"In Country" Game 8 (24 Oct 1967)

All,

Following the debacle at the NDP last night (early morning, actually), the squad is allowed to rest through late morning, get cleaned up, then went on working party for a few hours.  During this time 2nd Battalion passed through 3rd Battalion into the assault on Hill 475, while 1st Battalion (the squad's parent element is on holding the southern flan.  The vicious nature of the fighting has got many calling Operation Apple Cobbler "The Battle for Chopped Sirloin Hill."

By mid-afternoon 2nd Battalion's attack is stalled; in preparation for 1st Battalion assuming the assault position, several choppers' worth of replacements were flown out to join the battalion in the field, to include enough to bring the squad up to full strength.  This was causing some sever consternation amongst the few survivors of the squad, and Sgt Banaszak had the rare occasion to voice his opinion directly to the Company commander: "Sir, I don't like it, we've got men out on convalescence!  They're coming back, and they belong with the squad!  There's no way we're keeping these FNGs while our buddies get farmed out to other units."

"Sergeant, perhaps you haven't been paying attention to recent events.  It's 1430 hours (I don't know why the Army insists on saying 'hours' after the time...); your squad will be heading up that hill at 1530.  The way things are going, you'll have plenty of room on the squad for your returning buddies."  Banaszak's expression turned from one of anger to concern, his mouth went dry, and he peered over his shoulder at the looming hill.  "Uh, I see Sir, sorry Sir."  "No problem Sergeant, now you get back to your squad and get your boys ready."  This is what we call foreshadowing...

At 1500 1st Battalion was passing by LZ Bluebird, where so many wounded and dead were being evacuated by helicopter that Banaszak figured no one could be left in 2nd Battalion, and at 1530, as the squad passed through 2nd Battalion's front lines, he saw he was pretty much right...  Picking up the action at approximately 1545 on 24 Oct 1967.

Overview of board, north is right, US baseline is south (left), NVA is right.  You can see three enemy bunkers at far right, which are (top to bottom) Bunker1, Bunker2, and Bunker3.

Looking north at the NVA, left to right: Bunker1, Bunker2, and Bunker3.  At top left is an 82mm mortar position.

Bunker1 on far left, with three NVA riflemen.

B2, in center, with a rifleman, a leader, and an RPG.

B3, at far right, with three NVA riflemen.

The NVA 82mm mortar team, at top left (NW).  The mortar team has eight rounds and will leave the table once all are fired.

Everyone is starting unpotted, hence the violet beads.

The US squad, moving north (right) up Hill 475, unknowingly about to run into an NVA bunker line (they've passed two abandoned bunker lines on the way up.).  Banaszak can't help but think, 'if only Holmes were here, he would have spotted the enemy already and warned the squad...'  The 'new' squad is as follows, from left to right: Pvt Mansfield, a replacement rifleman, Spec4 Shell, a replacement field medic, Pvt Thomas, a replacement grenadier, Cpl Ham, now 2nd Team's leader, Pvt Swan, now a rifleman in Team 2; Sgt Banaszak is between the two teams; Pvt Webster, grenadier, Sgt Bradley, a 'Shake and Bake' 90-day wonder, given his Sergeant's stripes pretty much straight out of basic (an 'interesting' program instituted by the Army, not real popular with guys already 'in-country' that are suddenly outranked by an FNG straight from the World), replacement Team 1 leader, then Pvt Wagner, replacement assistant machine gunner, Pvt Brown, replacement machine gunner, and Pvt Kolb, replacement rifleman walking point.

View from behind pointman Kolb, looking up the trail at Bunker3.

View from behind pointman Kolb (bottom center), looking NW at Bunkers 1 and 2.

The action starts at Bunker3 (foreground).  One NVA activates and spots Kolb, Brown, and Wagner, opens up, and puts Kolb down (first shooting roll was a damned 20) with a serious wound (followed with a 14).  Next NVA opens up, Brown is down, out of the fight.  Third guy spots Bradley then shoots Wagner, seriously wounding him.  All three guys in Bunker3 fired, I count it as spotted.  Unbelievable: three NVA activate, three US troops out of the fight...

Banaszak, on the trail between his two teams when the shooting started, sprints right, moves up, and flops prone (bottom left in the bushes, next to the seriously wounded Kolb, on the trail, with Bunker3 at far right).

Swan (bottom left) moves off trail to left, spots Bunker1 (top left, with Bunker2 at top center, still unspotted).

