1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Khun's Story Page 8

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

3rd FIELD TRIP
Oct 1971

We were on our way to the field for the third time of my tour . I was hoping that we were leaving all of that insanity
behind us. We are no longer being transported on truck convoys. Helicopters called hueys transport us from
fire base to firebase and also to and from the field. They removed the doors and rear seats from the hueys
(sometimes called slicks) so that they could transport more troops. It is a much more fun way to travel
and I really liked flying on them as long as there was no shooting. It’s kind of like a roller coaster ride with all
of the ups and downs and turns. They drop us off into a field or any opening that they can get in and out of
quickly and then we are on foot from there. The pilots were always aware that they were targets and they got
in and out of the field as fast as possible, sometimes not even landing when we were jumping on or off during
a pick-up or drop-off. One time when we were being picked up we hastily jumped on and sat on the floor
wherever you can squeeze in. The slick lifted up quickly and was moving forward and banked sharply before
I really had a chance to get myself set. I was sitting at the edge of the door opening with my legs hanging out
of the chopper and looking almost straight down at the ground. Before I realized it I had a falling feeling
as I was leaning out of the door. The guy behind me grabbed onto my rucksack straps and leaned back
holding on to me. With my heart in my throat, I turned around and yelled THANKS!
He laughed and said “NO SWEAT G.I.!”

Source: http://www.bush-planes.com/images/VietnamHuey.jpg

This time in the field a lot of the older guys (short timers) including Chief had been rotated out of the country
back to the world. I was still comfortable though, being there with Jarvie, Councilman, Morgan, McCullough
and even Bender, even though he was still new. Bender and I had become good friends by that time.
Jarvie, Bender, and I were buddies. I remember my first time in the field I didn’t know anyone at all.

We humped up and down the mountains as always and nothing much happened the first week. The routine
was familiar to me by now. Beat the bush all day, get tired and sweaty, eat c-rations, set up poncho tents
around our night time perimeters, set up trip flares and claymores, sleep for 2 hours every 2 hours,
and hope that nothing happened.

McCullough preferred a hammock rather than sleeping on the ground.

This time out I got to see some things that I hadn’t seen before. We walked single file as always, the point man
and point squad breaking the way. My platoon was in the middle of the file this time, I liked that. It was usually safer
back there and the trail was already trampled down so the walking was much easier. For some reason the trampled trail
took a loop detouring off to the side instead of the usual straight line. Guys were pointing into the bamboo alerting each guy
behind him. Soon I could see why. There was a snake lying on a branch in the bamboo. Everyone was steering clear
of that little snake. I had heard of bamboo vipers before but never saw one. They have a distinct triangle shaped head
and are a bright green color like the color of bamboo. It wasn’t a very big snake, no more than 18 inches,
but it is a much feared snake. This was the famous “2 step” snake. I don’t know if it’s true or not because
I never saw anyone get bitten by one, but they claim that the snake is so poisonous that if you get bitten you will only walk
2 more steps before you fall dead. Nobody was taking any chances, except Morgan. Morgan our machine gunner from
Georgia always carried a really big and really sharp bowie knife on his belt. He pulled out his knife and walked over to
that snake and lopped off his head like it was nothing! "He laughed and said that baby snake ain't nothing.
You should see the snakes back home!"
I just shook my head in amazement.

BAMBOO VIPER
Source: http://webs.ymsnp.gov.tw/html/eng/files/Green%20bamboo%20viper.jpg

I never liked walking in or along creeks. Not only because of the obvious wet feet problem, but also the slippery rocks
were dangerous. I have seen too many guys slip and fall and get hurt. I had fallen before with all that weight on my back and
rifle in hand and you fall hard and almost always get hurt. One time we did come across a nice pool of water though. It almost
looked like a big swimming hole. The platoon Sgt. let us stop there to rest and get cleaned up. It must have been 100 degrees
and we were all hot and sweaty to say the least. Half of us stripped and took a bath in that pool of water while the other half
stood guard. It really felt good to cool off and feel clean for a change. Later on farther up that creek we came across
a nice waterfall in the jungle. It really was beautiful. This is one of my favorite pictures.

