach them, as near as possible, what to expect when they got to Iraq. Casualty reports from the field showed that KIA’s dropped so dramatically among the Marines trained there that the Army set up their own Iraqi village.
Thanks for your service to our nation and to us who haven’t read the letters we sent home to our parents yet.
Semper Fi
Now that’s an interesting comment Michael. What a range of life experience
and contact with different parts of the military in and out of combat.
I often wonder what training is like now for both Marines and Army personnel
but, except for comments like your own, really have no clue. Thanks for all
the detail and your own time in the valley, of course.
Semper fi,
Jim
The Army village has evolved into something pretty sophisticated. It has a hospital, school and a large number of buildings. The houses are tunneled so that the red team (OPFOR) can shoot from one building and by the time the trainee force breaks into the house they find a mother and child sitting there and the shooter is long gone. They also have installed WiFi so the OPFOR can talk but the blue force can also attempt to exploit the discussion.
Wow, I’d sure like to have a context to this presented situation.
What is the Army Village and is this a kind of training construct or what?
Thanks for chiming in but give us a bit more…
Semper fi,
Jim
Years after my experiences in the Ashau I picked up a book called ” The 13th Valley”, flipped through a few pages an the cold chills hit. It was us an what happened between May of 1970 an October. Got my hands on my old Lt. And said who was this guy that wrote the book. Was a. Correspondent at the time with our unit.
I have heard of that book, although not read it yet. My to read list.
I only ever saw or heard of correspondents with units for a day or less and
never under fire, but there were a lot of little wars fought over there.
Thanks for the comment and reading the story.
Semper fi,
Jim
How much have I missed since the meeting between the Lt. and the Americal
CO. Since then nothing. If you can help please let me know.
Think I answered this earlier so check it out.
Let me know.
Thanks,
Semper fi,
Jim
Okay here wee go again. For some reason I’m not getting all your pieces so I’m not sure where I’m supposed to be (besides in a padded cell).That last I saw was the meeting between th Lt and Americal CO. The last statement was the Lt thinking about the racial question he raised. So if there is any way that I can pick up anything I’ve missed I would appreciate it. Thanks, again
Gary, if you go to my personal Facebook page (James Strauss) or to the
James Strauss Writer fan page on Facebook then each chapter going back to the first in
time has an entry and then click on that photo to take you to the segment. I believe there
are about 35 now that I finished and put up Ninth Day Third Part a bit earlier today. I am
working on the Ninth Night. Probably three more segments before we put the whole thing together
in the first book so you will be able to get hard copy. No worries on money because I will be
gifting and shipping to those vets that can’t afford to order. Try the Facebook entry.
If that does not work then message me back and I will put Chuck Bartok, our I.T. genius on it
and he will solve the problem. Sorry and thanks for telling me.
Semper fi,
Jim
I was with G 2/3 in 67′ and 68′. We walked the patrols, took our hits, licked our wounds and kept on going. I am still amazed at how much the human body can take and still perform. As an enlisted Marine, I always wondered why some of the decisions made while on an operation or a patrol or during a fire fight made no sense to the average grunt. Time and experience answered many of the questions for me. Our attrition rate was so high, that by the time we re-joined our Platoon after getting patched up, someone new was there and some of our buddies that were there when we were medevaced, were gone. All of a sudden these new Marines were looking at us like we were some kind of sages and as if we knew the answers. After reading your accounts, I realized we were in the same predicament. Normally, officers did not go on the daily meat grinder patrols, only the Platoon size or Battalion operations. When we actually saw officers with us, we looked at them to know everything. Thanks for being candid in your writing. I suspected that sometimes our officers did not have a clue and looked towards experience to help guide them. Somewhere along the line they turned into pretty good combat patrol/operation officers. When we had a good officer we would follow him to hell and back. The body bags and wounds were just part of the madness. Do not beat yourself up, you reacted to the situation as all of us had to do. There is’nt an answer for how we responded or why one Marine was hit while another was’nt. We all went on automatic, thanks to our training. Hang in there and keep writing. One of my sons wants me to write a book, but I think I will refer him to your writings. I have written a couple of poems and a few accounts of my experiences, but have never been inspired to write a book. Thank you for sharing.
