1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Bill Saling Page 5

Got up at 0630 and got everything loaded up for a trip back to 3 Golf, our forward operating base.
Larry and Donnelly were there getting ready for our next operation.

Mail came today and I got two letters. One was from the Department of the Army telling me that I was relieved from the Infantry
on 28 April. Jon Katin and Randy White were on the same orders but they will be back in the states before they transfer out of the
Infantry. I’m going to write the AGC branch and see if I can find out where I’ll be going. It could be I would leave Vietnam at the end
of April and still be credited with a complete tour.

I don’t know whether that rumor about nine months for married men is true or not but I saw Capt. Richardson and he says it isn’t true.
Gee another Army rumor not true.

Returned to Plei Djereng and finished working on our bunker before nightfall. Got a Stars and Stripes newspaper,
which I read until dark. Wrote a couple of letters and went to bed.

Last night I met the Special Forces sergeant from the camp and he turned over 36 Vietnamese Special Forces troops to help
guard my perimeter. These people are dressed in black pajamas and sandals, the same thing the local VC wear so I wouldn’t
give them much of a chance if we get hit and they have to withdraw through our lines. I have no doubt my guys would shoot them
in the confusion of combat.

This morning my radio crapped out so Larry called the unit next to me and requested I send back my slings to base camp.
I was really mad because I don’t think anyone is as good at sling loading ammo as me.

Found out later this afternoon that Lt. Charlie Brown, the big guy from West Point that lived next door to us at Ft. Lewis
was crushed to death when a sling load of 105 ammo broke loose and landed on him. His wife is the one I thought looked like
the girl in your sorority that dated Lance Rider. I really feel bad about Charlie but am glad I missed that assignment.

Charles E. Brown

Photo from the Howitzer 1965

(Ed., Note: 1st Lieutenant Charles Edward Brown died
on November 2, 1966 while serving in
Battery C 4/42 Artillery 4th Infantry Division.)

Tomorrow I hope to wrap up the loose ends so I can relax and cool it until we hit some more action. Played cards this evening
and won $7. Pay is $127 per month with combat pay but they still owe me $50.50.

Today was a hard day. This morning we had two resupply flights with ammo and sandbags. This afternoon Czepiel called
for 200 rounds of 4.2 ammo and we humped for three hours breaking open the boxes and flying it out.

Saw John Courte again today and talked with him for a while. I told him about Charlie Brown and he was really upset.
Checked the perimeter and then had dinner with John. He said how great you and Barbara Sampson were to him
before he deployed to Vietnam.

Last night we were probed between 0230 and 0330 hours. We had flares being shot into the air, artillery was firing rounds
about every 5 minutes and machine gun tracers were going everywhere. Finally got to sleep around 0400 hours and was freezing.
It was so cold I crawled into my sleeping bag and put my jungle liner on top of that.

Worked all morning building a new LZ (landing zone). We were sharing an LZ with the 2nd of the 8th Infantry but it was getting
too crowded. Our aerial resupply today went without a hitch, no screw-ups. MAJ High came in on a flight and stayed for about
an hour. Had a memorial service for Charlie Brown.

Worked for seven straight hours today. We had 12 missions flying out ammo. A Company made contact this morning
around 1200 hours so we flew additional missions to support them.

Just heard that Dick Collins was killed in an ambush this morning. They said that when he was brought back to the aid station
Doc Maur broke down and cried. I can’t believe that Charlie and now Dick have been killed in the last two days. Can’t help
thinking about Linda Collins and their new baby. You begin to realize that you really are mortal and that is a sobering thought
so you just try not to think about it. Just do your job and focus on the mission. This is a hell of a way to spend a year
watching your friends die one by one. I feel very lonely tonight.

Dick Collins was my friend. He replaced me as 3rd Platoon Leader in A Company in Ft. Lewis, WA. He and his wife Linda
were part of the build up as we got ready to deploy to Vietnam. He was a West Point graduate and a damn fine officer.

Cleaned up around the area this morning and got the ammo ready for my flight at 1100 hours today. Had a big Chinook
at 1200 hours and flew out 8,500 lbs. of 4.2 mortar ammo. My 5 men and I average loading between 15,000 to 20,000 lbs. per day.

Tonight the Special Forces camp had an impromptu USO show with a comedian and an Australian stripper.
The stripper was much like the one I danced with in San Francisco except this one was better looking.
All the guys went berserk as you can well imagine.

