1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Diary of John Grant Page 5

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

Diary Entries of John A. Grant
Charlie Company 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry 4th Infantry Division
Headquarters Platoon

July 1970

July 1, 1970

Until noon today we stayed in place.
After noon we packed up and moved toward Roadrunner.
We finally met up with them about 4:20.
Tomorrow we will be resupplied with hots, cleans, C’s, beer,
soda and pony.
Today also starts my 7th month in Vietnam.
I’m going down hill now. I hope the next 6 are as fast as the 1st.
End of Entry

Notes:
Hots: Hot chow
Cleans: Clean clothes
C’s: C Rations
Pony: Mail

July 2, 1970

The birds started arriving around 10:30 AM with all the items
except cleans, that I wrote about yesterday.
Everything was distributed and it began to pour down rain.
After the flood, the XO paid us. I received $327.00
I sent home $300 to Monie, paid $5.00 for beer & soda and
$2.00 to Davis.
We drank beer until dark and crashed.
I didn’t sleep good at all.
I don’t know why.
End of Entry

Note: XO: Executive Officer, second in command, who reports to the commanding officer.

July 3, 1970

We rose and packed our gear.
Back hall was to go out today and about 10:30,
2 sorties came to pick it up.
About 1:00 PM today we left our NDP toward a new NDP.
No one got into contact today.
It has been very peaceful.
It looks like rain again today and we are trying to
get away from it by building a hooch. Just a daily routine.
End of Entry

Notes:
Sortie: Probably was an incorrect term used here.
Two birds came to “back haul” things that go back to the base camp.
Likely the containers the hot chow was delivered in.

July 4, 1970

Headquarters stayed in place while Sidewinder went on a patrol.
We had to stand watch so no dinks walked up on us.
Roadrunner had a big bang for the 4th.
They walked up on a dink and Stranshoffer killed him.
That makes 3 dinks this mission for the company. (Roadrunner).
Later in the afternoon, Jeff caught a squirrel, which he
named L.T. It is a baby and is wild but it tamed down a lot.
It slept with me all night between my shirts.
End of Entry

Note: I may have the spelling on Stranshoffer incorrect.
Could be Stranhoff.

July 5, 1970

The day went by real fast today. We moved out of our NDP
about 10:30 this morning. We went down to the blue-line.
We washed up and watered up, then moved to our
next NDP and LZ.
I had quite a feast for myself tonight. I ate 3 cans of fruit, Beans
& Franks, shrimp, hot tomato sauce from the world and a unit.
I really got stuffed.
Tomorrow, we get resupplied.
End of Entry

Note: I am not remembering what a “unit” is that I ate.

July 6, 1970

We moved down to the LZ for today’s resupply, which we only
Received C's. The rest of the resupply was left on Niagara
for our arrival tomorrow.
It has rained a lot today but our hooch kept us dry
for the most part.
End of Entry

Note: Niagara is a firebase with artillery.

July 7, 1970

Around 1:00 PM we were CAed to Firebase Niagara.
The CA only took about 30 minutes.
We got clean clothes, hots and pony when we got there.
We got a bunker to crash in and crashed.
We pulled about 2 hours of guard duty.
End of entry.

Unloading supplies at LZ Niagara July 1970

Photo courtesy of Tom Buhrkuhl

July 8, 1970

Not much happened today.
We sat around and monitored the radios and did a little
work around the bunkers.
I slept most of the day.
End of Entry.

Note: A guy has to get sleep when he can get it.

July 9, 1970

Today has also been a nothing day. We didn’t do anything
today except paint some poles for the firing range
and some boxes for the 79 men.
We got beer and soda today but I don’t feel too good
so, I doubt that I’ll get drunk.
End of Entry

Note: 79 men: 79 grenade launcher guys.

