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In Hell With Dragons
by Richard Shaffer
CHAPTER THREEWE DRAW FIRST BLOOD
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CHAPTER 3
WE DRAW FIRST BLOOD
Lt. Thomas had a meeting with the CO (Commanding Officer) and he was on his way back.
"The old man says that we've got the patrol tonight. Do you think you can get seven or eight men ready in the next couple hours?"
"Yes sir, that's all you want me to take out?"
"Yea, I want you to keep it small and simple, so you'll be able to move with a lot less noise."
"Okay sir, I'll grt them ready for a briefing in about 10 minutes. Do you know what the password for tonight is yet?"
"Brown-Derby," he said.
"Jesus, where do they get such classics, out of the Hollywood movies?"
"Beats me where the hell they get them, I just write the damn things down."
"What time do they want us back in the morning?"
"I'll call you on the radio and let you know when to come in. Look far the call just before daylight."
"Check."
"And one other thing, just be careful, and don't do anything out of character."
"Me out of character? Never. You can count on it Lieutenant."
I held a briefing with the members of the patrol on their duties for the mission. It took awhile to round up the supplies and ammo that we needed. The time flew and it was time to get ready. I let them take their last puffs on their cigarettes.
"We're gonna move out in about ten minutes. Check your gear and lock and load. Mantley, have you got the long-range antenna for that PRC-25 of yours?"
"No, I left it in my other pack."
"Well go and get it, we might need it. Don't ever go out with me again without it."
"Sorry Sarge, I didn't think we were going that far out."
"You never know where they might send us after we get out there. It's best that you have it at all times."
"Yea, right, that's a pretty good idea."
"Make sure both your canteens are full. I don't want anybody complaining that they don't have any water. Okay, let's get out of here and move out."
"Okay, hold up a minute. Hold it, we got a problem here. Green, get rid of that pack. You don't need it where we're going."
Green had one of the members take off his pack and we left it behind. I didn't feel that it was necessary to take any equipment out on a patrol that's just going to make noise. The move out of base camp was quiet and orderly. Everyone seemed anxious to get going and get back as soon as possible. Gerard took the point out when we started. He knew what I wanted him to do and where we were supposed to go. I trusted him. Our objective was to secure an area outside our perimeter. We didn't want to let the enemy find us, before we found them. The action of this patrol was routine at first.
AN/PRC-25 Radio/Transmitter
FM Receiver-Transmitter that provided two-way communications in platoons and companies.
When we got into position, we sat up in an "L" type ambush. I placed each man into position and had the Claymore mines set up. Everything was fine until I started talking into the company radio. I was calling in our situation report. At about half way into my talking to headquarters, I heard this loud blast out in front of our position. At first I thought that Charlie had crossed in front of our ambush. It was then I realized that one of our Claymores had gone off by accident.
"What the hell was that?" asked Mantley.
"One of the damn Claymores went off by accident."
"Shit, how in the hell did that happen?"
"Green pumped the electrical device on the Claymore too many times. The charge went off when he plugged in the wires to the electrical device," said Johnson.
"Damn it, get him over here. I want to talk to him."
Green came over and I asked him if anybody was hurt.
"No Sarge, nobody got hurt."
"What the hell happened back there?"
"Sorry Sarge, I guess I goofed."
"Goofed, your ass. You just let Charlie know where the hell we are. Why don't you just call him up on the phone and ask him to dinner, for Christ's sake?"
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
"Mantley, get TOC on the horn, I want to talk to them. We're going to have to change locations."
"Right Sarge. I'll get right on it. four-6 this is four-5 alpha, over?"
"This is four-6, over."
"Ah, this is four-5 alpha, wait one, over. Here Sarge, he's on the line."
I told TOC (tactical operations center) that we had to get the patrol out of this location because of the "accident." They agreed with me. We packed up and got out of there as soon as we could. We tried to move as quietly as we could, under the circumstances. We settled in at our pre-selected alternate site. It only took us about 10 minutes to set up. Other than being irritated because of the screw-up, I was relieved that we got out of that last problem without incident. We didn't see or hear anything the remainder of the patrol mission. We could count ourselves lucky.
Just before daylight, as expected, Lt. Thomas in TOC called us to terminate the patrol. We packed up and prepared to leave the ambush site. All we had to do was get back without any trouble. Only our luck wasn't holding out this morning. Thinking back on it I can't think of one reason why it would considering what went down last night.
At about the point where we were feeling good about going in, a sniper started firing on us. Our coming up to the clearing out of the jungle afforded an opportunity for the VC to open up on us. We didn't know at the time where or how many there were. Dirt and water from the rice paddies were kicking up all around us. Where the hell is the firing coming from? We kept our heads low enough that he couldn't get a bead on us. Finally, after a couple minutes of his taking pot shots at us, we first picked his location out of the woods to our left front. We located him by the puff of smoke from his rifle. On the second go-around from his firing, Figaroah picked up his head just enough to spot where he was. The VC was well camouflaged in the woodline.
