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Everyone have a wonderful Christmas and a worry free new year!!
It looks to be a long winter here in the N.Y. area. the Giants and Jets stink up Met Life stadium, The Knicks and Nets might be the two worst teams in the NBA. The Rangers, Devils, and Islanders stink. And what do I have to look forward too in the spring? The Mets!!
Bill
Tell your son-in-law that the tree doesn’t fall far from the apple………
Thanks Larry
Jim,
My son-in law says I am not the sharpest knife in the draw. Must have hit my head to many times in Nam.
Bill and Larry, I remember that Slaybaugh took over as I was leaving, not Capt Peters. I don’t even know where I got the name Peters from. Maybe 45 years, huh. Good excuse!
Bill,
I had some old emails from Captain Yap that answers your question below:
I’m sorry, but I can’t remember the name of the guy who was the company commander before me. He took over from Charlie Slaybaugh and was relieved after a short time. I assumed command about a day before we went into Thien Phuoc in March ‘69. Bob Morris took over from me in September. Rudy Yap.
Yeah Chuck. It might have been a few years sooner but it just popped into my head that that was the likely truth. My poor mother cried when I asked her. I had gotten over it by then but she still felt terrible. Like I tell people, I’m pretty smart but I’m not real quick! I could win Jeopardy if they would jsut let me do some research and stop with the rushing!
Larry,
Do you know if there was someone between Yap and Morris?
Larry,
So it was Alexander hit first and whom I saw carried off and not Bernstein? I sure don’t remember anyone getting killed on the hill. After all these years I got it backwards.
An interesting sidenote, has anybody ever mentioned CPT Heinz was the CO of A CO on the night they were hit, Dec 31st 1969?
I had one of our grunt brothers supply me with some information that adds to or corrects some of the prior posts. I have some information back at home on the very things that were discussed, but I am traveling right now. The information supplied to me is:
1 Captain Slaybaugh was CO prior to Captain Yap.
2 On the discussion about Bernstein’s action, SGT Don Alexander was wounded on the hill and medevac’d but later died in hospital he had previously won the bronze star
3 Bernstein was killed on hill during same firefight and after the company pulled down the hill Top SGT Washington and a few others went back up and recovered his body.
4 Lt. Wright whom had just taken over the platoon was wounded in the side and medevac’d never to return and were awarded the Silver Star for his actions
You know Jim, I kinda remember that dog but can’t recall the C-4 story. I can’t picture Heinz putting a hit on the pooch although Heinz was very by the book and a dog would not be allowed in a military unit.
So let me see if I got your story straight here. It wasn’t until you were 22 that you figured the deal on Jiggers……..!
I saw some stuff on that good weed, but not out in the bush.
Carl Fryman,
I have been looking for additional information on Donald Alexander’s death on 3/22/69. What I found out was on this link http://www.coffeltdatabase.org/reqdetail.php. The incident date is unknown and if you check his DA 2496 at
http://www.coffeltdatabase.org/reqdetail.php he was hit by small arms fire, admitted to the hospital and died later. He was awarded the silver star. It makes sense he died helping George on a CA. We just don’t know the date.
Gary,
Never saw the “grim reaper”. That would really done me in. Must have been some bad weed. Jim, must have been after my time.
Okay. A dog question and please answer honestly if anyone knows.
During Captain Heinz time, I had a puppy (I don’t mean I gave birth-I picked it up in a village). I named him “Grunt.” He humped the boonies with us. I used a bootlace for a leash but he always followed the guy in front of me. At night, if I tried to keep him tied up, he whined which, of course, was pretty danger ous for us other grunts. One day, I went out on an uneventful ambush. While out, we heard “fire in the hole” andone shot. When we got back, I was told that Grunt ate some C4 and was having convulsions and they had to put him down. Sad but believable. BUt I have to wonder if the CO (wisely-though painful to puppy loving me) had him shot and concocted the story to make me feel better. I swear, I would not hold it against him. When I was 7, my mother told me that our dog “Jiggers” had to get sent to a farm and I didn’t realize the truth until about 15 years later. I’m kind of soft on animals but I also don’t like grunts getting killed because the bad guys could find us easier so, unlike the marine in that move “I can handle the truth.”
Anyone out there remember the incident and what really happened? C4 or survival of the 2-legged grunts. Thanks guys.
I remember it well. What a risk and a pain in the rear. There was no C4. It was not me, but I will keep the firer in the hole’s name in confidence.
Gary
Not to worry…… I shot him before I left country…….
That was some good weed out there………
It’s 2:30 in the morning and I can’t sleep…again. So, I’ve just been sitting around thinking of things and have a question for the rest of y’all. It may seem like a strange question, but I’ll throw it out there anyhow:
Did any of you see the Grim Reaper in Vietnam? I did…twice. It wasn’t like a black shape flitting around during a firefight or anything like that, it was the stereotypical Grim Reaper in black, flowing robes and carrying a scythe. He came alongside me while we were humping the Que Son Mountains during a period when we weren’t having any contact at all and we had brief conversations. I found it strangely comforting to realize what he did wasn’t personal. It was just….well…what he did.
