Forgotten Moments Forgotten People

By v.h. markle

About the Book

FORGOTTEN MOMENTS

A small book of true stories about the forgotten people from a very unpopular war. No one saw the tears shed by those who lived through the hell of this war, and the hell we came home to. The Brotherhood we talk about is deeper than love. Those brothers on The Long Black Wall gave their lives for this Brotherhood. Those that shed their blood with me will always be my brother. To all of you who served welcome home my Brothers.
If you havent been there go to The Wall.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483633367

v.h. markle

About the Author Just an average guy who served his country in a very unpopular war. I am still searching for the light at the end of the dark tunnel. I spend my time in my art studio, on the computer writing another story, and falling in love with my wife all over again.

Book preview

Forgotten Moments

Forgotten People

v.h. markle

Copyright © 2013 by v.h. markle.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2013907717

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4836-3335-0

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4836-3334-3

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4836-3336-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 04/29/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

132637

Contents

Danny

Chapter 1      Vietnam The First Few Days

Chapter 2      Sarah

Chapter 3      We Have Contact

Chapter 4      24 Hours

Chapter 5      Overrun

Chapter 6      Mind Games

One Moment in Time

Tunnel Rats

Chapter 1      Volunteers Only

Chapter 2      First Time

Chapter 3      Some Weird Things

Chapter 4      Death

Chapter 5      The Network

Chapter 6      You Just Can’t Forget

Honeymoon in Nam

Bealer      573rd Float Bridge Company

A Forgotten Soul

Chapter 1      The Family

Chapter 2      Marines At Khe Sanh

Chapter 3      Last days

Chapter 4      Happy Moments

Chapter 5      Started With Alcohol

Andy & Jerome

Chapter 1      Best Friends

Chapter 2      Andy, Jerome, and Me

Chapter 3      The First Shots Fired

Chapter 4      R&R WOW!!!

Chapter 5      Dying Friends

River Boat Patrol

Chapter 1      PBR 94

Chapter 2      PBR 104

Chapter 3      PBR 35

Chapter 4      Nhe and Navel Support Bases

Chapter 5      PBR 100

Chapter 6      PBR 55

Chapter 7      Two of Many Heroes

11 August 1969      6th Convalescent Center

Toward the Darkness

Chapter 1      First Steps

Chapter 2      Joined Up

Chapter 3      Phan Rang

Chapter 4      Through The Tunnel

One of Many      Almost Forgotten

Last Word      Lest We Forget

Dedicated to those who served.

Soldiers

You and I, will always be friends,

But life, like all of beauty ends.

Death is a soldiers destiny,

I am left, with just your memory.

In my arms I felt your last breath,

Your eyes open, you smiled in death.

In death, will you remember me?

I am left, with just your memory.

I left you alone forever,

Will I forget you? No, never.

Dying in war, is so easy.

I am left, with just your memory.

Comrades in arms, and friends for life.

Living through the war, hell, and strife.

Dying in war, is your soul free?

I am left, with just your memory.

I think of your bravery, each day.

Your friendship, is with me each day.

War, can only bring misery,

I am left, with just your memory.

Danny

Chapter 1

Vietnam The First Few Days

The Plane touched down on the runway at Da Nang Air Force Base, in the wonderful, beautiful and war torn, Republic of South Vietnam. It was an unbearably hot day in May, of 1967. The plane taxied, then stopped near a large building, far from the main part of the air field. The young, curious and frightened, men slowly made their way off the plane. Some stupid jokes were made, by some of these young, soldiers. The first thing that greeted these confused, naive men, was the unbelievable heat, something that would take some time to get used to.

The next two things greeting these raw recruits, were Army Tech. Sgt., Bertram T. Roberts, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Armand Tibbs. Staff Sgt. Tibbs called out to the six Air Force personnel, just coming off the plane. They were told to follow him into a waiting duce-and-a-half truck.

Sgt Roberts, was a different story all together. All right you fucking titmice. Line up on the red line. Let’s go you fucken assholes. The sergeant screamed. The remaining eighty four army personnel, lined up into five sharp looking rows, behind the long red line.