Anything you send of your writings I will publish on here, and this site has gained some popularity.
I am always in search of the real deal and the real guys, and they and it are hard to find. I understand.
This has been hard for me in many ways. Your description of life in the field over there dovetails with
my own, although I do believe that my unit was pretty damned far outside the edge of the envelope when it came
to normality. When combat is long-lasting and intensive though, the rules, law and code of conduct go right outthe window.
Thanks so much for the extensive time you put in to write what you wrote and the honor you do me in writing it here.
Semper fi,
Jim
Geez LT, I don’t know how you held any composure with this disrespect you were shown. Even if your time in-country was short, you were an officer. I wasn’t an officer but as a NONCOM, it took some time with an officer to see how he/she carried themselves.
Keep up the good work brother,
Jim Flannery
From Arizona Territory to Indian Country, it was a different time and place for all of us. Where you were, what unit you were with
and what condition that unit was in meant everything over there. So many stories but there are some common threads of disorganization,
training, use of weaponry and handling life in the bush that run through almost everyone’s experience who was really out in the bush.
Thanks for the comment…and being there…
Semper fi,
Jim
James, Thank you for your stories, I didn’t serve in the Nam but most of my friends did. I’ve lost so many good Brothers to Agent Orange, They left Vietnam but in a way it never left them, again thank you for your stories, and thank you even more for your service.
Thanks Donnie. I got lucky on the Orange thing but so many did not.
Helluva thing to go through that shit and then have that come for you.
There’s little quit in Vietnam. Thank you for the comment. Means a lot.
Semper fi,
Jim
I have stories from writing to heal. since I commanded mine sweeps I start all my stories with (one day on the road) How do you start a blog? do I have to get a web site?
You call this guy tomorrow and he will guide you through. His name is Chuck Bartok. 5308243893
Yes, you have to start a website in order to reach your own audience. If you use a blog site operation then they keep
your entries inside their own site (like Facebook does) instead of allowing you access to the world. Then, when you are set up,
you can link to my site and people who come here will see you and check out your writing. Voila! Call Chuck tomorrow. He’s still sick today.
Semper fi,
Jim
Has your Vietnam story been made into a book? I’m looking, and haven’t been able to find it.
It is being formed right this minute for Amazon on Kindle and in paperback. I wanted to write it first and put it up in serial form
because I wasn’t sure if I would continue or not. It’s a hard call with this kind of material because you don’t know how it is going to effect you
in writing it or how it is likely to be taken. I do not need my life screwed up any more and when you stick your neck out you can expect a whole
lot more screwing up than reward. Just life in this competitive world. So, when I finish with the Tenth Day I will give the go ahead for
assembly and publishing. This will not be published by a major publishing house because there is no way they’ll print this stuff or allow
me to be the writer. Just life. Thanks for asking and commenting.
Semper fi,
Jim
I hope your book proceeds well. As a Vietnam vet, I find it fascinating to hear other peoples stories.
Thank you Roy. Hope to entertain and give people the feeling of what it was really like even if they weren’t there.
Semper fi,
Jim
I had a hard time thinking about the company comander using the morpine.If you had a good corpsman or a good medic then they would take care of it.We had several that would not live and most of them asked for help.When they were hit that bad they did not want to hurt any more.
I don’t know how all companies were run or even how different Army companies were from Marien.
I think there were a lot of differences. Our corpsmen were new and got to be good but I only
accepted the things the way they were not the way they should have been or might have been.
The wounded Marines in ‘that state’ I generally found to be so much in pain that they were not capable
of rationally expressing desires about living or dying.
