BN commander

[39mto39g]

Colonel Kimmel came to our uit and asked the LT for volunteers to go out and set up an LZ. The LT came to us and said what he said. I said , I'll go.
We were chopperd to this bald hill in the middle of nowhere and set up camp. The only gun that came with us was a 106 and crew,
We got rocketed, snipped, mortored, and one sapper, although we had no wire for the sapper to go through , he tried to get to the only bunker on the hill, (and failed) The LZ had no real benifit to be there except it was on the edge of some eirie moutains and this long valley that seemed to go on forever.
After three weeks of all night watch and all day patrols, I was choppered out to go to some other crappy area in Vietnam. I (We) had just opened up LZ marry Lou.
Our BN commanders wifes name, He was later killed in VN.

Ron

[DMZ-LT]

First day I got my platoon I lost half of them to a 120 mm mortar with in hours . First track hit was the mortor track. Weeks later we got a replacement track , but the guys bringing it to us set it on fire cooking in it . Col . said he was sending them out to Laos on a big hill , I told him if he was sending them I was going with them. He said damn right you are. They flew us in at dusk and the 4 of us got in holes already on top and were silent. I could here them talking going by us all night

[39mto39g]

Its different when people want to kill you isn't it.
Keep low.
Ron

[DMZ-LT]

Yes. People ask me all the time why I am so happy and I can't explain why I am so happy to them - no one is shooting at me, I ain't in a hole I dug , eating a can of something in the rain. afraid, Hope to shake your hand some daY

[splummer]

He comanded the 39th trans battalon at Gie Lie in 1968. He was a maniac nut case. At the start of a ground attack by an enemy Bn one of the 39th bunkers was hit with an rpg. Two of our guys kia and two wounded. He wanted to court marshal the two wounded claiming they were sleeping on guard. [as if he would have known what they were doing] That is how I remember the incident 38 years ago.

[Robert Ryan]

LZ Mary Lou Konthum, so you were one of the first to establish Mary Lou Ron. No offense but I didn't like Mary Lou very much, but is good to know the history. Heard it named after the Col's duaghter, but glad you clarifed it.

[39mto39g]

Worked with 1/14 and 1/10 many times around that area.
Although, I never got to most of the LZs around Kontum, Bass, No slack, Roberts, swinger , etc Mary Lou was specical. I didn't stay very long and had hardly no hand in the building of the LZ that was there in the end, I did have a small part it the beggining. Rt 14, (I think it was) ran N-S .
Ron

[39mto39g]

see report of Jun -68