In '65 I was stationed at Ft. Carson, CO, a 27 year old Sgt E-5.
A call came in June or early July that 1st Inf was looking for volunteers to bring the Division up to strength. Many of us volunteered, many also were sent to fill up 1st Cav Div.
At Ft. Riley we had what they called intensive training for about 4 weeks. Mon-Fri 0600-2400 hrs. Atleast we had our week-ends. In '65, the underwear was white. We were told to dye our underwear green. You never saw so many shades of green. The first thing that we all got rid off was the underwear. I don't think you wore it either.
[webmaster's note: Tony is right, I quit wearing underwear after about two weeks in country. I had a hard time getting used to wearing them when I got home. I am not totally without refinement, but I also had a hard time getting used to being "house broken" again. Habit made me run outside, looking for a pistube; and cars back-firing and firecrackers sent me scrambling under tables. I bet others had the same problems They gave us 1 week leave and after Labor Day, we flew to Oakland and boarded our ship, the USS Sultan. The ship trip was 22 days long. We arrived in Vietnam early Oct and a couple of days of training at Vung Tau, they trucked us to Lai Khe. We were the first unit in Lai Khe. First we had a battalion size
perimeter, then 2 battalions, and finally 3 battalions and brigade.
Our first big operation was in the last part of Oct 65. We were sent around the Cu Chi area to clear it out for the 25th Inf Div that was arriving soon. This is where we started to lose many people due to snipers and booby traps. [In January] SSG Correl was my squad leader and he was the first KIA for us. I think he was the first one killed in the battalion. Side story here. Our platoon was leading the company down the road. Our squad was on right flank security, tall grass and brush. I usually walked behind the
pointman. On this particular time, Correl told me that he was going to walk behind the point and I went behind him. It wasn't more than 100 yards when the point tripped a booby trap and about the time Correl got by the booby trap. it went off between his legs, I got a bunch of dirt blasted at me and thats when I became the squad leader which lasted for the rest of my tour. Luck/fate? I'm not religious. [Note: SSGT Joseph Correl was KIA 12 Jan 66.]
On the same operation a few days later, our platoon was leading the company and the BN CO [LTC Eyster] was walking with our platoon. He was in the center of the platoon. Each morning he had a clean set of
fatigues flown in and he also had his silver leaf on his collar. He was a good, sharp looking commander. We all liked him, but the sniper got him right in the throat. I helped carry the stretcher to the dustoff. All officers took of their rank from the collar. [Note: LTC George S. Eyster died 14 Jan 66.]
The biggest battle that I was in, was in Mar 66, outside Bau Bang (which was leveled) our battalion was surrounded by a
regiment(?). The battle lasted about 8 hours. Lt Hibbs got the Medal of Honor for that battle(posthumously).
The company commander that was killed was CPT Daily. He was killed on May 66 by friendly fire. A jet dropped a load of CBU's while we were getting ready to sweep an area suspected to have VC in it. One pass from the jet and 7 friedly KIA and whole lot more wounded. I got hit in the fleshy part of my ass. Just like Forrest Gump. I spent 3 days in a field hospital, sore ass for about a week. About a month later that piece came out what I thought was a boil on side of my upper leg.
Tony rotated home after a year, and retired from the Army in 1985. He went on to work for the Post Office and is a member of the Black Lions and the First Division Associations.
Here are comments by "Doc" Stubblefield, 1st Platoon medic, about the battle of Lo Ke, where Lt. Hibbs was killed, and about the deaths by American cluster bombs of Cpt. Dailey and others:
Lt. Hibbs was platoon leader of 1st platoon. I was Lt. Hibbs' medic. Later, in May, when were were hit by American cluster bombs, I put Cpt. Daley on chopper with a chest
wound from those cluster bombs. The company went on sweep after bombing. There were only 13 of us left in 1st platoon after the the bombing. We spent that night in a wet rice patty in the rain with vc clicking the little frog clickers all night. Back to the bombing - it was not the Air Force pilot's fault. General Depue had run out of white smoke to mark vc positions for the jet cover and used purple smoke - the same color we were using to mark our LZ. Doc Stubblefield.