All,
1500 Local Time
4 March 1966
Near Hill 50, Quang Ngai Province, RVN
Operation Utah
"What, you think I'd let you @#$%birds go out and take on the whole North Vietnamese Army without me?" cracked Nikki as he sauntered back into the squadbay. The squad, at least the old hands that new him, erupted in cheers, happy to have him back, except Sergeant Garcia; "Oh look, Two-Bung is back! Glad you could make it, sweetheart." "Awww, I missed you, too, Sarge." "You must have lost your mind in that damn hospital, maggot! You call me 'Sarge' again and I'll scalp your dumbass!"
Danny rushed over and gave him a big bearhug; "damn, bro, easy, that @#$% still hurts!" Nik exclaimed, grabbing his left butt cheek. "Yeah, sorry, I saw ya kinda walking funny. Hell, I thought your sorry ass let'em ship ya off to the hospital in Japan." "Hey man, no @#$%, that's what they wanted to do, and they sure as hell didn't want to release me back to full duty, but lucky I sweet-talked this Navy Lootenat and she signed off on me so I didn't have to go UA*! Yeah, no way was I gonna miss this, let you guys go out there and hog all the glory!"
*UA is Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and is what a Marine gets charged with if he's not in his appointed place of duty. If he's UA for more than 30 days he's AWOL, and if he's not with his unit when it ships out he can actually be charged with 'Missing a Movement,' too, which is a separate charge. I've seen all three, actually ;)
"So, you really think we're gonna get out and tangle with the North Vietnamese?" Nikki asked Danny. "Hell, I dunno man. On the one hand, look around, we got all these boots, loads of new gear, everybody's fired up like it's the 4th of July. But hell, dontcha remember, they said the same thing about Operation Double Eagle."
This time HQ had it right: Operation Utah was the Marine Corps' first contact with the North Vietnamese Army, and it was a doozy. At 0900 on 4 March 1966, US Marine helicopters lifted an ARVN battalion into an LZ 7 miles northwest of Quang Ngai City; heavy antiaircraft fire was encountered, downing a Marine UH-1 Huey and an F-4 Phantom! The ARVN didn't encounter much resistance once they were on the ground, and they begin maneuvering towards a cluster of hills, Hill 50, 97, and 85. The helos returned to Chu Lai to pick up the waiting Marines of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7), and began ferrying them back to Quang Ngai, but only one platoon of Kilo Co, 2/7 (K/2/7) was able to be inserted before another hellacious bout of antiaircraft fire cut loose. K/2/7 was isolated for about 15 minutes before the rest of Kilo could be landed, followed by G/2/7 and the battalion's Command Group, which was complete by 1130 local time. The boys were with H/2/7 as part of the third wave, waiting for the helos to return, and were shocked when their pickup was delayed because so many of the twenty of the helos had been shot full of holes, and two of the UH-34s had been shot down! Another helo squadron was quickly scrambled to support, and by 1300 on 4 March 1966, the boys were on the ground in Quang Ngai Province, north of the cluster of hills.
Golf and Kilo had taken Hills 85 and 97 against very light resistance, while the ARVN were working on Hill 50, which was beginning to show sings of being a tough nut to crack, so much so that the ARVN battalion commander was now desperately pleading for 2/7 to support them. As word came in that the ARVN and US Marines were facing the 21st North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Regiment, and that the NVA intended to stand and fight, the Marines' overall commander, General Platt, immediately called up reinforcements, in the form of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, which would be landed the following day, 5 March 1966.
It took awhile to get into position because the ARVN had been held up and thus weren't where they were supposed to be, but LtCol Utter (2/7's commander) got this companies reorganized and moving, now east to west against Hill 50 with Fox Company on the left, Golf in the center, and Hotel on the right, with the ARVN to the battalion's left. Fox Company's job was to maintain contact with the ARVN, Hotel's job was to screen the battalion's open right (southern) flank, while Golf Company was charged with securing Hill 50.
Naturally, the boys' platoon was now attached to Golf Company; "Up and at'em, @#$%birds, time to go earn your pay," Sergeant Garcia said, and they fell in on the far left flank of Golf Company, which was moving east in a company-sized skirmish line, not yet taking fire, though they could hear sounds of battle to their left, where the ARVN were engaged.
