In Vietnam. Part 3 of 6. Scroll down to begin at the beginning in chrono order.

Jon continues his account of his service in the army:

Vietnam, 1st tour (cont)

After what seemed like weeks at sea, we arrived at the port of Qui Nhon, and were transported via engineer dump trucks to a flat open area a little west of the village of Pleiku in the Central Highlands. This was to become the division base camp, but it was also about the start of the monsoon season. We dug in, pitched tents, established perimeter security, and dealt with the elements as best we could. (My "two-holer" outhouse design was getting a lot of use.) One afternoon shortly after a perimeter security guard change, a soldier, while clearing or cleaning his weapon, discharged a round into the head of his tent-mate. They hauled him off on a stretcher. About this time, the fighting units were deployed to a mission down on the coast. It may have been during this time that we lost Lt. Collins, KIA (killed in action), who left a young wife back in the Ft. Lewis area.

   About the December time frame, when our Battalion Commander was due to leave for a job at division HQ, (command was 6-months in those days), I handed him my request for branch transfer as he got off a helicopter one day. I requested to transfer to the Adjutant General Branch, since it handled morale support, etc.....more in line with my major in college......and possibly more employable after service. He gave me a glowing endorsement on my application.

     I turned over command of HQ Company to a lieutenant, and became the Battalion Personnel Officer (Adjutant, or S1). The new Battalion Commander came from a division where he had been G5, or civil affairs for the division. His perception was that there might not be enough fighting for him to make a name for himself, so, initially, he focused on administrative things such as hometown news releases.

     However, fighting developed, and in the process of "controlling"it (from his helicopter), he pressed the C Company commander hard enough so that he (the C Company commander) ended up at the lead of his company. He was shot in the head and left for dead. (They found him, still alive the next day, but pretty much physically ruined.)

     Later, at a forward fire base, a soldier was cleaning his weapon, which discharged, went through (or between) the sand bags surrounding  Battalion Commander's tent, through the metal part of a folding chair, and into the Battalion Commander. He was med-evacuated, eventually to Hawaii.

     My branch transfer came through, and I was transferred to Division HQ for the remainder of my tour.

jl

( Sue asks, "More employable later?" Jon wasn't finished in Vietnam. Stay tuned.)