What My War Was Like: A Marine in Viet Nam

By Alan Ross

In the Viet Nam war, the battle around the base camp of Khe Sanh was probably the most publicized story of the war. The story of Khe Sanh started a year before the Siege that lasted for 77 days. It started because the area in the far northwest part of South Vietnam got the attention of the NVA. They couldnt allow a base that was so close to the border of Laos, so close to the border of North Viet Nam, to go about its business as usual without a challenge by the army of the North. Giap was world famous for defeating the French army in 1954 in an area that looked a lot like the area around Khe Sanh. He used and developed tactics in the French Indochina war that continued in use against the Americans and South Vietnamese Army. He first tried to put his army in the high ground surrounding the air strip at Khe Sanh and was defeated in the Hill Fights of April and May, 1967, some of the bloodiest fighting in the war. For several months after that bitter battle, he left the area alone, but in January of 1968, he decided to attack again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491807170

Alan Ross

ALAN ROSS is a freelance writer, musician, and former editor for Professional Team Publications, Athlon Sports Communications, and Walnut Grove Press. A regular contributor to American Profile magazine and NFL.com, he lives in Bisbee, Arizona.

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Contents

Introduction

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

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On the cover is the picture of Dane Zippo Brown and on his left side is Doug Wildman Carey, both held the MOS of 0351, Flame Throwers. Here, they are on the way to Hue in late February with 1st Bn, 27 Marines. Both would be involved in the Canal Fight on Feb 13th and 4 days later Dane was wounded in another engagement, then medivaced to Phu Bai and Yokosuka, Japan. Both are still friends today. Read Gary Jarvis’ book, Youngblood, A History of 1/27 in Viet Nam.

The picture below is of a younger Lt. Jim Jones and L/Cpl Dave Regal with his PRC-25 radio. Lt. Jones would later be awarded the Silver Star while in command of Foxtrot Company on the night the whole North Vietnamese Army tried to take some real estate called Foxtrot Ridge. Jones would later be a Commandant of the Marine Corps and later work as the National Security Advisor for a time under President Obama. Dave is alive and well in New Jersey.

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Introduction

Too much happened that no one, except the people involved, ever knew about. Today, our heroes are sport figures, politicians, and actors, while somewhere in our military, every day, someone is a real hero. Only we can keep the memories alive, only we can tell about them and their valor. We must write.

SSgt Fred Hayes, Silver Star SSgt Glennis Kellams, Silver Star and 24 other people killed in one day while back in the world no one noticed, except the families who received the telegrams. It is the same today. It is up to us to remember the fallen. It won’t be the press that writes their story. There were many little battles like that one. That particular incident happened with 1st Bn, 27th Marines outside Hue city in April, 1968, long after the Battle of Hue during the Tet offensive was declared over and the press had moved on.

2.1 million service members went to VN and there are 2.1 million different experiences, all lived at different times and at different locations. Some gave all, all gave some. We all remember certain things that seem to have happened yesterday, and we all have forgotten so much. Some things we can’t remember, none of it we understand.

So much about war is known because reporters go along with their cameraman for the story. They live in the rear and sometimes get assigned for a period with certain units and actually live with them for a time, imbedded. The units without the press go about the business of war without the public ever seeing or knowing their story.

You see pictures of the destruction, pictures of bodies, bomb craters, fires burning, smoke everywhere. You see the Army and Marines walking about in dirty uniforms, cleaning up the mess. What you need to realize is the battle is over, the players gone on to other battles, leaving the mess for the rear area guys. The cameraman was not at the front of the line when it happened. This is as it should be but you get the idea that war is about the cannon firing and the planes landing, but that is the rear, where it is relatively safe from the personal and up close part of battle and war.

Prologue

In the Viet Nam war, the battle around the base camp of Khe Sanh was probably the most publicized story of the war. The story of Khe Sanh started a year before the Siege that lasted for 77 days. It started because the area in the far northwest part of South Vietnam got the attention of the NVA. They couldn’t allow a base that was so close to the border of Laos, so close to the border of North Viet Nam, to go about it’s business as usual without a challenge by the army of the North. Giap was world famous for defeating the French army in 1954 in an area that looked a lot like the area around Khe Sanh. He used and developed tactics in the French Indochina war that continued in use against the Americans and South Vietnamese Army. He first tried to put his army in the high ground surrounding the air strip at Khe Sanh and was defeated in the Hill Fights of April and May, 1967, some of the bloodiest fighting in the war. For several months after that bitter battle, he left the area alone, but in January of 1968, he decided to attack again.

