1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Randy Cox Page 7

Even though it is a holiday life is normal in a war zone, humping ambushes, etc. and the weather has turned bad. Around 4 or 5 it starts a down pour which lasts for an hour or two. The advantage is we get to replenish our water supply for use other than drinking: coffee, coco, Kool-Aid, etc. We set up a patrol base then ran our patrols. I have been walking point and I have cuts from the grass which looks like Alabama Johnson grass, but we call it elephant grass. I am back as a squad leader since the lieutenant returned moving the platoon sergeant and me back to our normal position. Lucky me, I became the weapon squad leader because the previous leader (Donald Dehetre) got a rear job because of time and grade. One of functions of a weapon squad leader is to send one of the two-gun teams out with the ambushes while the other stays based with the main unit. I got paid on July 2, 1970 not that it does me any good.

We got word we are going back to the fire base. Which is great for me because of R & R and the travel arrangements are necessary. It might be a month before I am back on patrols.

I remarked on how being in Nam has given me a temper which seems to blow up at times. Today we are in a fire base, and it is a hassle. We got clean clothes and then we started digging fighting positions. After that we were able to take a shower and the order of things seems out of place: it seems we should have gotten clean clothes after digging our fighting positions. I asked Glenda to talk to her brother Robert, Our Battalion surgeon said he played the other end playing football at Childersburg High School. Today, I got 5 letters. 8 more days to R & R.

While I was on R&R, my platoon was on patrols. While taking a lunch break they received fire from the Viet Cong. John was preparing his meal of C-Rations when heard the fire and saw his c-ration cans go flying caused by the incoming rounds. No one from the platoon was injured beyond the fear of being fired at. Special point this was John’s 21st birthday.

Left:

John "Goose" Bryce

Machine gunner for 3rd Platoon
"Sidewinders" Company C 1/22 Infantry

Photo by Michael Belis

It is the beginning of rainy season which means we get rain all day except for a small break in the afternoon. Also, this means mail, supply flights, etc. are all delayed.

Today, is one of the nicer days because it stopped raining around 10:00 am and we were issued new clothes. New Clothes on a rainy hill think of that.

After returning from R&R I am back in Da Nang. Last night I was scheduled for a flight to AnKhe but it was cancelled at 7:30 pm. At that time, I returned to the R&R center to be assigned a bunk for the night.

Got out of Da Nang on 28th at 7:00pm making it to An Khe and later to our fire base. The following day I waited for a ride on a supply chopper to my company. Total travel time including R&R has kept me out of the field for 16 days.

I still have not made it to the field, and they are saying it might be 4 more days.

At Pleiku, I met with Donald Dehetre who is the supply SGT from Maine and discussed an engraved plaque we ordered for his child. I wrote about a rumor Jean Dickson, psychic, who predicted An Khe was to be overrun on July 30, 1970. In 2020 I found out Donald has passed away. Through Facebook I attempted to contact his son. I was unsuccessful.

Got to my unit after R&R. Everyone was asking about R&R and if I had any pictures I could share. When I got off the bird, I was informed I was now acting platoon sergeant. We got resupplied then humped down the hill to the river. It was a long way and it started raining making everything even more difficult. Restocked made us have a heavy Ruck Sack mix that with rain, and hills means one thing: slipping and sliding and making for an exhausting trip. Plans are for us to set up by the stream giving us time to bathe and clean up. They say our next resupply will be in the field, so I do not expect any letters until then. Being supplied will require the supplies being thrown out of a helicopter from about 20 feet up. I mentioned we had a buddy, Donald A. Dehetre of Maine, in the rear, that had a baby girl who was having her birthday in September. Several of us were sending my wife a money order to mail a birthday present to the baby girl.

Got word we would be staying this area for several days. The weather stays overcast and rainy. After being inactive for about a month humping was difficult.

