War Stories�
Begaining of the Story Next Stories Authors information Page Stories Bayou Photo trip
meal in the field Ever 3 days or so a Hot meal was flown out to us, if possable The cook stayed over and did brekfast the next day. Then flew back.
Ask me the one about the cook the egg and the purple heart..

After I returned to my unit Several memorable events occurred. Once pulling off the trail into open spot, we started to set the parameter. One track hit a mine, Guess What? we were setting up on a mine field. we stopped all tracks and proceeded to walk them out one by one. I was walking my track out studying the ground, a arty shell lay in the grass. I looked closer,the fuse had been unscrewed, a little closer a chicom grenade was stuck in the fuse hole, closer still there was a string running from the grenade off to the tree line!! I must have jumped back 10 feet slamming into my track screaming Stop! I had Bressie my driver call the LT. and he called for a mad minute on the tree line. After getting the tanks back on the trail I toke 10 guys over to check the tree line. As luck would have it there had not been anyone on the other end of the string. Sometimes you just get lucky...

Bo Dop
H Company to Bo Dop
Clearing in Jungle
Clearing in trees
Teak jungle
Teak forest and jungle
Armor Airborne assualt
Never say Never!
 There was a Special Forces Camp at Bo Dop, it was supplied by air and it was getting pretty hot so they picked us to go up and relieve them. From the map back on page 3 its the Green marked road. The road to Bo Dop takes you up 13 clicks of mines infested roads. We hit mines 27 times and moved to the side of the road through the Teak to prevent more loss of life. Taking the brunt of it was Combat engineers on Rome Plows, believe it or not they were called that because they were special built at Rome, Georgia!! We ran guard with ACAV's and M-48's, Huge Teak trees, 10 to 15 feet across, Made it impossible to keep in front of them with the tracks. We sent out Dismounted patrols to keep down the sniper and small arms fire,
A member of the Blackhorse is always dismounted, never a grunt or straight leg.

We had rounded up early that day and the Capt. called me to the Com-track. We were we about to get visitors, it was Joe Dimagio and and the years winning pitcher of the world series. the Cardinals I think. This helicopters way to far out in the boonies for civilians. I don't know beans about baseball teams but my driver Bressie had a fit,telling me about who they were.

The ground was mud up to your ankles at the pad. so when the chinock landed We backed up to the ramp and transferred them to the top of the ACAV. I drove and let Bressie sit at TC position, that way he got to talk all he wanted to Dimagio. Dimagio looked around as we toured into the perimeter Where he asked, do you guys sleep. Right here bressie said, pointing to the Ammo stacked below with 3 muddy army blankets soaked in diesel laid across it. I swear the man almost cryed,we had been in it so long that what was normal to us I guess was shocking to civilians.

When we got close to the firebase someone got the Idea of an air assault (with ACAVs)!!! This Makes 2nd squadron 11th Cav. the only ARMOR unit I ever knew to do a Combat AIRBORNE Assault. We dropped a platoon of ACAVs into the perimeter as we came from the southeast. The S.F. guys had Mung and CIDG troops. They had buried M-41 tanks into the burme using them as pill boxes.(this protected the gas tanks)We got in and started to setup for what we knew was coming.

Three days later about noon they started dropping mortors!


Stars and Stripes