Below are letters written by Dave Glading to his wife Kathy (and a couple to his parents) during his tour of Vietnam. They may
not be reproduced or used in any way without the permission of David Glading.
21 Aug 69
Dear Kathy,
I got out here, Pershing, yesterday. I’m with the 4.2” mortar platoon but I’m a forward observer for them and I’m attached to
Company D. Company D is a straight-leg infantry company. I go out with them on patrols, etc, and call in mortar fire if they need it. They
made me an FO because it’s an E-5 Sergeant slot and I’m the ranking E-4 in the platoon. So in 3 or 4 months if I’m doing good I’ll
probably make Sergeant! I’ll stay an FO anywhere from 4 to 6 months then they’ll bring me in and make a squad leader out of me.
Being with the infantry company I’ll be walking through the boonies hunting for Charlie. And I’d better know what I’m doing when
I call in mortar fire. In a way I’m really scared, because I don’t want to mess up! Cause if I mess up too bad I could get somebody killed.
But in a few weeks I’ll be okay. Wish me luck, okay?
1 Sep 69
Dear Kathy,
Hi honey! No mail today and we went out in the boonies for 7 hours today running around in the rice paddies. My feet look like
dried up prunes! But so far the days are going fairly fast!
We went out on a Riff ( search and destroy) this morning at 8 am and walked, we got back at 3pm. Nothing happened which is
good!! I don’t know if we’ll be going out tomorrow or not. I know we’re going back out the 3rd, all day, to search and question a village.
We should be going on “stand-down” (that’s when the company goes in to CuChi for 48 hrs of rest, free beer, good bunks, etc)
sometime soon, in the next few days. Then we’ll be moving out to a smaller fire support base, either “Dee’s” or “Laurence”. I hope
Laurence cause Dee’s has been getting hit by VC lately. But, that’s what I’m over here for!!
2 Sep 69
Dear Kathy,
As for my job, it’s okay, I like it I guess! Don’t do too much, just go out with the infantry. We went out this morning at 4am (still
dark) and tromped through the brush to the village we were at yesterday. When it got light we moved through the village gathering up all
the people and checking out their houses. They got all the people together and interrogated them. We had a couple of rounds of AK
fired at us but nothing great. We figure it was one gook but he got away. We got back at 2 this afternoon! Whew!
4 Sep 69
Dear Kathy,
This morning we moved out of Pershing and now we are at Larence. It’s about 2 miles south of Pershing. And is it ever small!
Barbed wire with dirt walls and bunkers. Just big enough for one company. Some time in the next few days I’ll be firing Delta Tangos
(pre-plotted targets around Larence). I guess I’m kinda nervous. It isn’t really that hard though.
Mail will be in by chopper in a couple of hours. Hope I get a letter from you today! I’ll finish this later after mail gets here cause
maybe I got a letter from you.
We had a Brigadier General stop in t pay us a visit. It started to rain so he got back in his chopper and left. He never did get
around to our side of the camp!
Harry and I fixed up our “sleeping quarters” and now we’re just sitting around sharpening our knives. They are gook knives we
stole from their hootches. Really cool knives! They go on an “Eagle flight” tomorrow. An Eagle flight is when they travel by chopper (9
choppers) to their destination. We won’t be going because the objective is out of range for our mortars. I haven’t been in a chopper yet
either.
6 Sep 69
Mom and Dad,
Last night I fired my first fire mission with 4.2! We were fired on by an enemy recoilless rifle, about 3 rounds landed outside the
perimeter, no one was hurt! So good old Dave grabs the radio and starts calling in mortar fire where the CO thought the gun was
located. The 4.2’s aren’t out here they’re in Pershing. Well, I was nervous as hell, shaking, cause I was afraid I’d mess up. I didn’t!! I put
in the rounds, adjusted, and brought in more rounds. They landed where I wanted them too (but it was dark and hard to see). Anyway,
this morning I find out we were firing in the wrong place! Not my fault, the CO gave me a map grid and an azimuth and that’s where I
fired. The Arty FO was firing too. It’s the first time since I’ve been here that I felt like I did something. The incoming rounds didn’t scare
me, I was just afraid I’d mess up FO’ing! Now I feel a little more confident.
17 Sep 69
Dear Kathy,
We just got in from a search mission. We had seven men wounded by booby traps but we destroyed a VC hospital and captured
3 VC. Also dug up two fresh graves and found two NVA soldiers only 24-48 hrs old. Sounds gory huh? The other day we captured about
40 hundred pound bags of rice.
Well in 2 more days I’ll be in CuChi getting a hot shower, drinking some beer, sleeping, and laying around the pool! The only thing
missing is you.
After stand down we go back to Pershing and are on standby for 6 days, then the 27th we’re back on road security again. We’ll
be back out here at Larence around the 8th of October.
20 Sep 69
Dear Kathy,
Well, we got in to Cu Chi yesterday afternoon. Sure feels good to relax, and be dry! Sure miss you and have been thinking about
you.
