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Thanks for reading this short excerpt from the paid post! Fancy buying it to read all of it?
I’m dyin here James, when does the next installment come out??
Just finishing it this evening. Chuck should have it up in the morning. Thanks for being after it.
Semper fi,
Jim
Awesome. I’ve read a fair amount of personal accounts from wars over the years and i must say that your personal story has me riveted like no other. The way you write has you feeling as if you are there as a passive observer, unseen but seeing everything.
Thanks you Robert, most sincerely. I am writing the next segment right this minute and reading something like
what you wrote on here motivates the hell out of me…Some of these segments are tougher than others.
I though the writing would be faster but instead things slowed a bit as the bite of losing people moves
right through time to reach me here and now…
Thank you,
Semper fi,
Jim
You hang in there sir, you’re doing fine. I’ve spoken with many vets over the years from different wars. I don’t often hear about the bad stuff, and I understand as much as I can having never served myself. But I have heard many interesting stories of their time in the military. I managed to help one of my dear friends deal with his PTSD from Afghanistan, just by being there to listen. At least that’s what he told me. A lot of my family served at various times. Got to meet great uncles that landed at Omaha, I’ve spoken with guys that were in the Submarine service during WWII. I got to meet and speak with the pilot of the Memphis Belle shortly before he passed and was amazed at the stories he told me.My step dad was in the 101st Airborne stomping around the same places you did but a few years later. He alone opened my eyes to what was really going on over there from what you read in history books. I guess what I’m trying to say is Thank You. and Semper Fi
Thanks Robert. Much appreciate the detail of your comment and the compliment. Thanks for the encouragement and
also for writing about it on here.
Semper fi,
Jim
my husband was at the ashau valley he was running a dozer i believe, he didnt talk much, know he got blown up and took half the plow with it and he ran for cover to the nearest bush with his sgt ! i feel so badly for all you guys had to go thru, it makes me sick, to think the government does this to our men ! thank you all
Thanks for your comments on hear Mar. Not many women come aboard to say anything but wives paid a huge unsung price in that war too.
You are correct in everything you’ve said.
Semper fi,
Jim
Hoo ya!
Thanks for the atta boy here Jay…
Semper fi,
Jim
Jim I am still here and waiting for each segment, and I check each day for the next. I saw this on another site that I think some of your other readers mite like to watch. If you think it is OK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dSjNoDvjKg&feature=youtu.be
Pic gone now – but dude was warin a SILVER ornament above the swords = lite col
Russ, all of our photos are from the Internet or guys sending us stuff of their own.
I brought back nothing from the Nam so I had none of my own. The currently serving officer
of the Minnesota National Guard wanted his picture removed so we took it down.
Thanks for your comment and interest….
Semper fi,
Jim
I had guessed it probably was not a RVN photo but I thought it appropriate. Like all the others it invokes memories in general. Puzzling he didn’t want it shown; I would have been proud. Guess maybe he didn’t want to imply something that was not factual. Anyway, the guy should know it was a good picture of an American warrior.
All veterans have peculiarities and the rest of us have to put up with theirs and they our own.
I don’t understand what the problem was but then I am not living his life either. The last thing
I want to do with this site and story or cause harm to any other veterans.
So down it came…
Semper fi,
Jim
But. The replacement picture puts my mind on the ground there instead of at a stateside function that officers are generally expected to attend. So maybe it is better for the story.
Yes, interesting shot. It’s actually a lot harder to find and then select things that enhance the story instead of taking
away from it. Chuck is usually better than I at doing that, possibly because he comes at from a reader’s perspective and
I have pretty fixed memories of the actual scenes…
Semper fi,
Jim
I’ve read it three times too LT, and hole-E-shit. That’s all I got Sir. SF.
That’s quite a bit Mike. Thanks for the particularly meaningful and heartfelt compliment.
Semper fi,
Jim
Jim, great read!! I look forward each day in finding time to read more. Anxiously awaiting next installment.
Thank you Kerry. I am working on the next segment right now.
Thanks for the support and the compliment and your writing it on here…
Semper fi,
Jim
James, like one commenter has said already, this is my third time reading this posting. Me, because I had to put it down. The man you chose to recover at great risk, I am now holding my breath to see if he survives to get to Battalion or base camp medical, alive. Had a patient in 1966 with multiple holes in his abdomen. AK rounds at close range. Unit ambushed and he was point. Had taken some kind of hit, and laying on a path. Charlie straddled him and emptied his clip. The GI was alive in a P.I. Hospital by the Grace of God. That is one of the reasons I stopped and started. Pondering fate or Devine intervention.
Another butt hole binder, and more days to come. Thanks for sharing your talents. Poppa
You are most welcome Poppa, although you know I can only answer that comment in the next segment.
