David Teutsch
After graduating from Parris Island ( Platoon 3012, 29 October 1968) plus a bus ride we arrived at Camp Geiger and were assigned V4 company. Upon our arrival the Troop Handlers informed us no Poggi bait was allowed in the barracks. I had a box of brownies in the very bottom of my sea bag and had no way to retrieve them. That evening I asked the Marine next to me if he wanted to meet in the head after lights out and discard of the contraband. He readily agreed and we proceeded to destroy all the evidence. Approximately 0400 we returned to the head and held our own sick call as the evidence went down the toilet. From that day on our friendship grew until he was the brother I never had. His name was, David Teutsch, from Newton Falls, Ohio.
After Christmas leave we arrived at Camp Pendleton for staging and our friendship continued. The night of our escape and evasion class we had found the perfect hiding place and refused to leave even after being called back by a bullhorn, thinking it was a trick. Turns out someone had gone berserk and was taking potshots with a M14. I guess everyone had their way of dealing with the upcoming trip to Vietnam. Ours was to yell across the squad bay, David would say ” Rick, be sure and call me when you get home so I can push you down the aisle at your wedding, because you ain’t gonna have no legs”. I would yell back, that’s ok you SOB, I’ll attach a special brace so you can push me with your chest cause you ain’t gonna have no arms” (found out later we scared a lot of guys) The last time I saw him was on the LZ at Stud, I had gone to get some frags and heard someone calling my name. We spoke for a few minutes and I returned to my unit B 1/9, approximately 22 February 1969.
This would’ve been Operation Dewey Canyon, David was killed, according to military records by a fragmentation grenade, 11 March 1969. If anyone reading this might have known him could you please get in touch with me (rick7538 [at] hotmail.com.) I would like to know about his final days.
Thanks, William ( Rick) Whitley