After getting our weapons put away yesterday, we got clean clothes and new boot, and a shower. Then we had free sodas and
had a big meal at the mess hall. Then we went to the Cu Chi Hilton, right next to the pool. The Hilton is brand new, we’re the first to use
it. We got there and they have bunks with mattresses, sheets and pillows!! Fans, a water fountain, and even a TV in each barracks.
Wow! Then the free beer stared with a big steak dinner (charcoal broiled). I had 2 steaks plus a chicken dinner that Tom bought me.
Now the beer drinking began, then we all moved out to the EM Club to see a floor show (band and two go-go girls). We stuffed out
pockets with free beer and stayed at the club until 11:30!! I was pretty high but not drunk. But the whole company got blown out,
including our LTs. I slept today until 10, then got up had a shower, got a sandwich and came back down to the company area to get my
paper and envelopes. I’m sitting in the service club now.
Well it’s raining again, but at least I’m dry! I just got back from being in the swimming pool!
Say hi to everyone for me. We leave for Pershing tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got to go eat now, we’re having barbecued pork
chops!
22 Sep 69
8:45 pm
Hi lover,
Well here I am writing again! But I was sitting outside smoking a cigarette, and thinking. It’s a beautiful night, moon’s out, stars,
and no clouds, ya don’t even need a flashlight. I had just finished reading the paper and found a poem, so I’m sending it along.
You know, you hear and read about all the things that go on over here, but don’t really understand or believe them until you see
it. I’ve seen old men beat, woman, girls, little boy, and young men. I’ve seen dead and wounded, and I’ve seen little children cry when
their fathers are taken away. Sometimes it’s necessary to save lives, but other times, mostly, it’s not necessary but sickening. With one
hand you beat a man and with the other hand you offer him water and a cigarette. Is it right? In the manner in which I was brought up I
must say it is wrong. But after you’ve been here, only as short a time as I have, your ideas change. Not really change but are pushed
out of your conscious mind, you must say it is right or you may never return. I sit and see all these cut little kids, I love kids, but they’re
old for their years, they’ve seen a lot, more than most Americans will ever see, or ever want to see. I hope I never see half of it. I wanted
to come here, yes. And I’m glad I have come because I’ll never forget, nor ever want to forget what I see. No matter how bad thins get
for me when I get home I never want to feel sorry for myself because I’m lucky, lucky to have been born in America. I think of little Qwin
and how I’d like to be able to bring her to the states with me so she could grow up and be something besides a soda girl or prostitute!
The same with the little orphan girl I use to visit in Germany. I wish these kids could have the chance to grow up the way I did, to have a
chance to be somebody, anybody. Not to have to be afraid to go to sleep at night for fear of the VC or of artillery shells to go to school,
to have clothes, to have toys, good food, everything. I do my job and do what I’m told. I would never kill unless I had to but if I had to I
wouldn’t hesitate, I’ve been trained for that. But I still have a conscience, and have values of right and wrong. And to beat up someone,
a human, just like me, who is caught up in the middle. Most of them don’t really care either way, they just want to be left alone. I feel
sorry for these people and sometimes wondered we should be here at all, but I also know if it isn’t here it’ll be somewhere else. So I
guess it doesn’t really matter. People in America are safe at home, no worries, why should they worry about the people of Vietnam, or
the communists. We are a lazy county, self-centered, money-oriented, and literally don’t give a shit about anything that doesn’t present
and immediate or direct danger to us. There will never be a Utopia, nor will there ever be Peace. Not as long as people are ignorant to
the facts, the simple facts.
I sometimes think I should have been a medic, that way I feel as if I can help a little. My letters to you are my only way to get these
things off my mind. I’ll last over here without any trouble, I’m not worried although I’ll admit to anyone that I’m scared. I sometimes
wonder what God thins about the whole situation? Someday I’ll find out. But now I sound a little “ant-war” and “longhair”, which I’m not. I
believe in God, love my country, and love my family and my girl. But sometimes I wish that maybe there had been a world war fought on
our own shores, and in our own towns. We have no idea what war is like, it’s an experience you never forget. Maybe someday the world
will change, but I doubt if I’ll ever see it. I disagree with a lot of things, especially politics and politicians, and “hippies” and “Black power”.
24 Sep 69
Dear Kathy,
We went to a village today, we left here at 4:30am and got back at 12:30 this afternoon. This was a real good village, and the
people were real nice. The kids were cute too, especially 3 little girls. I took a whole roll of film today. I sat all day with this mother and
her 10 day old baby, rocking it in a hammock and one of the little girls was the baby’s sister. She was cooking rice and she’s only 9 yrs
old. I really felt good today. I finally decided why I’m over here. For all the kids, to help them so they can enjoy a better life. Some of
them are so cute. I’ve seen 4 already I’d like to take home with me.
26 Sep 69
Dear Kathy,
Up where Delta Company went on their Eagle flight, about 3-4 miles away, Alpha and Bravo Company are in big contact.