Bunker1 (top center) opens up on the trail, seriously wounding Sgt Bradley (bottom center with green and red bead) and lightly wounds Webster (bottom center with black, green, and yellow bead).  Webster tests morale and drops prone, pinned...

Bunker2 (off camera to top right) takes several tries, but finally spots Swan (bottom right), while Thomas (Tm2's grenadier, bottom center, just left of Swan) sprints left, drops prone, and fires his M-79 at Bunker1 (top center).  His round misses horrendously, landing only a few inches away (center left cotton puff); must've hit a tree branch...

Another NVA in Bunker2 (foreground, with Bunker1 to right) takes a few tries, but spots Thomas in the treeline (top center, with Thomas' grenade hit just to its right).  The last NVA in Bunker1 spots Thomas as Ham activates.  Ham screams to Mansfield and Shell, "you go right and catch up with Sarge, I'm going left," then sprints next to Thomas and Swan and fires on Bunker1, missing.  The last NVA in Bunker2 sprays the treeline, missing Swan, Thomas, and Ham (adding stress).

Shell and Mansfield (far left) sprint up the right side, creep forward a bit (to help remain unspotted), then go prone, with Sgt Banaszak at far right and the seriously wounded Kolb at top right.

The three seriously wounded men (left to right, Bradley, Wagner, and Kolb, with Brown 'down') crawl to the rear as the enemy mortar opens up.

All three rounds are targeted on the treeline holding (left to right) Ham, Thomas, and Swan.

The first round is wildly off target, landing 8 inches away, but the next two come right in on target: Ham and Swan receive light wounds, while Thomas is seriously wounded.  Aside from that you can see the tremendous amount of stress that racked up.  The NVA are having quite a day...

The NVA RPG in Bunker2 (top center, with Bunker1 to its left) opens fire on Webster (dead center with black, green, and yellow bead), missing long (cotton at bottom).  Webster returns fire, missing just short (cotton right in front of Bunker2).

Mansfield and Shell (off camera to right, sorry, didn't snap a pic) both open up on Bunker3, get spotted, and receive fire from Bunker3.  Mansfield and Shell fire a total of six times, as do the NVA; nobody hit nuthin'...  But that's not the important part: the important part is that, while Mansfield and Shell were keeping the three NVA in Bunker3 tied up...

Sgt Banaszak decided something rash needed to be done, so he hopped up, sprinted up to Bunker3, and chucked an M-26 fragmentation grenade through one of the firing ports...

Which killed one, seriously wounded one, and lightly wounded the third NVA rifleman.  Because of the jungle between, the NVA in Bunkers 1 and 2 can't see what's happened at Bunker3.

At Bunker2 (top center with cotton puff in front of it), the NVA rifleman resident there can't take the heat and takes off, while his leader drops prone and counts his toes. Unfortunately, so does Ham (center left), while Private Swan performs his own rendition of "Chariots of Fire" while sprinting back down the hill...  Every damn time!

A rifle in Bunker1 tests and drops prone, while another fires at Ham, missing three times, and the last fires at Webster (dead center), missing three times.  The misses are great, but the stress means continued morale tests and likely continuing to stay pinned...

The four seriously wounded crawl towards the rear while the NVA mortar opens up again...

The first round hits pretty close to Ham (far right, with blue bead marking the intended impact point) and the already seriously wounded Thomas (bottom right, you can just see the green and red beads under the tree).

While the second mortar round targets Webster, missing by a little.  Again, no one hit, but stress added.

And the third targets Mansfield and Shell, hitting (top right) near Mansfield (center) lightly wounding him.

It's a new turn, and I wanted to big things with Banaszak so I had to take a big chance.  I should have acted with Banaszak first, killed the lightly wounded NVA in Bunker3, then crept towards Bunker2, which would have meant he wouldn't have been able to take any action on Bunker2 this turn.  The NVA in Bunker3 had a whole bunch of stress on him, so there was a real good chance he would bolt, especially with Big Bad Banaszak standing over him.  So, I decided to let the NVA test in the hopes he would run, then I could have Banaszak move on Bunker2.

It paid off!  I rolled morale and the NVA decided to split.  In my narrative, I'd say he saw Banaszak, was scared out of his mind, got up to run, and Banaszak shot his ass, as well as the seriously wounded NVA in Bunker3 (that's why I put three casualty figures in there).

The RPG gunner in Bunker2 (off camera at top right) tests and decides to run, while Webster (dead center) tests and once again is pinned down...  NVA rifle in Bunker1 (off camera at top center right) pops up and fires at Ham, missing, but he tests and is pinned.  Mansfield (far right, you can just see the yellow bead) tests and is pinned, while Shell yelled something about "I didn't sign up for this" and ran back down the hill...

