A cacophony of open combat fire sent me as deep into the jungle floor as I could get. The sound was pure small arms fire, which at close range, with the Marines around me firing outward, didn’t sound so small. I crawled forward, eventually running into the feet, legs, and backs of the Marines laying down the fire upon the exposed enemy. The only explanation for the spiderweb crawling of the enemy across the surface of the roiling water, extending out from the end of the abbreviated bridge ending to the near riverbank, was a knitted mix of rope lengths and knots. The NVA had put together landing nets of rope, effective but nearly impossible to control balanced movement across. The enemy soldiers crawled across the length of cargo nets and were easily picked off by Marine fire. There was no enemy base of fire to suppress the Marine M-16 and M-60 fire.
The Ontos ground its way to the top edge of the forest, the sound of its metallic geared tracks almost fully muted by the rain. It fired as it appeared, driving everyone nearby down into the jungle floor or the sticky mud. The rounds impacted short of the river, but the effect was just as great as if they had approached any moving enemy figure and taken him down individually. For one bright moment there were standing, climbing and running figures and the next instant, with the explosion of another round, they were gone.
LT. I read this the night you posted it. When I finished there were no comments. It hit me like a buttstroke to a kidney. Just came back tonight to fess up. I am glad you took a break before the next chapter. I needed the break myself (kind of selfish I suppose). Gonna miss Macho Man.. May he rest quietly.
Glenn.
Thanks for the great comment Glenn. I should have another segment up by tomorrow.
I’ll be attending an honor fight and speaking at the dinner in early April so I have to get cracking…
Semper fi,
Jim
Evening James, Yes, Those sudden transfers to the infantry, a crewdogs worst nightmare, There is nothing that hits you harder than the sudden explosion, and the sound of a T-53 L13 dying on an LZ, and it’s all assholes and elbows getting clear of spinning rotor blades, flaming fuel, and fast moving pieces of helicopter shrapnel….Then the sudden quiet, Even as the fight continues and your on the ground….. Then it kicks in, You grab a 60 and a belt of ammo, You pitch in, You thought your brain was in over drive making the insertion, Man it goes into overdrive, No, You can’t just sit back and let the grunts protect you, an extra 60 on the line can make a difference, To sit there and do nothing just leaves your become petrified with fear, You have to do something, even if it kills you, Guns up and help, Just plain crazy, That was Macho Man the Crewdog Waldo, Yes I know exactly why he did what he did, I did the same, and trying to put into words can’t be done, But We Crewdogs were and are a tough lot and we don’t back down because that is who we are, Now all that being said, Yes, when the next lift was inbound, I picked my spot and got the hell out of dodge as fast as I could, But yes, I never back up or down, Point of Pride ……. To much I don’t know how to say, May they all rest in peace, Heaven is their rightful reward, They did their time in Hell.
Thanks Robert, for that great lengthy but comprehensive comment. You write terrifically and I much
enjoy taking the time to read and then reread your comments.
Semper fi,
Jim
This is a correction to a correction. “Now we have no have protection…”. Need to delete the second HAVE.
Thanks for your sharp eyes.’
Noted and corrected
Semper fi,
Jim
I know this has to be a tough one for you as it brought some sad/bad memories back. I try to leave those memories buried. I lost way too many even after the 1st couple I tried not to get to know anyone well it still hurt.
While in Florida I took my wife to the beach one evening. A large group was assembled for “a circle of drums”. My wife recorded a little before I could get her the hell out of there. When it started I was in a place I did not want to be. Sounded just like the drums in the jungle to me. Maybe it was in my head but asked her to never play it for anyone when I’m around.
I ordered the 1st 2 volumes before we left for FL knowing they would not arrive before we left. That package was the 1st opened when I arrived home today. The package sat in my office over 2 months! Already looking forward to the ordering the audio version when volume 3 is ordered.
Thanks JRW. I hope the books help you as much as they have helped me to write them.
And the guys and gals who come on here to give me great acceptance in coming home…
Semper fi,
Jim
Just received the first 2 books. Waiting for book three to come out. I have no writing advice for you. Just not my area of expertise. But they are a GREAT read. Ooyah.