They’ve had about 3 wounded and one killed already. Hope they don’t call on Delta to go over there too. Sure glad we didn’t have to go
with them today. But that’s how it goes, if I had to go I wouldn’t complain.
Tomorrow we start road security. That’s good, it’s a pretty easy and safe job. Although nothing over here is “safe”. I think we stay
on the road for about 10 days. Also rumor has it that we’ll be going to Dees next.
10 Oct 69
Dear Kathy,
Today we went on a cordon and search of a village. Same as any other day’s work. Well I also think I told you we have a new CO
(Captain) who isn’t liked and is too “gung-ho”. It’s hard to explain to you about him, but he’s wrong in everything he does. We’ve told him
time and again that the CO and the CP group aren’t suppose to be searching around and beating the bush. Well, today, him and the two
company RTO’s Pete and Tom. Anyway, we had gotten the people together in the center of the village and the two platoons were
beginning to go back and search hootches. The CO and the CP group were in the center of the village interrogating people and pulling
Med cap, where we are suppose to be! So the CO, who likes to wander, took the two RTO’s who are suppose to go with him
everywhere, and started t go over to another platoon. About 200 meters away they didn’t find the platoon so he decided to go ahead and
search the hedgerow! Tom was walking first and stepped on a mine. The second man was Pete. Well, Tom will lose his one leg and
Pete, well, he’ll never see the states or his wife again. The CO got a broken finger and a little shrapnel! Tom will go to Japan for awhile
and then back to the states. I’ve never felt so rotten in all my life, not have I ever felt like shooting someone. I wish the CO had been
killed! It was all his fault, he shouldn’t have been out there in the first place. I knew Tom real well, and Pete and I were good friends too.
They say that the hardest thing to take over here is when one of your buddies gets it. I hate booby traps, I’d rather have someone
shooting at me. We worked over a few of the men in the village and burnt half of it down. As if that brings Pete back! I felt sick and felt
like crying, in fact t I did a little. I took a few swings at one of the papa sans myself and burnt some hootches. But I with I could have hit
the CO, just once. Tom always lived life to the fullest, now, well I hope he still does the things he’s always wanted. All of us, including
Pete and Tom, have been waiting for something like this to happen. And we’ve all told him (the CO). I hope we don’t get him back, he
got “dusted off”, later, to Cu Chi.
Harry is going to Alpha Company to be an FO so I’ll be getting a new RTO soon. Harry deserves it, he’s humped the radio for 3
months. We’ll be tearing down Lorence tomorrow and going in the next day.
12 Oct 69
Dear Kathy,
Well, didn’t get to write you yesterday, I was busy tearing down Lorence all day, today too. We got back at 5pm and do I have a
sunburn!
Kathy and Riff are really cute. They’re getting bigger too! We took them to Lorence with us and I brought them back today. When
Harry and I got our showers tonight we shampooed the dogs too so they’re really clean. Kathy is still skinny but she’s twice as rough as
the others!
Last night one of the platoons blew another ambush (different platoon this time). They got 4 body count and none of the guys
were injured. That’s really great. They’re getting a 2 day stand down (extra) too.
As for those guys, well Tom’s coming along real well, he’s being shipped to Japan in a few days.
15 Oct 69
01:30am
Dear Kathy,
Tonight we had 3 incoming 82mm rounds. I saw the first one hit right by a jeep that 3 of our guys were unloading. My bunker was
about 40 feet away. Harry was standing out there too and got some shrapnel in the back. They dusted all four off to Cu
Chi. One is in critical condition. He was about 10 feet from the blast. Harry had just finished packing up his gear to get ready to go to
Bravo Company as their FO. I was the first to get to Dave, the one who got it the worst, and I’ve never felt so helpless in all my life. He
just kept saying “why me”. All I could do was hold his hand and talk to him. He had 26 days left in country, one other had less than a
month too. And I found myself asking “why”.
I sometimes wish they would pull all the troops out. Although it’s not the way we should make our exit, not after losing so many
guys over her. But the way we are fighting the war now we can’t win. We don’t own any land now except what we occupy at any given
time. Even then you aren’t safe. With all the conventional power the US military has, they aren’t using 5% of it. There is no reason why
so many men should die. But I can’t go along with the peace marches either. That’s because even if we aren’t completely right in being
here, you still have to back your men who are fighting and dying! There’s nobody in the US today who really cares except relatives,
parents and close friends of the men who are over here. Before I came over here I wondered if I would ever be able to kill, when you
see your buddies get it, it’s real easy. I know that sounds awful but that’s how it is here. People at home have no idea what it’s like!
We had a news team here from NBC about 4 days ago, so start watching NBC news. You may not see me but you’ll see my
company and some of the guys.
17 Oct 69
Dear Kathy,
Well last night we had to pull bunker guard cause our company was the only one here and we were short on men. We had three
on my bunker, 2hr 40mins apiece, and then at 11 o’clock this morning I had to go up in the tower for 3 ½ hrs cause there was no one
else available. And Steve and I aren’t suppose to do either of those things.