The other two NVA in Bunker1 open up on Ham, not hitting him but doing their best to make sure he stays pinned next turn too, while the four seriously wounded crawl back.

Meanwhile, Banaszak continues his terror!  He sprints ahead and into the back door of Bunker2 (bottom right, with Bunker1 at top left and mortar position off camera at top right).  The NVA leader is in there, lying on his belly, facing the firing ports, so Banaszak has no problem sticking him with his knife (serious wound).

Meanwhile, the NVA mortar team fires their last two rounds, pack up, and move up the hill in search of more ammo.  The first round was aimed at Webster (top center w/blue bead), but misses to right.

The second round lands practically on top of Mansfield, already lightly wounded by the last set of mortar rounds.  This time he is seriously wounded...

Webster activates and fires a grenade at Bunker1 (top center), missing left (my grenadiers haven't hit a damned thing today!  Only got close once).  Return fire from Bunker1 seriously wounds him...  Ham tests (off camera at left center) and remains pinned, but the other two NVA in Bunker1 open up on him and seriously wound him, too!

For those not paying attention, Banaszak is the only guy left not seriously wounded...

But Banaszak plays superhero again: he sprints from Bunker2 up to Bunker1, and drops a grenade in, which again kills one, seriously wounds one, and lightly wounds the last, who has a whopping twelve stress on him, which (once he tests) causes him to surrender.

Wow, it's over.  Fatigue sets in, and all he wants to do is lie down there and go to sleep, but Banaszak knows there's so much work to be done.  What to do?  I need to get the guys up here to consolidate our position, but where is everyone?  Inconceivable!  They're all down!  Banaszak gets on the Prick-25 (yes, Panda-John, I know you're going to love that, but that's what we called the PRC series radios) with the LT: we've forced a way through the third bunker line, but need troops up here to consolidate before the NVA realizes and pushes us out, and need immediate MEDEVAC.

The LT brings the rest of the platoon up, looks around.  "Good God, Sergeant, you did all this?"

The NVA losses were as follows:
-3 captured (two seriously wounded, one lightly wounded)
-4 KIA

Meanwhile, the whole squad is shot up:
Sergeant Bradley took a round through the calf, on Light Duty until 28 Oct 1967.
Pvt Brown had a round bounce off his ribcage, on Light Duty until 28 Oct 1967.
Wagner took several rounds in the chest, bad enough to be evacuated back to the World.
Private Webster succumbed to his wounds, KIA 24 Oct 1967.
Pvt Kolb took rounds in both thighs, was evacuate to China Beach, returns 7 Nov 1967.
Cpl Ham took shrapnel in his right arm, evacuated to Dak To, return 28 Nov 1967.
Pvt Thomas took a round in the foot, evacuated to BAS (moved here to Hill 475), return 31 Oct 1967.
Pvt Mansfield was pretty much peppered by shrapnel from head to toe, but the docs patched him up in the field and he's good to go, back in action.

Swan and Shell both ran, and if I recall correctly, this is actually Swan's third time to run in eight fights...
"You two s@#$bags look at me, hear me, and understand what I'm saying to you.  I'm begging you, begging you with tears in my @#$ing eyes, run again while we're in a fight!  Do it again and I swear to God I'll shoot you myself!  You're lucky the Captain doesn't court martial both you @#$%holes, spend the rest of your pathetic lives in Long Binh Jail!  How do you do that @#$%, Swan?  How do you run out on your buddies while they're laying there, bleeding out on some jungle trail in Vietnam?  Get out of my sight."

Of course, the whole brigade is talking about Banaszak: whole squad is down, and what's he do?  He @#$%ing charges, man, he charges!  He drops a grenade in the bunker, whammo, they're zapped!  Moves to the next one, hops in the damn thing and sticks an NVA officer!  Then he hauls it to the third bunker, another grenade, whammo, they're zapped too!  That dude's dinky dau, man!

Sgt Banaszak has been recommended for the Medal of Honor for his actions on Hill 475 on 24 Oct 1967, which went beyond the call of duty.  Banaszak is now S&D5 as well.

That game was intense, and it certainly worked out like real life.  That is, you don't need a big-time hero until you've got a big-time problem.

In any case, 1st Platoon came up and consolidated 1st Squad's breach in the third bunker line, while the rest of Alpha Company moved right and Bravo moved left to expand it.  Once that was finished Bravo and Charlie tied in facing north, while Alpha was pulled out of the line and thrown in the south for rear security overnight.

