Admin
03-15-2003, 11:02 PM
Rick from Mich
Member
Posts: 11
(8/9/02 9:46:12 pm)
The Orchestra ( Part one)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Disclaimer: I'm trying to tell my stories as truthfully as I can, however, its been 35 years since these events occurred and I'm not sure that exact dates, times of day, sequence's of actions, etc, would exactly agree with other Marines opinions who also lived them. Furthermore, I will change the names of actual people if it seems prudent for me to do so for obvious reasons.
Time: 14:00 Hours
Date: Some time in late July, 1967
T- 380 something
Still a "Cherry"
My team is back in Battalion (Hill 37 at Dai Loc) lying around catching some rest. Team leader Dan comes in with a mission order. Saddle-up Cherry, we're catching the mail chopper in one hour out to Hill 65 to join up with Lima Company. Tomorrow we get to play in the "Orchestra". We're going to "Arizona" boot, its time to pop your cherry. Bye the way, you better start learning real fast, I'm going home in 30 days and you'll be on your own. You carry the radio this time and do all the work. I'm just going along to watch your sorry ass and give you advice if you need it. We're going with a two-man team, no special radios to carry.
I begin to load up the gear and head down to the LZ for pickup. So Dan, What's the "Orchestra"? Dan explains that when we move with the Company command group it's kind of like the Company Commander is the "maestro". We walk behind him in the following order: Company radio operator, Battalion radio operator, Artillery Forward Observer, Air Control Team, Chief Corpsman, and a security rifleman. When the **** hits the fan he turns to the orchestra and plays his music. He may want a platoon to move so he?ll instruct the company radio operator to give the order. If he wants to notify Battalion that we are in contact he'll call to the Battalion Radio Guy. If he wants Artillery to handle the situation it's the Forward Observers turn. In turn, if it's something to do with Aircraft, you handle it. Stay close to the CO but keep enough distance so that one mortar round doesn't kill every one of us. There's that word again, mortars, man I hate that word, and I haven?t even experienced the terror of a barrage of them yet. Try to anticipate his needs so that our resources are available quickly. If artillery is being used, keep your aircraft up high till its your turn, the pilots get really pissed when artillery rounds are impacting while they're making a run. If we have casualties, get the medevac choppers coming and talk them into the LZ. Pop smoke for them and, please, let them know if the LZ is hot, where the fire is coming from, and which direction to approach from, they don?t appreciate it much if you bring them in right over the top of Charlie, or if the Zone is hot and you don't warn them. They have a gunship escort with them so also let them know where our guys are so they don?t start shooting Marines. Have the Company radio operator have "friendlies" also pop smoke so this doesn?t happen if you think its necessary. DaNang will want to know what type of bombs you want them to carry, if we're in heavy contact, tell them Napalm, if the CO simply wants a tree line removed, use High Explosive 250 or 500 pounders depending on how close Charlie is. We've got a stupid rule new guy, no Napalm unless we're in contact. Information overload is setting in, how can I do all this stuff without seriously screwing up?
Hey Dan, why do they call it "Arizona"? He says it has two meanings; one being that it was named after the operational area for "Operation Arizona", which was a multi-battalion search and destroy that took place when he was a cherry. Second being that it was considered Indian Country, much like Arizona territory during the Wild West days. Lots of bad guys, guaranteed to want to spoil our day. Arizona is considered a "free fire Zone", and anyone we encounter is the enemy, which we can and will eliminate with extreme prejudice. Not an area considered to be heavy with boobie traps or mines cause there's to many North Vietnamese and Viet Cong wandering around and they don't want to blow themselves up. However, If we stay more than about 24 hours they'll start setting them up in our obvious paths of travel. So watch out for trip wires, punji pits or anything that looks suspicious. Oh ya, I forgot to mention, there's a lot of friggin snakes in "The Arizona" for some reason. If a 1-2-3 snake bites you, you take three steps and your dead. Once saw a guy get bit, he died after three steps, but kept on walking for 10 minutes. Man that dude was Hardcore! And remember, your not a rifleman, you're a Forward Air Controller, Let the grunts shoot em up. Your job is to kill those little pricks in groups of 5-10 using Uncle Sam?s air power. Napalm baby, burn those little zipperheads. Your going to be responsible for more kills tomorrow than those grunts rack up in a week.
Hey Dan, Ya boot, I friggin quit the Marine Corps Man. I'm going home tomorrow. Ya right new guy, you can join the ARVN, they don't seem to fight much. I hesitate to ask who the ARVN are; I've had enough bad news for one day. Chopper inbound!!! F**k.
Edited by: Rick from Mich at: 8/10/02 10:55:49 am
Rick from Mich
Member
Posts: 12
(8/9/02 9:53:53 pm)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyone know why when I pasted this story from word that it replaced all my Parenthesis , exclamation , commas, etc with question marks?