Well you know the 4 guys that got hit with the mortar fire two nights ago? Harry and another guy left today for the States. One
had a broken hand and wrist and Harry had a broken arm plus the shrapnel. And one of the others if fine and in the hospital. Dave, the
one I got to, is in the hospital, in critical condition, he has dome shrapnel lodged in his spine. It’s really wild about Harry going home!
We are still on the road for a couple of more days. Don’t really know what we’ll be doing after that, possible a three day
operation. I just finished explaining the radio setup and radio watch to Steve.
22 Oct 69
Dear Kathy,
We went out this morning at 3am, and ended up sleeping on the rice paddy dikes. We got in position at 6am, nothing happened
and we didn’t find any VC at all. We got back in at 11am and had the rest of the day off. Tomorrow we go out at 3pm on an
ambush. We break up into 3 platoon ambushes. We’ll come in that next morning or early afternoon. Then stand down on the 25th!
Beds, pillows, sheets, beer, and most important of all, mailing you this stuff.
I got a leech on my leg last night (about 2-3 inches long). I’ll probably have that little scar there forever. It was my first leech
since I’ve been here.
1 Nov 69
Dear Kathy,
Well, we made it to Dees. WE had a search mission of an old deserted village this afternoon. There was a lot of real thick brush
and the area was known to be booby trapped. The CO had us tramping through it as usual. We had one man killed and two men
wounded when they tripped a booby trap. Everyone wanted to just shoot the CO. ever since he took over, our company has had bad
luck. It was easier this time, I didn’t know the guy, he was new in country. Someday the CO will get his too!
5 Nov 69
Dear Kathy,
The dogs are okay I guess. Riff was sick last night and this morning so I sent him back to Pershing by chopper. Kathy was very
sick this afternoon, we thought she was dying, she went into convulsions. Doc and me got together and shot some stuff (something like
Pepto Bismol) down her throat with an old hypo syringe. She’s better now she’s sleeping on my bunk just like a baby. I’m going to send
her back in tomorrow.
We didn’t go out today. It felt good to have a free day. We go out tomorrow at 8:30am on an Eagle flight. I’ll really be tired
tomorrow evening cause this mission is along the river, probably knee and waist deep water, it’s a good ways too.
We all listened to Nixon’s little speech. It really didn’t impress any of us. He did a lot of talking but said nothing! In the meantime,
we ought to go ahead and kick ass over here. Politics and politicians can all go to hell!! Cause I really know what it’s like over here, no
second hand info!!
14 Nov 69
Dear Kathy,
Well, we got 3 more rounds of mortar fire tonight. One landed inside the berm. We had 7 men wounded although nothing real
serious. Guess where old Dave was? Taking a shower, and naked as a jaybird. Also a little scared.
We had two other guys hurt this afternoon. We trapped two gooks in a hole. They were holding the trap door shut and wouldn’t
give up. One of the guys shot his .45 cal pistol down through the door about 10 times and then proceeded to lift the door. The gook blew
a grenade right inside the door killing both gooks and wounding two of our men. We also had one man wounded at Pershing from a
mortar attack. That was ten men wounded in Delta Company in one day! That’s too many. Things are definitely beginning to liven up a
little.
I’m on radio watch now, it’s 12:35am and we just had a radar sighting and fired 81mm and arty. Movement has ceased. Which
means we either got them or they are laying low. Either way it keeps them on their toes. We picked them up about ½ mile away.
I called back today and they said the dogs are fine.
18 Nov 69
Kathy,
I was reading the paper and feel kinda down because of the demonstration in Washington, DC. I guess I’m proud to be an
American and proud of my country. It’s still number one to me, right or wrong. Although I can’t agree completely with the way the war is
going, I don’t agree on just up and leaving because then the whole purpose, the very reason that all these men have died for is lost.
People in the states need to have an enemy invade them, have them have to see their homes burned, their fathers killed or taken away,
living in a bunker with bugs and insects just to be able to live through mortar or artillery fire, having GI’s come during the day and the VC
come at night. No one can understand unless they have been here. The demonstrations help the enemy more than anything else. The
protests are a slap in the face to most of the guys over here. They are sent here to fight and possibly die protecting America and the
other free nations. Their own people through the protesting are prolonging this war loner, thus, more GI’s get killed. The VC want to see
the US get on its knees. I don’t.
I went down on the road yesterday afternoon to get a few things and my two little girl friends were there. They were about 100 ft
away from me and just ran all the way to me. Big smiles on their face and just saying “Dabid” and a bunch of Vietnamese I couldn’t
understand. I gave them a few cans of C rations. They picked me some berries and gave them to me to eat plus picked a bunch of
flowers and put them in my hat. They like to look at the pictures in my wallet.
23 Nov 69
Dear Kathy,
I made Sergeant today, effective 7 Nov 69. I can really use the extra money. Really, over here, rank doesn’t mean that much
except for pay.