July 10, 1970

Well, I haven’t felt good all day long, so I tried to
Sleep as much as possible.
I couldn’t eat or drink anything.
We got mail today, that’s all the excitement for today.
We set out the firing range for the M-16 and 79’s today.
It’s been another nothing day.
End of Entry

July 11, 1970

All we have done is a little bit of nothing all day today.
I just sat here and monitored the radios.
End of Entry

July 12, 1970

Today is a repeat of yesterday.
We haven’t done anything but eat and sleep here
and do little things around the bunker.
End of Entry

Note: Apparently my not feeling good was good timing, as
we were on a firebase with the ability to rest.
Much better feeling bad here than in the field.

July 13, 1970

Well, it seems we will be here until around the 17th of
the month. We were leaving tomorrow or today, but Alpha Company
will be going to Armageddon for bunker guard instead
of coming here to Niagara.
A company has to be left here for security.
We are still expecting to see General Westmoreland in the near future.
Nothing exciting has happened today at all; the same old stuff.
Eat and Sleep.
End of Entry

July 14, 1970

This has really been nice just doing nothing but eat and sleep
and drink beer and soda.
We are still here on Niagara, doing our thing,
which is nothing.
I am waiting for notice of my R & R.
I sure hope I get it.
End of Entry

July 15, 1970

Again, today we have done nothing but exist on this firebase.
I found out late this evening that I will be getting my
R & R on the 29th of August.
Wow, I can’t wait.
End of Entry

July 16, 1970

I’m getting kind of tired writing the same old thing
in this dialog, but we aren’t doing anything.
All we do is set around.
I did pack my C's today.
We are getting ready to move out to the boonies on
the 18th.
Clean clothes were passed out today, so I look like an FNG again.
End of Entry

FNG: F__ing new guy.

July 17, 1970

Preparing ourselves for tomorrow’s hump consisted of buying
a case of beer from TOC and after that was gone, drinking beer with
them in their bunkers helped pass the time.
We will be leaving early tomorrow, we expect,
so, we should get some rest.
Who can rest with beer around?
End of Entry

TOC: Tactical Operations Center

July 18, 1970

We rose at 6:00 AM and started packing our radios
and rucks. By 8:30 we were on our way down the long, long,
longest finger we could find.
We humped until almost 6:00 PM and we are set up right next to the river.
This is a bad place to be with high ground on both sides.
I am really out of shape already.
That hump definitely kicked my ass.
I fell about 6 times too.
“It don’t mean nothin.”
End of Entry

Note: ”It don’t mean nothin” is a term that all us grunts used.
It made our toils seem not so hard and not so bad.

July 19, 1970

We moved up-river about a klick and we were set up
for a few minutes, and all of a sudden, (POW).
We opened up on a dink (two dinks).
Plaskett killed one and wounded the other.
I took the clothes off of the dead dink to send in.
Man, was he bloody and messed up.
After his clothes were back-halled, we moved back about
200 meters for our NDP and set up.
End of Entry

Note: Sorry for the graphic entry but it is in fact exactly as written.
The name Plaskett may be a mis-spelled name. I’m uncertain.
I see there was a Dennis Pritchett in 1970 with Sidewinder.
It is possible he was the shooter.

July 20, 1970

Today was my day off. I didn’t have to carry the radio.
We stayed in our NDP until 1:00 PM then moved up
to where we got the dink, and passed there.
When we got about 300 meters or more away,
word came down that we will be C.A.ing to a new A.O.
We moved back to our last nights N.L. and set up.
We went right down to the blue-line and took a bath.
End of Entry

Notes: A.O. Area of operation
N.L. Night location
NDP: night defensive position.

July 21, 1970

It never occurred that we would return to our Easter location
but here we are, right on the same LZ.
We were CAed to this area today and
later in the afternoon we were resupplied.
I can picture how it was perfectly during Easter.
The holes I dug, where I slept, everything.
It seems kind of weird to be here again.
End of Entry

July 22, 1970

Headquarters and some of Sidewinder stayed on the LZ
While the rest of the elements moved around our location.
Roadrunner spotted two dinks today but missed them.
Sidewinder & C P made their NDP on the LZ
End of Entry

