The rest of the story, John and Bravo Blues : is maybe that those same VC and NVA sappers that were saved by their fear - rightly so- lived to fight another day and ran me out of Pleiku, Nha Trang and ultimately Ton Son Nut in that retributive April 1975 moment for denying them Ann Margaret's scalp
Thanks for reading and commenting. Rangers always welcome! When were you with H/75? Was the situation you were referring to by any chance in December 1970?
I was a Plt Ldr in Co D, 5/7th on Christmas 1970. We were deployed along the Cambodian border north of Firebase Snuffy. They did fly in some hot food and some packages from kids back in the states that had cookies and some Christmas Cards.
It was very hilly and triple canopy stuff.
I later transferred to a similar unit, D Troop, 2/17th Air Cav Squadron with the 101st in I Corps
I remember that AO well, Phillip. On Thanksgiving Day, I was the recon platoon leader in 1/8 Cav. We cut out a small DZ, taking down just a few trees. The resulting hole in the jungle was not nearly large enough to land a bird in, but large enough so that they could a hot turkey dinner to us. To keep it hot, it was delivered in the cylindrical tubes that artillery charges came in. You never forget those days.
John, I've known you 50 years, and you have some excellent "war stories." I know they're true because I have been with you on a couple of occasions when you sprang into action. When I first saw Apocalypse Now, I told everyone that the Robert Duval character was you. Now it might not have been, but it might have been. Without the surfing, of course. Maybe being ring man in gymnastics or boxing.
Preach it, brother. Preach it! I am in the mountains but when I get back to Kinloch will send you a photo of my Cav hat, which is the same black Stetson hat that Duval wore in the movie. Duval's unit in that movie was based on my unit, 1/9 Cav., although we did not have speakers attached to our helicopters playing The Ride Of The Valkyries when we made a combat assault. Nowadays, I see a lot of those black hats in cavalry units, but back then I think that the only units that were authorized to wear them in-country were the air cavalry squadrons in the 1st Cav (1/9 Cav) , and the 101st (2/17 Cav). Phillip Beane, who commented above, was in 2/17.
You ARE the man, John! I probably mentioned that I met President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 4, 1968 in San Antonio, when he was in his last six months as president. I saluted him, he saluted me and shook my hand. "Where are you from, Son?" the president asked. "Lufkin, Sir!" I replied. "I have some fine friends in Lufkin," he said. While you and I were in law school, I lobbied with his widow, Lady Bird (who was on the UT Board of Regents) to vote AGAINST a per student tax to fund Student Govt because the Student Govt had given money to the Iranian Students Association, which was connected to a known radical named ... The Ayatollah Khomeini. That was 1976, three years before that revolution which saw 52 hostages taken at the US Embassy. I got her, Former Gov Allan Shivers, and a former Ambassador to change their votes KILLING the whole drive to fund Student Government with $220,000 of student money per year. I love the smell of whimpering liberals in the morning.
The rest of the story, John and Bravo Blues : is maybe that those same VC and NVA sappers that were saved by their fear - rightly so- lived to fight another day and ran me out of Pleiku, Nha Trang and ultimately Ton Son Nut in that retributive April 1975 moment for denying them Ann Margaret's scalp
Thank you for your service sir.
Wouldn’t trade it for anything, Dan.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Rangers always welcome! When were you with H/75? Was the situation you were referring to by any chance in December 1970?
John
I was a Plt Ldr in Co D, 5/7th on Christmas 1970. We were deployed along the Cambodian border north of Firebase Snuffy. They did fly in some hot food and some packages from kids back in the states that had cookies and some Christmas Cards.
It was very hilly and triple canopy stuff.
I later transferred to a similar unit, D Troop, 2/17th Air Cav Squadron with the 101st in I Corps
Its all good, Don't mean Sh--.!
I remember that AO well, Phillip. On Thanksgiving Day, I was the recon platoon leader in 1/8 Cav. We cut out a small DZ, taking down just a few trees. The resulting hole in the jungle was not nearly large enough to land a bird in, but large enough so that they could a hot turkey dinner to us. To keep it hot, it was delivered in the cylindrical tubes that artillery charges came in. You never forget those days.
John, I've known you 50 years, and you have some excellent "war stories." I know they're true because I have been with you on a couple of occasions when you sprang into action. When I first saw Apocalypse Now, I told everyone that the Robert Duval character was you. Now it might not have been, but it might have been. Without the surfing, of course. Maybe being ring man in gymnastics or boxing.
Preach it, brother. Preach it! I am in the mountains but when I get back to Kinloch will send you a photo of my Cav hat, which is the same black Stetson hat that Duval wore in the movie. Duval's unit in that movie was based on my unit, 1/9 Cav., although we did not have speakers attached to our helicopters playing The Ride Of The Valkyries when we made a combat assault. Nowadays, I see a lot of those black hats in cavalry units, but back then I think that the only units that were authorized to wear them in-country were the air cavalry squadrons in the 1st Cav (1/9 Cav) , and the 101st (2/17 Cav). Phillip Beane, who commented above, was in 2/17.
You ARE the man, John! I probably mentioned that I met President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 4, 1968 in San Antonio, when he was in his last six months as president. I saluted him, he saluted me and shook my hand. "Where are you from, Son?" the president asked. "Lufkin, Sir!" I replied. "I have some fine friends in Lufkin," he said. While you and I were in law school, I lobbied with his widow, Lady Bird (who was on the UT Board of Regents) to vote AGAINST a per student tax to fund Student Govt because the Student Govt had given money to the Iranian Students Association, which was connected to a known radical named ... The Ayatollah Khomeini. That was 1976, three years before that revolution which saw 52 hostages taken at the US Embassy. I got her, Former Gov Allan Shivers, and a former Ambassador to change their votes KILLING the whole drive to fund Student Government with $220,000 of student money per year. I love the smell of whimpering liberals in the morning.
This must be true cuz John Lucas was my first detail Beast Barracks squad leader and knew everything and could do anything. It must be true.
Preach it, brother!
No doubt in my military mind, this is the God's honest truth.
I appreciate your doing that. I DEROS'ed in September 71. Was Pete Dencker your company commander in H/75? Was Mike Davidson there then?
Again, glad to have you aboard.