C-1/6-198th Infantry Brigade

C-1/6-198th Infantry Brigade Was platoon ldr. early 68 in this unit. Trying to contact those I served with.

01/29/2015

On a security detail for a truck convoy coming out of Baldy and headed for Chu Lai, was the second time I know I'd shot someone. The APC leading us hit a b***y trapped mine or an IED and did two complete somersaults, landing back on its' mangled tracks. We all went on high alert expecting to be ambushed but the one explosion was all there was.
Waiting on a medevac for the track driver and for the road to be cleared, we finally relaxed a bit. Soon the kids from the few houches around us started towards us with their hands out wanting candy. I noticed one boy not begging like the rest and started paying close attention to him. He finally sidled up to the fuel tank of the truck I was sitting on, an empty JP 4 tanker.
He started taking the cap off the tank below me and fumbled inside his shirt for something he had hidden. When I saw the m-26 gr***de, without taking time to think, I shot him in the head, killing him instantly. The gr***de fell to the ground but didn't explode. I could see the pin was out but the firing handle was intact. Crawling down and securing the gr***de, I noticed the handle was attached with rubber bands to keep it from igniting. What he was going to do was drop in the saddlebag tank and let the diesel eat the rubber bands up further down the road, releasing the triggering handle and explode. We never found out who'd put him up to it but I couldn't have done anything else. He was 10 years old.
War's a bitch that'll kill you.

01/25/2015

I had a lot of firsts in this unit and one was the first ambush kill I ever made. My platoon had set up outside LZ Baldy on a night ambush in an area that another platoon had run into some VC a night or two before. Needless to say, we were on high alert.
About 2in the morning we make out a shape walking down the road. Unable to make out who it was but knowing that curfew was 9 p.m. and no one should be out that time of morning it had to be a bad guy. After they'd almost passed us I engaged with my rifle and the perp fell where I shot it. Daylight found us out checking the body, only to find it was a 79 mama san who must have had dementia to be stumbling around at that time of night.
Still, to this day, even knowing I was right in shooting, her death haunts me and sometimes fills my dreams and nights for it's uselessness. She must have been d**ky dau and just went for a walk.

11/11/2014

Suddenly have two websites and trying to post on both's no fun.

09/20/2012

I think sometimes of my first confirmed kill in Nam. We were on a platoon sized ambush out of LZ Baldy. About 2 am in morn a shadow was seen walking up- the highway mumbling in Vietnamese. Curfew was 9 pm so no one should be out. I let no one fire so as not give away our strength and decided to shoot my self. We waited till light to check the body and to my suprise it was a d**ky dau 79 year old woman. She's haunted my mind since. Not that I feel guilty but as I learn more about dementia and alzheimers. Wish it hadn't happened when it did but such is life.

09/17/2012

I was nervous working with the armored cav. because of the noise they created if nothing else. When my platoon was assigned to a mission to locate an NVA hospital on a hilltop I came up wih an idea of how to utilize their noise as cover. Told the track commander that my men would sit on top as we moved towards the hill. When we came close enough and those on the hilltop couldn't see us as we slowed to cross a paddy berm my men would hop off and his men would get on top. That way when the tracks came back into view there would still be people on top and we wouldn't be missed by those observing.
It worked so well they never knew we were there till the gunfire started. The operation turned out great with lots of enemiy kia and weapons captured while I was the only one wounded by a gr***de a d**k had rolled on top of before it detonated. Unlucky him but I wouldn't be here if he hadn't timed it just right.
A result of the action was my platoon being picked as platoon of the month in I Corps and a week of ceremonial guard duty at DaNang. Highlight of that was first flush toilet I'd seen in 106 days.

03/02/2012

End of 1967 was assigned this unit as platoon leader. Kept them for 8 months and never lost a man to the enemy my entire time and we went through Tet together. Your first line unit to a 2 Lt. holds a special place in your heart. Think I'll post some stories on here in case anyone's interested.

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Bernice, LA
71222

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+13183536877

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