One final aspect to Operation Utah: the only three 'old hands' left, Sergeant Garcia, Corporal Little, and Doc Johnson, are the shortest of short-timers, literally scheduled to rotate back to the United States before the operation is finished. The younger Marines were very concerned about their two experienced leaders' and the Doc's well-being, and a little bit angry at Mother Green for sending these three back out with only days left on their tours, but Sgt Garcia, Cpl Little, and Doc were having none of it; they are true professionals and told the Marines to pipe down and focus on the task at hand. "We'll go home when this is finished," said Sgt Garcia. "Somebody's gotta wet-nurse you dip@#$% through this op."
Overview, north is up. The center of the west side of Hill 50, showing signs of earlier airstrikes by Marine A-4s and F-4s, runs north to south across the east (right) side of the table, where you can see the hill is honeycombed with NVA defensive positions. There are a few clumps of dense jungle present, but mostly it's the hill and the open rice paddies to the west, which the Marines will be crossing in skirmish line.
A couple admin notes: I'm playing this game using a modified version of Ivan Sorensen's "Five Men at Kursk," but I've also modified Joe Legan's "Platoon Forward" to a card version to figure out the US mission, assets available, enemy location, strength, activity, etc... I'm playing this game solo.
I'm playing in lovely 15mm with individually-based troops.
The Marines are from Jimmi's Flashpoint Minis.
The Viet Cong are from Martin's Peter Pig.
The Marines are from Jimmi's Flashpoint Minis.
The Viet Cong are from Martin's Peter Pig.
The mat is from The Wargaming Company.
The roads are from Fat Frank.
The fields are from Hotz Mats.
The rice paddies are from Battlefront.
The villages are from Flashpoint Minis, as are the bamboo thickets and most of the trees. The rest of the trees were bought off some cake decorating shop on Ebay.
The sampans are from Flashpoint Minis.
The rivers are from Wargamers Terrain.
The bridge is from Novus Design Studios.
The sandbagged emplacements are from JR Miniatures.
The railroad tracks are cheap, plastic jobs from Target.
The craters, burned out areas, and rubble piles are from Battlefront.
The trenches are from Battlefront.
The bunkers are from... I can't remember. The company is still in business but they no longer do 15mm terrain.
The opposing forces, with the Marines on the left and the NVA on the right.
The squad is actually overstrength, with sixteen men, two above their allotted table of organization strength.
Top, the Command Group (left to right): Sergeant Garcia, Pvt McCaffrey (grenadier), LCpl Jackson (RTO), and HM3 Johnson (Corpsman)
1st Fireteam (left to right): Cpl Little, LCpl "Danny" Thomas, PFC "Nikki" Jacobs (M-60), and Pvt White
2nd Fireteam (left to right): Cpl Zamora, PFC Holmes, Pvt Floyd, and Pvt Contreras
3rd Fireteam (left to right): Cpl Nelson, PFC Rivera, Pvt Dombrowsi, and Pvt Stidham
3rd Fireteam (left to right): Cpl Nelson, PFC Rivera, Pvt Dombrowsi, and Pvt Stidham
The squad has a 60mm mortar team attached for this attack, commanded by Corporal Dawkins.
The NVA have a Lieutenant leading an 12.7mm HMG team, an SG-43 MG team, seven riflemen, a light machine gunner (with RPD), and a grenadier with B-40 rocket (commonly referred to nowadays as an "RPG").
Overview, this time with troops. The NVA are now occupying their defensive positions: the North Bunker (top center), the South Bunker (bottom right), the AAA Position (top right), and the trenchline running across the hilltop. There is a destroyed bunker at bottom center (taken out by the airstrikes). The Marine mortar team has taken up positions in a hedge in the southwest (bottom left), while the entire squad is fanned out in skirmish line from top left to bottom center left. 1st Fireteam is on the far left, then 2nd Fireteam, the Squad's command group, and 3rd Fireteam.
1st Fireteam on the far left, from top: Danny, Cpl Little, Nik, and Cpl Little, with Contreras from 2nd Fireteam visible at bottom center.
2nd Fireteam, from top: Contreras, Cpl Zamora, Holmes, and Floyd, with 1st Fireteam visible at top left and Sgt Garcia at bottom left).
