Friday, 1 Apr ’67

Jerry (West) and I walked back out with G-6 at 1400.

Saturday, 2 Apr ’67

Came in 1030 – left at 1400 with G-3 - - 3000 meters. Got into crossfire with 1^st Platoon. Later on, a sniper in 3^rd Platoon was killed (by 1^st Platoon.) I heard bullets whizzing by.

I was no more than 11 feet from him when he fell. I rubbed his legs, trying to keep his blood warm while the corpsmen worked.  I was one of the men who carried his stretcher to the medivac chopper.  He was dead on arrival. A Marine in the  Mortars Platoon had nervous break down.

Sunday, 3 Apr ’67

We had, the night before, moved to a hill full of punji pits and sticks. That day, one Marine was shot in the jaw. Two electric type explosions hit two patrols – injuries. G-3 wounded and captured a Gook. We moved to hill where sniper got killed till 1700 and then proceeded, in dark, to ambush sight. NO MASS.

Stayed at site all day. Sgt. Lumbard had a heat stroke. Cpl. West and FAC cut bananas.

0600 – left to Hill 51 with an exploded Amtrack. (ARVN.) Parts were everywhere. Found 500-lb. bomb booby-trapped. We blew it. Moved 200 meters. It rained. Received 2 meals from out-coming patrol.

We fired missions at snipers all day. Just as we were "saddling" up to move out, Sniper fired (Just as West and I stood up.) Went in at 2200.

Thursday, 7 Apr ’67

Sat on Hill 51.

Friday, 8 Apr ’67

Yet on 51. Tried to make me stand lines. West said "No!" I didn’t.

Saturday, 9 Apr ’67

Cpl. West went in on helicopter. 2^nd Platoon came in. 3^rd Platoon went out, sans (without)  me.

Sunday, 10 Apr ’67

I went in at 1630. Showered. Got package – chewy cake. Didn’t make it to Mass.

Monday, 11 Apr ’67

I listened to my tape recorder for 4 hours. Sent 2 home. Got a haircut.

Tuesday, 12 Apr ’67

Cpl. West returned. Ski and Wetzel left on operation Bighorn.

Wednesday, 13 Apr ’67

0200 - We moved out down highway1 across rice paddies (full of 4-leaf clovers). By 2030 (we) had walked 14,000 meters (nearly 10 miles). River. I was nearly hit by an accidental discharge. Rain!

Thursday, 14 Apr ’67

I found a 24-inch worm. Cpl. West ate some type of plant and it counteracted in his mouth. He was medivaced. I remained behind with Golf Company.

We blew bunkers. We laid down for "Fire in the hole" ("Fire in the hole" is the call when an intentional explosion is about to be set off. The "call" allows all those in the vicinity to prepare themselves prior to the actual explosion.) and afterwards, a Marine in front of me says, 

"Don’t anybody move. A snake crawled across my back!"

So what did I do? I got up and looked and here was a bamboo viper meandering off to the side. (2^nd deadliest snake in Viet Nam, next to the cobra.) I hit him with a stick but he got away.

We moved on and came to a Buddhist Temple. Spent the night. It poured down rain. I found two Vietnamese straw hats.

Friday, 15 Apr ’67

Got resupplied. Moved 100 meters to night pad. Found chi-cong grenade. Next morning, we burned the hooch. (Vietnamese house made of sticks and straw thatch.) . 

Saturday, 16 Apr ’67

Golf 3 blew up bunkers all day. Blew up 1000-lb. Bomb. One of our snipers got hit by shrapnel. That night, five men were medivaced for Malaria.

Sunday, 17 Apr ’67

Walked through area where "Gook" (a Viet Cong – turned Marine –Darn good man) saw his village and his own house where it had been destroyed by V.C.

Marine caught shrapnel (Fragment of metal that encases explosive material-designed to fly off in small hot pieces, finding as many victims as possible.  from a bad grenade – medivaced.

Monday, 18 Apr ’67

Just as we left, it commended to pour rain. We stood in one spot 90 minutes getting wet. We walked 8000 meters knee deep in rice paddy water. I got in after a week in the field & didn’t even feel dirty. Cpl. West was there, waiting for us.

Tuesday, 19 Apr ’67

Went back out. Golf Company – Lt. Bravos left for Embarkation. School in Okinawa. BN had already gotten warning orders. Advance Party ready to leave. BN to board ship May 15.

Cpl. West found parachute from "Puff," a flare ship. (Puff, the magic Dragon was an aircraft that fired "Flares" on request to light up the night skies, thereby allowing Marines to see what activity was happening on their perimeter, outlying areas. The candlepower of these flares was brilliant. The flares floated down out of the sky below a small parachute.)

Golf 3 walked back in. Made Beer call. …We’re to go to Hill 51 tomorrow.

Orders to leave for Hill 51 cancelled ‘till later. We walked about 5,000 meters (with one 5-minute break) stopped for 20 minutes and walked back.

At 1730, we boarded "choppers" for Hill 51.

We remained on Hill 51 until 2 May.

Fr. McDonald came out and said Mass one day during the week (Note – first time I’ve been to Mass since Easter Sunday.)

Saw a "chopper" shot down.