Thanks for the comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
James, I was at Marble Mountain and didn’t see the things you did. I’m thankful for that. I had a friend that was in Force Recon and he told me that he was glad for me and that I didn’t need to be in that shit. I was wondering about the seven that stood up during the deadly firefight and lost their lives. Will you address that situation again or not? Max Bear
As with most combat situations in the Nam that went down when the light was bad or gone,
it was hard to know what really happened. Also, although I eventually had to sign off on body bag tags
we never opened the bag to see what conditions had killed the Marine inside. I write of the seven who were too vertical when fire
came in from Kilo but, in truth, that was anecdotal data from the Gunny and scout team members around me. I didn’t literally see
any of them get killed. They were in the bags and out of there. I knew everything about Alfi though and that’s straight from the shoulder
as I lived it hands on, so to speak. And still do. Were the seven more from friendly fire, because we had so much of that going on? I
really don’t know but assume not or there would have been more pissed off Marines running around and off at the mouth from both platoons
where race was a giant issue.
Semper fi,
Jim
good writing but no reference about the brave kkk marine the fought next to the brave de mau mau marine that fought next to the brave alcoholic marine that fought next to the brave pot head all of us were brothers and i’m a very proud combat marine of company kilo3/7.
Stanley. We are still on the first ten days. There are more days to come and more depth of understanding
of individuals to be expressed. I didn’t trust anyone at first. I simply reacted, living and waiting to die in fear.
I was afraid of everything and everyone. Maybe that’s not as clearly portrayed as I intended. It’s easy in retrospect to
have myself acting out of analytical intellect and bravery because I am safe and secure now. The truth is far from that and I
did not mean to use my own fearful adjustment to take from the fears, anxiety and yes bravery of many of the Marines around me.
They persevered with a whole lot of shitty leadership. The Gunny was this paragon of political, deft, adroit, thinking and feeling leadership
and I didn’t fully comprehend that for a long time. I never was nor did I become anything near his capability. He quite literally guided and saved
my life. Thank you for reminding me.
Semper fi,
Jim
James,Wandering around like hikers is an apt description as I have read from so others I have encountered recently. My Brother, a combat Veteran of the US Army said much the same thing.
Keep writing, I’ll read every word!
Thanks Leo. I’m writing away into this last night of the year.
Feels funny sometimes to go back and forth and I notice that my family
and friends are noticing that I’m not my normal self lately either. But
I think it’s worth it so I will continue. Thanks to men like you who
are out there thinking about it and contemplating along with me.
Semper fi,
Jim
Nice to have an objective to move toward. Even if you had to develop it yourself. That’s all grunts could hope for. The rest was bs and they knew it intuitively.
Yes, the mission orientation that was so driven into me in all of my officer training was astoundingly
all thrown out the window when I got to Vietnam. It was like nobody knew what the mission was. We were supposed to
convince the citizenry to be on our side by killing those of them we suspected were not and then traveling about the
countryside waiting to get attacked so we could attack back. And so on!
What a time.
Thanks for the timely comment and the reading support….
Semper fi,
Jim
I was in the 23 div ,down at chu lai, transferred up to the 101,,we worked the a Shaw in Jan 1971..seen lots of nva, thank you for your story.
I’ll bet you did more than see the NVA! The A Shau was a long winding and pitiless
chain of close in, bloody and emotional combat for any who entered into its environ.
Like one of those proverbial closed valleys of death in Tarzan books. Thanks for
your time there and thanks for reading along and commenting here.
Semper fi,
Jim
Your friendly neighborhood CAP guy here. The Mung, The Yards, and a couple of other mountain and Highland tribes were sad victims of Americanation. We took a century’s old tribal system, gave them modern weapons and welfare. Made them into dependent mercenaries which we used and then abandoned. They believed our promises and suffered for that trust.
Saw the NVA let a corpsman get a wounded marine, stopped the whole fight. Doc worked on everyone had saved some NVA left at a fight a couple weeks earlier. He was too good at what he did. Died on a medcap a month or so later.
