Patrol went up the mountain. Only one man came back. He died before he could tell us what happened. (Old VN war story of unknown origin) … [Read more...]
Defending LZ Kuhn
If I ever stayed at a miserable shithole of a place, this is it. The monsoon rains had begun in earnest and everything; the ground, your gear, the ponchos were muddy and wet. This is the only time I know of when Recon "dug in". We all spent some miserable nights in our muddy foxholes. There was no chance of setting up a shower in this place. We had set up in our position in the middle of an enemy cache site on a ridge in Cambodia cuz that's what the air cavalry does. We hadn't been on … [Read more...]
LZ Kuhn – Part ll
First & most importantly, all of Recon's wounded survived. Sadly, Jerry 'the Degree' Trumm passed away this last year. I'm glad he lived so long. His greatest battle was fought from a hospital bed, which is described well by Hutch in his poem, Hero. You can read that under the SCRAPBOOK tab on this website. Please help me out here...I'm relying on my memory, ha,ha. Please post a comment or call me if you were there that day. I was confused whether it was Alpha or Delta that was there … [Read more...]
Once Upon A Time
"...it stands to reason you've got to have a war. Not because anybody wants it, of course, but because there's an army. Armies is for wars and wars is for armies. That's only plain common sense." "War's finished," said Tristram. "War's outlawed. There hasn't been any war for years and years and years." "All the more reason why there's got to be a war," said the soldier, "if we've been such a long time without one." The Wanting Seed -by Anthony Burgess Once upon a time I was … [Read more...]
O rang
“Standin’ on a corner in…” O rang, Cambodia. This has got to be the ultimate war souvenir/photograph. Damn, I shoulda had Cossey take my photo with this! That honor goes to Bruce Hammonds of Bessemer, Alabama displaying the Cambodian National Flag in the traditional blue and red with the temple at Angor Wat. Recon walked into O rang early in May, 1970. There was a hospital, school, army base and an airstrip there. That would be a grass and dirt airstrip, of course. Not too … [Read more...]
Photos from O rang/Cossey & Cossell snaps
FSB Ann (Let It Be)
I remember this fire base well because I helped build it. Kansas, Arty, myself and others filled a lot of sandbags! I was fed up. Kansas ans I built our "hootch", or started to, three different times. Echo Co's First Sgt. had us move the first one because it was on the "wrong side of the road". Too close to the cooks and too far from the rest of Echo Co. So we started building a new one, dragging our dirt filled mortar shell boxes and sandbags across the road. Once we had a good start and … [Read more...]
Anonymous Ode
Ode to the Infantryman in RVN l lie in my tent, thanking God for free rent. While outside the rain pours, and inside my buddy snores. Muddy floors & a wet cot, but still thanking God a lot. Got hot chow every day, rain or shine, come what may. Got a dog bout two weeks old eats C-rations hot or cold. Special Forces all around, keeping safe this hallowed ground. 1st Cav in the air, landing, fighting here & there. Ain't got much but could be worse, just ask the men in the 101st. Anonymous … [Read more...]
Bu Gia Map
Bu Gia Map Late in April 1970 I had been out with Echo Recon for hardly more a month at most, but was now used to the routine. The routine patrol…the “poppy”; out & back, hopefully without any trouble. Point man, in this case, the Stallion. R. Springer followed by Cossey as back up, then a rifleman, Hammonds with the M-60. Delmer with the M-79, an RTO & several riflemen walking drag; watching to see if anyone was following. In the other squad it would have been Dob on point, followed … [Read more...]
VC Knife
Actually taken from a North Vietnamese soldier killed by Echo Recon on May 30, 1970. The VC were really a separate force under the NLF (National Liberation Front), but our Cambodian scouts always yelled, VC! VC! No matter who we encountered. So, a VC knife. And the scouts didn’t always yell, unless of course they were warning everyone we had been spotted and being silent no longer mattered then. That day started out bad and got worse. We had spent the night alongside the Ho Chi Minh … [Read more...]