I am now the acting Platoon Sergeant while we wait for the new lieutenant to arrive to take control of the platoon. Upon his arrival I will become the weapons squad leader. We had the opportunity to test fire all the weapons prior to going into the field.

Sapper-attack. 1 US soldier killed, 1 sapper killed, damage to buildings.
(from Headquarters MACV, Monthly Summary, January 1970)

Today, we were on a nine-man detail to cover the dump with shovels. This took all morning plus a couple of hours in the afternoon. Returning to the barrack I was hot, sweaty, and dirty. As luck would have it, the dark cloud which had been hanging over us started to release rain. Naturally, the best to do under the circumstances was to strip down as much as possible and take a quick shower. It did feel good to be clean. I have 83 days in country remaining.

I got your letter which had pictures from our R&R. We just got information that we are going to An Khe to perform guard duty from August 13th to August 18th

Today, they put me on a two-day ambush but prior to that we had to tear down the firebase and police the area making sure nothing usable or important was left behind. Everyone and everything left except for those of us on this ambush.

As John Bryce and I discussed we think this is LZ Regular. This ambush with nothing but problems. It all started with the POOR to NO communication. The radio started acting up shortly after we were left behind, and we had started digging in. I can say that was the deepest fox hole we had dug while in country. No communication, limited number of personnel and on a trail going to a recently deserted firebase was the cause for our concern. As a precaution, we checked our weapon to find one of the M16’s had a bad trigger. In the middle of the night, under a poncho with a dim light, I was trying to find the problem which I determined was a trigger spring that had been put in backwards. No one got much sleep that night. The next morning, I checked our defenses to find out several of our flares did not work plus a battery for the claymore trap was low and would not active the claymore. Last night I found a little rice so the next day we had unseasoned rice. Additional information at the end.

Time on the LZ was spent building bunkers and tearing down bunkers to keep us busy. Tomorrow, we are to leave this LZ for a couple of weeks then go to An Khe for a stand down. I would like to come home early but the word just came down there will be no drops in service time.

At 9:00 am, I am on the helicopter pad waiting to be lifted out, but because of the delays I was writing this letter at 11:00 am. Currently, the temperature is rising and every afternoon around 3:00 pm it rains for about two hours. They say Monsoon will be here in about 4 months meaning we will be lucky to get 2 hours of sun per day. I met someone from Hawaii who enlightened me about several of the places we visited during R&R.

We are on patrol starting at 7 or 8 in the morning and going until 6:00 pm. That gives us app. one hour to eat, get set up and write a letter. While on patrol, I got lucky and found a pepper plant the first I have seen since being in country. In addition, we came on a corn field. I stuffed a few ears in my ruck sack and tried to roast the corn over a heat tab. At first, word was we will be in the field until the 21st. We are set up as a blocking force waiting for others to drive the enemy into us. This is kind of nice because we are in thick underbrush being hidden from others in the area while waiting on the enemy’s movement. Tomorrow, we are to get resupplied which means chow and mail.

Today, breakfast was a can of Spam, sliced and put on a stick over a heat tab. On the 22nd, we geared up and cleared a landing zone for the Huey’s to transport us to LZ Hard times for a convoy trip to An Khe. Upon landing, I found myself in possession of two bottles of Rum purchased from one of the locals for $5.00 a bottle. Our truck had 25 of us in the truck and was loaded with beer and cokes for everyone.

Got a nice compliment from my lieutenant, he was talking to the Company Commander about me and the possibility of making me an E-6 but the LT said I had one fault. I wanted out of the Army. This is strange since I had a run in with the C.O on the first day on this base. All of sudden, I am getting mail of a different type-Ladies Lingerie and Wearing Apparel (see below). Naturally, I had to study the catalog before sharing it with others. Tomorrow, we start classes of which I am to be an Assistant Instructor. We are supposed to be here until the 28th or 29th.

Today, the first class consisting of the cleaning, disassembly, and assembly cleaning of an M-79, my new weapon. A Company Party was mentioned being held at Lazy Acres(??). But the next day we had to go into the field. The word is the 4th Division is having so many go home there would not be any early drops.