Listen up, the sergeant screamed again. Then he continued with his wild screaming of obscenities, some of the obscenities had never been heard before by any of these young men. When I call your name, I will give you a number, you will grab your gear. You will quickly move to your respective truck for transportation. The number I give you will correspond with the truck that will take you to your new home. The Sgt. began to call out names and truck numbers. Rich, Daniel C. truck four. Move it, Ass wipe. Danny ran to the fourth truck, jumped in the truck and waited.

Danny spent the rest of his first day in the hot wonderland of Vietnam, squaring himself away, and making a few new friends. Danny and a few of his new friends found the Mess Hall and the PX, the two most important buildings on any military Base, Camp, Fort, or Navel Station. That night every cherry, (new recruit) wrote a long letter to the people back home. Danny wrote a letter to his love Sarah, and one to his parents.

The second day was spent on the rifle range firing a vast assortment of weapons, from hand guns, to M-60 machine guns, to law rockets and 50-caliber machine guns. They threw live grenades and fired M-70 grenade launchers. A five mile hike around the Da Nang Military complex, was a final touch for the day. The second night in country was a night of booze, and bull shit talk. Two of the most common activities on any military post, in any war, in any country, any time two or more soldiers get together, booze and bullshit.

The third day was spent doing odd jobs around Da Nang’s Military Compound. Hours of filling sand bags, then hours of digging latrines, and trenches. These jobs gave them plenty of time to laugh and plenty of time to watch the local young ladies as they walked from one job on base, to their second job in some bar and whoopee parlor off base. Da Nang like most all large compounds in Vietnam were filled with not only U.S. Military personnel, but with local workers and enemy spies. The fourth day was more of the same.

Day five they spent in briefings, their last briefing would change the lives of each soldier. In their last briefing at Da Nang they were given their new orders for their new assignments. Danny’s new assignment was a small outpost along the DMZ. He would spend his time in Vietnam on Hill 440, northwest of Con Thien.

Danny arrived at Con Thien thirty-six hours after he received his new orders. Eighteen hours later he was standing by a sandbag bunker on Hill 440, one mile north west of Con Thien. This would be the home of Danny and twenty-two other American soldiers.

Welcome to The Devil’s Tit. Said one of Danny’s new comrades. Danny smiled and walked from the helicopter pad. The pad was located outside the main gate of this small compound on top of Hill 440. The pad was about twenty yards from the gate, that led into the small compound. This small shit hole was unknown to the entire world, except for, what is now, twenty three United States Army soldiers.

The outpost was on top of Hill 440, along the DMZ in the middle of nowhere. This outpost like many others in Vietnam was shaped in a triangle. The outpost on Hill 440 was surrounded by two triple rows of barbed wire. Mixed in the wire, every few feet, were claymore mines. In the center of the compound, was the only, concrete building, a two story, heavy weapons center, named the Alamo. The Alamo’s top structure was armed with three 50-caliber machine guns. The bottom structure had one door facing east, it was the only direct way in, or out of the structure.

Along the perimeter, zigzag trenches were dug into the hill, ten yards behind the perimeter wire. M-60 machine guns were placed at each point of the triangle. There was a mortar pit near the northern point of the triangle.

In the center of the trenches, between each point of the triangle, they had constructed large sand bagged, open topped bunkers. These bunkers were large enough for twelve men. Trenches were dug from the main bunkers to the Alamo.

Danny was placed on the M-60 in the main bunker facing north-east. There were tents located around the Alamo. The tents were used for sleeping, and what little off time you had to write home, reading letters from home, and share what care packages you got from home. You worked and ate, in the trenches, or inside the upper floor of the bunker.

The first week at the Alamo was quiet, and lonely, and the dark hot nights seemed to never end. On Danny’s ninth night on Hill 440, a probe of twelve NVA regulars tried to infiltrate the compound. Not a one, made it through the barbed wire, there were no American casualties. In the next few weeks a total of eighteen mortars had landed within, and around the outpost. The mortars caused three injuries, luckily, nothing serious. Four weeks on Hill 440 and Danny had not fired his M-60.

At 0120, on July 5th, an attack began on all three sides of the compound, on hill 440. Artillery strikes were