Today was a pretty easy day. I received a copy of orders awarding me the Combat Infantryman’s Badge,
so now I have one medal and three service ribbons which everyone gets just for being in Vietnam.

Learned that Dick Collins was shot and killed instantly during an ambush along with a sergeant and dog handler.
Apparently the dog had alerted several times earlier which turned out to be nothing so when the dog alerted and
growled the last time it was ignored. I’m a big believer in recon by fire or using artillery before I go forward to check something out myself.

Don’t feel very good tonight probably from eating off greasy mess gear. Wait one, there is firing on the perimeter that I need to check out.
Nothing must have been someone test firing their weapons because I don’t see any rounds coming in at us.

Dogs and their handlers were an invaluable asset in flushing an ambush, locating tunnels or finding someone hiding. — at Forward fire base .

Last night around 2200 hours I got a call that A Company was being mortared and was surrounded. They called and
requested 200 rounds of 4.2 ammo, as soon as possible. My crew and I opened 100 boxes and loaded 200 rounds in our truck.
The ammo weighed 8,500 lbs. and we had it ready in 35 minutes, must be a new record.

Anyway, here I am working on a truck taking the windshield down getting ready for the ammo run. We had the headlights turned on
and were using flashlights to finish loading the truck. Well the artillery unit was also getting an ammo resupply using a Chinook
(big helicopter) when all of a sudden the Chinook coming in to land mistook my headlights as landing lights and tried to land
on my truck. The damn thing just about had me when I reached over and switched the lights off. Boy that was as close
as I care to getting nailed this week.

Five minutes later the Chinook lost a sling load of ammo and it crashed into a field, nobody was hurt. After all that they called
and said we could fly out the ammo tomorrow.

Larry Kincheloe called and requested that I return to his location tomorrow because he was leaving R&R (rest and recreation).
Arrived back at 3-Golf to assume Larry’s S-4 duties while he was gone.

Had a pain in my stomach this evening. Doc Maur said it was a strain from lifting the ammo but was not a rupture.
Moved into Larry’s tent and got settled. Chief Bohn had a cold beer waiting, first beer in a month, so that was good.
My laundry had been lost for 10 days and I just found it so all in all it has been a pretty good day.

Up at 0630 hours to start the helicopters on their way. Larry’s job back here is just like a train dispatcher
sending helicopters here and there. Day went pretty well.

Flew down to Plei Djereng to check on my crew and had lunch with Katin and Donnelly. MAJ High said he would see
what he could do to get me R&R in Hawaii. Took a shower and put my dirty clothes back on which are 9 days old.
My laundry will be ready tomorrow.

Evacuated a dog handler and his dead dog today from A Company. The dog died of natural causes but the handler was very sad.
He had worked with that dog for the last 5 months and became very attached. When a dog dies there are a number of forms
that must be filled out, just like with people. They do an autopsy and each dog gets a registered grave.
The dogs we use are worth over $2,000.

Big thing today is getting clean clothes, so tonight I’ll be able to put on clean clothes finally.
Clean clothes do feel great.

Time is 2030 hours and I have helicopters still flying. We are moving elements of the 2nd Battalion 8th Infantry
to block the North Vietnamese withdrawal into Cambodia. Looks like a good fight is in the making.

Tonight I’ll put on my pajamas and will sleep in luxury. I love the rear area.

Last night was a tough night for A Company. It was hit again with mortars and a ground attack by North Vietnamese troops.
We monitored the whole thing on the radio and it was just like listening to the movies. They called for a “Puff the Magic Dragon”
(C-47 gunship with three Gatling guns on the side) for support, his call sign was Spooky 21. They also had a flight of fighters
in support and their call sign was Hobo (if I remember correctly Hobo was the call sign for the AI-E Skyriader), it was really
something to listen to.

A Company lost 3 KIA (killed in action) and 15 WIA (wounded in action). Nobody I knew was injured in this action.
They also had 5 helicopters crash with 17 KIA, one Lt. who was supervising resupply drops was shot in the face.
Boy, that was a wake up call I guess I’ll need to slow down my face would not be improved by a bullet.

It has been a hectic day all of the choppers were diverted to move a firebase, which took all day. In fact we had to wait
until noon to get all the wounded out of A Company. One man died, bled to death because of the delay, which was due
to our battalion screw up. I’m just glad I did my job right so I can sleep.

Tomorrow we go under operational control of the 25th Division for a new operation designed to block the
North Vietnamese Division before it can cross the border.

