Jan 15th 1968

[39mto39g]

Year of the Monkey. We were knee deep in Tet and we were ordered to a little old Special Forces camp somewhere west of Kah sahn.
I have no idea, and nether does anyone else.
We were at the southern end of ashaw and headed north

More to come.

Ron

[DMZ-LT]

Man , you got around Ron. I spent my whole tour with in 20 klicks of the DMZ , from the coast to the border of Laos.Very scary along the border , we could hear tanks moving at night. They didn't scare me so much but I knew they propably had lots of Infantry with them and that scared me . When they dropped us a bunch of LAWS the pucker factor got even bigger. Welcome Home.

[39mto39g]

LT
I would have liked to stay at Pleiku my 12 months but old Uncle Sam had a different plan for me. I really don't think I stayed in a location for more than 3 weeks at the most. We were a highly mobile bunch and paid for that with travel voutures.
From Chu Li to the DMZ I have been to most all Base camps, 15 or so FSB and just as many LZs, some places we just cleared out of jungle and some other unit came in and took it over, Never had a name. Like Mary Lou, There was nothing but a bunch of big rocks there and a couple weeks later there was a LZ Mary Lou. Then we took off and went to another LZ Mary Lou over by Kontum, Flat as a pan cake. Go figure.
Ahn Ke was the most intense, I think, Well just after Duc Pho. Duc Pho would make the hair stand on end on your arm just looking at the mountain and valley.
Ron

[39mto39g]

We were heading north, had no clue as to our destination, just north, First stop, Da Nang.

Ron

[39mto39g]

After De-Helicopter we were told that, "This is your area"
We had a small bunker outside the perimeter wire of a SP Forces camp, Lang Vei.
We were right next to a Duster (Twin 40mm) . The tree line was about 75 yards away.
The next day I went for a walk about and found, Lang Vei was not one camp but at least 4 wire enclosures. I must confess, sleeping next to the duster gave me the best nights sleep I had in VN. Lang Vei was kind of a town, without any stores. Real peaceful, we could here the war going on to our east but we had nothing.
More.

Ron

[39mto39g]

Jan 19th we got rocketed.
I was at the SP forces camp (the only time I was in Lang Vie) getting some ammo for a M2 carbine that I acquired. and here come these 6 to 8 foot long black rockets from about 2 clicks away, I watched them fire the thing and could see the black projectile coming at us. The Duster that I was next to opened up with 40 mm but his round were well short of the launch site, On line but short. I went back to the position out side the wire of Lang Vie and found the whole crew of the Duster all happy and elated with the supposedly return of fire on the NVA position.
I got with the commander and told him that his rounds were about a click short and proceeded to show him on the map where his round hit and where the rockets were coming from. They continued to celebrate as me and the LT made eye contact. What ever dude, I wasn't going to tell the crew.

Ron

[39mto39g]

No patrols, mostly cause we were so few, but I also think it was because the felling in the air. Like the (NVA) were all around us, so what’s the point.

Ron

[39mto39g]

Jan 19th
We got rocketed and that was about it. That night you could here what was going on at Khe Sanh or at least there was a Hell of a lot of Boom going on to our east.
It was around midnight when the Duster commander told us that they expected a sapper attack. We stayed awake 100% all night, every once in awhile you could here some talking and clanking of something towards the mountains in front of us.
About 4:30 in the morning it got so cold that you could see your breath. About every 1/2 hour or so the SP camp would get a Flare round from somewhere. I was never so happy to see a sunrise. When the sun did come up it was sooooo warm. I stood up and stretched, my bunker partner said, what the hell are you doing. That sun sure did feel good. I got back down behind the sandbags. No sapper attack, I guess that would be Thank God no sapper attack.

Ron

[39mto39g]

Jan 20, 1968
A 5 man Arvn patrol went right passed us and into the woods 75 yards in front of us.
Cooked some C's, wrote a letter to mom and played some cards. We got to get out of this place played on the 8 track and we were set to die. Prayers were said, letters wrote, promises made, and we wait. Claymore generator in hand, peek around sandbag into the dimly lit open area in front, not a sound, not a movement, breathing got to be loud.
scared, but once you make peace with that it ain't so bad, it turns boring.

Ron

[DMZ-LT]

Ron , Tiny had "We got to get out of this place " played at his funeral. Bad place out on the border of Laos