SF
Butch
Heart wrenching stuff. They guys who were real men. Who could accommodate the terror
and then function in a humanitarian way in spite of it. Those of us who made it, all of us
think we might have done better at ‘doing the right thing’ instead of doing our own thing.
The Montagnards are a study all on their own, of ancient tribal honor and cultural endurance.
They paid a price for their trust and support of the U.S. but by God they kept their dignity
and honor. I wear my elephant hair bracelet (more super glue than elephant these days!) proudly.
Thank you Butch. You are the real deal….
Semper fi,
Jim
I never understood why all of the TAC officers at OCS we just recent graduates and not combat veterans How could someone who had never commanded teach how to command
Yes, it was something, was it not? Almost like they deliberately did the opposite of what they
claimed we were doing…training for combat. The training they gave us was for physically working
out and making sure the officers never associated with enlisted and more crap. A lot of that was
trainers who had no clue and were making it up as they went along. Once we were shown a snippet of ‘news’ reel
to get a feel for jungle warfare. It turned out later that that snippet was from a movie called “War in the Pacific.”
High humor!
Semper fi,
Jim
James and John,
I didn’t go through Army flight school until ’69 and early ’70. By that time, many combat aviators had one, or two tours, and served as Tac Officers and Instructor Pilots.
Every one of my trainers was a combat experienced Aviator. They taught the “school solution” and then shared the real-world solution. Without a doubt , I owe my life and survival to them.
We were so fortunate, and blessed to have them….I can’t imagine going from non- combat OCS instructors training, to leading combat operations as a junior officer….you guys were the tip of the spear, and the reason we always came when you called…
Much respect,
Bill Gillespie
And you did come. Every time. And those of us you came for have never forgotten that, nor will we ever.
I always ask every chopper operator I meet or find whether he trained in the Nam or the military. My trust is immediate
and complete if they answer in the positive. I flew my family over the crater on Maui with a Nam vet chopper pilot. Before we got
on the Hughes he said that he’d been a slick pilot in the war and he was known to fly a little ‘rough.’ I knew immediately
that we would be coming back home after the flight. He was terrific, even though my son got sick from the wild terrain following stuff
he pulled.
Thanks for reminding us all about you angels of the air….
Semper fi,
Jim
War in the Pacific,man that sure brings back a flood of memories.We made Honor Platoon –1087 1969. Senior D I called us Marines for the first time,was usually maggots. He said we were going to see a movie,his way of giving us praise .That or he had duty and wanted to see it. Lee Marvin was my favorite actor. I think the movie I seen was Hell in the Pacific. Got another story about said D I . Later Semper Fi
Thanks for the comment Roger. The movies could be entertaining and fun but
they sure never came close to the real thing.
Semper fi,
Jim
One of the reason for non-combat vet instructors was the military brass didn’t want the instructors to stand up and say that the book was mostly BS and this is how it is. Back the it was train by the book,even it was wrong. It would take years for the idea of train like you fight to come around.
I have no idea about what current training is like. My confidence level is low because the
Marine Corps had plenty of experience they could have brought to bear. The did not want to
for whatever reasons and I wonder if today they have changed. I don’t ever expect to be invited there
to find out. They have just a bit bigger voice than I do on here and no matter how many copies of
books I might distribute out there.
Thanks for the congent comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
I look forward to the next chapter of your story, Mr. Strauss, after I finish the last one. Very riveting. My Dad’s best friend, Jim Hayley, didn’t make it home to Wisconsin. He was a Marine also. He was killed in the Quang Tri Province. The story Dad told me was that he stepped or landed on a land mine and died on the spot. He was a few weeks away from going home. He was one one of the first casualties of the war here, in Winnebago County. I grew up during the war and have the utmost respect for you and your brothers and all veterans who served. Thank you!
Thank you. The stories that came out of Vietnam about the fate of casualties were inaccurate to the extreme.
The wires sent to my wife and parents are not a framed display of combat humor. My own brother’s death
was listed later online by the Army (his plane crashed upon his return) as ‘self-inflicted explosive device.’
