Here's a Vietnam veteran's story. I'd like to honor him today.
The only editing was to redact a couple names. Remember... War is a Racket. Enjoy. (Also, the website mentioned no longer exists.)
Ambushed on 29April67 by Corporal -I.J.- USMC Retired (Medical).
Mike Co. 3/9 3rd Marine Division. We were flown in to Khe Sanh Combat Base in the Republic of VietNam and started humping it as soon as our feet hit the pierced steel plank runway. We followed the narrow foot path to the hills heading west, passing several other units along the way. The order of march had us spearheading the assault on Hill 881 S. where the North Vietnamese Army had fortified bunkers. On the way, we were instructed to go check out the hill in front of us to see if the enemy still occupied it. With Hill 881 S to our backs, we headed toward Hill 861. I was radio man for Lt. Kresty 2nd Platoon, and remember it vividly. As we came to the crest of the burned, blasted hill, we all felt the tenseness and smelled the burned napalm in the air that had left no cover for us, only a 2" stubble of scorched grass.
As I was stepping over the bloated body of a 3 days dead Marine, I was thinking, there is something seriously wrong with this picture. The initial burst of automatic rifle fire hit Lance Corporal Chapen in front of the Lt. and me 3 times and the man in back of us had his left arm shattered. The radioman (myself) and the man next to him (leader) are the primary initial targets in an ambush, I had no doubts as to what their intentions had been and who they were trying to kill first.
The lead elements of our unit were out of sight in a deep, steep ravine dividing the two hills. SSgt. Livingston had organized an assault and our fellow Marines had all pulled the pin on their grenades. VanDerhoof fired his 3.5" rocket until he was out of ammo, then yelled to Chapin I'm coming to get you out of there. Chapin was fully exposed to the well concealed bunkers facing us across the draw but had remained motionless so he would not get shot again. We all provided covering fire with our rifles and 3 of our machine gunners stood shoulder to shoulder blasting away. With fire and smoke and brass flying from their Machine Guns, VanDerhoof came back with Chapen in his arms. This is the most beautiful sight anyone could ever hope to have etched in his memory. After he got Chapen to a Corpsman, VanDerhoof got in the face of one of our machine gunners for trying to shoot him. The machine gunner explained that he was shooting the NVA soldiers about to overtake VanDerhoof, grabbing at his heel, as he carried Chapen to safety.
A little later, I found myself still pinned down talking on the radio behind a log about 8" diameter. Woodie piled in on top of me wanting to get into one more good fight before he left for home. I described to him what he would see when he looked up. The most accurate fire was from the bunker just to the right of the lone small tree across the draw from us. Neither of us realized that the gunner was still trying to take me out (since I had the radio) and that he was sighted in on my radio antenna that stuck up giving away my position, Woodie raised his head to look. Three shots from that automatic weapon hit him in the forehead about an inch below the rim of his helmet and he fell lifeless onto me. Woodie saved my life with that move. I was just through talking on the radio and was getting ready to do exactly what he had just done that cost him his life
I had filled out a lot of Wounded In Action and Killed In Action reports and sent them on the radio, but something just took the heart out of me right then. I just couldn't write up Woodie's report. Such a full of life, enthusiastic young man dead, just before he was scheduled to leave VietNam. I didn't know him well but I wish I could tell his family that he was a brave and good Marine. I hope that they have peace with him gone. It has to be a big hole in their hearts.
I talked to VanDerhoof in 1999, he's doing fine. Talked to Lt. Kresty too. Can't find Chapen's name on the wall, but it doesn't make sense that he lived. Woodies name is there. I wish that it wasn't.
I've found 53 men I served with from Mike Co. Good men all. Woodie was Cpl. Wayne H. Woodard from Philadelphia age 20. God Bless You Woodie. - Semper Fi.
Update:10NOV04 (USMC birthday): G--- Chapen signed our guest book at Gomershouse.com. I wrote to him explaining that I didn't think he survived. He wrote me back. He had died 2 times on the operating table and nearly died 3 other times. He has shrapnel from head to groin, lost his right testicle and left arm, but, He's ALIVE! 54 found to date. Praise the Lord! I AM THANKFUL!
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[–] SilentByAssociation [S] ago
Speaking of "war stories," this is something I've always shared since it first came out. It's still relevant today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdRyApxxBVQ
https://invidio.us/watch?v=LdRyApxxBVQ