A day or so later the leading platoon came across a clearing with a small village. I didn’t get to see it because we were
near the end of the formation and were told to stay where we were. We just sat and rested while some of the other
guys cleared the village. There were no people there but that wasn’t unusual. We never saw anyone out there, just
the places where they had been or where they lived. I don’t know if they were Montagnards or VC but when they always
disappear, you have to figure they aren’t friendly. They had a corn field there and also had a big pig. The Captain decided
that we were taking the rest of the day off to have a pig and corn roast! I never did get to taste any of the
pig but I remember boiling corn in my steel pot. This trip to the field had been a good one so far.

How stupid of me to stop in the open corn field for a picture!

We continued searching the mountains for the VC but everything was quiet. Searching for Charlie was like
searching for ghosts. They know where you are but you never know where they are.

I always wondered if the lifers really believed that you could march dozens of guys through a jungle and think that
nobody knew you were there. Everybody was feeling relaxed. The worst thing that happened up to that point was walking
through a big field of elephant grass. It didn’t seem like it should be a problem. It was hot inside the tall grass
because no breeze could get thru it. It was thick but the grass was flexible enough and all I had to do was use my arms
to brush aside the large blades of grass. When I came out of the other side of that field I was sweatier than ever
and both arms were bleeding. The grass blades were sharp and caused all kinds of little cuts like paper cuts.
It didn’t really hurt badly; it just looked like it should have. There had been no contact at all this time out.
We still had to deal with the heat and humidity and the bugs and the cuts and everything else but
no contact is good and the CO wasn’t pushing us hard at all.

That false sense of security ended that afternoon when we came under sniper fire. Somewhere out ahead of us
were one or more snipers. I was back far enough that I really couldn’t see anything but they passed the word back
that no one was hit and to stay down and keep quiet. We laid there for the longest time and I guess you could say
that our whole company was pinned down by one or two VC snipers. Every once in awhile I would hear a shot and a
little psssst or zipping sound through the tree branches but no one got hit. At some point the CO or LT decided
to call in artillery to blow up the whole area out ahead of us. I was glad of that! It was the easiest and safest way
to get rid of the snipers. The first round came whistling over top of us and I heard the loud explosion.

I knew from experience that it was too loud and too close. I flash backed to the last time I almost got blown up
by friendly incoming! Within seconds of the explosion I heard the whizzing zipping sound of shrapnel
buzzing through the tree branches right over top of us and around us. I heard guys yelling over the radio to
STOP the incoming! Somebody had made a mistake in coordinates and called it in too close.
That was a close call!. They adjusted fire shortly and resumed the shelling, blowing up that hillside.
I don’t know if we got the snipers or not but I know that the uncertainty ended all of the relaxed feelings out there.
We pushed on until evening and I know I didn’t sleep well that night.

The best feeling ever is getting a letter from home. Any day that you get mail is a good day but especially
when you are out in the field. They brought mail out on the re-supply choppers every 4 days. That is the one thing that
the Army is smart about. They know what a morale booster mail is. Most mail is anyhow! I don’t remember if it was this
time in the field or last time when I got the letter that had in it the one line that I’ll never ever forget. I was sitting out there
in the middle of the jungle in Vietnam enjoying the letter when I read that my real lottery draft number had been drawn.

325

I would have never been drafted!

We stopped frequently during the day to take brief breaks so that nobody got overly exhausted or suffered heat stroke.
I had taken off my rucksack and was sitting on the trail and leaning back on the pack just resting. The sergeant came
walking back the trail and told me to get my gear on. “you’re going back”…”back where I asked”?
“The CO picked you for a leadership school back at Tuy Hoa. There is a small LZ cut up ahead and a
chopper is coming to pick you up.” I had no idea what he was talking about and didn’t know what to think.
I had never heard of anyone going to school over there before. I wondered what was going on and why
was I being singled out. I didn’t argue though. I put on my rucksack and picked up my rifle and
followed him up the trail. I was just happy to be going back!

On the first day of class the Colonel came in to talk to us and told us that we were hand picked to be trained and promoted.
His plan was to develop leadership from within the Battalion. I really liked school. They were training us to be in charge of other
men. We were taught all about the different tactics and strategies and maneuvers and weapons and map reading and coordinates and
all kinds of military stuff. This was the first time that I felt that I could do well in school. High school was a disaster, but now
I see that was because of my bad attitude. After 2 weeks of classes we had to take a test, I guess you would call it the final
exam. I graduated #2 from the leadership class and had missed first place by only 2 points. They told me that I would be going before
a promotion board sometime soon to be promoted to E-5.

Graduation certificate for the Leadership Course, signed by
the battalion Commander LTC Fickett

BACK