C.P.: Command Post
NDP: Night defensive position

July 23, 1970

This morning Panther got (killed) a dink. They were the first ones
in the Battalion to get one with the mechanical ambush.
The dink walked right into it.
A little later a dink walked in to one of Panther’s
“Stay-behind” ambushes and they wounded him.
Higher sent out a tracker team to follow the blood trail,
which lead to high ground and a big rocky area.
They could see where about 3 other dinks had helped
him escape. Panther captured 2 AK-47 weapons
and 1 ruck sack (NVA) plus documents.
End of Entry

Note: Ambushes became the means for most of the enemy
kills as the war progressed.
Stay-behind ambush: a few men would stay behind from a location where the company was set up.
This team would stay put and listen for the enemy to walk into the zone. If they did, they were not expecting our guys to be there.

July 24, 1970

Today, all we did was sit on top of the LZ
and burn up.
Nothing exciting happened.
End of Entry

Note: Must not have been any trees close by.

July 25, 1970

We were resupplied today with C-s, cleans, hots and
all the platoons came to the party and stayed
on the LZ for their NDP.
End of Entry

July 26, 1970

We left the LZ and headed East about one klick.
When we broke for chow, we hooked up the X-Mode and
Captain Cinquino talked to Captain Blackwell.
We won’t have artillery support tomorrow because
Challenge is moving. So, we had to go back to the LZ
or West and stay on the other side of an imaginary line, where
artillery from Niagara and Terrace could reach us.
End of Entry

Note: The X-Mode provided a secure voice transmission
One Klick: 1,000 meters.

July 27, 1970

Again, we left the LZ, only traveling North West this time.
It wasn’t long before we were in range of artillery support.
When we were in range, the rush and hustle was over.
Slowly, we proceeded to our NDP and soon we arrived on our knoll.
Unable to erect a hooch, because of noise discipline, we were soon
drenched with rain. Naturally we tried to build one in the rain
and it turned out terrible. We tore our first hooch down and
built another.
For me, the day was over after digging a sump and
making my gourmet C-rations.
End of Entry

Note: A sump was used to manage surface runoff. Undesirable liquids.

July 28, 1970

We remained in our PB (patrol base) all day today.
The platoons worked around us.
Nothing much was done.
Aeron, who was humping with us shot at a dink but missed.
Nothing else exciting happened today.
End Of Entry

July 29, 1970

Today we stayed in our PB (patrol base) until around 1:00 PM.
At 1:00 PM we started humping towards the LZ
for tomorrows resupply. All of a sudden, up at the front of the file,
an explosion went off.
We thought for sure our point man hit a booby trap.
Instead, it was a dink who walked in to Roadrunners mechanical ambush.
Of course, it killed him
End of Entry

Note: front of the file: Meaning single file patrol.

July 30, 1970

We waited for resupply all day today but the weather
wouldn’t allow it. We are out of food; we have been since morning.
Now, we won’t eat until tomorrow sometime.
Jeff wanted to dig up a dink that was buried near the LZ, but
we settled for a leg bone that was sticking out of the ground.
The guys in the position near the dink didn’t want Jeff to dig him up
because it would smell all night.
This must be a bad LZ for the dinks, as Roadrunner got one
yesterday, right by it.
We will be eagerly awaiting our resupply tomorrow.
End of Entry

Note: Isn’t it amazing how we get so anesthetized to death while in combat.

July 31, 1970

At 2:15 PM, I sat talking on the Hotel-Charlie 2, turning in
the papa-sierra, when all of a sudden, a claymore went off.
Roadrunner sent a patrol down to check their vampire and
there lay one dink in three pieces.
That makes 5 of 7 dinks killed by Roadrunner platoon.
Later in the evening, after dark, Panther had movement and
opened fire with small arms (M-16’s).
We only received C-s on resupply today, so, we will remain on
the LZ until tomorrow for the rest.
End of Entry

Notes: Hotel Charlie 2: Headquarters Communication 2 is the radio communication between C company and Battalion Headquarters.
Papa-Sierra: Perimeter Sitrep (situation report) on the company. (status)
Vampire: booby trap with trip wire blowing a claymore mine.
Claymore mine: C-4 explosive with ball bearings, 180-degree forward explosion.

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