June 10th Back at LZ Ike

Two weeks out from my hip replacement surgery. This will be my second attempt at sharing this letter. Since my surgery, I have received several suggestions. I think I mentioned in previous letters how most of us had nicknames and that I couldn’t remember given names. My nickname was “Hippy.” The reader may have been able to guess that from one of the pictures I posted. So, now you know. The other suggestion was to do more commenting, add more of my impressions as I read these letters for the first time since I wrote them. I will try to do more of that in future letters.

Anyway, “Dear Mom, dad, Steve and Sue, Back at the LZ for a few days. Received one package from you and one from Mrs. Wildasin.” Mrs W was the mother of George who was a roommate and friend in Fort Worth shortly before I got drafted. Just one more friend with whom I have lost contact. “Real nice of her to do that so I hope to write her a thank you note as soon as I finish this letter.” I hope I actually did that. “I’m way behind in letter writing. I owe a letter to almost all of my followers (who are beginning to decrease.) They now include you, gram & gramps, the Robinsons, Aunt Louise, Brenda Lee (my Hong Kong Honey), Brenda White, and Overton, and two guys I knew in AIT who are both over here.” AIT was advanced infantry training which I received at Fort Polk, Louisiana, often referred to as ‘Tigerland.’

“The last week has been a real horror show. We had made contact several times during the 1^st few days of our last 15 days out. But during our last 4 days all hell broke loose when we accidentally stumbled into an NVA bunker complex. We never penetrated beyond the outer fringes. Here’s one company of grunts attacking an NVA regimental headquarters. They hit us with small arms, machine gun fire, RPGs (rocket propelled grenades), mortars and rockets. In 12 days we had about 15 wounded and three killed. Remember I told you about Max – he was killed, shot in the head and stomach and our LT was killed – died from shock as his wound wasn’t fatal. We had to pull them out. I’d never been shot at so much at one time as on June 5^th. I really felt that it was all over, but some how we got out.” This was the action from which I received my Bronze Star. I called in the helicopter gunships and directed their fire with smoke while we laid down cover fire and pulled survivors to safety. Among the letters my mom saved was a letter to me from Max’s mom asking how he died. I’m undecided at this point about sharing this letter. I need to run this by a couple of friends before I make a decision. Feel free to add your opinion to the comments section below this letter. Back to the war! “Now they’ve got 7 companies and one armored company in there doing what we tried to do by ourselves. We did prevent the gooks from pulling an all out attack on LZ Jamie. It’s hard to launch an attack when you’ve got 100 GIs beating on your back door playing hell with your regimental control.”

“This bunker complex was a staging point for full attacks on nearby LZ’s of which Ike is one. Although the gooks out there still have plenty of ammunition and weapons, most of their rice has been found and destroyed. They’re really having trouble keeping fed. We killed 29 gooks out there and took 2 prisoners. We’re always getting chewed out because we rarely take prisoners, and the ones we do take are usually shot up pretty bad. We received an intelligence briefing from an intelligence officer on exactly what was happening out there. Our division commander was also out here and he congratulated us on a job well done. Said we were the best company in the division. But I’m sure he tells that to everyone.”

“But back here on the LZ things have been quiet. We also received a 24 hour R&R in Tay Ninh because of what we did last week out there in the jungles. And it’s really jungle, too. That damn bamboo tears you apart. That’s one reason why the gooks pick bamboo for bunker complexes – they’re hard to get at. Also, they’re almost impossible to spot from the air.”

“I’m enclosing Brenda Lee’s letter in this letter. I want you to save it for me. Also I’m enclosing some pictures that didn’t come out well, but keep ‘em anyway. I’ll try to answer your most recent questions. By all means – continue to send the cookies. We really enjoy them when we come back to the LZ. My feet are as well as can be expected. They looked and felt ok on R&R, now my athlete’s foot in my left foot is acting up. But it’s nothing to be concerned about. I guess I’m pretty skinny, but otherwise in good shape. The heat? Yes, it’s unbearable, but the rains help. We’ve had quite a few heat casualties lately, but not me. I should be so lucky.”

“I haven’t heard from Peni since she’s been on her trip – and I haven’t heard from Susan since she graduated. Time left – 5 months, two weeks, 4 days! Downhill? I doubt it. We expect to be in this AO through the monsoons. We’ve been getting rain now every day. It’s hard to keep anything dry.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard about Nixon’s plan to withdraw 25,000 troops in the next two months. We feel none of the ‘Cav’ will go. The ARVNs are not prepared to fight this far from a big home base. We feel we’ll be here a long time. We have a saying about the ‘Cav’. First in, last out. We’re the most mobile force over here and feel that we’re too important to be pulled out. Guess that’s all the Bravo Sierra I’ve got for now. Say ‘hi’ to all my fans for me.”

“Steve, I especially hope you’ll do as much for the folks as you can this summer. Keep mom from worrying as much as possible. I can take care of myself over here. I’ve done it so far. Take care all, Love, Dave”

Max and I were as close as Marty and I, but you can see the difference in my reaction to Max’s death to that of Marty. It appears that I became desensitized to the combat deaths of my friends and combat buddies in 3^rd platoon. I guess that’s what I had to do. And that stuff about being able to take care of myself? Well I could do that pretty much by not being stupid. But when the guy next to you gets shot and you don’t, well, what it that? Luck? Circumstance? Some would say that God was watching out for me, but why me? Why not Max or Marty? No, I think it’s pretty much the luck of the draw.

Also, I asked my brother Steve to help mom keep from worrying to much. As is pretty obvious, I have not been one to pull punches in my letters. So that worrying part, that was on me. The next letter may or may not be Max’s mom’s letter to me. I hope I answered that letter, but just one more memory buried in my brain that probably will remain there. A picture if Max is posted below.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I don’t know if mom saved Brenda Lee’s letter. If I have it I will share it. See ya next Monday.