"I see him," said Fig. "He's just to the right of that second tree on the right, about five feet in back of that bush."
I raised my head slowly and then rolled my body from the prone position I was in to another spot and then looked up again. I was hoping that he hadn't had time to get a bead on my head. He fired once again while I had my head up. Then I spotted him. I lowered my head and turned to Fig.
"I estimate about 200 yards to target, Fig. What do you think?"
"Yea, that's what I'm setting my sight for, it looks good to me."
"Okay, Fig, put a couple of grenades from your M-79 into that bush. After you fire the first round, we'll open up at him from here. Okay everyone, get set. Now!" I yelled.
Fig opened up with the first round and then we all opened up. It didn't take much to flush him out. Fig's grenade launcher had done the trick. The rest of it was for good measure.
"Cease fire, cease fire. That should do it."
The enemy put out an early warning sentry and it looks like he might have fallen asleep while on guard. When he woke up and saw us walking along the rice paddy, he must have panicked and just began shootin'. Luckily, we escaped this incident, again without injury. We think it was stupid of Charlie to give away his position like that, to open up on a superior-numbered foe. Because of it we just obliged and put him back to sleep. Fig and Gerard went out to see if that was all that we were up against. He was alone.
"Mantley, make a call in and tell them what happened. Just that we made some minor contact and that we have one enemy KIA. Also let them know that we're okay and that we're returning to base camp immediately.
"Check Sarge, you want them to send anyone out to meet us?"
"No, just tell them to get a lookout for us. I don't want anybody gettin' trigger-happy when we get in there."
Fig and Gerard cleared the area where Charlie opened up. While they were on the way back to meet us, Johnson hollered out to them to hurry back.
"Figaroah, get your ass back over here. We're gettin' out of this shit hole," said Johnson.
"Hold your horses will you? I'm gettin' something."
Fig bent over to pick up something. He came up with a rifle with a small scope on it.
"Hey, look at what Fig just found you guys. Looks like he just picked up a souvenir for himself," said Johnson.
"Come on you guys, I want to get the hell out of here sometime today."
"Go on Sarge, Gerard and I will bring up the rear."
M79/40mm Grenade Launcher
The M79 was a percussion-type single-shot grenade launcher which fired its 40mm round as far as 400 meters.
"I want Gerard up front here on point. Come on, let's go."
"Damn Sarge, me again?"
"Yea you again. I want somebody up there with his eyes open. You're it, so get to it, we're burnin' daylight."
"What about Green? He ain't been on point yet."
"Green, Gerard wants you on point, okay with you?"
"Sure Sarge, fine and dandy with me."
"Good, get up there and keep Gerard company. He's gettin' lonely and needs your help."
All I heard from Gerard was a mumbling sound. Sounded like "shit."
"Hey Sarge, we just going to leave him like that?" asked Johnson.
"Like what?"
"Aren't you gonna bury 'em?"
"You want to take the time to bury him? Then go ahead Johnson, we'll meet you back at camp while you do it."
"Hell, no. I ain't gonna bury 'em; let the flies blow 'em until he rots. I don't care."
"Somehow I thought you'd see it my way."
About 100 meters out from camp I had Mantley call in our position. I was relieved that this patrol was about over. It was quite a night and day to say the least. Why no one got hurt out there is beyond me. I guess we were just lucky this time. Next time maybe we won't be so lucky. My main concern is for the care and safety of my platoon. They are a good, well-trained bunch of men. If they listen and do the right thing at the right time, then we might survive this war. We've still got a lot to learn and a whole year over here to make sure we get it right.
As we came in toward the base camp, I saw Lt. Thomas waiting at one of the machine guns from 3rd platoon's sector. He motioned for me to join him as I walked in.
"I was a little worried about you a few minutes ago. I was just about to send a relief squad out when I heard all that firing."
"No sweat lieutenant. Thanks for the concern though. Everything is okay. Nobody got hurt."
"Your men did a hell of a job. I'm proud of them."
"Thanks sir, I'll let them know what you said."
"You got a confirmed KIA enemy, is that right?"
"Yes sir. Figaroah caught him in the woods with his M-79. Blew him all to hell."
"Just one is all you saw?" he asked.
"Yes sir, just one that we saw. We looked for more, no luck."
"Okay Sarge, take a break. We'll probably be moving out of here in a couple of hours. Let your men know we're pulling out back to base camp."
"Yes sir, they'll be glad to hear that. Thanks for the good news. Talk to you later, sir."
"Right, see you in a couple of hours."
Our mission here at the village was terminated. We headed back to Cu Chi that afternoon. We cleaned up and took a rest. It was going on toward the end of March and word was out that a big operation was coming up. We were headed up north to a place called "Nui Ba Den," which means Black Virgin Mountain. It was supposed to be up close to the Cambodian border.
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Distinguished Service Medal
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Legion of Merit
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