Ruby

[Raggedy Ann]

This is a story I ran across today while looking for a Vietnam story. Its not a blood and guts kind of story, its a warm, fuzzy story. Enjoy.



Ruby was young and not in great shape. She was undernourished and covered with mange. We treated her mange using home remedies (motor oil applied lightly), and it worked. We shared with her what we had. Since we were with the South Vietnamese, our ration was usually rice, with a bit of dried fish or meat, and a c-ration now and then. The rations were adequate but, from an American GI's perspective, not great. Ruby, of course, didn't mind. After all she was Vietnamese, and she returned our affection, as dogs do, tenfold. She was a small, wiry dog, full of fun and love, with a great sense of humor.

Most of the time, Ruby remained in our base area while we were in the jungle, and she was always there to greet us when we returned after a few days, or weeks, in the field. We also took her to forward launch points and fire bases. She accompanied us when she could, sharing our fare and adventures. She was a real member of the team, and by the way, the only girl.

We were in our base camp in Xuan Loc in late January 1968 when the communist forces launched the now historic Tet Offensive. Attacks began in our area during the day, I believe on the 31st of January, when the Viet Cong probed the defenses of the city from two directions. After a brief flurry, the fighting faded. However, that was just the initial attack. At about 11 p.m., the VC attacked in earnest.

Xuan Loc was the Province Capital of Long Thanh Province, and a rather large town by Vietnamese standards. It was also the Headquarters of the 18th ARVN Division, (Army of the Republic of South Vietnam), of which my battalion was a part. That made it major communist target. The city was defended primarily by South Vietnamese infantry, but also located in the city were two U.S. artillery units that provided fire support to the surrounding area.

The attack on our unit was initiated with a horrendous mortar barrage. We had little cover since we had just moved into a new area and did not yet have proper protective bunkers. The mortar barrage was followed by a ground assault in our sector and general attacks throughout the town, which ebbed and flowed all night. Morning found us clearing the town of communist elements that had succeeded in penetrating our very loose perimeter during the night--a task of very "high adventure." During this time, although we thought of Ruby, we did not see her, and we were simply too occupied to search for her. The fighting went on for three days and nights. We could not keep the communists from penetrating the city at night, but during the day, they could not hold what they had gained.

When the attacks finally were exhausted at great cost to the enemy, we had time to collect ourselves, and we began to make a concerted effort to find out what had become of Ruby. I had convinced myself that she had been killed in the initial mortar barrage or subsequent fighting.

About a week later, one of our folks was visiting the U.S. artillery unit just down the road from our compound, and he found Ruby, alive and well. She had moved in with a male mascot dog of the U.S. unit "Blockhead." I realized that what had probably happened was that Ruby had become terrified in the confusion and noise of the initial attack. She had wisely fled, and probably unintentionally reached the U.S. unit. There she had met her new companion, who, coincidently, had his own sandbagged bunker (doghouse), situated right outside the U.S. mess hall. His home was secure and well protected, and his fare was considerably better than ours?steak now and then and other tasty morsels from the U.S. field kitchen.

Although we brought Ruby back to our compound, her heart was now clearly elsewhere. She would stay with us a couple of days and then return to Blockhead. After about the third time of retrieving her, we realized we were no longer her "home." She stayed only long enough for proper farewells and moved in permanently with Blockhead.

Over the years, as I have thought about Ruby, I have always liked to think that in the middle of the chaos, noise, danger, and confusion of battle, Ruby found true love. I can only hope it was not the material things about Blockhead's life that attracted her--the sandbags, overhead cover, and good food?but that it was really a deeper, spiritual attraction. But I'm sure she and Blockhead lived happily ever after.


Raggedy Ann

[39mto39g]

When I was at dak to we did patrols and while walking threw a Vill I spotted this little dog, I picked it up and put it in my shirt pocket. I fead it C-rations and it became a part of ut group. when we went to Komtum to help some 173rd guys I had to leave "BUTCH" behind, But the guys at Dak To took care I'm sure.
Ron

[VIETNAM 1968]

Thanks Raggedy Ann and 39mto39g for your stories and pictures. Both of you made my day.

I sometimes think that Dogs are better companions then some people can be. Always loyal and only wanting a little love from you to make them happy. It is said that even if all humans were to turn against you--Your Dog would always find good in you and be willing to stand right beside you to the very end.

To all of my Vietnam Veteran Brothers and Sisters I again wish you a great big, and heart felt: WELCOME HOME:


VIETNAM 1968

Note dog:

Text later(for above)on my way to work.

[VIETNAM 1968]

In my earlier post I stated that Dogs will stand by their masters, even when all others have forsaken the master. I experienced this first hand one early morning at a fire scene.

As Street Supervisor I was one of the first Police called to a fire location in which it was believed that people were trapped inside. When I got to the scene, the Fire Department had already set up and were starting to fight the fire. One Fire Team had been successful in entering the first floor area and had found a dog cowering near a stairway leading to the second floor area, which was completely involved.

The dog was taken outside and given O2 which seemed to revive him. When the dog was revived sufficiently, the dog then broke free and ran right back inside the flaming house.

That dog managed to penetrate the intense fire and get to a second floor bedroom where his master was. When the fire was finally under control the Fire Department was then able to gain access to the second floor bedroom. They found a man dead on the floor near a bed. He had apparently died from Smoke Inhalation and not the flames. Right beside him was the dog, who was partly lying across the man's body as if to shield the man in some way.

If that is not supreme loyalty, I don't know what is!!

To all of my Vietnam Veteran Brothers and Sisters I again wish you all a big heart felt:


WELCOME HOME


VIETNAM 1968

[b3196]

Rover moved in one day and never left. Smart dog, I guess he figured out at an early age, he was gonna end up as dinner on some local's rice bowl.....Took him everywhere
bOOger

[frisco-kid]

One time while patrolling through a ville in the Central Highlands, a buddy and I stop to watch a woman that is squatted down cooking some pieces of meat that are skewed on a piece of split bamboo. She is holding them over a charcoal broiler like roasting marshmellows. She looks up at us, gives us a big, black-toothed smile [from chewing beetle nuts], and offers us some that is already cooked up laying on a large banana leaf next to her. We grin back at her and, through mostly sign language, ask her what it is. When she gets the gist of the question, she says something in Vietnamese. We look at her and shrug our ignorance. So.......she BARKS at us!
"DAMN," we say in unison.
"She's cookin' a freakin' dog," says my buddy.
Well, being 19yr. old paratroopers, we're not going to let this woman, or each other, think that we're chickens, so we say "Sure," and each take a stick. Each one has four pieces of meat on it. Watching each other, we warily take a piece of meat into our mouths and slowly start chewing. After a couple of seconds we grin at each other. It's a little tough, but doesn't taste bad at all! Tastes like any other piece of roasted meat; somewhere between pork and beef. We down the other pieces. I give the woman $1.00 in MPC and we head out, laughing and teasing each other about having just eaten a freakin' dog.

[Robert Ryan]

Had a dog that we took care of my first tour, we called him Tiger. Was able to get Veterenian care for him, he eat real well. The Vietnamese didn't understand why we like the dog so much.

[39mto39g]

FK
Most every time we would go threw a vill there would be a pot of something cooking over a fire and most every time I would get a canteen cup of what ever it was, Most likey the meat is dog. In a stew/soup meat is meat. When your a see eater, a change is welcome.

Ron

Bob.
Your dog