Duc Pho

[39mto39g]

Although there is not a lot of talk about Duc Pho, It was one of the scarryest places I have been in VN. There was a valley that ran out of Duc Pho that was scarry. Just looking at it put a cold chill on you back.
One day we got orders to walk the valley. We started out in the morning and headed into a fog/cloud covered valley between two ridge lines. we walked and it got spooky. we stoped and it got spooky. we went left and it was spooky, What do you think it was when we went right/ spooky.
We spent 3 days in this long spooooky valley. and ran into not much.
As we got up on a fire bace heading back to Duc Pho we got fired upon from the valley by a huge rocket. I think I could have touched it if I reached out just a little.
A message???? we were watching you.
I was so glade to go some other fun place in VN.


Ron

[frisco-kid]

It wasn't just scary, it was also REAL dangerous. It was the last AO I was in with the 101st.

We started to arrive in the Duc Pho area the end of APR/first of MAY67. At the time, 2/327 had been back down around Tuy Hoa on the Coastal Plains. They were transported by boat [LSTs ?], and landed on the beach like a bunch of freakin' Marines. Our AO was going to be the mountains to the west of Duc Pho.

The whole place was a bastion of VC, with most of the villes under their control. Most of the population, at minimum, sympathized with, if not joined them. The mountains and valleys to the west were home to several VC units. They knew the area like the back of their hands and were some tough SOBs, often bringing the fight to us. Also, the place was loaded with booby traps.

On 11MAY67 the 101st kicked off Operation Malheur I with 1/327 and 2/502 [me] doing a CA into the mountains. The 2/327 CA'd in the next day as a blocking force. We were to do Search and Destroy operations to locate and destroy the base camps that were in the mountains. We started taking casualties almost immediately, mostly to booby traps. We would have our first KIA 2 days after we got there. We stayed in the mountains for about a month.

On 13MAY67 my company is moved to another area by helicoptor. The LZ is a small one and can only take 2-3 choppers at a time. I'm on the 2nd chopper. The first 2 bring us in and hovers about 5' off the ground, and we jump off. As the 2 choppers lifts off and the 3rd one starts to come in, Charlie opens up on us and the chopper. We rush the tree line trying to get to cover and to secure the LZ. The chopper is brought down by small arms fire with a crash. I don't know how far it fell; I was pretty busy. After a short, fierce gunfight, and with the help of the door gunners on the choppers, Charlie breaks contact.

In the initial attack, two of us guys on the ground were wounded. The guys on the chopper are banged up pretty good; a couple of them seriously. In fact, there's one KIA on the chopper. I don't remember if he died from the crash or from a GSW. He was PFC Carl Konopa, a Navajo [?] from Arizona. He'd been with the company 8-9mos.. He was 18yrs. old.

When we came down, it was to kick off Operation Malheur II. We were to round up every civilian, dog, pig, water buffalo, and chicken in the Song Ve and the Crow's Foot Valleys. They were going to be moved to government villages in other parts of the country. The whole area was going to be a Free-Fire Zone. ANYBODY seen in the area after the move was to be considered enemy, and SHAME ON THEM. This was still going on when I rotated out the end of JUN67. Was glad to get the Hell out of Duc Pho, and not just because I was going back to The World.

[frisco-kid]

Our eighth day in the mountains west of Duc Pho. We make contact with Charlie at one of their base camps and a fierce firefight takes place for about an hour. They're dug in pretty good and we hit them with what LAWs we have. Finally, a couple gunships show up and brings some serious pee on them. During the fight we have a couple WIA and one KIA. The KIA is a buddy, Sp/4 Stan Jamrozy. "Rosie" was from Louisville, KY. He was 20yrs. old.

His death was pretty hard to take by alot of us old guys. He got to the company a couple of weeks after I did. He was to DEROS in July. He was the shortest guy that I can remember being killed. He was also the last KIA in the company that I can recall before I DEROSED the end of June.

By the time we were able to evacuate our casualties, it was dark. During the evacuation the VC tried to flank us on our right. They ran into B company and got in a gunfight with them. B company took some casualties, also. Here's what was going on over with B company.

Dale Eugene Wayrynen was awarded the Medal Of Honor [posthumously]

Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 2d Battalion, 502d Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Place and Date: Quang Ngai, Province, Republic of Vietnam, 18 May 1967. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: 18 January 1947, Moose Lake, Minn.

Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Wayrynen distinguished himself with Company B, during combat operations near Duc Pho. His platoon was assisting in the night evacuation of the wounded from an earlier enemy contact when the lead man of the unit met face to face with a Viet Cong soldier. The American's shouted warning also alerted the enemy who immediately swept the area with automatic weapons fire from a strongly built bunker close to the trail and threw hand grenades from another nearby fortified position. Almost immediately, the lead man was wounded and knocked from his feet. Sp4c. Wayrynen, the second man in the formation, leaped beyond his fallen comrade to kill another enemy soldier who appeared on the trail, and he dragged his injured companion back to where the point squad had taken cover. Suddenly, a live enemy grenade landed in the center of the tightly grouped men. Sp4c. Wayrynen, quickly assessing the danger to the entire squad as well as to his platoon leader who was nearby, shouted a warning, pushed one soldier out of the way, and threw himself on the grenade at the moment it exploded. He was mortally wounded. His deep and abiding concern for his fellow soldiers was significantly reflected in his supreme and courageous act that preserved the lives of his comrades. Sp4c. Wayrynen's heroic actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the service, and they reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.