Edited by: Rick from Mich at: 8/9/02 10:56:33 pm
high2fly
*Senior Chief Of Staff*
Posts: 1204
(8/10/02 7:02:54 am)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a common thing Rick---when I repost my stuff, apostrophes always appear as question marks---maybe the unit is multi-lingual and can't get the brogue straight--you have a way with words Rick---ya tell it from your gutt---I like that---no hemming and hawing around---leave that to Shakesphere or Martha Stewart!!!! Wilborn
high2fly
*Senior Chief Of Staff*
Posts: 1205
(8/10/02 7:36:27 am)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To all you Marines (and Seabees and Hospitalcorpsman). I discovered it a couple years ago but every time I tend to forget the slightest bit, I venture back over---I speak of what is called THE CONE OF FIRE AT CON THEIN. Go down to google and type that in---lots of stuff about the 3/9 Marines. I discovered it when I was looking for a Life magazine photo of my buddy Donnie Barnes who was KIA'd up in that AOO in 67---you remember Winter that was one of the scratchings you did for me from The Wall when you and Nick went down there last Veterans Day. Yeah men, those pictures recall a time in our lives we try to forget--damn, we were sure fast on our feet then---our senses were so keen---that acrid smell of burnt cordite---that distinct, blood chilling cracking sound when that incoming detonates---the smell that sharpnel makes when it burns thru the air---and that coppery and shitty smell of blood and guts mixed together---burnt flesh. Please go visit Con Thien (The Hill of Angels)---don't just look at, but look into and through---listen---pray---thank.
Wilborn
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SixTGunr
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 422
(8/10/02 6:40:41 pm)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good read Rick ..... Woke my ass up it did! ;)
Thanks for sharing Brother ...
Six Out!
"HUE CITY SHOOTOUT PARTICIPANT ..... RVN '68 TET OFFENSIVE"
Tac401
Administrator
Posts: 2252
(8/11/02 11:45:29 am)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excellent read again there Rick!
Thumbs Up To You!:D
Winter11
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 858
(8/12/02 4:04:33 pm)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After ALL that he forgets to mention the snakes that could kill you in seconds!
DAMN!
There's just really no other word!!!!!
The more I read, the more I learn, the more my respect and amazement rises in regards to how in the hell anyone got through that hell!!!
Always Faithful
sherry748
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 52
(8/12/02 10:03:00 pm)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The more I read, the more I learn, the more my respect and amazement rises in regards to how in the hell anyone got through that hell!!!
I agree with you 100% Winter let me also add that it makes me realize how lucky I am that I will never have experience it.
Thanks for sharing Rick,
Sherry
Member
Posts: 11
(8/9/02 9:46:12 pm)
The Orchestra ( Part one)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Disclaimer: I'm trying to tell my stories as truthfully as I can, however, its been 35 years since these events occurred and I'm not sure that exact dates, times of day, sequence's of actions, etc, would exactly agree with other Marines opinions who also lived them. Furthermore, I will change the names of actual people if it seems prudent for me to do so for obvious reasons.
Time: 14:00 Hours
Date: Some time in late July, 1967
T- 380 something
Still a "Cherry"
My team is back in Battalion (Hill 37 at Dai Loc) lying around catching some rest. Team leader Dan comes in with a mission order. Saddle-up Cherry, we're catching the mail chopper in one hour out to Hill 65 to join up with Lima Company. Tomorrow we get to play in the "Orchestra". We're going to "Arizona" boot, its time to pop your cherry. Bye the way, you better start learning real fast, I'm going home in 30 days and you'll be on your own. You carry the radio this time and do all the work. I'm just going along to watch your sorry ass and give you advice if you need it. We're going with a two-man team, no special radios to carry.
I begin to load up the gear and head down to the LZ for pickup. So Dan, What's the "Orchestra"? Dan explains that when we move with the Company command group it's kind of like the Company Commander is the "maestro". We walk behind him in the following order: Company radio operator, Battalion radio operator, Artillery Forward Observer, Air Control Team, Chief Corpsman, and a security rifleman. When the **** hits the fan he turns to the orchestra and plays his music. He may want a platoon to move so he?ll instruct the company radio operator to give the order. If he wants to notify Battalion that we are in contact he'll call to the Battalion Radio Guy. If he wants Artillery to handle the situation it's the Forward Observers turn. In turn, if it's something to do with Aircraft, you handle it. Stay close to the CO but keep enough distance so that one mortar round doesn't kill every one of us. There's that word again, mortars, man I hate that word, and I haven?t even experienced the terror of a barrage of them yet. Try to anticipate his needs so that our resources are available quickly. If artillery is being used, keep your aircraft up high till its your turn, the pilots get really pissed when artillery rounds are impacting while they're making a run. If we have casualties, get the medevac choppers coming and talk them into the LZ. Pop smoke for them and, please, let them know if the LZ is hot, where the fire is coming from, and which direction to approach from, they don?t appreciate it much if you bring them in right over the top of Charlie, or if the Zone is hot and you don't warn them. They have a gunship escort with them so also let them know where our guys are so they don?t start shooting Marines. Have the Company radio operator have "friendlies" also pop smoke so this doesn?t happen if you think its necessary. DaNang will want to know what type of bombs you want them to carry, if we're in heavy contact, tell them Napalm, if the CO simply wants a tree line removed, use High Explosive 250 or 500 pounders depending on how close Charlie is. We've got a stupid rule new guy, no Napalm unless we're in contact. Information overload is setting in, how can I do all this stuff without seriously screwing up?