These articles were typical of that time and created a great amount of anxiety at home. With mail being the only means of communication
it was tough to read about the battles and then wait for at least a week to hear from a loved one made it tough on the families back home.
The only time I ever saw the press was when we'd been engaged and had casualties.

A Company called for another Dustoff (medical evacuation helicopter) early this morning because they couldn’t evacuate
the soldier last night because the weather was too hot, which decreases the lift capability of the helicopter. This morning
however it was too foggy to land so they just moved out with this guy who had a temperature of 104 degrees and seizures
until we could land and get him out.

Helicopters were all screwed up today because of a new policy by General Collins that helicopters could not transport passengers
with cargo. Also he ordered that no hot chow was to be flown out to the line companies. They are to eat C-Rations only.
Well that didn’t last long. General Collins rescinded the order about hot chow, just no more beer or sodas to the forward areas.

This evening we all listened to an attack by the North Vietnamese on the 1st battalion 12th Infantry, one of our sister battalions
in the brigade. This is the first time I’ve heard of the North Vietnamese firing artillery over the border. Fight is still going on
but I’m going to bed.

Got your fudge today although it was just about soup so I put it in the meat freezer to harden it up. Uncle Al and Aunt Barbara
sent me a box of cookies so I’ll eat well tonight. Got a letter from Chris at the zoo. I had written Agnes and she gave her
my address. It was nice to hear from her and I’ll be sure to write her back. (I worked as a tour train driver at the Cleveland Zoo
during my summers in college.)

Today was hectic. Had a late call for ammo to the firebase so I had to arrange for a Chinook (big helicopter) and the request
was late so I caught hell for that. Decided to fly up to the firebase and see everyone. Stopped by Plei Djereng for lunch with
my platoon when I got a call from battalion to return immediately to 3-Golf to catch a chopper back to the Dragon Mountain
Base Camp to be a witness for a court martial. This is the guy who flipped out in Tuy Hoa and threatened to kill his sergeant.
Well I got back and testified. The soldier was found guilty.

Heard there was an Officers Club back at base camp but I never could find it. But what I did find was a MARS station,
which is a big ham radio operation that allows you to call back to the states. The time wasn’t right to call you since there is
an 18 hour time difference so I decided to call you in the morning.

They had a movie showing in the battalion area but I was tired and really excited with the thought of calling you tomorrow
so I turned in early.

Got up after a restless night, could hardly sleep. I was so excited with the idea of being able to talk to you. Caught a ride
to the MARS tent at 0800 hours and tried calling but found out you were still at school. Waited patiently till 0945 hours
and finally connected. First time I’ve heard your voice in almost 4 months. What a treat.

Talking on a MATS network is different than talking on a telephone. It is more like talking on a radio. When you finish
saying something you say, over so the other person can speak. The way it works is a ham operator connects to another
ham operator in the destination country and patches into the local phone system not very sophisticated but it works.

Everyone, regardless of rank stands in line to speak for 3 minutes only. You hear some really funny conversations.
The one I remember is a young enlisted soldier obviously talking to his mother, “Well mom when did she leave, over”,
“did she say she would be back, over”, “have you heard from her”. It struck me funny at the time but in reality it was sad.

Returned to 3-Golf after waiting for 3 hours for a helicopter ride. The afternoon was routine, the Chief slept and I worked.
Chief Bohn was mad when I left because it meant he would have to take over for Larry and me and do his own job.
He told everybody he was going to leave when I got back just to get even. Sour old man! No kidding when I get home
we’ll have to get together with the Chief and his wife. Got some cold beer and sat around drinking beer with the Chief and MAJ High.

Supply was routine this morning with no big problems. CPT Nunnelee came into camp today but didn’t have much to say.
Talked with Rick Huizi today and he said Dick Collins got into trouble because he didn’t believe the dog and wanted to check out
the area himself. It is funny how being in combat affects people. Rick said it was not too hot in his area but he said
he wasn’t scared either. I think he liked the adrenalin rush at the time.

CPT Nunnelee has a new job and is pleased. He seemed pretty shook up over what happened over the last couple of weeks
and is ready for a change.

Had a few beers with Huizi, Chief Bohn and Ruzz Zink. We started about 1500 hours and managed to finish the case before nightfall.

Woke up at 0700 hours with the Chief yelling at me. The Chief did however get me a hot water to shave but as usual I had to
run off and get the helicopters dispatched so the water was cold as usual.

Didn’t have much going on today do so I drank coffee with some of the pilots in my tent. Afternoon was mainly finishing up
paperwork getting ready for Larry to return from R&R. No shower tonight, the generator is broke again. Got my clothes collected
so I can turn in my laundry tomorrow.

