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Hurdle___Medley.JPGHurdle & Medley124 viewsSp4 James A. "Jim" Hurdle and PFC Mike Medley. Taken right after I got to "A" Battery late May '69 at LZ St. George.
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FDO_Benton_and_XO_McKuen.JPGFDO and the XO124 views"A" Battery officers Lt Jerry R. Benton (FDO) and Lt McHugh (XO) touching the roof of the twin CONEX containers of the portable FDC. Note the trusty ol' pencil sharpener under Benton's right arm and a flashlight magnetized to the joint in the roof. Benton was later promoted to Captain.
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LZ_Marie.JPGLZ Marie124 viewsOn the ground, now...securing LZ Marie. After the guns got in, we got up a strand of concertina wire. I don't remember how long we were there, but one evening as the LPs were going out, the new grunt Platoon Leader had the rest of the platoon guarding the LZ in the middle with their weapons field stripped. Rookie mistake. The AKs started popping and the LPs came running back in under fire, followed by mortars (just 60 mikes) right behind them. One of the howitzers went to final protective fire (firecracker, crank it all the way up and down a couple of turns, charge 1 and .2 seconds I think it was). I think the other tube was loading beehive. Our eltee was in his hole down from me and I had the radios. Got in touch with the Battery at LZ Lois but there was a problem with the GT line. So we shot the firecracker. Nothing like the sound of 9 bomblets coming down on an incoming breeze to pucker one up. Only a couple of them landed in inside the perimeter. The only casualty - and this might be just wishful thinking garnered over the years, so I'd like confirmation from others - was the grunt eltee who got shrapnel in his rear.
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LZ__Marie.JPGLZ Marie124 viewsOn the way to LZ Marie, we got the "good news" that we had been dropped off a few klicks short the intended spot; we had to double-time on down by foot since the shithooks were laid on for the lift. LZ Marie started off bad since they landed the Advance Party a few klicks away from where we were supposed to be and we had to hoof it to the right location. This LZ was just outside of a rubber plantation. We could see the enemy scampering around their bunkers among the rubber trees. We weren't supposed to shoot into a French plantation without higher (economic impact) authority. However, we did shoot the guns like mortars - high angle charge 1. About 15 minutes later the French plantation manager pulled up in his jeep raising holy hell in French. I had flunked college French and one of the other guys had taken it in high school so we tried to calm him down, which only made him madder since we were butchering his native tongue. The rear sent out a settlement team to pay him off in short order, less than an hour. I sure wish the rear could have produced a pair of 9 1/2 boots - two weeks - as fast as they sent that settlement team.
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Christmas_convoy.JPGOn the road again124 views On the road again, another fond memory of Christmas Eves past.
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AK-4.JPGAircraft at An Khe runway124 viewsLooks like a rotor is missing....
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StG-4.JPGMemories of LZ St George124 viewsCobra attack helo.
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StG-9.JPGMemories of LZ St George124 viewsCaptured enemy weapons. When I was out with the grunts, this is what we got ambushed with. I will never forget the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle). Sounds just like it does in the movies. It has it's own tune and is very nasty and deadly.
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StG-20.JPGMemories of LZ St George124 viewsLooking down the long barrel of the 106mm recoilless rifle.
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RW-34.JPGLZ Uplift124 viewsCamping at LZ Uplift. Bubble helo surrounded by sandbag parapet.
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French_Ambush.JPGSite of the historic ambush124 viewsHistory tells us that this is where the French forces were ambushed at the Mang Yang Pass on Hwy 19.
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Fred_Oliver_Golf.JPGJ Fred Oliver124 viewsRedleg J. Fred Oliver of the 2/9th, a resident and developer in San Diego, tees off on the back nine. Note the landmark called "Loma Point" sitting out in the Pacific. This is truly a scenic golf course. Fred coordinated with Don "Doc" Johnson in getting tee times for the golfers.
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