V/R,
Jack

"In Country" Game 7 (24 Oct 1967)

All,

And then the wheels came off...  If you recall, after a stiff fight yesterday to flank the NVA bunker line holding up 2nd then 3rd Battalion moving up Hill 475, all US forces pulled back and dug into company-sized NDPs.  The squad had been resupplied and even received a couple FNGs as replacements.

Overview of table, north is up, NVA baseline at top, US baseline at bottom.  The squad is dug-in in three bunkers, from left to right, bunker 1, 2, and 3.  The NVA is coming in force from Hill 475 (north), entering their base edge and trying to get off the southern base edge.  Everyone starts unspotted (violet beads).

NVA in the northeast, a leader, an RPG, and three riflemen.

 In the center, a leader and three riflemen.

On the right, a leader, an RPG, and three riflemen.

Bunker 1 (left), manned by Webster (new guy with M-79) and Doc White.

Bunker 2 (center), manned by Sgt Banaszak and Stallworth, carrying the M-60.

Bunker 3, with Swann and Ham (other grenadier).  Each bunker is starting the game at 50% (one man on watch, one man sleeping).

 Looking from behind Bunker 2 (bottom right), you can see the squad laid concertina wire, four claymores (aqua beads), and put out an LP/OP (center top, Holmes and Fuqua).

 It's pitch black, and both Holmes and Fuqua are awake on LP/OP, when fleeting, specter like shapes and sounds suddenly crystallize in Holmes' mind: @#$%, how'd they get so close?  "Echo 5 Bravo this is Echo 2 Hotel, we've got beaucoup Charlie out here, we're coming in" Holmes whispered into the field phone. "Come on Fuqua," as the two men crawl back two actions, both reserving one for overwatch.

 NVA move up on left...

 In center...

 And on right...

Then the damn new guy has some gear catch on the wire (bottom center left), and the NVA are alerted to their presence!  Holmes begins to turn just as the NVA at far left opens up, giving Fuqua a light wound.  Holmes empties a mag in the NVA's general direction, missing, but then Fuqua ripped off a burst and put an enemy soldier on his back.  Banaszak is beside himself; the new guy screws up and now his friend's life is on the line, so he does the only thing he can: "Ernie (Holmes), get down!!!" he screams, and Holmes pulls Fuqua down as Banaszak blows the squad's four Claymore mines.

On the left, claymore blows (cotton puff), putting one NVA down, lightly wounding one, and putting stress on the other three.

In the center, Claymore 2 (bottom left) doesn't hit anyone, but is a bit too close for comfort and puts some stress on Fuqua (center left, at wire), while Claymore 3 (far right) blows, getting only a light wound on one NVA and some stress on another.

On far right,  one NVA is seriously wounded and two lightly wounded, with stress accumulating on all.  All NVA hit the deck, and I run through the morale tests just to keep things simple for myself: RPG on left runs, WIA rifleman that shot Fuqua runs, NVA leader in center runs, rifle on right runs, and I removed the two seriously wounded NVA, counting them as escaped.  You'll see why I did this in a moment.

Fuqua, caught on the wire a second ago, has to test morale, and fails miserably.  He takes off running, and Holmes (center, next to wire) exposes himself trying to stop him, but he makes it almost to Bunker 2 when an NVA rifleman (top left) pops up and shoots Fuqua, seriously wounding him (bottom left).  Having shot down Fugua, the NVA rifleman then pivots left and fires at Holmes, putting him down!  (Rolled 18 and 20 'to hit,' rolled 13 and 19 for casualty roll).

Stallworth (in Bunker 2, bottom center) opens up with the M-60, lightly wounding the NVA that shot Fuqua and Holmes (top center left), then went on overwatch.  Due to the M-60 fire, I count Bunker 2 as spotted.

The RPG on right (top center left) pops to a knee, spends an action aiming, then fires at Bunker 2 (bottom left, Bunker 3 at bottom right), but misses (cotton puff at bottom center), putting some stress on Stallworth and Banaszak.  Stallworth reacts on overwatch, and puts the RPG gunner out of the fight.

Banaszak passes his test, crawls out of Bunker 2 (far right), then sprints up and flops prone next to Holmes' battered body (far left).  NVA on far left (off camera to bottom) takes a knee and spots Banaszak (takes two tries).

