Category: Vietnam

HOW-6

Sgt Grit   The last two newsletters have had a few articles about the How-6's and if they were used in Viet-Nam.  I was in the first HOW-6 Platoon that was formed in November of 1965 and was part of 3rd Amtrac's outside of  Danang and transferred to 1st Marine div in late 66.  There is not much history of us being there because we were always attached to and in support of other outfits during Operations and river patrols. They were worn out by the time we were replaced by a company of How-6s in December of 1966 and that appears to be the start of the history of the HOW-6s in Viet Nam.  I was a field radio operator (2531).  I don't remember many names but myself ,Mike Lentini, who I still have contact with, and Don Brown, who was killed when the track he was on hit a land mine(DOW-11nov 1966) arrived together  and met Tim Gott ( I believe He received 2 Purple Hearts) there. We were all from 2/8 at Camp Lejeune.   Don Lariviere 1963-1967

My Vietnam tour, 1967-’68. Cpl. Larry Woolverton

I completed radio school back at Pendleton, went through Staging, which was supposed to prepare you for Vietnam, but didn’t, and I was ready to go.

     We weren’t sent to Vietnam as a unit.  The group of us that took off from Los Angeles that February in 1967 were replacements.  We flew aboard a Continental Airlines 707 with a civilian crew, complete with stewardesses.  I don’t remember exactly how long it took us to fly from L.A. to Okinawa, but I think it was about eighteen hours.  We stopped in Honolulu, Hawaii for an hour, or so to refuel, and were allowed to go into the terminal and get a Coke, or whatever.  Then back on the plane and we were off again.  So, I had been to Hawaii!  Wow!  It was warm. Nice terminal. read more

The Most Poignant Part

A Vietnam Story   Thought I would pass along an interesting story from Aug 1969. I  was #5 gun commander with Mike 4/11 (155 SP Howitzer). We had  departed An Hoa on a mine road clearing operation to Liberty  Bridge (10 klics). Our outfit would share the duty with tanks at  An Hoa and send out two guns to protect the grunts doing the  mine clearing. This was done every morning and after reaching  Liberty Bridge, The grunts would get on top of the guns and we  would dee dee back to An Hoa.  I was a Sgt at the time and  commanding the two M109's.   As we were progressing down the road there was a commotion up  ahead and the column was stopped. That is a no no in Marine  Corps tradition.  You just can't stop and let your gun become a  stationary target for our little friends. (vietcong) I got off  the gun and walked up front to see what was holding us up. The  road had about a foot of red dust and the guns and personnel  were covered in the stuff.    Lo and behold I run into a Gunnery Sgt by the name of Harmon.   He was commanding a group of 4 Ontos and were blocking the road.   The road was only wide enough for one of our guns. Someone had  to go into the rice paddies and probably will be stuck there  until they can be pulled out. Gunny Harmon was screaming (and  neck veins bulging) that his Ontos were not going into the rice  paddies and I kindly reminded him of rules of the road and who  had priority on passing.    Now here we are out in the middle of the road, both of us  covered in red dust except where we lifted our goggles and could  see each other's eyes. Kind of a raccoon effect. After  contacting our headquarters, the Gunny was politely told to get  the Ontos out of the way and into the rice paddies.  He was  fuming and cussing up a storm (dinky dao) but did as he was  ordered to do.     Four Ontos into the goo and one happy Sgt of Marines as we  started back on our mission.  On the way back to An Hoa we  passed the four Ontos and were told a tank retriever was on the  way to pull them out of the muck. Psychic reward! The most  poignant part of the story is that Gunny Harmon was one of my  drill instructors (and a real SOB) from Platoon 137, San Diego,  1964.  A little bit of history from the good ol days in the Nam.   Semper Fi and Happy Birthday Marines!   Lewis E Wood Sgt USMC 2107662