The squad's command group, with Sgt Garcia at center, McCaffrey (Grenadier) below him, Jackson (RTO) at left, and Doc Johnson below him, with 2nd Fireteam visible at top right.
3rd Fireteam, on the Marine right, from top: Stidham, Cpl Nelson, Rivera, and Dombrowski, with Floyd from 2nd Fireteam visible at top left.
The NVA's far right, looking at the North Bunker, with three riflemen occupying it, and two soldiers in the trench nearby.
Further up the hill (the North Bunker is just off camera to left) is the AAA Position (top right), where the enemy's DshK 12.7mm HMG is emplaced.
The enemy left, where there are two soldiers in the trenchline, including one right behind the knocked out bunker on their far left (bottom left).
And further back (the knocked out bunker is just off camera to bottom left) is the South Bunker, holding the enemy's MG team, with a rifleman outside in the trench.
And the fight is on; the Marines are pushing ahead through the rice paddies, squinting and sweating under the midday sun, scanning the slopes and folds of Hill 50, when suddenly the silent, oppressive, heavy air is shattered by the rattle of gunfire.
The North Bunker was first, opening fire on the 1st (top center) and 2nd Fireteams (top left).
White goes down (bottom center) and Nik is suppressed (just to his left) as Danny and Cpl Little (far let) dive into the mud of the rice paddy and return fire.
And then the NVA machine gun in the south bunker roars to life, laying into 3rd Fireteam (top left)...
Cpl Nelson is hit and goes down, Stidham is suppressed (red bead), and Rivera is pinned (yellow bead) as Dombrowski (bottom center left) returns fire.
The NVA rifleman near the destroyed bunker (bottom right) cuts loose with his AK-47...
And then the Dshk 12.7mm HMG, further up Hill 50 (bottom right), opens fire with its slow, methodical, thumping, pumping out thumb-sized rounds at the Marines...
Corporal Zamora goes down (center top), Contreras is panicked (white bead), and Holmes is pinned (yellow bead) as Sgt Garcia (bottom left) levels his M-14 and returns fire.
Only a few Marines have their heads up and are returning fire as Doc goes sprinting forward (center bottom, from far left) towards Cpl Nelson (far right).
NVA in the trench (bottom right) spot him (top left) and open fire with their rifles...
Suppressing Doc (bottom center left), as McCaffrey raises his M-79 and fires..
The 40mm grenade is just a hair long, but manages to suppress the NVA grenadier.
Another NVA rifleman in the trenchline (bottom right) opens fire, targeting 1st Fireteam (top left)...
But no one is hit as Cpl Little exchanges ineffectual fire with the NVA.
On the NVA left, next to the South Bunker (bottom left), an NVA rifleman (bottom right) fires downhill on 3rd Fireteam (top left), but he doesn't hit anything and is suppressed when Dombrowski returns fire.
Corporal Dawkins kicks his Marines in the ass to get the 60mm mortar set up and into action (bottom left); "hurry up, dammit, we gotta lay down some fire, these Marines are being slaughtered out there in the rice paddies! Target that .51-cal MG position!"
"Hang!" "Fire!" The mortar team pumped three quick rounds out...
"Hang!" "Fire!" The mortar team pumped three quick rounds out...
And they were on target, killing one NVA and suppressing another in the HMG position!
On the Marine left, Danny lays down fire as Cpl Little slogs over to Nik and helps him get back in the fight.
And then Nik (bottom center) gets his M-60 machine gun into action, pouring a 20-round burst into the north bunker, suppressing one of its occupants.
Sergeant Garcia (bottom left, with Danny, Cpl Little, and Nik at top left, Contreras, Holmes, and Floyd at center) continues laying down fire on the North Bunker (top right) as quickly as he can reload.
"McCaffrey," Sgt Garcia (right top) yelled, "target that MG in the South Bunker!" "Roger that, Sgt G!" replied McCaffrey (bottom center, with Jackson on the radio at top left) as he broke down his grenade launcher and loaded another 40mm HE round.
McCaffrey bloops another grenade up the hill...
And his shot is dead on, slamming into the South Bunker and suppressing the NVA machine gun team inside!