That was a scary night. The VC had bunkers and fighting holes all over the place. After dark, we thought they were going to counter attack us at anytime. C company made light contact that night, but I remember hearing the gunfire and explosions on our right flank when B company jumped these guys. I remember hearing about what Dale did the next day. Fuckin' amazing. You always heard about guys doing this, and saw it in alot of those war movies we grew up with in the '50s and '60s. Never thought I'd know anybody in a thousand years that would actually do it. Being quite the cynic by this time, I wondered if somebody didn't push some of these guys on the grenades sometimes. I'm sure that'd be the only way I would do something like that. From all the accounts I heard later though, this wasn't the case with Dale. He was a real Hero.

STRIKE FORCE, DALE.

[exlrrp]

Well I can't let a conveersation abot Duc Pho go by without me posting a picture of your humble correspondent actuaally IN Duc Pho.
Bout the only thing I can remember about the place is that it sucked mightily. Don't rmember much else about it at all exept it was close to the Song Ve Valley, which is in the same general area as the Song My place.
The Song Ve will always have bad memories for me for a lot of reasons--spent part of the summer running people out of their houses and off their farms--they didn't like it much. Yep, sonny , and thats how yr ol grandpa james spent the Summer Of LOve, '67: running people out of their houses and burning them down.. It was OK though, it was all part of our plan to win hearts and minds. This was part of the forced relocation proggram going on there ('67) Our part of it was named Operation Roundup like it was YEEHAH BUCKEROOS BUt it wasn't any fun at all, just awful I was glad to get away from it. I actually burned down the only house I ever intentionally burned down (on orders)--it left its mark. It turns out that there were some people in our batt Recon unit--the Tiger Force that was going along behind us, uummmm, lets say "sweeping up" people that didn't want to go.
I came into Duc Pho as a first replacement in a platoon that had been almost wiped out--this was not a real morale raiser for yours truly (although it did give me "seniority" over newer cherries). I was gladder'n hell I had been in Panama before going to Nam, learned how to live in the Jungle ("Jungle Expert"-'66) This was like earning the EIB before the CIB but I was glad of all the jungle training I had in Panama--it was what got me through my 5.5 mos in the 101st. I feel sorry for all the guys who just got AIT and then Nam--it must have been quite the shock.
I "broke my cherry" in the NAm humping the hills and valleys around Duc Pho. I still say it sucked.
The picture shows my platoon at the time (Sep? '67) in Duc Pho. My pal Woody (B/1st/327 and Easy Co lrrps) asked me if it was my whole compnay but no, we had just freshly cherried up for our oncoming onslaught on Chul Lai. I'm sitting first row 2d from the left. By this time I had been in that platoon for over 4 months, longer than anybody in the picture but 2 guys. Pig humper is in the back row, the tallest white guy between 2 black guys.
Stay good
James

[Packo]

Frisco, Thanks so much for sharing those stories with us. I was feeling sweaty the whole time I read them. Airborne buddy!

James, always a pleasure to see this picture. Have one myself! I don't know if I told you that Dan retired from Sara Lee and has his own business. He named it after one of the guys in this picture that didn't make it. It was a battle you remember. His company's name is IMRIE design/build l.l.c. I think it was a great jesture. He called Imrie's family first and they were honored.

Abu

Pack

[exlrrp]

Originally posted by Paco Frisco, Thanks so much for sharing those stories with us. I was feeling sweaty the whole time I read them. Airborne buddy!

James, always a pleasure to see this picture. Have one myself! I don't know if I told you that Dan retired from Sara Lee and has his own business. He named it after one of the guys in this picture that didn't make it. It was a battle you remember. His company's name is IMRIE design/build l.l.c. I think it was a great jesture. He called Imrie's family first and they were honored.

