I had to put my binoculars down, as the Skyraiders came in much faster than I thought they would from the higher altitude. Seconds before I’d looked in the direction the Sandys were dropping down from, and seen the end of the day’s sunlight glint off something near the end of the road, but I wasn’t certain what it was. The giant three-thousand horsepower engines of the planes screamed and roared at the same time. They jinked and jerked around and through the big green tracers being fired directly at them, blasting by at maybe twenty feet above the canopy, which was no more than sixty or seventy over our heads. The sound of the plane’s engines, and the constant sharp clatter of the Russian fifty-caliber were suddenly drowned out when the Skyraiders opened up with their own twenty-millimeter cannons. The wing-mounted canons sounded like giant chainsaws for a few brief seconds, and then the planes banked hard into the sun and swept down the river, before veering upward and pulling themselves out of range.
The sounds of combat died out completely. I could hear the planes departing. The hustling swish of the rushing river water returned, as the Skyraiders got further away, but there was nothing from the Russian fifty-caliber. Fusner pressed the AN 323 headset against my left ear, until I replaced his hand with my own.
Outstand job James. Hard to believe it was all that long ago. I know exactly was I was doing 50 years ago today, Got out of the Green Machine on this date and headed to civilian life with a pregnant wife. Semper Fi!
Yes, it was long ago, except on some nights!
Thanks for the great comment. Hope you bought the book and left a comment.
Need all the help I can get to get off the ground on this…
Semper fi,
Jim
LT, I was a tank driver in the National Guard before joining the Navy and becoming a corpsman. Ran into a bunch of Marine tankers and started talking tanks with their CO. He said “Oh hell, doc, you’re a Corpsman. You don’t know anything about tanks”. I told him “Cap’n, I’ll bet you five bucks that I can crawl inside that baby and have it fired up in less than two minutes”. He said “You’re on”. I crawled in and fired it up. His mouth dropped open and I read “How the fuck did you do that”. I shut it down and got out, telling him that I was a tank driver in the guard. What you see is not always what you get/lol
What you see is almost never what you get. Neat story.
There are so many stories like that, particularly among the enlisted ranks where
many times the word enlisted meant second class or dumb. Not so at all.
Without non coms, for example, there really would be no functional military at all.
Thanks for writing what happened to you on here…
Semper fi,
Jim
I was just a young kid during this war being born in 63 but even now I will remember the nightly news reports probably from the early 70s and remember my parents trying to explain what it was all about and why I epically remember the so called end when the military pulled out and everyone trying to get a way out if the country that could.
I think this has been an awesome read and I have really enjoyed hearing more about the goings on over there from it than most of the lame Hollywood movies that were made thanks for sharing your story it’s something most of the guys I know and ride with sometimes will tell about it some of them to this day will not talk about it, just like my grandfather would never talk about WWII and the things that happened.
It’s stories like yours that give many a real look into what life was like for the men over there fighting a war that was unpopular.
Thank you again for sharing
Tom
THIRTY DAYS HAS SEPTEMBER. The First Ten Days. Please leave a comment on Amazon Tom!
Thanks for the time and trouble of writing about what your life has been like and your
liking the story. Some people have not liked the fact that I published it as fiction,
but I like living my life outside of prison! It’s hard to write truth about anything
much less that awful war…
Semper fi,
Jim
Interesting read. I have read many books on this subject as I joined the army at the age of seventeen in 1973. I still remember drill Sargent Lopez yelling at me over and over barton i will not let you get any MEN killed by your acting like an idiot. This is not a fucking game!!! I got tonshoulder and fire a law and remember thinking wow this is neat. After reading this, well GOD saved me by me only being seventeen in late 73 as that meant every day in training as an 82c20 during 74 probably helped save someone’s life. I became really really good as an artillary surveyor!!!
Thank you Bob for writing about your own experience and thanks for liking the story.
Go on Amazon and write a review, if you will. The book is just out (The First Ten Days)
and we need all the help we can get.
Semper fi,
Jim
“fiction” gives deniability as we both know!(grin)
Hu
Hope you bought the book and left a comment Hu. Thanks for the accurate assessment
and also the implied warning, not to mention bothering to comment at all.
