As the point arrived to 673, I was about 20 feet from a huge bunker and it appeared that there was nobody home. And then as the old saying goes, "ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!!!!" Machine gunfire was coming from all directions. Bullets whizzed around us cutting trees and branches…many times in the past I asked myself: "Why didn't you charge up that last 20 feet and throw a grenade through the aperture of that bunker? The answer I always got was: "Because I was scared out of my wits, you silly son of a bitch! Why didn't you do it?"
Anyway, I scrambled back a few yards and hit the deck. I lay on my back and pulled out and lit a Camel cigarette. I listened to the bullets whizzing overhead. This firefight lasted about two Camels and then abruptly stopped. I waited 10 minutes and started making my way back to the Platoon. The Platoon had left so I decided I would to and started down the hill towards the valley. Shortly two shots rang out towards me from 673. Then a voice (in gook English) yelled, "HALT." I thought, "that son of a bitch missed me twice and now he would like for me to HALT?" Screw you Charlie! I was moving on! Pulling a Hank Snow! I ran on down the hill about 100 yards and stopped for a minute. I could still see the top of 673 and assumed they could see me so I changed directions and moved over another 100 yards. I stopped on the edge of a ravine where I could no longer see the top of 673 but I could see my last stop. I felt sure that they would come down looking for me so I lay down by a large tree and waited. I guess I |
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was there about 15 minutes and during this time I talked to God and Jesus and anyone else who would listen! I made every promise I could think of! I said, "if you can only get me out of this mess I will go to church every Sunday and any other time you are open!"
I began to hear voices and in a few minutes this gook appeared at the same spot I though t he would. He was talking to someone else that I couldn't see and he was looking in my direction. I didn't think that he saw me because of his casual manner and pretty sure that they thought I was already back in Corpus Christi, Texas by then! Even though he had his weapon slung on this shoulder I just didn't want to chance it. I leveled my M-1 at him a squeezed off a round, which hit him in the stomach chest area and knocked him down screaming! A terrific feeling of contentment ran through me and at the moment the fear was gone. With them in turmoil it seemed like a good time for me to exit. I reached the rice paddies, which were terraced down to the bottom of the valley like giant stairs. These paddies were about 50 feet wide and then they would drop off 3 feet to the next one. Burp gun and machine gun fire followed me as I ran across the paddies. At each drop off I would crawl one way or the other 20 feet or so and then take off running again. My helmet fell off in the middle of one of the paddies. That helmet had some letters in it from a girl in Corpus. As the machine gun fire increased the importance of the helmet and letter decreased. I decided not to return for them. |
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I finally got across the valley and could see the ridgeline where Baker Company was dug in. It was almost dark now and I decided it might be better if I waited until morning to go up the hill. So far my day was going pretty good and I didn't want to end it by accidentally being killed by U. S. Marines.
I must have slept most of the night as dawn came quickly. At about 0600 I thought it might be safe to make my way back up the hill. I yelled up to Baker Company my name and company. It seemed like it took a long time but they finally signaled for me to come up. I got about half way up the hill and there was an explosion under me. When I opened my eyes I was standing in a huge hole! I yelled don't shoot and they yelled back, "don't move you are in a mine- field!". I won't blame you if you stop reading this now but THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED? I didn't have a scratch on me, but didn't hear too well for a while. Maybe it was my talk with God and Jesus the day before. I don't know and don't really need to know! Baker Company sent 2 Marines down to guide me on up the trail and though the minefield. I was taken to Lt. Eddie LE BARON for debriefing. Years later I saw his name in the paper when he was appointed General Manager of the Atlanta Falcons Team. I wrote him a letter and he remembered the incident and sent me an autographed photo of himself when he was a quarterback of the Dallas Team, (I had asked for the photo in my letter.) |
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