We leave for Hampton tomorrow and will stay about a week. Then come back here and work out of here for awhile, then go on
stand down around the 15th of Dec.
You know the last two days we were on a “bush master”. That’s when the whole company goes out, splits up at night into 3
platoons and sep up ambushes. We set up the first night and 3rd platoon blew their bush and got 5 gooks. That next day we had off and
just laid around all day, slept and ate c-rations. The next night I went with the 3rd platoon and was it a wild night. We set up at 8pm, at
nine 3 gooks walked right up to our position. We were so surprised that we all froze for about 30 seconds, they were only about 20-30 ft
away from us. The gooks froze too, when we went for our weapons the gooks ran, we fired but didn’t get them. We were scared all night
and nobody went to sleep. This morning we were really mad cause if we had been alert they should have been 3 dead gooks. Anyway,
no one was hurt and we got a good laugh about it! That was the first time for me to see real, live, armed gooks that close, and it wasn’t
too cool. I’ll admit, I froze up too cause I couldn’t believe that the VC had gotten that close without some one seeing them! Luckily the
VC were just a scared as we were!
5 Dec 69
Dear Kathy,
We finally got back today after 3 days of ambush patrols. We left here the 2nd, got up at the hard site, rested up a little and left
for our three platoon ambushes. The first night Steve and I went with the 2nd platoon. We had just gotten set up when along comes
some gooks. We blew our claymores when they got in our kill zone, them threw all our grenades. Then we sat back (scared as hell) and
waited for the gunships and the flare ships. While the flare ship dropped flares, the gun ships fired mini-gun and rockets into the area.
After the choppers worked out we got up and moved into the kill zone, to check out the bodies. We got 12 NVA and 8 AK47 rifles, plus a
few other things. After that we moved out t a different location and set up for the rest of the night. The next day we went back and
rechecked the area. We figured there were about another 30 NVA out there that night (about a whole company). We didn’t get anything
the next two nights.
We were setting up “mechanical ambushes” (same as booby traps). They had left one out overnight. The CO was picking them
up. Well, one blew up on him, killed him, it seems as if the VC had found it and had booby trapped it themselves. Although we hate to
see anyone die, we weren’t terribly sad about his loss. Because of him we had lost two guys since he got to the company. It’s funny,
after you’ve been here awhile, death doesn’t seem to bother you as much. Maybe that’s bad, I don’t know.
14 Dec 69
Dear Kathy,
Well, I had about 3 hours sleep last night and some of the guys haven’t had any.
Last night at about 7:30 we got hit by recoilless fire, then radar started picking up gooks all around us, some in as close as 300
meters. So we were all pretty busy firing illumination. After that was over we had to plot AP’s and H&I’s for the guns. I got in bed about
12:30. at 1:30 everyone was awakened. One of the squad hootches had caught on fire. There was no way we could get it out. We tried
to keep it from spreading to other hootches. But the biggest worry was the 4.2 ammo that was in ammo pits around the two gun
positions (one on each side of the hootch). We succeeded. If the ammo had gone off half of Pershing would have been blown off the
map. So by the time we move the two guns and redistributed the ammo it was 4am. I went back to bed and got up a 6am for radio
watch. That was my excitement for a Saturday night!
I like working in the FDC. Just have to put up with the PSG’s shit sometimes. But they don’t mess with me as much cause of me
making SGT. That keeps me off of the details except for when we get ammo delivered, but then everyone helps.
23 Dec 69
Mom and Dad,
They had the Bob Hope show in Cu Chi today. Didn’t get to see it but listened to it on the radio. About the only ones that got to
go were stationed in Cu Chi, a few from the different companies out here got to go in, and Alpha company was in on stand down, they
really lucked out! We are suppose to be having a cease fire starting tomorrow night sometime, lasting for 24 hrs. then we have another
24 hr cease fire at New Years. Big deal!
5 Feb 70
0800am
Dear Kathy,
I’ve had only 6 hrs sleep in the past 48 hrs! Last night we fired our regular H&I’s (that’s harassment fire which is fired all night
long at different times at picked locations), we fire them 10 times per hour and each gun fires for 2 hrs. Also last night we were firing
special H&I’s, all four guns fire 1 round, and they were fired once each hour. Also, we had one gun firing illumination at 1 round every 45
mins for an ambush patrol. Then we had a special “mad minute” at 0245am and we fired perimeter illumination.
Oh, Happy Vietnamese New Year! Last night was the beginning of TET. It lasts for 7 days so none of us are expecting to get
much sleep.
7 Feb 70
0400am
Dear Kathy,
Well, like I said, we’ve been pretty busy. Firing all night and not getting much sleep since our PSG likes to get us up in the
morning. Did I tell you that Steve is no longer an FO for D company? He’s our newest member of FDC, and seems to be catching on
real well!
We are definitely moving on are abut the 12th of this month. It’s very possible we may have 2 tubes at a place called Pine Ridge,
it’s about 1000 ft high in altitude. There’s a Mech unit there. It’s about 10 miles from FSB Kien, where our battalion will be. Our PSG was
up there yesterday and says it’s a fairly nice place. As nice as Pershing anyway (as nice as that can be!).
