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

[White Oak]

On my left and right are Kit Carson Scouts,from that name you would think these guys have special training in scouting,maybe some kind of secret commando outfit?Far from it,these are just x-regular soldiers of the North Vietnam Army.To me this was one of the worst programs the USArmy tried.Captured enemy soldiers were selected and given a crash course in America military language,made to give oath that they wouldn't fight against South Vietnam and Americans.Given weapons and packs and sent out to field to advice and translate for the Americans.My personel opinion of them is I wouldn't follow em 10 foot.I distrusted them from the moment I met them.To me they were con men,regular soldiers who were sent south and caught and didn't want to waste away in prison.There may have been some good ones in the other units but the ones we had were useless.I didn't trust them or their translations.Only way I knew we were getting close to enemy was to watch them,when they got nervous and on guard,it was time for you to get nervous and on guard.Getting caught again by a North Vietnam unit with a American unit,wearing and carrying American and helping the Americans was reason I guess for them to become nervous and on guard.The white Tee-shirt was from his pack,when I ask for a photo he dug it out and put it on.he then pulled it off and put back into pack.I can't remember their name so I'll call them Bullshit and Artist.

[frisco-kid]

Danny, same-same you. I didn't trust them as far as I could throw a helicopter. Always figured if they turned traitor to their own country and buddies, their loyalty to my country and buddies wasn't worth spit. Fuck 'em.

[White Oak]

Not all of Vietnam was bad,there was times when we goofed off just like every American soldier has done.The story with photo,the guy with the foot powder all over him is Guam(Roman Castro(GUAM)The guy next to him is William Sadler(VA).Sadler, who is white and Selah Montgomery,who is black, were talking about being black and white.Guam walked up and asked them what was he, black or white?Both thought about it for a while and said he wasn't in either.Guam ask them both which was the best race to be with and both of
them started to give good side of their color,after a while Guam wandered off.Few minutes later,he wandered back,he had went to the medic"Doc"Jerngan and got a can of foot powder and as you can see,applied.he walked up to Sadler and told him he wanted to be a White Boy. Story about Guam,he was born and was raised in Guam,drafted and send to Sunny California to train.He was then send to Korea,he said he volunteered for Vietnam to get him anywhere away from SNOW,he had never seen it and he never wanted to see it again.

[White Oak]

This is what we paid in Vietnam,this fucking pile of rusting junk cost us 4 young American men,Private First Class John Dean Retseck,Jr,Staff Sgt Gene Gordon Wells,Specialist4th Class Frank Zyzdzik and 2nd LT William James Erkes. All members of Delta Company"Black Death"and all killed-in-action on Jan 7,1970.4 men killed and many more wounded and this is what we got,This pile of rusting junk........

[White Oak]

Our standdown was held in the rear at our company area.We were right on the South China Sea,beautiful palm trees and white sand.When 1st arrived in Delta Company,all new members sign paperwork to allow $5.00 per month to go to special Standdown fund.Standdown just means to come to rear area for three days and relax and get away from the jungle for a while.Every two months all four line companies rotate to the rear for three days(one afternoon,one whole day,one morning).Choppers would pick us up and fly to Firebase Hawk Hill.From there we would be taken to some convoy that was leaving Hawk Hill and going south to Chu Lai.Convoy drops you off at Company area.This is what you have bought with your $10.00,all the beer you can drink,if you drink hard stuff and let someone know it would be there.All steaks,burgers,hotdog cooked any time,any way you like it,First and best,showers,cold but wonderful,plenty of soap and towels,it was wonderful.Next clean uniforms,from there(sorry almost forgot,when we got off trucks from convoy all weapons,hand grenades,things that blow up were taken away from us and locked away.We were in the rear and the people in rear know what happens when drunk grunts and hand grenades come together).They have movies playing outside shining up against a plywood painted movie screen at night(saw Green Berets 1st time there,it got bad reviews by audience)and the best for last,two nights of live bands.Band's from all over the Pacific,Japan,Australia.Bands that would come and play and have a female singer,young and always in a tight dress.You don't have to be a great band when you have 90 young,horny,drunk American GI's in front of you,you just have to be female and sing like you are singing each song just for each and every man there.I also joined the crowd just like everybody else,I knew when I had to get back on that convoy,I partied like there was no tomorrow and ask myself in morning"I did what last night?"

[Arrow]

I'm not getting some ofDanny's images just a little box with a red x in the center. I can'tview the last two and there were a couple of others. Anybody else having the same problem. Over

[frisco-kid]

I'm getting them just fine. It must be on your end, Darlin'. Maybe try hitting your "refresh" button a couple of times .

[Arrow]

Thank you for the feedback Frisco...it worked...

[DMZ-LT]

Thank you Danny. Followed a pig trail the one and only time we had a Kid Carson for half a day. They just wanted to stay alive , just like us . Rode the bike for 2 hours yesterday.

[White Oak]

We had small groups of people who lived deep in the jungle.They knew the drill when the Americans approached,walk away from their hootch's and all get together in central spot.We were not there to see them,we were there to find North Vietnamese Soldiers.If we found none we left and life went on.Most of the time while we were there we were like soldiers of wars before,giving candy to the kids.It was never like the movies where we come in and slaughter the people and leave the village burning.I was lucky to be serving with men above that.I have always held a personal grudge against Lt William Calley and others for the actions he committed for two reasons,1st for what he did 2nd because he was wearing a Americal Division Patch.I don't know what drives a man to give such an order and I don't know what makes a man follow a order like that and I don't know why somebody didn't put a bullet in him when it all started.