War Stories�
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Spooky GunShip Area of operations
Night support Night fire support This picture Over Saigon over Saigon My Tank M-48 Tank
50CAL. was mounted on top of the Copula to afford a lower fire cone. the Telescope was often removed and a 50CAL. placed in its position. The gunners controls were extended up to the TC position. gunner rode the bussel rack to protect the rear of tank.

So here I lay in a morter crater wondering if I was going to make It.

When I was a boy I saw every John Wayne movie there was. When the Medic lights you a cigarette,puts in your mouth, and says your going to be OK sarge. we all know what that means! two puffs and your dead!

As if on cue the medic jumps in beside me,rolls on his back and lights a cigarette. Don't worry they called in Spooky( C-130 gun ship). They will get those bastards in the tree line and the dust-off will be right behind. Then he leaned over and put the smoke in my mouth, said you'll be OK sarge, I will be back to get you.
Christ on a crutch, I was a dead man!

The Gunship was an awesome weapon, when fired it would place rounds in ever square foot of land. Three or four Mini-Guns firing out of the Left side of the airplane. When seen at night the bullets are one continuous red Phosphorus stream. They bend in a parabolic arc to the ground and splash like water. The ground is plowed, dammed if I know how a man could live through it. But I did see cases of it.

The medivac came in right after the Gunship. They were hauling people to the chopper, the medic came by and said we will get you on the next one. It was fine with me, the rule of triage, don't waste a dust off on dead men. Of course there is also the rule that the worse go first, then the next level, and the dead go last. But my drugged, John Wayne,Country boy mind had fixated on the last. As soon as the first chopper got off, the next came in. The medic ran over and said; this is going to hurt a bit, grabbed me under the arm and pulled me to a standing position. Help as much as you can sarge,and We ran for the chopper, well maybe not run, but the best I could do.

Next stop the hospital,Right? Christ what was I thinking......
If these guys got to you you had a 90% chance of living
dust off ass 24th Evac operating rm. 24th Evac 24th Evac recovery rm. Recovery


History of 11th Cav.
next Chapter 		The chopper left the ground followed buy green tracers from the NVA 51-Cal machine guns. and as soon as they started firing every 50-Cal we had opened up with suppressive fire. From my view I could see the firebase, a circle of tracers going out in red,the NVA guns firing green tracers into the firebase the artillery in the center firing with white blossoms from the barrels, The deadly flower of war.

The dust-off headed east for Quan loi, but when we got there the NVA had broken through the wire in a place they could bring fire on to the Chopper pad. the pilot unassed that area quick. He was moving around so much I thought we were hit. It was major pucker factor. ( that's when you couldn't drive a ten penny nail up your ass with a 12 pound hammer)

Next stop 24th EVAC and I was on the table in 10 min. Other than pain and some veins spurting blood, I wasn't as near to deaths door as I thought. Not very pretty but survivable, no sweat the doc said. As he cut my shirt open he said,I won't knock you out but you won't feel any thing down where I'm working and by the way the jewels are ok.

He got the shrapnel out, did the internal stitching and called a corpsman to stitch the rest(he was a little busy). The corpsman asked if I was in the Navy? hell no I'm Black horse! well that's a shame. this big scar is about two inch's over you belly button.

and your going to have a great navel reserve!
I guess corpsman have a strange sense of humor