Appreciate the read and please buy the book and leave a comment on Amazon. That helps a lot, they say.
Semper fi,
Jim
James: Eagerly look forward to every chapter of your book.I know you have fictionized it somewhat probably to protect names. Today I came across a YouTube Documentary on Operation Dewey Canyon. Throughout the narration and film are references to the 9th marines and Fire Base Cunningham. Did the action in your book take place during this 56 day operation? Thanks.
THIRTY DAYS HAS SEPTEMBER. The First Ten Days.
The books out, at least the first one, on Amazon. Leave a review, if you would Mike. It’ll help.
I was before Dewey although I learned that we faced the 9th Regiment NVA and I was 1st Mar Div.
It’s fiction to protect my own ass, to keep from getting sued and also out of respect for the
guys who did not make it and the ways they did not make it….
There’s no place for truth without fiction in telling this stuff…not unless you write it after death.
Semper fi, and thanks for the comment…
Jim
I’ve read a lot of books on war. My grandfather and his 3 brothers, one of my uncles and my stepfather all served. I always wanted to be a Marine(never got too because I lost a lung right after highschool). I feel a bond (and I probably shouldn’t, having never served). I thank you and all your brothers for your service. I’m sorry for the way you all were treated. My grandfather and later my stepfather instilled some values that they got from the corps in me. Never giving up, knowing what you had to do sucking it up embracing the suck and doing it. Doing it right. They may have been tough, but they were hard asses with hearts of gold. I love our military and thank everyone one I see in uniform for their service. Thank you all for serving so my little brother doesn’t have to.
THIRTY DAYS HAS SEPTEMBER. The First Ten Days. It’s published now in paperback on Amazon.
Thanks Larry for the “thanks you all for serving so my little brother doesn’t have to.”
That was neat. You are most welcome Larry!
Thanks for making that long and meaningful comment.
If you get the first book on Amazon then write a review if you will….everything helps at this
early stage…
Sempeer fi,
Jim
LT I bet if you had your webmaster place a ‘LIKE’, ‘thumbs up’ or ‘upvote’ field by each comment you would find 150% more encouragement as there are a bunch of folks probably reading the comments that won’t comment, but would vote up a good comment.
Thank you…. SSgt BobG
We are looking into that
Hi James
“It don’t mean nuthin” is a phrase always reserved for the most important. I heard that phrase in small doses from the older guys “read pre 75” during membership in “alternative youth organizations” around Oakland in the late 70’s. Its best not to here it very often.
bt
THIRTY DAYS HAS SEPTEMBER. The First Ten Days, is now out on Amazon.
Thirty Days Has September: First Ten Days
Should you order it I would appreciate writing a review. Everything helps at this stage.
Thanks for the comment Brian. I could not agree with you more. Some of the expressions from
the Nam are sort of singular and don’t fit into everyday conversation by any means. Every once and awhile
though…
Thanks for the comment and the support in writing it…
Semper fi,
Jim
I’m glad your 1:25 maps are better than the 1:50 I’m trying to follow. Don’t think you could hit a bull in the ass with a bass fiddle using 1:50 maps
THIRTY DAYS HAS SEPTEMBER. The First Ten Days, is now out on Amazon.
Thirty Days Has September: First Ten Days
Should you order it I would appreciate writing a review. Everything helps at this stage.
1:25,000 was about perfect for the time, although the lowlands lack almost any
counter intervals at all and the mountains too far away to be on
the particular map without adding more when there’s no desk or flat surface.
A bitch in the field. Must be much better now.
Semper fi,
Jim
Your latest post captured it all. It gave me a surreal picture of what was going on in that desolate part of the world and the impending action at dawn. It brought back some memories as I watched the mortars come closer thru the Kham Duc pad to take out the Arty pit, and then the ammo. I could see your position to set up for the morning. Great job and waiting for the next posting. Saw a posting on Facebook that the recovery team was working near Kham Duc to find anyone who was left behind. Hope they check the hilltops around there, as they were overrun Sat. nite before we have to E&E on Sunday in 68.