Abu

Pack

Wow, Pack thats amazing: naming his company afer John Imrie.
I guess I want to tell Imries Story, it was the bravest thing I ever saw, although it didn't happen in Duc Pho.
It was up in Chu Lai, 18th Aug, '67.
We were lead platoon, self (RTO) was with the lead squad.
We were walking thourgh an open area, burned off when we came under the heaviest fire I ever faced. People were going down all over. MOstly automatic weapons fire but there was a couple of smipers that were hitting people in the head.
I was trying to return fire and simultaneously trying to get my ass behind a bout a 2" thick tree. It seemd stupid at the time too but that tree looked mighty big.
I think I shot up every magazine I had. I really couldn't see much but I had an idea where one of the snipers was. Out in front of me about 20' was Berry, the MG, he'd took a burst across the lower body and knees and was lying out in the open screaming.
The fire was murderous--Yr boy was expecting to expire at any moment. Suddenly out runs Imrie over to Berry, kneels down by him and starts to drag him away. While I was looking right at him he was shot in the head.
But he didn't die, lay there flopping around.
So now we got 2 WIA out in the open under sniperfire.
Someone said they were bringing in NAPalm and we'd get them out under cover of that.Did I say the fire was murderous??
There was a chance for me to geta real medal there but I muffed it.--I'd just seen a guy shot in the head trying to do what couldn't be done and I said Fuckit--wait for the napalm. I have always looked back at that moment and wonderedd if I did the right thing. And I always wind up thinking I did. It was suicide and they didn't pay me enough to commit suicide.
Whatever you may think about me, the six or so guys near me made the same decision incuding the platoon leader.
I don't know how long it took to get the napalm in--seemed like hours but was probly about 15 minutes.
It was just getting dusk when the napalm went off, suddenly there was a huge firball and a hot glow.
All of us jumpoed up at the same time and went running out. The others grabbed Berry and Imrie--I grabbed the MG. I fired up all the belts I could find trying to get that sniper. I don't know whether I got him or not but there was charred bodies laying around when we reconned the next day. Take THAT motherfuckers!
That was the MG that Dan took over. I didn't want it (i'd been an Asst MG in panama and wanted to avoid it like the plague--for obvious reasons)
It took us a long time to get the wounded out, we had to sort of E&E back to the company area. I was helping carry anpother WIA out, actually a big fellow named Slavik carried him out on his bacxk while I stood guard, carrying the rifles and radio and we had two small firefights on the way back. At least I shot anyway.
we got back to the company area and after a while the medvac came in.
Imries death was the most valiant act I ever saw, the greatest act of self sacrifice I saw in the war (or since) This was talked about thorughout the platoon.
When I first came on to the Internet, I posted that I'd seen Imries death on one of the memorial websites http://www.vvmf.org/index.cfm?Sectio..._Id_No=25049.0 and that Imries family could contact me if they wanted the details. About 2 years later, his sister in law got in contact with me and I told her the story. Dan B (pighumper) had a picture that Imrie was in--they were buds from being from Wisconsin (so was Slavik)
So me and Dan got a chance to tell his family what had really happened--that their son had died a triue hero.
She said that the only medal they gave Imrie was a PH. Thats right, not even the CIB. The bravest thing I ever saw didn't even get an Honorable Mention.
That was the Army for you and especially the 101st. When I saw that Hackworth got a Silver Star and a Bronze Star and DOZENS of Air Medals while serving in the same Batt (as the Batt commander)--well you can understand how I felt. I didn't get any medals either.
I was thankful that I could tell the IMrie family this story. Their son died a true hero. The sisterinlaw said that the parents were still very bitter, didn't want to hear the story. I coud understand how they felt.
I hope Dan's naming his company after John Imrie helped to heal that.

Stay good
James
Happy just to be alive

PS Imrie wasn't in the picture posted above--killed about 3 weeks previous. It was from that battle that we aterwards got a lot of new cherries. That why the platoon looks big--usually it was about 20
This pictuire shows, from left, Imrie, Dan, (pighumper) and Slavik. "Coincidently" it was the only picture Dan had of himself from the war. (There are no coincidences, sometimes God jus has sequential miracles)

[Andy]

Thanks for the stories. As I was reading, swear I could smell the jungle and hear the AK's.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[frisco-kid]

14MAY67


Mother's Day Hill:
It happened 3 days after the 1/327 and 2/502 did a CA into the mountains west of Duc Pho, kicking off Operation Malheur I. This is how James' platoon was almost wiped out before he got to it.

This is what I remember hearing about it about a month or so later. The platoon was on a patrol in an area that they weren't suppose to be in. A 101st LRRP unit spotted them, but were too far away to recognize them as Americans. After checking to see if there were any friendlies in the area, and being told "Negative," the LRRPs called in gunships on them. The guns made a quick pass and hit a couple of guys [There's no such thing as FRIENDLY fire]. Luckily, they were able to identify themselves to the gunships. The 327th brought in medevacs to take out the wounded. After the dust-offs left, the platoon walked right into an NVA ambush just a couple of hundred yards away. I'm sure they were attracted to the area by all of the chopper activity. The platoon was almost wiped out before help got to them. I guess it turned into quite a gunfight.

Told ya Charlie was a tough SOB around Duc Pho.

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Tom and James

There are no words.........God bless you both.

[Packo]

James, thanks for correcting my error and putting Imrie up on the site. I've seen that pic a million times at Dan's. Thanks also for telling his story for all to read. I believe in the Cav he would have gotten a MOH or Silver Star at least. I am so sorry he was never honored by the military for his valor.....but to quote the line from Iwo.....Uncommen valor was a commen virtue.....and that certainly was true for Vietnam. By the way....you made the right decision not to go out but I can sympathize with 30+ years of us questioning some decisions we've made in Vietnam. God Bless you my brother.

Frisco.....thanks so much for the ear the other night. You also are truly my brother....along with so many on this site. Sisters too!

Airborne!

Pack