While on the Marine right, Rivera and Dombrowski sight in and fire on the NVA in the trench, just behind the destroyed bunker (top right)...
Killing him (far left) but that draws fire from NVA further east (bottom right), but the fire is inaccurate and Rivera and Ski (top left)...
Are able to push forward (center left and right, from bottom left).
Jackson dashed forward and hopped into the paddy next to Doc (bottom left), who was still a bit shaken up, and began firing up hill with his M-14. "You alright, Doc?" "Yeah man, I'll be okay. But I gotta get out there and help them Marines," and with that, Doc popped up and dashed forward (far right, with Stidham suppressed at center, Floyd and Holmes at top left) and diving into the grass next to Cpl Nelson as incoming rounds continued to kick up dirt all around him.
Doc drug Cpl Nelson up to a nearby hedge, then checked his wounds: Cpl Nelson was hit in the thigh. Doc quickly dressed the wound and told him "you can't walk, but you can still fight, so here," he said, handing Cpl Nelson his M-14, "we're in a bad way, we need all the help we can get, so bust some caps!"
In the Marine center, Holmes and Floyd (bottom left, with Contreras panicking in the mud above them), open fire on the North Bunker (top right)...
And then Floyd runs and jumps into the rice paddy, next to Holmes. Floyd looks over at Cpl Zamora, lying in the mud, moaning. "Is he alright?" "Hell, that cat's already been hit twice and ain't even been evacuated, he'll be alright, let Doc worry about it, you quit screwing around and get in the fight!"
An NVA in the trenchline (bottom right) spotted Holmes and Floyd having their little pow-wow in the paddy (top left) and opened fire on them...
But they simply hunkered down behind the paddy dyke (top left) as Cpl Nelson (bottom center, with Stidham still suppressed above him) returned fire. With Cpl Nelson back in the fight, Doc took off at a sprint to help more wounded Marines (far left top, from bottom center).
The entire NVA left is out of the fight (South Bunker's MG team and nearby rifleman all suppressed, other rifleman KIA off camera to left), but they're slowly rallying back into the fight.
While on the NVA right, the North Bunker continues to torment the Marines pinned down in the rice paddies...
Danny and Cpl Little (far left, with Nik next to them) are suppressed and Holmes is pinned (bottom center, with Floyd next to him and Contreras still panicked to their left) as Nik and Floyd return fire on the North Bunker (top right), suppressing two of the NVA inside.
With the North Bunker (top right) actually taking heavy fire, NVA in the trenchline (bottom right) cut loose with their rifles
Jackson was pinned (yellow bead at bottom center left) as Sgt Garcia and McCaffrey return fire...
McCaffrey manages to land his grenade inside the trench, dropping one of the NVA soldiers and suppressing another, while Sgt Garcia's rifle fire suppresses one as well (top left).
As Cpl Dawkins' mortar team (bottom left) shifts fire to the South Bunker (top right)...
The 60mm rounds impact all around the bunker (top right) as Cpl Nelson, Rivera, and Dombrowski (center/right) all fire uphill with their M-14s (Stidham is suppressed at far left and Jackson pinned behind him)...
The MG team in the South Bunker is again suppressed, with two of its members falling back out of the bunker, and their nearby rifleman (top center left) is suppressed, too.
Rivera and Dombrowski move up, reaching the destroyed bunker (bottom center).
Back up the hill, the NVA have gotten their HMG back in the fight (bottom right), as it rakes the rice paddies again with 12.7mm slugs...
But the gunners are still pinned down and the fire is ineffective as Sgt Garcia and McCaffrey (bottom left) fire on the North Bunker (top right)...
All four men in the bunker are suppressed by the accurate grenade and rifle fire, and one of them decides to fall back out of the bunker!
Sergeant Garcia moves over (bottom left) to help steady McCaffrey and Jackson, as Stidham (far right) finally gets back in the fight, while Doc (center, with 2nd Fireteam above him)...
Dashes ahead under fire, tripping and diving into the mud next to Cpl Zamora...
Corporal Zamora is dazed and pretty much his entire head is covered in blood, but he's done it again! The round came in high, striking his helmet and burrowing through, leaving a deep furrow across the left side of the top of Cpl Zamora's head, which was bleeding profusely, but Doc bandaged it up and Cpl Zamora was able to get back into the fight!
