I know what he means about ” Rock Apes” They were massive and had a human face. We were always happy to see a mongoose. They kept Cobras and 2 Step Vipers in check. I detested going through a swamp. Leeches. What a nightmare. Insects as large as 6 inches long. You were never dry. I completed 2 tours. 1968 and 1969. We saw things I never knew existed. It’s Great to be home. I was wounded by a punji trap. Corpsman Stone pulled it off. He cleaned it up, gave me morphine and a lot of antibiotics. Was sent back to base camp. I had to soak my foot in this pink powder with water. This was for 3 weeks. My entire foot scabbed over and I took it off like a boot. Captain Richenbach wrote me up for a Purple Heart. It’s on my hutch. I can see it from here. God Bless Corpsman Stone. He saved my life. I’m 74 now. Still in pretty good shape.
Semper Fi. Marines. Sgt. E-5 Paul A. Fleming 0311. Ser.No. 2410636
“Rock Apes” are pretty much a myth. Just like the American “Big Foot” but it made for a practical joke or two. A lot of pit vipers and cobras in Vietnam and also read that the 2 step was also a myth. Bill 0331
I was stung (bitten) by a centipede right on the calf above my boot. Swelled up 3 times normal size. No PH for that. But it kept me out of action for a while. Bill 0331
The 2 step called a “many- banded krait” and causes more snake bite deaths then other venomous snakes in SE Asia. You will die in a few hours if not treated, not 2 steps. Unless it takes you a couple hrs to take 2 steps. Harry
Your exactly right Harry.
Hey Sgt. How are you these days?
Another corpsman saving another life! Good you survived the punji stick and in good shape at 74! Marines rock and live long lives! OOHRAHH!
HAVE ANY BODY EVER HERD OF THE SAND PACKERS SNAKES.
Actually sand packers are birds. And they predominantly live in the Ft. Bragg N.C. woods due to the dominantly sandy soil. Of course there may be sand packer snakes. They probably live predominantly in the various deserts of the world.
After reading your comment I’m glad I was Air Wing. VMA- 211 1968-69. I hate snakes. Only snake I was familiar with in Nam was “Snake and Nape”. 250 pound bombs and napalm loaded on our A4 Skyhawks. Glad you made it back. Semper Fi. Paul Chacho Jr SGT E5
SGT Fleming, thank your service and God Bless you.
SF
Your story brings to mind the rats about the size of a loaf of bread. There 66 to 25 Sept 67 0311/0231 2244***
Saw a giant centipede & the effects of being bitten by one. Was on Hill 273 with Lima 3/7 as an 0331. Had a patrol very day & an ambush every other night. One morning I went to see my squad leader, Corporal Bradley, to find out which squad & gun team had the patrol that day. I crawled inside his bunker made of a metal sewer pipe with sandbags around it. His face looked like a balloon with a nose & eyes painted on it. While he was sleeping he felt something pulling on his lip. He sat up to see what was going on & found a centipede attached to his lip & still attached to the ground. That’s how long it was. It was also as big around as my thumb. I know because I saw it when it came out of the sandbags. I smashed it with Bradley’s E-tool. On the same hill during that same period of time our platoon commander killed a Cobra with his 45. After leaving that hill we were on an ambush somewhere in the Que Son mountains when a snake fell out of a tree on top of one our Marines. We had to get up & move right after that because he made quite a bit of noise getting the snake off of him.
Cpl. John P. Sitek
0331
Lima 3/7 & Kilo 3/5
LZ Ross
Is there a Marine coin for Chaplains?
Unfortunately there really can’t be “Marine Coins for Chaplains” because Marine Corps chaplains are actually “Navy” chaplains. Still, the “Department of Coins” should make an honorable coin for chaplains. Like Navy Corpsmen, they also put their lives at risk for Marines in combat—or not in combat.
David T. “Nitro” Nyerges Sergeant, USMC, 2408539 1968 – 1970 Escondido, CA. libertykid@juno.com
“Dept.of coins!” Love it!
SGT Fleming , Thank you very much for your service, I only got as far as Okinawa. I am glad you got back home safely! I had other friends that were not that fortunate. I write my Congressmen and Senators often to support and take care of Vietnam Veterans.
My last two tours were in Kabul, Afghanistan with the Italians.
Steve K.
23 June 1967 MCRD, yellow footprints and all. 2348982
We had Rock Apes all over the Rock Pile. They’d rummage around at night looking for leftover food from the C-Rat cans that had been thrown over the side. I stepped in a waist-high punji pit after I had just warned the FNG’s to be careful. Got one in the lower back. Corpsman cleaned it up. No PH. Fortunately, it was an old one so most of the Bamboo spikes gave way. Semper Fi, JB
Wow! Dodged one there Joe! Better first aid on your lower back by your corpsman than on your balls! Whew!