I’m going on R&R to Sidney from the 29th to March to the 5th of April.
10 Feb 70
0600am
Dear Kathy,
I came back from Cu Chi, a one-day stand down, and had to go right out as FDC for one of the guns. We went down to an RFPF
(Regional Forces/Popular Forces) camp to support two of our companies with illumination. We didn’t get much sleep cause we fired
quite a bit. We got back here yesterday afternoon. Our CO went out and out PSG is up at Kien, so me and this other E5 are running the
show. We’re suppose to leave tomorrow. Anyway, it’s hard to even remember what day it is anymore.
11 Feb 70
1230am
Dear Kathy,
Instead of sending two guns up to Kien, I have to send one gun to Kien and one gun to Tennessee to support a night mission
Delta Company will be on. So we’ll be split between Kien, Tennessee, and Pershing. Two men from FDC and one gun at Kien, with one
gun and one FDC at Kien, and two guns and three FDC at Pershing. Be glad when we are moved completely.
I’ll be leaving here on the 13th by convoyu with the FDC equipment for FSB Kien.
I’ve got to get up at 4am for 2 hrs of radio watch. Yeah, not much sleep huh!
13 Feb 70
Dear Kathy,
Well, last night was our last night at Pershing and we fired up 360 rounds of HE, and that’s a lot for two guns in one 6 hour
period. We left Pershing this morning at about 10am and arrived in Dau Tieng around 1 or 2pm. We arrived here at Kien about 3pm.
This place is nothing like Pershing, it’s really kinda bad. But can’t really complain I guess. We all hated having to come back to PSG
Krier. And I’m still averaging about 4hrs of sleep a night.
Tomorrow afternoon myself and one of the other guys from FDC, plus one gun and crew go back to Dau Tieng to set up a gun
for perimeter illumination, we’ll rotate over 10 days. It won’t be so bad, the only thing we’ll fire is illumination.
My ankle is still a little sore and slightly swollen, but doesn’t give me any problems, haven’t played any basketball since it
happened!
20 Feb 70
0500am
Dear Kathy,
The Arty people sent over an E6 to work with us. We’re learning a lot of new things, plus a lot of old things we should have
known. Krier doesn’t really care about these new methods. I’ve had my ass chewed by Majors, Captains and LTs. So I’m getting fed up.
But we finally have caught up with our work so it should be a little easier.
25 Mar 70
Dear Kathy,
Last night we handpicked 10 men for a special duty squad. Myself and nine other men go out to check out radar sightings after
we’ve fired on them, either that same night or the next morning. So tonight at about 7:15pm we fired on a radar sighting. The Colonel
called and our squad, a squad of infantry, a tracker dog team and the Colonel went out and walked around in the dark for 2 hors. We
didn’t find anything but the dog was definitely on the right track, they said that there had been VC out there tonight and we could have
followed them. It really felt good to go out again for a change. Yet isn’t not the safest thing!
21 Apr 70
0430am
Dear Kathy,
We went out yesterday afternoon, 8 of us and the LT. We walked about 6 klicks ( a little less than 4 miles). Every one of us that
went (except for one) had been out in the field before as either FO or RTO. So it was really a good bunch. We found a few bunkers that
we blew, a 105mm howitzer round that we blew. Also we thought we had some movement in a hedgerow which we Recon’d by fire with
79mm and 16 fire. So, for guys who are strictly mortarmen, we aren’t bad infantrymen either. I’m nuts, huh?!
28 Apr 70
0330am
Dear Kathy,
That attack on Pine Ridge last night wasn’t too good. They estimated 10-15 sappers entered the perimeter. We had 4 men killed
and only one VC body was found! But they did find a lot of satchel charges (explosives in a carrying bag). What happened is very
typical. They mortar you, while you’re all inside your bunkers, these sappers crawl through the wire up to the berm, and throw a satchel
charge into the bunker, or as they did there, walked on into the center of the perimeter and blew up the Arty FDC-CP and an 81mm
mortar pit.
Another thing I’ve thought about over here is how I used to worry about things when I was home that I thought were so
important. And after being here, seem too trivial now. I don’t worry about too much over here except staying alive!
12 May 70
0500am
Dear Kathy,
About Cambodia, we all think that going in there was just great. They’ve captured so much arms and ammo that they are having
trouble getting rid of it. And the kill ratio is really good cause we’ve killed thousand of them. That’s thousands of them that will never get
over here to bother us. They were suppose to have caught 500 NVA in an open field having physical training with their trucks parked
nearby. Just like we did when we went through basic training, killed them all too! Our chances of going have supposedly slimmed down.
17 May 70
0045
Dear Kathy,
We leave the 19th for a hard-spot about a mile from the Cambodian border. Up by the “fishhook” area if you’ve been listening to
the news. The 2’14th Inf is coming back from there to Kien and Dau Tieng and we’re going. We’re suppose to stay no later than June
30th, that’s the date Nixon set for the pull back from Cambodia. Our mortar plt wont be in Cambodia, although our line companies will.
