Delta Company 3/21st 196th Light Infantry Brigade AMERICAL DIVISION Vietnam

[White Oak]

I was assigned to Delta Co in late Sept 1969 after two weeks of in- country training at the AMERICAL's Combat Center. The AMERICAL or 23rd INFANTRY DIVISION was the largest Infantry Division in Vietnam.It was formed in 1969 by combining the 3 seperate Infantry Brigades they had been using.The 196th,198th and the 11th Brigades.The 196th had been working with the 101st Airborne Div and the 3rd Marine Div at Chu Lai.I was assigned to the 3rd/21 196th.3/21st had 5 Companys.Alpha Annihilators,Bravo Bushmasters,Charlie Tigers,Delta Black Death and Echo Assassins(Recon Company)and Headquarters Company.All companies had patches made up and had them sewn over our right pocket.This is the patch of Delta"Black Death", and may be the last surviving one.All my personal belonging was locked in my duffle Bag and stored in the supply room.I was given pack with enough stuff for 5 days and weapon.Early next morning about 5 of us NEW GUYS got on a 2 1/2 ton truck and went to the chopper pad.I can remember the guy at the pad telling us to lock a magazine in our weapons but not to chamber a round.I clearly remember thinking,for the first time since I have been in the Army this is the first time they have told me to without being on a firing range and having to do all kinds of safety checks to, load my weapon.Hey,this is it,this is where it gets serious.We were told we heading to Firebase Hawk Hill,home of headquarters 196th.After waiting most of morning we were told we would be going straight to Landing Zone Center