Greg Wood Marine Vietnam Story

Dedicated to William Overton Winston, Cpl, USMC, who left the world on 8/1/1067 

Good day.  I am writing this horrible story at the request of my family, although I don’t know why people would want to read about 18-year old Marines 45 years ago running through 125 degree jungles stopping to shoot at someone every 70 yards, dodging bullets all the way. The family justifies it: they tell me it’s a legacy of some kind.     Great amounts of death, blood, and trauma for 9 months, 2-3 times a week, around 80 firefights in 1966-67, Vietnam, USMC, WESPAC. Might have been 120 fights; who knows? Who cares.? Dead and wounded both sides everywhere. Penny a point, no one keeping score.  I was a 105MM artillery Forward Observer, shooting the big bullets.  What a legacy.   This is a 2010 Christmas present to them.  As a Grandpa (“Papa”), I have 4 sweet kids and 6 grandkids.  I haven’t spoken to any of them much about that year I spent as an 18-year old Marine half a century ago.  It was pretty rough, and I didn’t want them thinking of me as what “Papa” had become over that year.   It wasn’t that I lied; I just chose not to speak the whole truth that much, or tell these stories. This will change that; can’t hide anymore.  The only time I cried in the whole stupid war was when I lost count of how many men I had killed as a rifleman, then around 50 or so.  I knew the Artillery count was larger, probably 400 or more, but that’s sort of indirect.  I was surprised by the grunt work.  Afterward, I kept on killing, but never started counting again. How can you lose count of the men you had personally killed? Unforgivable; and it haunts me to this day still.  I never did catch up.  There are other hauntings, too, as you shall soon see.    Then,  the Greg I had known as a kid was in the never-never land forevermore, in the either always, no one would ever recognize me, there would be no friends nor lovers, and so it would be such for eternity, doomed, and so it would be, malevolent in the end, as it was that year. The only thing I would ever hear would be gunfire, explosions and violence, and I would end my short life amidst this milieu.   And so it was in fact; 50 years later I still live there occasionally, still.    I was adrift, morally, forever.  No one to blame but myself, I was the shooter with the hot hand.  No one ever told me to stop firing, they needed me too badly.  I was a volunteer and could have quit any day, but I enjoyed it and never wanted it to stop.  I even enjoyed the weekly near-death close calls.  Hello Satan.  Mark Twain said “You go to Heaven for the Climate, you go to Hell for the Company.”  See you soon, Mark.    However, as it turned out I had a pretty good life after this, in spite of my darker thoughts.    I prefer the legacy at the other end of the story.  After an AK-47 punched two holes in you, one under the left nipple going in, and another going out the back; without much blood or hollering, you go quiet pretty quickly.  Shock sets in fast, especially with only one lung left.    After five months, I recovered, went back to full Marine Corps duty, push-ups and runs, and was discharged (with medals), got out of the Corps and graduated two colleges with a BA and a Masters in business, worked for Merrill Lynch 5 years and was a real estate broker and developer for 15 more years.  I married two women, had 4 kids, two each, have 6 grandkids, and am now retired, fooling around with all the kids and grandkids.  Now that’s a legacy!   Back to Vietnam:  There are two stories: 1) The Big Picture; and 2) The Little Photographs.  We’ll see how this works out. 

Read the full story… (PDF)

Are we smarter than that?

After forty somethin' years it finally occured to me I should be insulted.  We all should.  Well, most of us anyway.  One crisp morning outside of Chu Lai I had the duty of retrieving the Claymores that had been set out the evening before.  This being accomplished I came back through the wire, plopped down, and started to heat some water in my canteen cup for coffee.  In the few moments it took for the water to heat (C-4 can heat it up really quick) I started fiddling with a Claymore in my lap, trying to see how it was put together and how easy it would be to take apart.  A little tentative prying with my C rat can opener and off came the back of it, exposing the pure smooth white of the C-4 layer, all except for a piece of paper, which covered about half the area of the explosive.  On this paper it said in large print "DO NOT EAT!"  At the time I thought it was silly, but only last week did I sit up in bed and say HEY!  Did they really think we were that stupid?!"  My wife had no idea what I was blathering about, but ever since I've been asking myself that same question.  Did the Army have that on the back of their Claymores too?  Maybe it was just for them?  Whatever.  I'm still wondering.  Semper Fidelis, Joe Holt  2158867 read more