Chief Bohn (Property Book Officer, he keeps our equipment records up to date) packed up and returned to
Dragon Mountain Base Camp to get ready for a records inspection.

I consolidated the battalion mess halls today and Sgt. Angelo will be NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge).
Lots of bitching but I think this is the best course of action.

Paul Protzman is being evacuated to the US or Japan with a suspected lung cancer. Lou Dinetz came in on a Dustoff med evac
with suspected malaria. Boy we are losing our officers pretty fast. I guess we must be down 7 officers right now.

CPT Chris Keuker is pretty excited about getting command of A Company. I sure hope it works out for him. It sure had
an impact on CPT Nunnelee after he lost some of his people. His RTO (radio operator) died because they couldn’t get
a Dustoff in and he bled to death and that really had an impact on Nunnelee.

Today was a bad day for aerial resupply. I lost all my helicopters due to priority missions. In fact, people didn’t get chow tonight.
I did receive 3 letters today, received 7 yesterday so I really feel great.

I also made arrangements and will be able to meet you in Hong Kong for 5 days sometime during the last two weeks of December
or the first week in January.

Cleaned up the tent getting ready for Larry to return from R&R. Weather is hot during the day 100 degrees and much cooler
at night. I slept with a blanket and quilt last night and my feet were still cold.

Today was fast moving and we really worked. I was told there would be no helicopters available to me tomorrow
so I had to send two days food out to the field.

Finalized Hong Kong as my R&R destination and looks like it will be the last part of December. MAJ High saw your picture
and said you were too good for me and I agreed. I think he will likely try to take me with him when he leaves the battalion.
He thinks I’m his aide and really has a lot of confidence in my ability to get things done. You know me, before I get done
I’ll wrangle a better job than what I have now although I really like what I’m doing over here.

21 November 1966
Two pill day a big malaria pill and little malaria pill. Only 30 more weeks left to go. Larry called from Dragon Mountain
Base Camp and said he was back and would be out to 3-Golf later today. He got back around lunch and we flew out
to Plei Djereng today for lunch. Saw LTC Morley and after talking with him I think I’ll probably get screwed when they start
shuffling officers in the battalion. I cried back at Ft. Lewis when I didn’t get the Recon Platoon so now that Protzman
has been evacuated I could very well get Recon.

Larry is sweating it out too. He has been S-4 for over a year and is due for a new assignment. He really had a good time
in Hawaii with Sharon and only spent $200 while there.

A new 2nd Lt. came in tonight and I picked him up. This is his first assignment and he will go to B Company as a
rifle platoon leader. I hope he didn’t sleep in IOBC (Infantry Officer Basic Course). He looks very young.

Final list was published for R&R and I got Hong Kong in December so it looks like were going to meet after all.

MAJ High left for base camp today so he can be there when they have the records inspection.

I forgot to mention that yesterday we evacuated Walt Ferguson he was wounded by our own artillery when a round fell short.
It killed his RTO (radio operator) and injured about 6 others. Walt was hit in the left knee. Hope it heals so he doesn’t have
a permanent limp. I think he was scheduled to be the new Executive Officer for B Company.

My day was pretty much routine except they diverted my helicopters during my chow resupply for an emergency mission.
This is becoming a common occurrence since we have contact with the enemy virtually everyday and my resupply choppers
are routinely called on to help out.

Larry Kinchloe just returned from a briefing where he learned that A Company with the 1st Cav lost 102 KIA (killed in action)
in a battle at the Oasis, our last forward base camp. Everything over here is timing and luck you just never know.

Lazy day. Saw Dick Donnelly this afternoon and he is in good spirits. LTC Morley will be leaving the battalion in December
or January and LTC Wilcox may take over the battalion.

Everyone is working hard getting ready for tomorrow’s dinner. We will have a really nice meal for the troops and will airlift
everything out to the line companies. LTC Morley commanded that everyone in the battalion would have a hot Thanksgiving meal
and we plan on making that happen.

Happy Thanksgiving. Everyone has really worked hard to make sure that everyone in the battalion has a good Thanksgiving meal.
The cooks worked all night getting everything ready.

Poor Fiacco and B Company were in the middle of the jungle and worked all morning trying to cut an LZ (landing zone).
I flew out to his location to check out his LZ before sending out the chow and it was pitiful. He worked twice as hard
as all the other companies but his LZ was just too small. I finally got a pilot that would fly into the LZ to deliver the dinner
but he would not return to pick up the food containers.

