Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must...

undergo the fatigue of supporting it.

 

Thomas Paine, 1777

 

 

THE GHOST PATROL

 

BY

DALE M. WEST

         

t all seemed so routine at first. Just another recurrent night ambush patrol. The Marines in the fire team lined up in the predetermined order and I greeted them in the glow of a far off illumination flare. The "Old Man" insisted that we beef-up the patrols with a couple Marines from the other fire-teams, usually held back as a Reaction Force.

          S/Sgt. Newman was a tough Marine NCO. We called him the "Old Man" because he was so much older than the rest of the Marines, at least thirty. I called him "Gunny" as well, because he had held the rank of Gunnery Sergeant a few times during his career. He got busted in the peace-time Corps, that was not unusual, especially for guys like 'Gunny' Newman... he was a veteran of the Korean War. He joined the Marines with a phony birth certificate when hostilities broke out and he saw a lot of combat and lived to tell the war-stories of how he walked out of the "Frozen Chosin" reservoir along side the infamous General "Chesty" Puller, our idol.

          Our usual ambush patrol consisted of only 3 or 4 Marines and some trusted PFs. We had thirty minutes before the patrol was scheduled to depart the perimeter.  This was the time needed for us to get our night vision, to make the necessary adjustment from the well-lit bunker to the darkness of the jungle. I used the time to check my web gear, ammo belt, the level of water in my canteens, and all details of my equipment to ensure nothing rattled or clanged.  Then, as we smoked the last cigarette of the night, I briefed my team about the patrol.

          I walked back and forth in front of them and talked in a low, steady monotone style. "We will take four PFs (Popular Forces, or militiamen) with us, keep an eye on 'em tonight, 'cus they got the jitters and think that Charlie will be on the move".  I explained, "I know it is dreary out there tonight, so stay alert. It's cloudy, so visibility will be tough, & it'll probably rain before we return in the morning. I want ya to keep it tight, close interval, stay in sight of each other at all times and don't let the PFs make any noise or, try to screw it up again.  We're gonna be real invisible!"  I pulled the map out of my breast pocket and gave the radioman the grid coordinates of the ambush sites.  I pointed to a spot far from our location and said, "We're going deep into the jungle & come out at the edge of 'Indian Country'. I do believe we're gonna see some shit tonight. We're goin' at least nine 'clicks' out and back.  We will set up in two ambushes, one at midnight by the cemetery and another, at 0400 hours, located near the main trail"...