Sometimes we have to pause that in reality fear is in all of us when you are in a real war situation. That we are here to sacrifice for the good of our brothers that are also experiencing the same fear that embodies their soul. Not one soldier ever told me they had no fear of dying nor was their bravery ever was questioned when we were under fire - not once. At night while perched on our perimeter tower I would welcome the full moon because of the light radiating the dark spaces in front of us. Intelligent reports put everyone in the Americal Division on Red alert meaning everyone one pulling guard along every bunker were given instructions to stay awake at all cost. My duty was to keep checking by field phone every hour to ensure they were up and ready. There were three of us on the tower and our radio contact with the division headquarters was also every hour on the hour. As the hours passed there was alot of chatter on the radio from other parts of the perimeter that they could see movement. We were on heighten alert and all we can do was whisper to each other as our eyes focused straight ahead. For the first time I was feeling uneasy and yes, scared. The darkness, the stillness of the night and dead silence questioned the bravery in me and the other two of my comrades. Suddenly, we hear the sound of an engine rumbling towards us. Since the only two lane highway was right in front of our perimeter, it became apparent that sound was getting close. No lights, just a sound. I immediately looked into the Starlight Scope which can see objects in the dark. My heart started to palpitate with anxiety of what I saw. It was two people riding on a scooter then all of sudden they disappeared behind some vegetation. I alerted the bunker lines that two enemy suspects were across the highway hiding in the bush. It was around 10 pm and we contacted Division headquarters of two possible sappers and maybe more. They asked us to be vigilant and keep them insight. The division headquarters seemed so busy with all the ongoing activities. We kept our poise. Each bunker sent up flares but we couldnt spot anything. It was an hour later the Division Headquarters contacted us by radio if the enemy was still in front of the perimeter. They asked if we needed a helicopter gunship to flush them out. We immediately said Yes because they had been hiding for too long and our nerves were getting frail. I really didnt want to come face to face with the enemy but if I had to it would definitely define me as to what type of soldier I was. I was ready but not ready to die; But then within a few minutes the a couple of Cobras came towards our perimeter. A Cobra can shoot 1,000 rounds per minute at its target. One of the pilots radioed to our tower to point out the location, I told them they were 11 oclock high from our Tower. The two Cobras turned on their spot light straight down and they asked the two to Cho Hoi, the Vietnames word to Surrender. But at the same time the pilot was laughing. We were wondering why his crew was laughing and we can hear their chuckle over our radio. Then the pilot told us Relax men, the two suspects in the bush was a young Vietnamese couple who were making love in the bush and on a hot date on their motor-scooter. Well, I guess the full moon brings out the lovers even here in Nam. One of the most comical moments on my tour. Again the Lord was looking over us.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 06:51:51 +0000
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