Everyone got a hot Thanksgiving meal including pumpkin pie and mince meal pie. The meal really turned out well
and everyone was very appreciative.

LTC Morley came out to visit today and announced that only those troops who had families living in Hawaii could go on R&R there
so it looks like we’ll be the only ones assured of being together on R&R.

MAJ High, Russ Zink, Larry Kincheloe and I sat around shooting the breeze until almost midnight. Long day.

Had a priority troop lift this morning for some unit that took all my helicopters until almost noon before I could begin my aerial resupply.

CPT Sampson, our new S-1 arrived here in 3-Golf so he will be living up front now with the rest of us.

Just learned that my R&R in Hong Kong has been approved from 24 to 29 December so we’ll spend Christmas together.

Rained most of the afternoon. The rear area “lost” our mail today so everyone was really pissed about that.

Today we received severe weather warnings. It is still raining. This afternoon I went to see Sandy Fiacco, who finally
got his LZ enlarged so I could fly in without any problem. He has lost quite a bit of weight and really looks tired and worn out.

They captured a North Vietnamese sergeant while out on patrol. Contrary to popular belief he appears to be well fed,
well armed and had a clean khaki uniform in his pack. They appear to be better built than the South Vietnamese that I’ve seen.

29 weeks to go! Most of the day we had heavy rain so nothing much was accomplished. We had calls for several more
“Dustoff” flights to evacuate troops with FUO (fever unknown orgin), which normally turns out to be malaria.

By the way Lou Dinetz is back, it seems he didn’t have malaria after all so he is upset about that. He hoped that would keep him
out of the field for a while.

Chris Keuker is assuming command of A Company and has found a lot of equipment missing. That could really be expensive
if CPT Nunnelee has to pay for some of this stuff.

Resupply flights went well today. Weather was again dreary and it rained really hard all afternoon. Got two packages today,
one from my folks and one from you. Open both and ate all the candy you sent and one of the two boxes of nuts sent by my folks.

Tonight we got mortared for about 10 minutes. The NVA fired about 20-25 rounds into our camp. It is really interesting.
In the quiet of the night all of a sudden you hear thunk…..thunk..thunk and then someone yells “incoming” and
you run like hell for your hole or bunker. In a couple of seconds the rounds start impacting.

I was the only officer around so I took a rapid reaction force to reinforce the bunkers on our southern perimeter where the firing originated.
You always expect a ground attack following a mortar attack but tonight that did not happen.

Everything was quiet so at 2230 hours I was released and went back and had a beer with MAJ High and Larry. Another night in paradise.

Mortar round landed between the two front seats. Getting ready to sling load back to Dragon Mountain Base Camp.

Today was a big day. The battalion was being airlifted to a new firebase up north about 15 clicks (kilometers)
the move should be complete by tomorrow.

B Company killed 2 NVA and captured one, no friendly casualties. MAJ High went forward to help with the move and will return
tomorrow. Rained like the devil today, third day in a row and it is starting to get a little muddy. Had the troops dig a drainage ditch
to divert the water but unfortunately it drained into a Captain’s tent down hill in the Brigade area. He was not very happy.

Went to a briefing tonight at 2nd Brigade. They had Donut Dollies and girls from the Red Cross so that was a nice diversion.

NVA soldier captured by B Company. Picture provdied by Russell Zink Executive Officer of B Company

The roads around 3-Golf were mined for the third day in a row. We have lost 6 or 8 vehicles this week by having them blown up
when they hit a mine.

Finished moving the firebase today and everyone is digging in for a stay. LTC Morley called and wants me up there tomorrow
bag and baggage. I’ll be covering for Lt. Katin for a while, since he is sick, probably has the flu.

Fiacco came back to 3-Golf to get cleaned up and change clothes. Buck Ator is back with the battalion and is working in
the S-3 shop (operations). He is scheduled to assume command of B Company in January.

Sandy Fiacco and me at a forward firebase. Sandy Fiacco's wife and Jean Adkins Saling lived together in our home
just outside Ft. Lewis near McCord Air Force Base.

L-R Jim Stapleton, Russ Zink and Jay Vaughn. Jim and Jay were both West Point Graduates. Jim was Executive Officer of A Company,
Russ was Executive Office of B Company and Jay was a platoon leader in C Company, although on more than one occasion
Jay commanded C Company in between commanders. — at Firebase near the Cambodian border.