LZ Kevin

LZ Kevin   It’s 21:00 on May 21st, 1969. Scuttlebutt says tonight is our last night on LZ Kevin. We’re all glad it’s over. Way too close to the “D” for our comfort. We know Charlie’s got us dialed in with his mortar tubes. Rockets are expected any time. Hell, as close as we are, we should be getting artillery from across the “D”. Quiet night so far and plenty of stars. That means good visibility while standing lines. Something just don’t feel right.   22:00. Night patrol going out through the wire. Good luck, Marines. Don’t bring anybody back with you. Let us get some rest tonight. Tomorrow we hump back to some hot chow.   23:00. What in the HELL was that? Another freakin’ Beacon Op. Some Marine Phantom leaves Da Nang, sets his course, flies real high, radio signal drops the 500lb bomb, we never hear the plane and then, BOOM, right beside us. Try going back to sleep after that one.   04:00. Night patrol coming back in. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, they all made it back. Didn’t bring any extras back with them. Good job, Marines. Now they say they saw a lot of sign. Looks like large troop movement just North of us. Gee thanks, any more good news?   06:00. Eatin’ the last of my C-rats. Word just came down from Gunny and Gunny never lies. We got choppers coming in to get us any time now. Get your gear packed, fill those fightin’ holes, bury your trash and get ready to ride. No humpin’ today. Thank you, Jesus.   08:00. Ok, where’s those choppers? Yea right, the general used them to go to the PX. I knew it was too good to be true. INCOMING!!! Hit the dirt!!! I heard the tubes pop. Sounded like three on the way! OK, move over Rodriguez; two of us have to fit in this hole. Well, I guess they just had to mess with us before we left. INCOMING!!! Three more on the way! Dig deep; I just heard the guns across the “D”. This ain’t good, ladies. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. That was artillery! Here come the mortars again! Somebody get up there and get a fix on those pops! Look for the f**kin’ flash and count to the pop. Give the 81’s some dope so they can fire a mission. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. Damn, that was close. Corpsman Up!!! Hurry up, check him out! How bad is it? Come on, answer up back there! Mad Dog six, Mad Dog six this is Cougar six, DO YOU COPY? BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. Now those were rockets! Have we got a fix on their tubes yet? I want to see your ass up there between rounds and you better find me a flash!! I don’t care if you have to run all the way to f**kin’ Hanoi, I want to know where this shit is coming from. Mad Dog six, Mad Dog six, this IS Cougar six, Do you copy, Say again, Do You Copy?   Go Cougar six, we copy.   Where are those damn choppers? We’re gettin’ our ass kicked here. We’re takin’ rockets, mortars and arty from across the “D”.   Stand by Cougar six. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. Cougar six, Cougar six, this is Mad Dog six.   Go Mad Dog six.   Choppers have been delayed. Call in location of tubes and we’ll run a fire mission. You copy, Cougar six? BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.     We copy, Mad Dog six.   Skipper, we got a fix on the tubes! From Burma Shave, add 600, left 200.   Good job, Marine, now get your ass in a hole. Mad Dog six, this is Cougar six, do you copy? BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.   Go Cougar six, you got a fix for us?   Damn skippy, Mad Dog. From Burma Shave, add 600, left 200. One Willie Peter.   OK Cougar six, shot over.   Shot out.   Talk to me Cougar six. Was it close?   Hell yes, Mad Dog, right 50 and fire for effect.   Roger that Cougar, right 50 and fire for effect. Shot Over.   Shot out. Ok Marines, hug some dirt. Our Arty’s coming in.   BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.   Did you see that? I think I saw the tube go up on that last one. Get Some, Arty!!!   BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. It ain’t over yet. The guns at Dong Ha Mountain ain’t gonna reach across the “D” to silence their guns. Sgt. Reid, how many we lost?   We got four KIA’s and three WIA’s, Skipper. Had two direct hits in two holes.   Well, let’s get the KIA’s up to the LZ. Pass the word, we’re moving out in five Mikes. I want the squad leaders on me now!   Yes Sir, Skipper.   BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.   Ok Marines, gather round and stay low. I don’t want any more KIA’s. We’re gonna’ walk off of this hill and down that ravine over there. Tell the men not to bunch up and keep their eyes open. The night patrol saw signs of large troop movements to our North. Now get’em movin’.   BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.   Aye, Aye, Skipper.   First Squad! Saddle up! On me, now! Stay low.   