THIRTY DAYS HAS SEPTEMBER. The First Ten Days, is now out on Amazon.
Should you order it I would appreciate writing a review. Everything helps at this stage.
Thanks a lot Jerry for the encouragement here.
Writing on here takes some time and thought
and I much appreciate the effort and also you liking the story.
Semper fi,
Jim
THIRTY DAYS HAS SEPTEMBER, The First Ten Days, ordered mine today. Can’t wait to get my hands on it. Thanks for all the hard work Jim, I’ve enjoyed every word. Keep it coming!
Mike, I am writing the next segment right this minute using the open Word document.
It’s a very interesting segment to me because so many variables come together in one place.
The nexus where the river bent away one way and then broke into and under the cliff in the other,
and the enemy and us doing sort of the same thing in different iterations.
Thank you for buying the book.
Some people have said it was dumb to put it on Amazon and nobody else will pick it up.
That guy is a big gun in the publishing business.
I told him that the only people I wanted to have pick up the book were
the guys and gals who had and still have some skin in the game.
He didn’t understand me. So I told him something I knew
he wouldn’t comprehend at all, “It don’t mean nuthin.”
Semper fi,
Jim
You Betcha!
THIRTY DAYS HAS SEPTEMBER. The First Ten Days. It’s out now on Amazon.
You remain the class act you revealed yourself to be when you began writing on here and a lot of us wait to
see your name and read your words…so knock off the two word shit…we love you.
Semper fi,
Jim
Rolling on the floor laughing, Jim Strauss! Dag nabbit, I thought I contained myself pretty well. Anyway here goes, not so sure that guy who is a big gun in the publishing business even knows what a big gun is or its purpose. Lol!
You have all become family to me, you are all in my prayers every night and I love you all like brothers and sisters. I definitely have all of your backs. I know that you are fulfilling one of God’s purposes for you, Jim. You are helping so many with your courageous and gifted writing.
Your friend,
Nancy “Lou”
Well, “LOU,” It’s nice to have your smooth flowing words seamlessly making their way across all of our screens.
I wonder about that God thing, but really always have. Studied theology and then went off to become a Buddhist (dumped on third day there)
check out the Mormons, but started laughing at the wrong place) and even looked at being a Sufi Muslim until I found out no self-respecting Muslim
knows what a Sufi is. So I am back here at square one. I have a Bible from the seventeen hundreds, so no new ‘slight of hand’ modern stuff
can fool me. But the print’s weird and I can’t always make the message out. I usually conclude that a particular passage means that the Internet porn on my computer (not
put on there by me!) is okay to view and the vegetarian pizza is okay to eat with a few layers of cotto salami sprinkled over the top.
Thank you for thinking I’m a better guy than I really am. I will pray to God for Him to allow me to keep on fooling you…
Semper fi,
Jim
I’m not fooled at all James Strauss. I am just one of God’s small pebbles He has thrown at you to encourage you on your journey. I told you God has a sense of humor, thus He sent me to encourage and hopefully make you laugh.
Thank you Nancy, for making me laugh, as usual. And thanks for that comment on Amazon. Means a lot, as you must know.
Appreciate having you right there at the front of the reserves…as most people don’t have any reserves at all.
Love you,
Jim
Just finished writing the 5 Star Review. “….Pucker when the SHTF!” is how I finished the review. Looking forward to reading it again. I usually only do that for soul clenching &/or good entertaining stories that are well written.
Keep it up, LT!
Thanks Ed. It might not mean a lot to some people but your review is already printed and stuck
up on my wall! Thank you so much. Sometimes that small patch of wall is the only place I can
go and get the motivation I need to continue…and if anybody thinks I am on this odyssey alone
then they have not been reading the comments. I would have quite half way through the first ten
days without you and the wonderful people here….
Semper fi,
Jim
Wow. Not looking too good. The tank getting ready to snorkel the river, low ammo, no artillery or air support… But, I’ve got the first sense of the whole team working together, differences aside. You’ve presented a fine sense of camaraderie in this story. Nice work.
Also the writing about the Captain is some of the funniest stuff I’ve read. Very entertaining. 🙂