Tough day, giving classes during the day and little sleep at night, then the company commander wanted a company foundation at 1:00 pm which lasted about two hours.

Today, is the last of three per day classes. Tomorrow is the day of our company party. We are supposed to have live entertainment

Our party got cancelled because a convoy got hit causing others to be rushed to our firebase for staging, but we were left behind to guard the helicopter pad. They cancelled the party and I got to guard the pad and not go to the field-excellent trade.

Sept 2, 1970 I am pulling helicopter pad guard duty from 7-10 pm and 1-4 am then I sleep until 6:30 am before going to the barrack. What that really means is thirty minutes before your shift they wake you and it takes thirty minutes to get back to your bunk. So, in the middle of the night you get 3 hours sleep. Rumor is we go back to the field on the 8th.

In An Khe I have another boil on my cheek which has my jaw swelling up like I have an apple in my mouth. My good luck, the company goes in the field tomorrow. The doctor said they would have to open it up either here or at the firebase. The decision was made to lance it while on the base camp.

Now, I am on the pad waiting for a bird to take me to the field. I was supposed to have left yesterday but I was on bunker duty and did not get back in time. Then I reported to the pad at 1:00 pm and the bird never came and at 6:00 pm we were told to return to base camp. At this point, I checked in with the doctor about the condition of my boil which had been lanced and dressed. While here I got to weigh myself and I was a whopping 183 pounds!!

Still on the base camp unable return to my unit. I went to see the doctor and they decided I should stay in the 4th medical clinic ward for about 48 hours. At 7:30 pm there was a movie. The doctor came around this morning and they extended my stay for another 24 hours because of the conditions on the firebase and my having an open sore. Now, I lay in bed most of the day with a wet heat pad on my chin. Most of the 14 people on this ward are not Grunts and are in a hurry to return to their normal duties but not me. Meals consisted of a tray of hot food definitely not C-Rations. Got word on the 10th I will be here another day for a total of three days.

Today, they released me from the clinic. I need to get to the field we have a lot of new guys which I assist with the training.

It is the rainy season making it difficult to write but we are set up at a patrol base. A northern friend of mine got a package with a box of grits which he gave to his southern buddy. Now, if I could find some eggs and/or a pig we could have a southern breakfast and maybe red eye gravy.

We are in leech territory or as some call it Leechville. While standing around I looked at my boots and there were at least 6 on my boots and more around my feet. How many more are around or on us?? I have been lucky being that I only had to pull 3 or 4 off my body but the other night around 8:30 pm you could hear people moving as they discovered the little pets on their body. A lot of the guys are new, and everything is a new experience to them. Found unusual things like a 3-4-foot worm (?) and a white feathery insect (?)

Guess what we found? About 25 pounds of peanuts drying in the sun plus about 50 pounds already dried beside a corn, potato, and peanut field.

I thought we were going to get a two day stand down, but the current mission got extended. We are set up on a patrol base running patrols without our ruck sack making movement easier.

This is the third day it has rained and guess what they have come down with a new rule- our sleeping positions must be underground making the position a small swimming pool. The logic is that most of the gun fire, bullets, will be app. 30” off the ground about the same height of a person in his hammock. Got word my wife got the apartment in preparation for my return.

Oct 4-5, 1970, rocket-attack, 122mm 7 rounds into base.
(from Headquarters MACV, Monthly Summary, January 1970)

On the third they called to say we would be extracted to a firebase until the 12th for a seven-day training program. That would put it around the 19th and about time for me to start processing out of country.

We are on a firebase and one of the guys noticed a chicken in the weeds. One or two of the guys took a shot or two and missed. I thought it was my turn and popped off a couple of rounds and on the second shot he went down. We searched the weeds but could not find him. Man, it would have been great to have fresh chicken for dinner.

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