Thanks Chuck. I am more than half way done with the third book and working away. Thanks for the greta compliment at the end of your comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
Thank you for the drums. I’m Native American (Lakota Sioux) and can understand the use of drums. USMC Corporal.
Thanks, Max, much appreciate you coming in on this issue. It was Chuck’s idea to put the drum track in so he will be happy to read this!
Semper fi,
Jim
Hi James – no need to post this comment, just a clarification (I may be confused?). Per the 25th Day, 2nd part I thought that Piper was the Project 100,000 soldier that Hultzer was caring for:
“I sent Hultzer forward to get the Gunny’s attention, and Piper ran along staying only a few feet from his caretaker.”
In the 26th Day it appears that Piper was the one caring for (instead of being) a Project 100,000 Marine:
“I didn’t have to ask who the other two were. Piper and the Project One Hundred Thousand Marine he’d been looking after were gone.”
Did we lose both Hultzer (the Ontos expert) and Piper in this unfortunate battle?
As a compliment… I only noticed this because I go back and re-read your posts several times due to the fact that they are so well written and I want to better understand what you and your fellow Marines went through for all of us.
Yes, both were lost, and I misstated who was whom. Piper was indeed the 100k Marine but I confused it in my mind
for a bit there. Thanks for pointing that out and I will fix immediately. Need that kind of help so badly hear. Many thanks.
Your attention to detail is very valuable to me because I only have the most skeleton of staffs. I need to sell books on the site to keep
on going and I can’t do that if they are not close to perfect in editorial detail. It’s hard without professional staff, and I mean really
hard. Thanks so much.
Semper fi,
Jim
Listened to the audio, well done. Ever think about adding additional audio like the drumming @ the end?
Thought about it and working on the technique.
The crew are not sound professionals…~~smile
Semper fi,
Jim
OK, Phil, we are trying some background sound…
Go to minute 19 on this narration and let us know what you think.
New Day Twenty-Six
just got a chance to listen to it. I thought it added to the audio, I think it works. Thank you
Thank you Phil. We are working on the complete Books in Audio
LT. Where’s Nguyen?
He’s always there but not always mentioned. It’s hard to portray someone so silent.
Semper fi,
Jim
I know the 30 days of September are almost up and I look forward to the end with mixed feelings.
I survived my 13 months in Chu Lai more by luck than a “plan”. A rocket my first night hit the hut next door to where I had been sleeping only moments before killing and wounding several Marines. Later on in my tour a rockets were chasing me down the flight line as I headed to the bunkers at the end of the revetments. I turned to the right hand side bunker and made it to the entry as the next rocket slammed into the entrance of the bunker on the left side.
After Vietnam I crewed helicopters for several more years – survived tail rotor gear box and main transmission failures and did not crew on an ill fated trip because of a law school exam. The crash killed two friends and so always wondered if I had been along would we have avoided the crash because of my experience with the particular helicopter.
Told my wife that when I pass it will either be spectacular or big dud because the grim reaper has had too many missed opportunities already.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the rendition of your own gifted times in and around combat and great danger.
Glad you are still here too.
Semper fi,
Jim
I was a crew chief of a Huey slick helicopter. Army, 61st AHC LZ English near BonSon. We supported the 173rd. Pulled a lot grunts out of bad situations. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. 19 years old and in charge of an aircraft! A 24 year old pilot was called “the old man”.
I remember those days so well too, Rich. The Gunny must have been all of 30 something but seemed positively ancient.
I was 23 and commanding 64 square miles of earth and over two hundred Marines for all intents and purposes.
Then come home to command nobody!
Semper fi
Jim
I follow the story closely and read most of the comments. I eagerly awaiting each chapter. If I remember correctly you wrote in a previous chapter probably in the first 5 days that this was gunny’s third war… I think you wrote something like “this is my third and the worst” I know Korea was directed mentioned. If so that would make gunny more then 40 or did I misunderstand. Wonder writing