Everyone on his plane had the same descriptor until I sued the Army and it was removed. Of course, since it’s the
Internet it is still discoverable out there somewhere. Anecdotal stories are just about as bad because who is
going to tell survivors the truth about that?
Thank you for your comment and your thoughts.
Semper fi,
Jim
Jim, You mention the death of your brother. Where was he killed, type of plane, & his branch of service?
I’m sorry, I should’ve checked my typing. His name was “Kenneth Hawley”. Typing on the computer is not my forte. Thanks again for sharing your story.
I was in Nha Trang from July 69 to July 70. Not sure if I ever heard brother John on the radio. Was stuck in a comm center.
As one of my Vietnam friends said, it is the luck of the draw as to the assignment.
Finally caught up with the stories. Very riveting.
Thanks Steve, for more of how it really works. It was luck of the draw unless you
had friends who preceded you. Thanks for the compliment and the reading.
Semper fi,
Jim
Simply astounding…and bn never told the othet companies that a fng butterbar was a company commander. Clusterfuck of the highest degree!
The lack of communication in the bush was almost beyond belief in some units. It was like you were
sent out there and then given resupply, replacements and orders to go on the most ridiculous of missions.
The U.S. constantly moved back and forth across the country like a wandering hiker trying to find his way out
of a forest.
Semper fi,
Jim
What a position for you to be in. Never encountered the Montagnards but that behavior seems strange. I’m looking forward to a resolution with 1st&4th platoons! Write on James!
Jack, your observation goes right to the heart of the strangeness of jungle war and real combat.
As you will see in later chapters there is plenty of explanation and more consternation when
more about all that Montagnard complexity becomes known. Another reason I would feel bizarrely uncomfortable to
go back and wander those hills under the covering canopy again. I’ve thought about doing that but
always shy away. Maybe if some of the guys on here, the real guys, wanted to go it would be all right,
as a sort of a unit again. Vietnam mountain tribal life, and the mores and customs, are so outside of what we ‘civilized’ people
consider to be human. I don’t know. I do know that I will never go to the Wall again with only regular citizens along.
Semper fi,
Jim
That Wall is a powerful monument. My first trip there was alone after an argument with my wife after which I stormed out of our home here in Jersey and ended up there 3 hours later. I was a mess for 3 days. It was a turning point in my life and I’ve been a member of a great group of veterans seeking help for ptsd.
Yes, the wall is powerful, especially for those who come to see it and wonder about that conflict and what it portends for survivors of other conflicts like it. I am glad you came back from the edge and have some buddies to help.
Semper fi,
Jim
I visited the “Travelling Wall” two years ago, and completely broke down. Seeing names on there opened doors that I thought had been shut, nailed, and bricked over.
I finally welcomed the open door, and let the feelings out. It has been 50 years now since I returned, and I am finally at peace with myself and the world.
I read the comment about PTSD. My wife is an Iraq war vet with the same. She founded a non-profit that takes vets from all wars on river paddling trips to heal with nature. See her website; contribute; volunteer; come paddle.
I am all for PTSD treatment and healing, although I have no idea about what
is or might be effective to minimize the lifelong trauma such experiences
engender. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Semper fi,
Jim
Jim you have learned so much about the way the platoons’ leaders work in a very short amount of time. You should have their respected, keep up the fight. I have to keep reading, so much to remember. Thank You Mike
I was not ready for the intensity of truly tribal behavior when I got to the Nam Mike. I don’t think anyone inexperienced
in combat would have been ready. I got respect in ways that were not ever described in training or even by returning vets, although
I must admit that the Basic School was filled by training officers who had not served in the conflict yet. I now know that because all
of them acted so macho and tough. You don’t act macho and tough if you make it through the combat crucible. That’s the last thing you want
in your life and besides, macho and tough are those things that truly tough people attempt never to show because violent death should always
be delivered in surprise unless you want to get hurt or die in the process of the administration.
Thanks for the supporting and intelligent comment.
Semper fi,
Jim