Walk in the woods

[39mto39g]

Just about 10-15 clicks north of Dak To.
The LT says we have to move cause BN is going to level the area in about an hour. Its 2am on a Sunday.
The area is surrounded by big mountans and we are in a 5 mile long valley. there is a thick, thick, thick forest area all around the valley. The valley has small open areas with patches of wooded areas. We now start to go slowly to each fireing position to tell them to wake up and gather there gear, we are leaving. its now 02:20 We start to exit the area and the point guy runs into a tree, which stops everyone, Its kinds foggy, misty, rainy, and very dark, Anyone thats been to VN can remember nights like this. 02:35 , we have walked for 15 min. and as near as I can figure we have went , maybe, 100 yards. The LT is getting a little more Forcefull, If you Know how Lts get. Know we have a hold of each others Ruk and are walking rather briskly. Ya just know this ain't going to work. Someone trips and falls taking a couple guys with him. It sound like a heard of Elepants just stampeeded through the area. Army units just were not made to move around at night, at least back then. 02:50 , now we are maybe, 300 yards from where we were and guys are clanking stuff and tripping and rocks are being turned and branches are being broken, the only thing thats not going on is maybe some talking, thank God.
03:00 the LT says to stop and get into defensive possitions. about 2 min. latter the shelling started and it was big stuff, You can tell the difference between a 105 and a 155 or 8in pretty easy at around 500 yards. 06:00 I get a call from BN wanting a sit-rep and I advise neg. They are sending Gun ships and a recon copper to assist with Bomb damage assessment.
We walked back to the area and arrived around daybreak,
We found a bunch of stuff and Boo-Koo blood trails , we must have walked 5 miles around the area and the choppers flew low and slow, No people, no bodies. But we did capture canteens, sandels, hats, One guy said he found a finger, (I don't think it was)
$120,000. worth of ammo and fuel and man power and we got some stuff that could have been bought for $5.00.
We did learn that a tree will attack without warrning and through your point man to the ground without mercy.

Ron

[chilidog]

Ron,
Did any of the arty shells land in your original night position? Where were the blood trails compared to the original night position? Thanks for posting this.

Chilidog

[39mto39g]

I can't remember where the blood trails were, We walked all over the place , After 50 to 100 155 and 8in land in an area it doesn't look the same as it did before .
We never found an people. I sent one of the canteens home.

Ron