What was the toughest military school

[catman]

Now all the stories I hear happening up on Psyco Mountain are starting to make since!

Trav

[b3196]

Now thats funny!!!!!!!!!!!
Bob K

[splummer]

I don't think we need to hear the rat story. But I know Bob will insist on hearing it. So go ahead. You did at least cook it first didn't you?

[frisco-kid]

You crack me up! Great story.

AIRBORNE, Bro!



"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society."

Mark Twain

[White Oak]

It only lasted 3 weeks,that's day and night 3 weeks.I would give everything I own to be in the physical shape I was in on the day I had Jump Wings pinned on.My recollections is a Black Cap screaming in my face(I don't think they were capable of normal talking normal) push-ups and running everywhere for all three weeks.

[PHO127]

It will have to wait until monday, Got to go to psyco mountain this morning with the tractor. The rat story doesn't actually involve eating rats but it does involve cooks and rat killing and claymores.

[b3196]

Allright.....I need to hear the rat story but first is it anything like the rat races we had where you soaked them in lighter fluid. set them on fire and let them run down a long boxed in track....place your bets on how far he would get before keeled over and flamed out.
Bob K

[thebrad]

Originally posted by PHO127 One of my SF Sergeants retired as Sergeant Major of the Ranger School. The only way to get through Ranger School is to go until you think you are going to die, then grin because you know they can't eat the body and go some more. Let us know if you get in and we will come visit you at Camp Darby. (North Georgia Mountain Phase)

I was put out of pre-ranger training... a rolled ankle from night land nav put me out half way through day 1 ... "not worth a long-term injury" they won't let anyone back in after they've been put out. I still have every intention of making it to... and through... ranger school though. Just will have to find another road to it. Another buddy of mine walked from pre-ranger so he could concentrate on his academics - which were about to have him removed anyway. we'll be training up together. This MAY work out for the best... engineering will only sent LT EOBC grads to one follow-on school and right now ranger is easier to get a slot at than airborne (really)... so I'll aim at that.... and if that doesn't work out.... I can get a slot at Sapper school no problem.

[1CAVCCO15MED]

X-ray School

Nah, it wasn't the school. The roughest thing I faced there was the fact I didn have a field jacket, instead having an army overcoat. Weren't my fault but I stood out. But that wasn't the real HORROR of those times. Between Medic School and X-ray School we were in a transient barracks for two weeks. It was full of guys getting out for homosexuality. Now there were some real fragile flowers there and they weren't faking because they were already judged a little too "odd" for military duty. We were in these old WWII two story wooden barracks which had a sliding board for a fire escape. Now it went pretty well during the day but at night after the lights went out things got a little wierd. They didn't bother us straight guys but they bothered the hell out of each other. Well, one night we went to the Town Pump and spent most of our monthly $50 on 3.2 beer. After many pitchers, we kind of mosied on back to the barracks. Well the bouncing bunks were going full force. We started grabbing bunks and sending them down the sliding board. Next morning there were a lot of bunks down on the ground below the sliding boards. It was very much quieter at night after that.

Sid, tell the rat story. I love it.

[PHO127]

Sorry I am a day late, First some background. The typical method of building and defending a firebase was to put artillery in the center and keep an infantry Co. rotated thru to provide perimeter defense. Ltc Johnny Johnston (later LTG) and I were discussing this in prep for a move to a new firebase position south of Xuan Loc. It was my position that the main defense of the firebase should be the 105 howitzers. They had to be manned 24/7 and had a M60 for each position, if we used them, we could rotate the infantry thru another base and or keep an extra company in the field and rotate them into our smaller base by platoon. We opted to try it and to keep an extra company in the field. We then went to plann how to build and position a firebase in order to maintain the positioning of the artillery pieces so that the ground coverage still had interlocking explosive cover. We came up with a plan that made a firebase no larger than 100 meters in circular diameter and put 5 howitzers on the perimeter in a 5 point star with base peice in the center. We put one of the weapons Co Ma duces between each howitzer and a 60 in each gun pit. We put the TOC and FDC together in an L shape in the center along with the weapons Co 4.2s and 81s. The plan of defense of the firebase was this.

Each perimeter howitzer had pre-cut and fuzed 15 rounds, 5 Beehive, 5 HE Killer Jr and 5 WP killer Jr. We reconned the area and picked out where we would emplace bad guy mortars if we were going to attack, and we then registered the 4.2s on these points. Each MA duce and 60 had an assigned field of fire. If we were hit everyone hit the perimeter and things went like this. Each howitzer position would fire their 15 rounds with each howitzer alternating the secuence of what they were firing IE howitzer 1 would fire BH, HE and WP the howitzer to his left would fire HE, BH and WP and the howitzer to the right would fire WP, HE and BH. then the howitzers would lay to provide calls for fire. All machine guns expended a belt of ammo on a FDF (Final Defensive Fire, Gun fires all ammo in one position designed to be interlocking with a nother gun) then they would sweep and shoot at targets as they appear. The 4.2s would fire a counter battery set on the preplanned targets then lay to provide additional fire support as required, The 81s each had a quarter section of the firebase assigned to hang 8 rounds of illumination in and then they fired a close in counter battery sequense the similar to the 4.2s. All personnel in the firebase manned the perimeter and provided concentrated small arms fire. All of this fire power was comming from a base that was only 100 meters in diameter. In addition some times we had a duster or quad 50 or one of each with us. If ever we were hit all of this was initiated automatically in addition we had the usual perimeter claymores, flares, ETC in the wire. You get the picture.
THE STORY.

We had gotten in a new mess sergeant to the infantry and it was his first time in VN. Naturally he wanted to provide the best he could in the field and he had a big deal on garbage disposal an sanitation. He wasd appalled that we had a garbage pit just a little way outside the wire and even more appaled that it was overrun by rats. After being there for a while and getting used to people with guns and explosives he found out about the claymore mine and its destructive power. It dawned on him one day how to eliminate the garbage pit of rats, Just plant a couple of claymores in it and blow up the rats. He got a couple of the infantry guys to go out with him and plant 2 claymores in the dump and run the wires back to his position on the perimeter and there he waited until dark. he would occasionally shine a flashlight out to the dump and see the red eyes and when he thought he had enough he blew the claymores.

Now revert to the above described base defense plan, All hell broke loose. INCOMMING was the call, howitzers fired, MGs fired, 4.2s were firing , illum was going off we were under a major attack. All of us hit the perimeter in our assigned sectors and started directing the defense of the base. The patrols hearing the counter battery fire started calling in their own fire and we were in a full fledged major battle WITH ABOUT 50 RATS. Somehow we noticed that were were not getting any casualties and no one was actually getting hit with bullets. It took about and hour to get things calmed down and stop the jitters, and another 2 or 3 hours to figure out what happened. The Mess sergent went from Staff to spec 4.

We were never attacked in that fire base. bases all around us would receive probing attacks or small arms fire or a sapper. NO ONE EVER CAME CLOSE TO US, AND WE NEVER RECEIVED SO MUCH AS 1 ROUND OF SMALL ARMS FIRE IN THAT POSITION.

We credit that to the night of the great american rat killing.