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Firebase Fuller was located on top of Dong Ha Mountain where several
batteries of guns were located to fire support for our troops in the
field. Our rifle companies; Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta took
turns spending time on the mountain as a security force to protect
the guns. The mountain was very steep and was very difficult to walk
up, or down so most of the time it was in or out was by chopper. I
remember that the mountain always appeared to be in the shape of a
peanut; fat at the ends and narrow in the middle.
I
think I was on the mountain two times and both times our company was
in the same location. We were at the opposite end, away from the
chopper pad. We slept in small "hooches" made from ammo boxes filled
with dirt. It seems like there were four cots in each hooch. There
was a trench line that circled the mountain with bunkers all along
the trench line. Out from the trench line was concertina wire where
we had trip flares, Foo-gas and claymores. There were also two long
chutes that ran down each side of the mountain for disposing of
garbage as well as spent artillery casings. We would just toss our
garbage down the chute and it would collect at the bottom of the
mountain. There is no telling how many artillery casings ended up at
the bottom of that mountain. I think they were made of brass and at
the end of the war the gooks probably made a fortune gathering up
and selling those casings.
At
night we would take turns manning the bunkers. Everyone hated trying
to stay in those hooches because of the rats. They were as big as
cats, so while manning our bunker one night I was introduced to the
game of "M-79 Tag". Each bunker was equipped with a radio that
enabled us to call the CP or talk to the other guys manning their
bunkers. Our bunker was at the very end of the mountain while the
bunker on our right was almost at a right angle to ours. In a way,
we were almost facing each other. While manning our bunker that
night, the guy in the other bunker called me and asked if I would
like to play a game. Naturally, I asked what kind of game. He said
that the game was played using our M-79. I told him that I was game
and asked how to play. He said that he would fire a round in front
of my bunker and then I would fire a round in front of his bunker.
We would then continue taking turns, bringing the rounds closer and
closer to each other's bunker without hitting the other man's
bunker. The one that came the closest would win the game; in other
words, playing chicken with M-79 rounds. He then asked if I still
wanted to play. I thought for a minute,
"This is crazy!" but I decided,
"What the heck" and decided to play.
I told him that I would play, and the game was on. He fired the
first round then I fired. We would communicate with each other and
let the other know what distance out front the round landed. We went
back and forth until one of us yelled into the radio "That's enough,
I give up!" I can't remember if it was him or me that night that
yelled first. I played this game a few more times and we got so
good, that we could put a round right in front of each other's
bunker. I guess you could say that we were a little crazy, but
Vietnam had a way of making you a little crazy! |