Thanks for always being there and experiencing the story and feeling it instead of simply reading it and moving on.
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
Guess these days I am more deep into the latrine with you guys because my first grandchild is communing to Mosul for work, I hear daily. From what I hear DOD boss says no quarter and that’s fine with me. This fight nothing like yours except the terror and nightmares I guess. Also heard he made O 3 on the day of his first mission. Pride in, and fear for, all of those amazing people trying to keep the fight on their dirt. Sleep,well Marine you’ve earned it. Poppa
Thanks for the update Poppa and the angst you make it through.
You are a class act.
Semper fi,
Jim
I have read the last segment 3 times now. Each time I’m seeing a little more. This is a great read.
My own experience was nothing like yours, for sure. My Company and Bn will remain nameless. I was in the Army about 15 miles north of Danang in an old Marine Weapons Platoon compound. My first month in 68, 2 officers were dragged, another guy shot over poker and.3 went into the village and hacked mamason and papason to death over their daughter. We have about 80 in the Company at that time anowhere to go. I knew I was in for an experience, however nothing as riveting as your story. I can’t wait for the next chapter.
2 officers fragged
Got the correction. Thanks for the support and writing on here.
Semper fi,
Jim
Thanks Dan, for your being so forthright. Hard stuff for the regular public to believe or internalize
and even harder to live with alone…Thanks for not being alone with us here.
Semper fi,
Jim
Great segment LT, don’t know if I would have been as easy on Jergens but time will tell my friend. keep up the good work guess I’ll have a beer to calm down.LOL
Thanks Stephen, I much appreciate the analysis and also the compliment.
I am on it for the next segment…
Semper fi,
Jim
Jergens is a lost soul. His mind is in a deep dark hole where his own survival is all that is important to him. Watching others being shot, doing nothing to help, and telling about like it was some kind of neat story shows he has lost all empathy.Some how I think he has been in the valley for a while and the Gunny knows how sick he is. The men who follow him fear him because of his cold ruthless maniplative mind.
He appeals to your morality to save him but prods you to shoot him, probably because he realizes he is in darkness and really has a death wish.
I wonder how long before his own men or the Gunny take action against him. They see what he is doing and not doing.
Thank you very much Nancy. An in depth analysis. Hard to make of men living in extreme fear and peril form moment to moment.
I am much more liberal in my thinking and forgiving over time.
Semper fi,
Jim
That pic of the LTC (Armor) surely does look very familiar !! This is one suspenseful segment !! Are y’all gonna get the KIA out?? Keep on keeping on !!
Thanks Tex, I am resolving a few mysteries in the next segment being written as I write this.
Appreciate the continued support on here and in the reading.
Semper fi,
Jim
“Friendly fire, ain’t.” My team was coming down into an Army fire base. Moving low and slow. WIllie was just on the pric 10 for comms when a fifty tracer round hit right in the middle of us. As you and our Brothers know it was a marker round for a 106. Willie started yelling in the mic “Check fire, check fire check fire. About 30 seconds of silence that seemed like a year and a young voice came up. S.O.I. Identify yourself.”
Willies voice was still hitting high C. Micky Mouse you m*** f** and I’m gonna personally come down there and kick your ass. More silence and then a laughing voice. “I.D. confirmed. Pop yellow.”
We went down into the base looking forward to a hot meal and every one but Willie was laughing and giggling.
Man, you came close. One beehive and there goes your whole team.
Wow. Usually there’s less than a second between the tracer and the actual round.
Semper fi, and God bless you…
Semper fi,
Jim
Yeah, we talked about that. They had doubt or they would have lit us up. They just wanted us to stay put till I.D. was confirmed. It was a tight one fer sure.
You don’t need to answer.
Sir, you have a great gift in your writing. Thank you for your service, and thank you for making these chapters available in this forum. I look forward to each segment to see what kind of hellish situation you manage to get yourself out of.
And glad that you made it home to write about it.
(Thanks for crossing back over to check on Tex!)
Thanks for the compliment and it never occurred to me not to go back for Tex.
I did not really think I was recovering his body, I just knew that I had to know before
I could leave it. Thanks for the compliment and the support on here…
Semper fi,
Jim
A great story as always, by an honorable man. Thank you, Sir.
Much appreciate the compliment and your sincerity and thought to put it up on this site.
Semper fi,
Jim
Jim, I think I somehow have been lost from the list for the Updates. I did not receive the last 2 but figured that you had to have written something so I went to the source. Got my fix but left hanging. please double check to see if I am still on the update list. thanks, albert
I will have Chuck check right now. Thanks for the tip and if it is happening to you it might be happening to others.