Hey Dan, why do they call it "Arizona"? He says it has two meanings; one being that it was named after the operational area for "Operation Arizona", which was a multi-battalion search and destroy that took place when he was a cherry. Second being that it was considered Indian Country, much like Arizona territory during the Wild West days. Lots of bad guys, guaranteed to want to spoil our day. Arizona is considered a "free fire Zone", and anyone we encounter is the enemy, which we can and will eliminate with extreme prejudice. Not an area considered to be heavy with boobie traps or mines cause there's to many North Vietnamese and Viet Cong wandering around and they don't want to blow themselves up. However, If we stay more than about 24 hours they'll start setting them up in our obvious paths of travel. So watch out for trip wires, punji pits or anything that looks suspicious. Oh ya, I forgot to mention, there's a lot of friggin snakes in "The Arizona" for some reason. If a 1-2-3 snake bites you, you take three steps and your dead. Once saw a guy get bit, he died after three steps, but kept on walking for 10 minutes. Man that dude was Hardcore! And remember, your not a rifleman, you're a Forward Air Controller, Let the grunts shoot em up. Your job is to kill those little pricks in groups of 5-10 using Uncle Sam?s air power. Napalm baby, burn those little zipperheads. Your going to be responsible for more kills tomorrow than those grunts rack up in a week.
Hey Dan, Ya boot, I friggin quit the Marine Corps Man. I'm going home tomorrow. Ya right new guy, you can join the ARVN, they don't seem to fight much. I hesitate to ask who the ARVN are; I've had enough bad news for one day. Chopper inbound!!! F**k.
Edited by: Rick from Mich at: 8/10/02 10:55:49 am
Rick from Mich
Member
Posts: 12
(8/9/02 9:53:53 pm)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyone know why when I pasted this story from word that it replaced all my Parenthesis , exclamation , commas, etc with question marks?
Edited by: Rick from Mich at: 8/9/02 10:56:33 pm
high2fly
*Senior Chief Of Staff*
Posts: 1204
(8/10/02 7:02:54 am)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a common thing Rick---when I repost my stuff, apostrophes always appear as question marks---maybe the unit is multi-lingual and can't get the brogue straight--you have a way with words Rick---ya tell it from your gutt---I like that---no hemming and hawing around---leave that to Shakesphere or Martha Stewart!!!! Wilborn
high2fly
*Senior Chief Of Staff*
Posts: 1205
(8/10/02 7:36:27 am)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To all you Marines (and Seabees and Hospitalcorpsman). I discovered it a couple years ago but every time I tend to forget the slightest bit, I venture back over---I speak of what is called THE CONE OF FIRE AT CON THEIN. Go down to google and type that in---lots of stuff about the 3/9 Marines. I discovered it when I was looking for a Life magazine photo of my buddy Donnie Barnes who was KIA'd up in that AOO in 67---you remember Winter that was one of the scratchings you did for me from The Wall when you and Nick went down there last Veterans Day. Yeah men, those pictures recall a time in our lives we try to forget--damn, we were sure fast on our feet then---our senses were so keen---that acrid smell of burnt cordite---that distinct, blood chilling cracking sound when that incoming detonates---the smell that sharpnel makes when it burns thru the air---and that coppery and shitty smell of blood and guts mixed together---burnt flesh. Please go visit Con Thien (The Hill of Angels)---don't just look at, but look into and through---listen---pray---thank.
Wilborn
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SixTGunr
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 422
(8/10/02 6:40:41 pm)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good read Rick ..... Woke my ass up it did! ;)
Thanks for sharing Brother ...
Six Out!
"HUE CITY SHOOTOUT PARTICIPANT ..... RVN '68 TET OFFENSIVE"
Tac401
Administrator
Posts: 2252
(8/11/02 11:45:29 am)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excellent read again there Rick!
Thumbs Up To You!:D
Winter11
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 858
(8/12/02 4:04:33 pm)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After ALL that he forgets to mention the snakes that could kill you in seconds!
DAMN!
There's just really no other word!!!!!
The more I read, the more I learn, the more my respect and amazement rises in regards to how in the hell anyone got through that hell!!!
Always Faithful
sherry748
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 52
(8/12/02 10:03:00 pm)
Re: The Orchestra ( Part one)(Long story, sorry)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The more I read, the more I learn, the more my respect and amazement rises in regards to how in the hell anyone got through that hell!!!
I agree with you 100% Winter let me also add that it makes me realize how lucky I am that I will never have experience it.
Thanks for sharing Rick,
Sherry