Doc checks his Unit 1 bag as Cpl Zamora, Holmes, and Floyd fire on the enemy trench.
The weight of fire from three M-14s on full auto is enough to convince the NVA rifleman he'd rather be somewhere else, so he falls back out of the trench and into a nearby thicket (bottom right)!
Back on the Marine left, Nik (bottom left center) slaps a fresh belt into his M-60, slams the feed tray cover down, charges the weapon twice, thinking 'man, I really need to perform a barrel change, but no time for that now,' and rips off another horrendously long burst into the North Bunker (top right)...
Forcing two more NVA to fall back, out of the bunker!
With the incoming fire slacking off, Danny and Cpl Little are able to get back into the fight.
And they move left.
When suddenly, "Incoming!!!" NVA 82mm mortars, pre-registered by the well-prepared defenders, begin raining down on the beleaguered Marines pinned down in the rice paddies west of Hill 50! A total of six HE rounds plummet to earth amidst the members of the squad.
One round landed almost on top of 2nd Fireteam, dropping Floyd while pinning Cpl Zamora, Holmes, and Doc.
While another landed near the command group, panicking Jackson and pinning Sgt Garcia.
The mortars caused the Marine fire to slack off, which allowed all the suppressed NVA to rally, as the DshK HMG (bottom right) got back into action, spraying the Marines huddled in the rice paddies...
Dropping Stidham in his tracks (right)! Can I say 'in his tracks?' I mean, he's been suppressed since the opening bursts of the fight, just rallied, hasn't moved or fired...
But McCaffrey reacts, pulling the M-79 to his shoulder and launching a 40mm HE round uphill at the NVA heavy machine gun (top right)...
Another NVA soldier goes down, leaving only one guy to man the HMG!
While back on the right, Cpl Dawkins keeps his mortar team (bottom left) in action, pumping rounds at the NVA MG team in the South Bunker (top right)...
Keeping two of the NVA up there suppressed.
As Sergeant Garcia (bottom left), Cpl Nelson (left bottom), and Rivera and Dombrowski (center right) all fire uphill at the South Bunker (top right)...
With the enemy in front of them suppressed, Rivera and Dombrowski dash forward and jump into the NV trench (left, from bottom center)!
But an NVA rifleman further east (bottom right) spots them (top left) and turns his AK-47 on them, pinning Dombrowski.
As one of the NVA that fell back out of the North Bunker (bottom right) sights in and fires on Cpl Nelson (top left), suppressing him.
But McCaffrey is again 'Johnny on the spot,' and he quickly reloads his M-79 (bottom left, with Cpl Nelson suppressed at bottom center) and returns fire on the North Bunker (top center right)...
Dropping the offending NVA rifleman and suppressing his two companions outside the bunker!
On the Marine far left, Nik, Danny, and Cpl Little (far left) lay into the North Bunker (top right, with 2nd Fireteam in shambles at bottom center) with their M-60 and two M-14s...
The lone NVA rifleman still in the North Bunker is suppressed as his two remaining companions outside the bunker move west (left bottom), abandoning him!
Cpl Little leads 1st Fireteam forward, assault firing as they go (far left, from bottom left).
When suddenly a rocket comes screaming in at 2nd Fireteam! "B-40, get down!"
But those were the last words Corporal Zamora would utter, as he took the full brunt of the RPG's blast. He'd been hit three times previously, all three turning out to be nothing more than a 'dramatic scar,' but not this time...
While back on the Marine right (bottom center, with 2nd Fireteam getting their ass handed to them at top left and 1st Fireteam at top center), Rivera and Dombrowski pop up and fire at the NVA further east in the trenchline (top right)...
The NVA RPG gunner (bottom right) was suppressed, while one of the NVA from the North Bunker (just off camera to left) is scared enough to hop out of the trench and dash uphill, into a nearby hedge (top center)!
And while Rivera and Dombrowski are working in the enemy trench (right), Cpl Dawkins (bottom left) keeps his 60mm mortar team firing in support, continuing to target the South Bunker (top right)...