In Bunker 1 (bottom right), Webster takes all three actions to spot one NVA (top left), and Doc opens up, hitting him once, light wound, hitting him again, serious wound, then spotting another NVA at top center.  NVA spot Bunker 1.

Swan, in Bunker 3 (bottom center), takes two tries but spots NVA at top left, shoots and misses.  Ham spots NVA at top center and fires his M-79, missing pretty badly (top right cotton puff), then reloads.  NVA spot Bunker 3.

All the NVA that have been downed, seriously wounded, or have run off get 'recycled,' and here comes the NVA's second wave...

 Far left, three NVA come on table, move up, and open up.  Webster takes a bunch of stress, and Doc White is down!!!  (You gotta be @#$%-ing me!!!  Holmes AND Doc are down!!??).

More NVA come on in the center, and an RPG fires at Bunker 2 (bottom center), but is grossly short, while riflemen open up and hit Stallworth, seriously wounding him!!!

RPG on right fires at Bunker 3, missing about 8 inches long (off camera to bottom), while his two companions fire their rifles but don't hit anyone.  Thank goodness...

Banaszak passes his morale test and uses all three actions to crawl, dragging Holmes behind him, which allows him to go unspotted again.

Now it's time for some cheating (clearly I haven't been so far, or I wouldn't have Doc and Holmes down, and Stallworth and Fuqua seriously wounded), so I'm changing some stuff on the fly.  This is rapidly turning into a 'last stand' type situation, so I'm changing a couple things: first, normally a seriously wounded man can only crawl away, nothing else.  Since this is my Alamo, I'm going to play it that US seriously wounded can crawl, or, if they can prop themselves up against something, they can have one action to fire their weapon.  Second, I haven't been playing the rules as written for morale tests; in addition to having uninjured friendlies and cover give you positive modifiers, you're also supposed to add the troop's S&D rating, but I don't do that because I like seeing guys run or drop prone without acting.  Since this is a last stand situation, I'm going to add S&D for the positive modifiers as well, to represent a little stiffening of the backbone.  As you'll see, this won't make a huge difference...

So Stallworth, despite being seriously wounded, is allowed to shoot because he's manning the M-60 in Bunker 2.  He props himself up and fires at the NVA's center RPG, and puts him down (top center)!

However, Webster, in Bunker 1, fails his test and drops prone, which allows four NVA to move up and cross the concertina wire on the left side...  Only four because the fifth failed his test and ran.

Fuqua (bottom left) crawls towards Bunker 2, while 3 NVA move up in the center, firing at Stallworth, missing but adding stress.

In Bunker 3, Swan passes his test and fires at the right hand RPG: miss, then hit, seriously wounding him, then moves to next guy, hits him, light wound.  Ham fires his M-79, misses off table to right, reloads and firs again.  This round misses left, but lands on the seriously wounded RPG gunner, killing him.  The three remaining NVA test: two drop prone while one runs, and another seriously wounded NVA exits the table.

Fuqua crawls into Bunker 2, propping himself against the front wall, while Banaszak hops up, drags Holmes into the bunker, then fires at an NVA coming through the gap in the wire, putting him down.  Stallworth can't pass his test, needs a breather because of this wounds, can't see, having a hard time to breath, but he see Banaszak bring Holmes in.  "How is he?" Banaszak looks out towards the enemy.  "How is he?"  "I think he's gone man."

Webster, staring at Doc White's profusely bleeding body, stands up and fires a flechette round at the NVA in the wire.  He doesn't hit anyone, but puts stress on three of them.  The first NVA (far left) fires at Webster, missing.  One NVA fails his test and drops prone, while the other two move up, drop prone, and fire at Webster, but miss.

NVA rifleman on right crawls forward and fires at Swan, missing.  Swan passes his test and returns fire, missing, then hit-light wound, then miss again.  The NVA leader fires three times at Swan, missing all three times, while Ham puts a grenade right in his pocket, seriously wounding him.  Amazingly, Ham reloads, fires again at the NVA rifleman, and puts a serious wound on him too, effectively eliminating all opposition on the right.

 Banaszak sprints left and hops in Bunker 1 with Webster, then opens up, putting a light wound on one of the NVA.  Despite the squad leader's presence, Webster fails and drops prone, leaving Banaszak as the only viable target.  All the four NVA pass their morale tests (inconceivable!!!), and a few actions are 'wasted' crawling around, Banaszak suffers a total of nine shots by the enemy, but not one hits him!  However, you can see he's racked up quite a bit of stress...

