Fixed Target

A unit on search and destroy lusts for a fixed target. Our purpose was to find and engage the enemy sufficiently, to gain access to their position. Once we had their firm location, we could call in: artillery, Air Force or Army aviation. Smart units used all the available tools at their disposal.

The enemy knew this. They attacked quickly; they retreated abruptly. They played a game of beat the clock. Do the damage…leave before the fire support becomes effective. Often they used terrain to their advantage. Jungles and forests allowed for close engagement. The closer the enemy…the more difficult it became to call in effective fire support. The nightfall was the last common tool…to level the playing field.

We were ecstatic one day to engage a unit in an open rice field. It was broad daylight. Everything was in our favor. Our unit laid a barrage  of effective rifle fire. We could sense the kill, like a bloodhound. The North Vietnamese would normally return effective fire. These uniformed troops buried their faces behind the dikes. Now they couldn’t move without being shot.

A medic hasn’t much to do until someone is hit. However, I was close enough to enjoy this rare moment. I remember giving a thumbs up to a radio operator. All was well until we called in artillery support. Then the order came, “Cease fire!!!” A few sporadic shots were fired in the confusion. A firefight is like a wildfire, easy to start and hard to stop.  Finally the shooting desisted. I saw heads timidly appearing over the opposite dike.

We got the word that these were friendlies. Artillery somehow knew their position…we obviously didn’t. I saw the fear in their eyes. Several were wounded. Their fear turned to hate. This wasn’t a time to ask, “How are you doing?’ It was best to disengage and go our separate ways. I never turned my back on them.

I heard of great South Vietnamese military units. I never saw one. Most local friendlies guarded bridges from their hammocks. Their wives would be cooking, while their children played. We would drive by them in active pursuit of the enemy.

Currahees…two things converged that day. Contempt built against soldiers, as we fought their war. We had a fixed target. It was gasoline and fire. Our paratroopers left the field without a scratch.