Yeah, yeah….I know. In fact, I knew it then. I knew it was an hallucination and I knew what probably lay behind it, but it still a quite remarkable experience.
Am I the only one?
Kenneth,
Sorry for your loss.
To my father’s brothers in arms…On his behalf …I extend Merry Christmas wishes and hope this finds you all well. My father passed on January 3, 2003 and I miss him dearly. I know he never knew about this site, but if he were still here, I know he would be happy that it exists. He spoke often of the men he served with as if I was suppose to know them, but that was just how my father was…he remenbered you for life! – Kenneth Scott Rankin (Son)
E.F. “Sonny” Kennison
1947 – 2003
’68 – ’69 (sorry – don’t have exact dates)
There’s a guy around here who belongs to the local VVA chapter who says he was a Charlie company CO. I think his name is Ford. Where is he in that list?
OK, here my story which I believe after Heip Duc in 8/69 in between Capt Yap and Capt. Morris. I that it was Capt Gardner but that can’t be because the one you speak of is after my tour was over in 11/69. The rumor was this “unknown” Capt volunteered for the field to get it added to his resume. The other was he had made a superior mad and was sent to the field even though he had been a desk jockey his whole career.
We made night camp on a hill which there was evidence grunts had stayed there before because of the trash left behind. I do not remember ever being there. We sat up for the night. The word came down we would pack up proceed down the hill very quietly so the enemy would come in and search through what we left behind. We would then assault back up the hill catching the enemy by surprise. Well it was totally dark that night with no moon or stars. It was pitch black. You could not see your hand in front of your face.
We proceeded down the hill in single file holding on to the guy in front of you for dear life. I was the last guy in the company of around 100 guys. I was like everyone of an ambush and being last of getting separated from the company and being captured. Do you think a 100 “grunts” could move down a hill silently without making a noise. We sounded like a heard of cattle with our packs banging and whispering because you could see nothing. Well we must have gotten lost because the next thing I know there are artillery flares being shot leading our way. It seemed like they shot hundreds until we found our way back up the hill we stumbled off of. Needless to say there was no surprise ambush but there were tired GI’s and a lot of flares shot off. The unknown Capt left the next day or day after never to be seen again.
Does anyone remember this incident?????? Please tell me I did not dream it.
LT,
I’m with you when you ask that everyone keeps the posts coming. I read the discussion section every day. Some of the stories really bring back a lot of memories, and even though some of the memories are not fun to think about, I wouldn’t want to change one of them.
I’m with you Jim (Infantry) on the Cpt. Morris thoughts.
If memory serves me right, on that encounter you had been firing Fleschett rounds. I remember taking a handkerchief out of the breast pocket of one of the dead dinks when we finally got in there. The handkerchief had bloody fleschett holes in it. I held on to it and wanted to give it to you when you got back but I don’t know what happened to it.
Like all of us, I have a ton of blank spots in my memory banks. My memory is still pretty good about the whores in Bangkok. Go figure…..
Do I have this right. I thought there was someone between Yap and Morris? Just a few weeks before he fouled up.
Lt. White
Capt. Thompson, took over long before deployment, probably in October or November, 1965.
Capt. Rowell,
Capt. Witt,
Capt Thomasson
(LT McAndrews filled in when Capt Thomasson left for about 3 months)
Capt. Peters,
Capt. Yap
Capt. Morris.
Capt. Hines
Capt Gardner
Capt Harper
Lt Dorman
Capt. Downey
Capt. Nelson
Lt. Foxx
Capt Cato
Here is how I remember it as far as Captain Morris goes. He was one in a million and if he called me up today and said he needed me to do something (including combat stuff) I would be there.
As I remember it, after jan. 11, 1970, when Jake and Arky were killed, I was dusted off with a head wound and missed about two days. During that time, among other things that happened, you guys and F-troop or some other armor had dinks between you and were doing a job on them. At some point, Captain Morris jumped in a foxhole to avoid friendly fire. My memory of him is that he was totally unafraid of the enemy but avoiding friendly fire is a whole different thing-nothing gained by getting hit by your own guys. And that is how he messed up his shoulder. I don’t think I saw him after jan. 11 so tht’s when I assume it happened. I think i went on R&R soon after so it might have been then. 43 year old memories are not trustworthy. But I do believe that Captain Morris was bulletproof and invincible to the enemy!!!!! And probably still is. He made me reevaluate “lifers.” i would put him on Mount Rushmore.
Jim, I remember that incident well. The rice paddy was “L” shaped and very large; with an island in the center. The gooks were firing at us and here comes F troop 17th cav. The gooks were firing at them also. They came around and got on line with their tanks and apc’s , firing at us. We fired back and Morris started yelling and popped a red smoke.It was a pretty good firefight except that F troop couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.
LT,
Guess who became the same age on Dec 13. I feel your pain.
Hey guys! I found out today why I seem to be falling apart. I heard that old age officially starts at 68. Guess how old I am? It has been great reading all the blog entries of late. Keep them coming!
Thompson took over long before deployment, probably in October or November, 1965.