And the fresh mortar barrage catches two of the enemy machine gunners outside the bunker, killing them! That leaves only one man in the bunker, suppressed, a rifleman in the nearby trench (just visible above the bunker), and a rifleman in the nearby treeline (just above the guy in the trench).
Dombrowski (bottom left) spots the enemy in treeline (to center, with an NVA in the trench furtehr right) and opens fire...
But he (top left) misses and the NVA (far right) returns fire...
Suppressng Rivera and dropping Dombrowski!
Holmes (bottom center left, with Doc pinned above him and Contreras still panicked behind and to his left, 1st Fireteam at top left) pops up and empties his magazine at the North Bunker (top right), yelling "Come on, Doc, ya gotta get back in the fight, check on Corporal Z!"
"He's dead," Doc said, getting up on all fours, preparing to move right and check on Floyd (just off camera to bottom center).
"He's dead," Doc said, getting up on all fours, preparing to move right and check on Floyd (just off camera to bottom center).
But as he (top left) raises up, he immediately flops back down in the mud as AK-47 fire begins tearing up the dyke in front of him and kicking up mud and water all around him...
And Holmes getes hit and goes down, right next to Doc! "Dammit!" Doc screams, lying on his back, looking up at the sky, his helmet dug into the muddy wall of the paddy dyke. He hears a whimper to his right and looks over at Contreras, coiled up in the fetal position (top center). "Damn you, Marine!" Doc said as he pulled his pistol and aimed it at Contreras. "I don't even know your name, but I swear, as God is my witness, if you don't pick up your rifle right now and get in this fight, I will shoot you myself!"
Contreras gulped hard, picked up his M-14, and began firing at the North Bunker as Doc rolled over and checked on Holmes: "dammit, he's got a sucking chest wound," Doc muttered as he rolled Holmes onto his side and began trying to seal it up so his lung wouldn't collapse.
Further back, McCaffrey popped another grenade on the NVA HMG position (top right)...
Keeping the lone gunner there suppressed.
But an NVA rifleman (bottom right) sighted in on McCaffrey (top left) and fired with his AK-47...
Rounds zipped in, snapping overhead and kicking up dirty water from the rice paddy (bottom left), causing McCaffrey and Jackson to panic, as Sergeant Garcia stood tall and returned fire, suppressing the enemy rifleman (top right).
While on the Marine right, finding himself alone and cut off in the NVA trench, Rivera scooped up the wounded Dombrowksi...
And charged back downhill, into cover behind a stand of trees (left, from bottom right).
Before setting Dombrowski down and taking up position (far right, with Cpl Nelson suppressed at bottom left).
While on the Marine left, Nik (bottom left) spews fire from his M-60, into the North Bunker, as Cpl Little and Danny charge up the flank (top center).
The last NVA in the bunker sees movement to his right and pops out the back side to thwart the advancing Marines...
But he (left) is immediately spotted by Cpl Little (right), who rips off a seven-round burst, suppressingthe NVA.
Nik catches up with Danny and Cpl Little as the latter moves up (bottom center right) and guns down the cowering NVA soldier (left).
As Danny (just below the bunker) spots an NVA hiding in the hedge, further upslope (top center left), and fires...
Dropping him!
Cpl Little leads 1st Fireteam into the NVA trench, where they take up position facing uphill. So the Marines got into the trenches on both flanks...
But had to to fall back out of them on the right. Sergeant Garcia had been on the radio calling for reinforcements, but the battalion simply didn't have anyone to spare, no reserve to exploit the breaches in the enemy defensive line. Every squad of every platoon of all three rifle companies was engaged in the fighting in and around Hill 50.
The NVA solidified their hold on the left flank, in and around the South Bunker, trading ineffectual fire with the Marines below.
As they reinforced the AAA Position on their right flank, trading ineffectual fire with 1st Fireteam in the trenches below.
Further back, the wounded Cpl Nelson pulled security as Doc treated White, Holmes, Floyd, Stidham, and Dombrowksi.
Floyd and White would get treated and remain in the line; Cpl Nelson tried to stay, too, but Doc refused: "Dammit man, you can't even walk! What are the Marines gonna do, carry you everywhere? You're getting on the MEDEVAC chopper." Corporal Zamora was killed in action and Holmes was hit badly enough that the war was over for him, he was headed back to the States, but Stidham, Dombrowski, and Cpl Nelson would all return after brief stays in the hospital at China Beach.
