From Thoughts, Memories and Tears
Dak To, South Vietnam 8 June 1966
Dear Mom, Dad and folks,
Just a few minutes to drop you a line. Have a funny feeling I’m running out of time. Set up a defense around the artillery, last night. Charlie decided it was a good time to fight. Sent a battalion in the middle of the night. “A” Company put up a hell of a fight. They had us outnumbered four to one, thought they had us, when it begun. Got our act together quick as we could, seems Charlie only fights in his own neighborhood. Came out of the jungle, bugles and whistles blowing. Heavy machineguns and AK tracers glowing. Hollering at us, “Tonight you die!” had us believing, it wasn’t a lie.
They were trying hard to knock out our heavy guns, but the artillery only lost but one. It changed hands a couple of times, when the enemy broke through our lines. They tried their best to overrun our positions, but these troopers upheld the “Screaming Eagle” tradition. One new trooper said, with tears in his eyes, “They got us surrounded, the poor bastards”, but our flag was still on its standard. He thought it was time for “Taps”. I was scared too, but couldn’t help but laugh.
Some of the NVA had ropes tied to their ankles, about fifteen feet long. When they die, their buddies pull them back where they belong. They don’t want us to know how many we’ve killed. Hinders the count, but no denying, bloods been spilled. They hide the bodies in the jungle; don’t know why they go to the trouble. After a few days they don’t smell like a rose, all we have to do is follow our nose.
At the peak of the fight, didn’t seem we’d make it through the night. They were hitting us from all four sides. The guys on our listening posts were caught outside; they had to run for their lives. Charlie was right on their butts, most made it back, but it was luck. When Charlie got on line and made his push, seemed like there was one behind every bush. All the sudden they would charge, our howitzers fired point blank, a most deadly barrage. Beehive rounds found their marks, the dead were everywhere. The “Red legs” instilled in them a most terrible fear. It was amazing, the punishment they took. If they had stopped, just long enough to look, there wasn’t enough rope to tie each foot. Nor arms enough to pull them back, they lost that many in the attack.
Our engineers had to pick up their rifles and join the fight. Many of them became heroes last night. They fought like hell, their M 16’s blazing, the effect of their grenades, amazing. They left many enemy soldiers dead and lame. Great soldiers, these Combat Engineers, they have earned their name. They should be listed in the annals of infantry fame.
Our commanders called in air strikes; they pounded the enemy throughout the night. “Smokey the Bear” dropped flares, created an eerie light. But it was good enough to see, the ravaged enemy retreat in disharmony. “Puff the Magic Dragon” came in for the kill, laying hot lead all over those hills.
Most of the guys think the battles done, but I have a nagging feeling, Charlie isn’t really on the run. Still have that feeling, I’m running out of time. Oh well, don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Will write again, they are probably right, ain’t many Charlie’s, survived last night. Remember all, I love you much, think of me, wish me luck.
Your Lonely Soldier.
(IN MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN SOLDIERS OF OPERATION HAWTHORNE)
By: Peter S. Griffin
Company A, 2/502nd Infantry
101st Airborne Division
Viet Nam, 1965-66