Thanks for that…
Semper fi,
Jim
Friendly fire is an unfortunate consequence of war, 1/3 of the deaths in Nam were the result of friendly fire. 20 thousand men is unacceptable,and a real travesty.I personally saw a squad nearly wiped out this way.It was my worst experience in country by far. Somthing I will never forget.
There friendly fire and then there’s friendly fire. Mostly, the kind discussed is accidental friendly fire.
I believe that’s the smallest part of friendly fire. Thanks for the observation…
Semper fi,
Jim
I pray that accidental friendly fire was responsible for most of the 20 thousand deaths attributed to it, otherwise it was akin to murder. A very hard thought to accept. I don’t understand what you’re implying.
I understand that you do not understand, and you are the better for it.
Semper fi,
Jim
Google w.w.w answers.com. friendly fire incidents Vietnam
I also witnessed a fragging incident, they missed. My point is that porely trained and careless GIs, commissioned or ncos,caused alot of unnecessary casualties. Most of which were preventable. My opinion only.I was with the 101st AB on fire bases in the AShaw, 1971. I wasn’t a clerk in Saigon.
I came to believe it was all about fear Bill. If you added to someone’s survival potential in a survival situation
then you got to stay alive…otherwise things could get really iffy real quick.
Thanks for your comment on this very difficult and controversial subject.
Semper fi,
Jim
If friendly fire is called in for the protection of your own men, it is justified.
One recently saw an article where a medal of honor was awarded to a U.S.troop for calling in friendly fire on his own position. So apparently our government feels that it is justified.
Well, J, yes and no. Depends upon perspective. Like decorations.
Hang some on your wall and read them closely, because your friends will.
Then decide whether to tell them the real story or the story that somebody else told about what
they perceived to be about what you did.
Two different things, usually. My medals on a back closet wall. I didn’t do that stuff.
I did other stuff but not that stuff. And so, calling in fire on your own unit….
what is the definition of that? Calling it in closer than the Rules of Engagement allow.
Calling it in by giving a phony position so they don’t check fire? What exactly?
Calling it in to take out some problematic situation going on among your own men?
What? Who’s perspective? Usually, only the survivor’s perspective or that
of someone who wasn’t there….
Semper fi,
Jim
Having read thus far in your story about your experiences in the Nam as well as your FO activity, one can understand what you are saying.
One remembers remarks you made about trying to explain what happened to the family of one of the marine members that was killed from friendly fire. I believe you stated that they threw you down a flight of stairs. Such reactions create very negative memories, along with guilt trips that should not be a part of your consideration, yet still are.
From what one has read thus far, one has not seen where you maliciously called in friendly fire. When it is a matter of survival for all concerned, man will reach for the only help available for a reprieve and that is acceptable, no matter what the documentation says.
The parents of that boy did not hear of friendly fire. Their son was
killed by a gunshot wound to the head after taking several hits earlier in the day
and staying alive. Before they found him in the night he’d been talking only of his
parents. I was there, nearby in the same bushes. I wanted to share with them his last
words. I don’t know why. I now understand the depth of their pain and how that would
not have helped at all. They are probably gone now. I wonder if they ever thought again
about the guy who showed up to tell them that he was with their son when he died. I’ll never know.
I never did anything like that again.
Semper fi,
Jim
Great episode you threw at us, Sir–and to again let us dangle helplessly until you crank out the next adrenaline pumping one (which no doubt will get us to the NEXT inevitable cliff hanger). Fear, anger, kill or be killed, raw emotion, basic instincts of survival, making a plan on the fly (while having far less than all the necessities to improve odds of success), basic feeling of humanity to your men and duty to your ‘mission’ Marine Corp and country in the seemingly impossible situation you were thrust into, still trying to figure out Charlie as well as many in your own command,, and engaging in huge personal risk of life and limb “doing the right thing” when it comes to (…what you expect…) to retrieve Tex’s lifeless body (can’t just abandon this soldier’s remains..). All the while under fire from just about everyone (friend or foe) who has a weapon of destruction at their disposal in the fog of combat, and not knowing just who to rely on and trust…or when. Hard to understand why some of the men in your unit still viewed you with disdain and distrust. God bless, and keep em coming, LT….
The men didn’t always see me or come in direct contact with me. It was the jungle.
The first time I got a real glimpse of the whole company was when they had to stream across the river!
As with most of life, they were dependent upon what others told them and the telling wasn’t always
very accurate but always favoring someone, and that someone wasn’t usually me.
Semper fi, and thanks my friend,
Jim
Jurgens is like a crossword puzzle with missing pieces ….
self preservation was never overrated.
Too true JW. Interesting take on that complex man.
Angel in Rockford comes to mind!
Semper fi,
Jim
Stuart Margolin.I never would have thought of that comparison between him and Jurgens…Angel was “shifty”, unlike Jurgens who is unpredictable.
The Ballad of Andy Crocker