Because of all the casualties, Sergeant Garcia found it necessary to reorganize the squad, where he attempted, once again, to split Nik and Danny up. "No @#$%ing way!" they replied in unison. "Alright, alright. Man, you two are tremendous pains in my ass... Alright, Lance Corporal Thomas, Zamora got zapped and Nelson's MEDEVACKED, so you're my new Fireteam leader."
And trouble was brewing: the ARVN battalion, on the far left, hadn't moved up with the Marines of 2/7, which was arrayed, from left to right, as Foxtrot Company, Golf Company (whom the boys were currently with), and Hotel Company. Fox was being pulled further left, trying to stay in contact with the ARVN, but that opened up a gap between them and Golf Company, and reports were that the NVA had filtered into the village of Khanh My (1), between the two Marine units, cutting off Fox Company from the rest of the battalion. LtCol Utter, the battalion commander, immediately ordered Golf to move in and reestablish contact with Fox. The boys' platoon was told to fall back, replenish water and ammo and immediately push north to tie back in with Fox Company.
 |
Danny shot Nik a sideways glance, then spit and took a long drag on his cigarette. "Well I, for one, found our first stand-up fight to be quite exhilarating." Nik laughed out loud; "Exhilarating!!?? Yeah, I remember when you were face down back there in the buffalo @#$% thinking, damn, Danny sure looks exhilarated!" They both laughed; "Quit being such a sissy, you know you're growing to like this stuff." "Yeah, you're full of @#$%, too, I can't wait to get back home, be done with this @#$%," said Nik. "Eh, you'll miss it once you're back in The World. What could you do that could ever compare to his?"
"Uhh, not get killed? Maybe go check out some of them fine, Texas wimmin'???" "Man, you can't get any of them fine Texas wimmin' anyway! Besides, we're getting good at this stuff. Corporal Z, man that was just bad luck, and he pushed it too far, being hit all three times already, plus he died taking care of his Marines. If you notice, the rest of the dudes that got hit were all boots, that stuff don't happen to us."
"Don't happen to us??? Are you forgetting where I was, right before I joined you for this fine expedition? Yeah, that's right, the damned hospital, healing up the hole those damned Vietnamese punched in my body!" "Well, all I can say is, quit actin' like a boot, and that won't happen!" Nik almost exploded, wanted to choke Danny, but when Danny started laughing he couldn't help but laugh, too. "Well, I hope you never have to find out, but I doubt you'll feel quite as exhilarated once one o'those flying hunks of metal find your dumbass..."
"Uh-oh, Sergeant G is coming, saddle up, we gotta move out," Danny said. "Are you giving me a direct order, Mr. Fireteam Leader?" Nik replied, smiling wryly. "Indeed I am, wisenheimer! Besides, you should be happy I'm the Fireteam leader, this way I get to make sure he keeps us together!" "Who said I'm not happy?" Nik replied, as the squad set off to the northeast, looking to link up with Fox Company.
Coming soon.
V/R,
Jack
That was one long ride of a fight.
ReplyDeleteAnd as soon as you mentioned that the three old hands were to shortly go back to the States, I knew at least one was not going to survive :-)
Shaun,
DeleteYeah man, a helluva fight, and it was awesome, lots of fun. At least for me ;) I played five fights for Operation Utah, and it was my favorite of the entire first tour. And we are now halfway through the first tour.
I promise bringing up the fact three of the guys were 'short' was not intended to be cliche, just how it worked out.
So, tell me the Rapid Fire fight happened; I can't wait to see it. We are in the middle of an epic (for Texas, at least) snowstorm and I have been painting my ass off the whole time, trying to get thigs ready for a game.
V/R,
Jack
The Rapid Fire Reloaded game happened on Thursday night. Small game. Blog post nearly done. Expect to post it in a few hours. I hope the snowstorm has not effected you as badly as many other in Texas.
DeleteAwesome man, I just went and read the batrep, loved it!
DeleteAnd thanks man! We're doing well, the weather has finally cleared and we're starting to get back to normal.
V/R,
Jack