That story, that attack, is the story of Khe Sanh. The story tells of the NVA, (North Vietnamese Army) moving across the border and setting up their infantry and mortars around the air strip to get ready for the assault that would end the war with America as it did with France. It is the story of the long range artillery that could out distance our own artillery pieces and was set up in Laos and was out of range of everything except air strikes. Mainly, it is the story of the Marines assigned to the air strip base itself and the ones assigned to the hill outpost that surrounded the air strip. Hills 881 South, Hill 1015, 689, 558, 950, 861, were given their names from their height in meters. It is the story of how they lived, surrounded and outnumbered, pounded every day by incoming mortar rounds, artillery rounds, and the ever present rocket rounds that landed with no motive other than to explode and kill and destroy. Marines who lived there had no idea where the next explosion would occur, when it would come, who it would take. For 77 days, they lived, not knowing what the next minute would bring, not being able to wage the kind of war they were trained in, only able to endure and give back what they could.

With the supporting arms of artillery and air power, they kept the NVA away from the base and the victory they needed. Their story ends when the reporters thought the story was over. The reporters left for other battles, tired of living with the Marines, tired of little water and food, always the threat of dying by that one round that had their name on it and would land in the red dirt next to them as they moved from one bunker to the next.

Part of my story was the war that happened at Khe Sanh after the reporters left, after the told part of the battle is over. Khe Sanh continued as a base from the day the base was relieved and saved by the operation called Pegasus. Operation Pegasus opened the one lane dirt road, Rt 9, to the east and connected the base by land to Ca Lu and Dong Ha on Hwy 1. April 15th was the end of the war for the reporters who now left for showers and hot food and the civilization of other, more permanent rear areas that were out of reach of the ever present artillery and rocket rounds that sucked the humanity out of an individual soul. Gone and forgotten, except for the Marines who stayed there and continued the fight. The area would remain a killing zone for both America and North Viet Nam until it was officially closed on July 5th, 1968. In the next 77 days, it would take far more lives than the more publicized war that made the evening news. Part of this story is about my time spent in Viet Nam and around Khe Sanh during those last three months of my war.

Please understand that this was all written as well as my memory allowed. Everything is accurate as I remember it. Some incidents are told from two different perspectives and stories may be repeated from a different point of view. There is chaos in the order of the book just as there is chaos in any firefight, any battle. Nothing goes as planned, nothing works, people are killed and wounded and the plan changes minute by minute.

There is frustration at times because of memory, a lack of names of others who played a part, who were an important part of what happened. If any word can be used to describe this book, it would be inadequate. There is so much more that happened that is between the lines, stories not told, agony and humor, so much more that could have been added by others who were there, but they will have to write their own thoughts and tell their own stories. I hope they do as their children and friends need to know who they are and why. Viet Nam changed us all, mostly for the better. We are still around, spread over the United States, still together as best we can, tied by history, brothers forever.

You will see the term Semper Fi in this book and on bumper stickers, hear it whenever Marines get together. It is a Latin term that means Always Faithful or Always Loyal.

It is not just a slogan but a way of life, then and always.

Chapter One

It seemed it took a long time to get to the war

PFC James Anderson, I guess it was the luck of the draw. He did not think to look around him and check out the color of those who would have been killed by the grenade, never took more than a split second after seeing the grenade laying there. He probably would have been embarrassed by being called the first black recipient of the Medal of Honor. We all remember when the only color was green, or should. They were in the middle of an NVA hornets nest.

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the

Medal of Honor to

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, 2d Platoon, Company F, 2d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 28 February 1967. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: 22 January 1947, Los Angeles, Calif.

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Company F was advancing in dense jungle northwest of Cam Lo in an effort to extract a heavily besieged reconnaissance patrol. Pfc. Anderson’s platoon was the lead element and had advanced only about 200 meters when they were brought under extremely intense enemy small-arms and automatic weapons fire. The platoon reacted swiftly, getting on line as best they could in the thick terrain, and began returning fire. Pfc. Anderson found himself tightly bunched together with the other members of the platoon only 20 meters from the enemy positions. As the fire fight continued several of the men were wounded by the deadly enemy assault. Suddenly, an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the marines and rolled alongside Pfc. Anderson’s head. Unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his personal safety, he reached out, grasped the grenade, pulled it to his chest and curled around it as it went off. Although several marines received shrapnel from the grenade, his body absorbed the major force of the explosion. In this singularly heroic act, Pfc. Anderson saved his comrades from serious injury and possible death. His personal heroism, extraordinary valor, and inspirational supreme self-sacrifice reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

*ANDERSON, JAMES, JR.

What were the last thoughts of a