In Bunker 2 (far left), Stallworth manages to prop himself up again and take shot to the left, putting one man down, while Fuqua misses (firing off camera at top left).  The remaining NVA in the center (top center) fires at Stallworth, missing twice.  Swan passes his test in Bunker 3 (bottom right), fires at NVA in center (top center) misses three times.  Ham fires, misses 9 inches right, reloads, fires again, misses 6 inches short (see the two puffs?).  Not very inspiring marksmanship...  Two seriously wounded NVA on right (off camera at top right) crawl back towards their baseline.

Banaszak tests, and doesn't do well.  Already belieiving Holmes to be dead, he looks down at Doc, covered in his own blood on the floor of the bunker.  "Not you too, Doc, I'm not letting you go," and with that Banaszak gingerly scooped up his friend and carried him to the rear, looking for the aid station.  Webster once again all alone, once again pops to his feet and fires a canister round.  The first NVA is missed, but the other two suffer light wounds.  The first NVA, already lightly wounded and prone, digs his body further into the soil, while his two companions run for the hills!

Meanwhile, in Bunker 2, Stallworth doesn't do well on his test, either.  He's been seriously wounded for several turns now, feels himself close to passing his.  "I'm sorry man," he croaks to Fuqua as he drags himself out the bunker towards the aid station.  Fuqua replies, "It's okay," then fires a burst in the last NVA in the center, killing him.

Swan and Ham see the NVA go down in front of Bunker 2, and with that they realize no one's been shooting at them from their own sector for a minute now.  Ham says, "Let's Go!," and they both hop out of their bunker.

Swan goes left (center right, with Bunker 2 at center left and Bunker 1 at top left), moving up and firing on the NVA at far left (top left center), but missing.

While Ham moves up, clearing the area to their front and capturing two seriously wounded NVA.

Then I get a bit froggy, but it all works out.  Ham, feeling his oats, hops out of the bunker, moves right up to the remaining, lightly wounded NVA, and fires his last canister round, which MISSES!!!  The Fuqua takes a shot from Bunker 2, and MISSES!  There is no way Webster is going to survive this, but the NVA tests and fails miserably, so he surrenders!  'Bout damned time something went my way...

So, what did we accomplish?  The squad held off a platoon-sized attack (I think 26 total NVA saw action on the table at one point or another), and they lost 8 KIA, 3 captured (2 seriously wounded and 1 lightly wounded), and another four seriously wounded that were able to drag their butts off table.

The squad was very hard-pressed, but did not allow the enemy to breach the company's perimeter.  Here's the casualties:
PFC Earnest Holmes, Killed in Action
PFC "Doc" White, hit by 7.62mm rounds in throat and chest, evacuated to Okinawa, return 24 Dec 1967.
Pvt John Fuqua, hit by a 7.62mm round in abdomen, evacuated to China Beach, return 12 Nov 1967.
Spec4 John Stallworth, hit by 7.62mm round in head.  Lots of blood and a concussion, but not all that bad.  BAS has been moved IVO Hill 475, so he's been sent there for a couple days (return 26 Oct 1967).

The squad is down to: Sgt Banaszak, Ham (carrying M-60), Swan, and Webster with M-79, but Stallworth will be back on 26 Oct and Russell on 31 Oct.  If this fight is as bad as everyone expects, it's likely to go on for a bit and Brigade will likely send more replacements.

Morale is not too hot in the squad at this point...  "What the hell do you mean they're not pulling us out of the field!  Look at this mess, this isn't a squad anymore!  And him, I swear if I see that @#$% Fuqua again, I'll kill him!"

Good Lord, I don't want to do this anymore, though Banaszak.  "Shut your mouth, Swan.  I told you, Operation Apple Cobbler, this fight for Hill 475, is big, the whole brigade's out here, and nobody goin' nowhere.  And shut your trap about Fuqua; Holmes was my friend, too, and messing with Fuqua ain't gonna bring him back.  Fuqua just made a rookie mistake that's all.  Surely you, of all people, know what's it like to not be at your best under fire, Swan..."

-Banaszak is being recommended for the Silver Star for running out, dragging Holmes back, then rushing to Bunker 1 to bolster the flagging left flank.
-Stallworth is being recommended for the Bronze Star (w/V) for keeping the squad machine gun in action for the bulk of the fight, despite being shot in the head.
-FNG Webster is being recommended for the Bronze Star (w/V) for single-handedly holding off the enemy attack on Bunker 1, then charging out and capturing an enemy soldier to finish the engagement.

Ouch, this one hurt...

V/R,
Jack