Second Squad! Get your gear and get movin’.   Third Squad! You better not be f**kin’ last! Get your gear and start movin’!   BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.   Cougar six, Cougar six, this is Mad Dog six, do you copy?   Go Mad Dog, this is Cougar six.   Cougar six, be advised, those choppers are inbound. ETA 15 Mikes. You copy?   Roger that Mad Dog, ETA 15 Mikes. New LZ, Mad Dog six, you ready to copy?   Roger Cougar six, send new LZ.   New LZ is from Burma Shave drop 200, right 100. You copy, Mad Dog?   Roger that Cougar six, New LZ from Burma Shave drop 200, right 100. You gonna’ be there in 15 Mikes?   You just have those choppers there, Mad Dog, and we’ll be there! Over?   Roger Cougar six, over and out.   BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.   Ok Marines, get your ass off of my hill!!   BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.   Ok, keep it quiet. We don’t want Charlie to know he ain’t got a target till we’re half way back to Con Thien. Pass it back, keep five paces between you and keep your eyes open.   Skipper, Gunny says we got company. They’re looking for us.   Ok, keep the noise down and keep’em movin’. Another five Mikes and we’ll be at the new LZ. Tell’em to keep on the South side of that hill. When we get there tell them to get the WIA’s near the top of the hill, but stay down. Got it?   Aye, Aye Skipper. Will do.   11:00. Skipper, the choppers are coming down the valley.   Ok, get those WIA’s ready to load and the first three loads get ready. The faster we get these three birds out of here, the sooner they’ll be back for the rest of us.   Damn, why didn’t they leave low like they came in? What are they trying to do, tell them where we are? OK, Marines, dig in. It may not stay this quiet. You can bet your ass they’re looking for us right now. Don’t make it easy for’em. Keep your asses down.   11:25. OK, next three loads get ready. Oh shit, they found us. Incoming! Get on those choppers fast!   BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.   They’re gettin’ closer, keep movin’.   Now the time seemed to stop. Just when I started to step onto the ramp of the last CH-46 to leave this No-Name LZ, a round hit close to the front of the chopper. The pilot figured he’d had enough and he pulled up just as my foot was about to come down on the ramp. My foot slipped off the ramp and I fell with my arms stretched out across the ramp. Before I knew it, we were sliding down the side of the hill about 15 feet off the ground. It was all I could do to hang on. I finally dared to look down. Now we’re about 1000 feet in the air over the floor of the valley below and climbing. Now we’re at 1500 and I’m screaming at the top of my lungs. The Marines in the chopper seem miles away. They are just settling in on the side seats and checking each other for wounds. I can’t seem to make them hear me and I’m losing my grip on the ramp. Only my elbows are over the ramp now. One Marine finally looks back at me and grabs the crew chief’s arm, pointing frantically at me. The crew chief says something into his headset. Now the ramp begins to come up. If this ramp closes with me hanging on like this, all that will be left of me to send home will be my arms from the elbow down. The crew chief sees this and shouts into the headset again. Oh great, now the ramp is being lowered. Now they won’t even have any arms to send home. I look down again. Oh no, no rice paddy below, as if that would cushion my fall from 1500 feet at 40 knots. Finally two Marines jump up and come back to grab my arms. They pull me in and all is well. I guess I will live to eat C-rats one more day.   The After-Op report on LZ Kevin says that there were 500 North Vietnamese Regulars surrounding our hill as we were arriving at our new LZ to be extracted. They were just five minutes too late. That would have been some battle. Five hundred North Vietnamese Army soldiers against eighty-five U. S. Marines. Of course, I’m sure some of them would have lived but we would have kicked their ass. After all, we’re Marines and that’s what Marines do. Semper Fi.   In loving memory of Ralford Jackson and Paul Speaks.   KIA May 22, 1969 LZ Kevin, Northern I Corps, Republic of Vietnam

Two Historic Pics

Check out two historic pics.

Cpl. Lou ALbert w/Ontos taken South of Marble Mountain – DaNang while coming off an Operation with Kilo Co 3rd Bn 1st Marines during 1966.

Pic with 106 mounted on an Amtrac while Kilo Company 3rd Bn 1st Marines conducted an Operation on Snaggletooth Is during 1966. Legendary Captain 'Speedy G' Lee Gonzales was CO of Kilo Company. Never before had a 106 been chained and sandbagged on the top of an Amtrac. This pic was taken by Cpl. Lou Albert and has been given to the Marine Corps Museum at MCRD San Diego, CA. read more