My Home for the Next Thirteen Months
There is a good chance anyone riding in a Chinook helicopter these days wear earplugs. I didn’t see one single set of earplugs the whole time I was in Nam. Hearing protection was not a priority in a war zone.
Charlie Troop apparently knew I was coming, because a guy in a 1/4-ton Jeep was waiting at the end of the runway to pick me up. I was assigned to the Charlie Troop Blues, so he took me to their company area. The ride was short, because it was right next to the landing strip.
When I arrived in the Company area a guy named Quintana showed me around and introduced me to some of the guys in the Blue platoon. He was a squad leader and little did he know then, had a short time left in Country. He broke his leg as he jumped from a chopper, while being inserted on a recon mission. That injury was his ticket back to the ‘World’. I was with him on that mission and thought that would be a great way to get out of this place…
My Vietnam Experience 
This picture doesn’t look like what I remember in ’69. Where are the rubber trees? I remember a tree line near the village. We got hit one night by a sapper unit that got blown aware by our green line and Cobra’s. I was with the 191st MI and we were manning the first bunker hit. I got to “interview” some of the prisoners we captured on that raid. They turned out to be the same unit that hit us in An Khe 4 days after I landed in country (yeah, FNG). They blew away some of the guys I came in country with using satchel charges. Four days and already headed home… not with a broken leg though.
A guy I met in An Khe was returning for his second tour of duty and had an M16 and M79 grenade launcher. We hit the bunker and laid down a field of fire with a M60 in the bunker, the M16 and grenade laucher. A quad-50 track joined us and we blew the hell out of the hill and whoever else was in front of us. Pretty fun stuff for only the 4th day in country. When things quieted down at around 2 or 3 I got uncontrolled shakes. As I said on the plane as we landed, “Welcome to Vietnam! It looks like a fun place to visit but I wouldn’t want to stay here a year!”
I was with 191st MI DET 69-70….only about 2 months before they sent me to Quan Loi. I went to USAINTS ….. 96C Interrogator. Names and most faces escape me.
Welcome Home David…
hey anyone know gary jackson or buddah…..air traffic controlers in phouch vinh 70 71 knew many of them…….was in 11th avn grp………jolly email if you know or remember me…….jollie…..rvn……69 70 71 hick from montana……
Welcome Home Jolly…
C Co 227.AHB 7/1/69 to 7/4/70