|
Even more fearful, I reached down to touch my legs and feet -- all
were attached and functioning. Slowly I re-opened my eyes.
Everything was purple and hazy (yo- sounds like a song).
White flashes burst in the haze like the fourth of July. My head
was heavy and drowsy. The sun was too bright. The glare became
even stronger as my head became clearer.
I was still alive and all in one
piece!
Doc Anders knelt over me assuring I would be okay.
Sgt. Carr set up our perimeter without hesitation. He never lost
sight of our mission and continued to lead.
"Where's Captain Mac?" I asked (wondering where the West Point
ring knocker had been hiding during the assault).
"He's right here with us 1-6," Doc replied rather astounded, "He
wasted the gook that got you. Not bad for an officer."
Doc cut open my shirt to assess the extent of my wounds.
"It's not so bad 1-6. Just a peppering for the most part. They'll
have to do some digging (to remove shrapnel) but you're in pretty
goods shape," Doc added.
"What the hell hit me?" I asked as I rolled over and tried to get
up.
"Captain Mac said it was a Chi-Com grenade," Doc answered.
"You're a lucky son-of-a-bitch. That little bastard had a whole
box of baseball grenades (US fragmentation grenades with 10 times
the power of the Chinese-Communist type that was thrown at me).
One of those suckers and you'd be lying all over this hill." Doc
added.
Doc looked out over me, cupping his hands over his eyes to reduce
the glare of the searing sun, anticipating the arrival of the
incoming medevac helicopter.
"We'll have you out of here in no time, 1-6," Doc offered, "and as
good as new in a few days."
Doc looked proud of himself as he
knelt over me and sharing his medical expertise.
"You guys looked awesome!" Doc said like a kid bragging on his home
team at a sporting event. "I don't believe . . ." his words were halted
abruptly by the rapid fire of an automatic weapon only a few feet
behind him.
Unbelievable! There was another gook hiding in the hole with the
one Captain Mac killed. He just popped up and began spraying the
hill with a 30-round clip in his AK-47 rifle.
Sergeant Clemons immediately returned fire and took out the gook.
Sergeant Carr ran over and grabbed Clemons and pulled him away to
safety.
Explosions interrupted our gathering. Again there was so much
yelling and screaming all over the hill as enemy mortar rounds
began to fall on us. We prepared for an enemy counter attack, but
not for mortars.
The first couple rounds caused several additional casualties.
I
could hear Captain Mac yelling, "Let's get out of here. Drag the
wounded. Let's go."
Norris and Goode, from my second squad, began to drag me off.
"Let me get up," I pleaded, "I can make it Okay." I walked quickly
with my arms around their necks.
"Wait!" Norris said as he leaned down into a foxhole, "You need
this gook's belt. He's a goddamn officer."
Norris struggled to remove the belt from the remains of the NVA
officer; but he succeeded.
"Here it is, 1-6; you're trophy", Norris exclaimed as he held the
uniform belt high above his head like a winning prize fighter.
Several more mortar rounds hit us and began a panicked move down
the hill. Norris cussed at them and pulled away. He grabbed his
M-60 and took a 100-round belt from Goode and ran across the hill
towards the enemy positions. Norris laid down a base of fire to
make our move safer. He silenced the mortars. (Norris later
received the Army Commendation Medal with "V" for valor for his
heroics. Had he been of higher rank he certainly would have
received a Silver or Bronze Star for his actions)
Down the south side of the hill we moved, stumbling and falling
over each other. Some were escorting their buddies, while some
were being dragged, feet bobbing up and down all the way to the
creek bed below. By the time we reached the creek I realized I was
okay. My back burned as sweat roll over the wounds. But I had
completely regained my senses and knew I was alright.
There was as mess at the bottom of the hill. We had mingled with
the guys from the 1-61. It didn't matter though; all we wanted to
do was get as far away from that hill and as quickly as possible
to get out of their mortar range.
Continued on page 7 |