We’ve had it good here at Kien anyway, we need to get out and rough it a while, good training for the newer guys too.
21 May 70
Dear Kathy,
Two days ago we were flown in to Katum, then went by truck to a little FSB about 2-3 miles from the border. It’s a real hole! We
set up the big tent, it rained that night and flooded us out. Everything got wet. We had about 2-3 foot of water inside the tent. I was
soaked and so was everyone else. That morning I started getting pains in my stomach and was dizzy and sick. So they dusted me off by
chopper that afternoon. So here I am in Tay Ninh in a hospital. I feel great and had lunch today. I’ll probably be out of here this afternoon
or tomorrow morning. Guess it was a virus or flu.
They were suppose to move out today into Cambodia to a FSB. So I’ll be heading up there as soon as I leave. I wish I didn’t
have to leave the guys. I was looking forward to the trip to Cambodia.
23 May 70
Dear Kathy,
Well, guess where I am? In Cu Chi! I seem to be getting further away from the platoon. I got here yesterday from Tay Ninh and
am in the hospital here. They are going to give me test, etc. Really great, three hot meals a day, air conditioning, soft beds, TV, the
works. Think they are testing me for kidney stones? But I feel great. I feel bad about being away from the guys. If I’m not really sick I
should be up there with them.
25 May 70
Dear Kathy,
Well I’m still here. Should be out Weds. I’ll have to get a plane back to Tay Ninh, convoy to Katum and then chopper out to the
FSB in Cambodia. I feel like I’ve been shamming. And I just finished a small pizza!
We really got a kick out of that march in favor of Nixon’s Cambodia policy. All those workers really kicked some ass of those
“peace” demonstrators! We really got mad when we saw them burn the American flag and carrying a NVA flag!
29 May 70
0300
Dear Kathy,
I got back here to Katum the afternoon of the 27th. They said the tests were all negative, the 2/12th is here at Katum!
7 Jun 70
0500
Dear Kathy,
Tomorrow (this morning) there are suppose to be a bunch of governors and VIP’s form the states coming to Katum. So about 15
of us and parts of Headquarters Company have to go on a RIF this morning, then this afternoon we have to sit out by the wood line to
check for snipers, while these civilians are here. It all has to do with security for them, big deal!
Went to a dentist today. There’s one out here for about 3-4 weeks. I had a bad wisdom tooth pulled. I was suppose to go back
today t have my teeth cleaned but ..we’ve got to go out. My jaw is slightly sore, that’s the first tooth I’ve ever had pulled.
10 Jun 70
0900
Dear Kathy,
We’re still here. We’re suppose to move soon, who knows where. They found a cache the other day that made us all mad. They
found 200 lbs of medical supplies and most of it was donated by the Society of Friends (Quakers) of the USA. They found little cards on
them. Don’t understand how anyone could want to help anyone who is killing our own men. And I used to go to the Quaker church and
liked it!!
We got a couple of rounds of incoming yesterday afternoon. We were ready to fire counter mortar fire but couldn’t get clearance
to fire.
17 Jun 70
0630
Dear Kathy,
We left Katum two days ago by Chinook and here we are in the middle of a field of grass with woods around us. We’re living in a
tent right now. There’s no berm yet and they don’t even have all the barbed wire up yet. And it hasn’t rained here yet either. There’s
nothing here and it doesn’t have a name yet. The battalion is suppose to be here until October or November.
No showers here yet but we were all glad to leave Katum. We’ve got a lot of building to do here so the time should go by fast.
18 Jun 70
Dear Kathy,
We were busy today and it felt good to work. We (FDC) filled 400 sandbags which we put around the tent. It (the wall, ha!)
serves two purposes. One, to keep out water, and two, to keep out any shrapnel in case we get incoming, so we worked pretty hard on
it. We still need about 400 more bags to finish the other wall and part of the front. It’s hard to get material up here, but somehow the
guys seem to be able t “find” the stuff. We “found” the sandbags today on the back of one of Artillery’s trucks.
The dozer pushed up a berm today so things are getting a little better. I’m getting a good tan.
24 Jun 70
0700
Dear Kathy,
We worked pretty hard yesterday and got the braces up on our hootch (FDC) and put down tarpaper on the roof and one layer of
sandbags. Now we just have to wait for boxes and we can’t get them until the gun squads finish their pits. Also, the battalion TOC want
half of all our boxes! This is something that Terry and I have wanted to do since leaving Pershing. A general came here yesterday and
put out a rule that we can’t wear anymore cutoff shorts or shower shoes. We have to wear our long pants and boots. And we can’t take
showers yet cause there is just enough water for drinking and cooking.
7 Jul 70
2300
Dear Kathy,
Things are quiet here. That’s good cause I sometimes think it’s too quiet. That move into Cambodia really slowed them down,
they are still around but with a lot fewer supplies.
Know how long it’s been since I had a shower!? I can’t wait to get home and get a hot shower. It’ll feel so great to feel clean
again.
9 Jul 70
Dear Kathy,
We fired a lot of fire missions tonight. Just about all were intelligence targets. We had one this morning from a helicopter that
spotted some movement and some really recent trail activity.
12 Jul 70
0400
Dear Kath,
A Chinook got shot down by a RPG down near Kien. It was carrying 17 men (one our platoon sgt). It was coming into FSB
Tennessee at treetop level when an RPG was fired at it and hit the gas tank. It exploded and crashed. Most of the men are in Cu Chi
suffering from burns. Our platoon sgt was going in to re-enlist and most of the other guys were short, or going in to leave for home. It
was a real shame but one of those things that happen every once in a while.
13 Jul 70
2300
Dear Kathy,
I’m suppose to go into Dau Tieng the 28th of this month, stay for one day and head for Cu Chi. They are expecting 4 day drops
for everyone and usually they send you in 5-7 days early anyway.
Don’t know where I’m going yet, Landry (Steve) is suppose to be stationed at Ft Hood, Texas, he leaves in Sep. Monty leaves in
Sep also and he’s going to Fr Riley, Kansas.
15 Jul 70
Dear Kathy,
In my last letter I said I may be going in the 28th, well, the 4 day drops haven’t come through so I won’t be going in now until the
1st of August.
The whole battalion may be moving up north, west of Katum. They’ve spotted a lot of movement up there. We’re suppose to
move somewhere around the 20th to the 25th. Hopefully Terry and I and the other guys that are leaving in Aug won’t have to go. Ever
since we left Pershing all we’ve done is move. And we’ve just started to build here, the guns have started building squad hootches.
16 Jul 70
Dear Kathy,
Things change everyday. We have a 3 day operation starting tomorrow. We’re sending 2 tubes and half the FDC. I’m going with
the two of the guys. We’ll probably move from there to that place west of Katum and join up with the rest of the platoon for a 7-10 day
operation. “War is Hell!” Only 22 more days!
18 Jul 70
Dear Kath,
We left Warrior yesterday afternoon and arrived here, and old empty FSB. There are 3 arty tubes, our two tubes and the Recon
Platoon. About 40 men. No rain yet! And no gooks. We went swimming in a big bomb crater this afternoon.
Our battalion has become known as the “bastard battalion”. We first belonged to the 4th Inf Div when we first came to Nam.
They gave us to the 25th Inf Div when they came here. We move around so much we get the feeling they really don’t know what to do
with their “black sheep”.
20 Jul 70
midnight
Dear Kath,
It’s the beginning of the 20th, a new day and one day closer to you. It’s really a pretty night, full moon, stars and hardly a cloud in
the sky.
Tomorrow we go back to Warrior, rest up and then probably head up towards Katum for that 10 day operation. My last. This 3
days has been nice, no one harasses us and we can rest all day, no shaves or haircuts! We were down swimming again today for about
an hour.
20 Jul 70
Dear Kathy,
We got back to Warrior today and spent the day resting and cleaning up. They are having a change of command ceremony the
22nd do it’ll be up to the new Brigade Commander to decide whether we move up to Katum.
They have what they call a ASR, a cut back on ammo! We are suppose to be held back to 4 rds per gun per day!! Arty can fire
contact missions only. All ammo is rationed, including small arms. Here we are fighting a war and some one is afraid we’re spending a
little too much money on ammunition, so solution…..ration it!! How do yo fight a war on 16 rds a day. This is a crazy war run by crazy
people!
25 Jul 70
Dear Kath,
I found out today that if we move which might be in a couple of days, it won’t be permanent and the operation will only last 3-5
days. There is suppose to be a company from another unit, plus our Recon Plt to stay here. LT said I won’t have to go along, I’m just
waiting to go in.
We had a fire mission this afternoon. A chopper spotted two gooks and we fired on them. They said we were right on target.
There’s a company going out there tomorrow so maybe we’ve got two more body count to add to our list of one. In the past week they
have been finding recent activity in our area. But it’s definitely increasing compared to when we first arrived here.
1 Aug 70
Dear Kathy,
Today C Company ran into contact about a mile from the hard site (where our 2 tubes are on that 3 day operation). Our first
contact in this area. They were about 8 miles from us, out of our range. They hit some booby traps and then ran into some bunkers and
VC. They ended up with 4 wounded and 2 dead. And no gook body count. They called in gunships and airstrikes. They’re staying one
more night at the hard site. I hate it when we lose guys. They should just let our military clean out north and South Vietnam! I guess I’m
leaving at a good time. The battalion may start seeing some action again. I’ve really been lucky this last 12 months. HE must have really
been looking over me!
I can never understand how 5-6 men can walk over a spot and the seventh man step on a boobytrap. Why do I make it home
safe without a scratch, and other men don’t? Life and death are things which are almost impossible to understand completely, especially
in a war. 7 more days!!!!