From

Just a Day at the Office.
By
Feadog

Some unheard of place in the Republic of South Vietnam, Summer 1965.

Baker three five Alfa six, over"

"Alfa six by"

"Alfa six, request smoke to ID LZ, over"

"Baker three five, that is a negative, LZ is hot, repeat, LZ is hot, over"

"Alfa six, just smoke the LZ we know it's hot, will make quick touch down, load your wounded and then I am "gone, over".

"Alfa six, do you copy? Over"

"Copy Baker three five, will smoke the LZ, Yellow, repeat yellow, over". “Roger the yellow, over”

"Baker three five, be advised Charlie has AA to the west and south, suggest coming in from the north low, and exit east, over"

"Roger that Alfa six, pucker up boys will be there in five, keep Sir Charles busy for me, over."

"Will do Baker three five, good luck, over."

"Good luck" he says. I am a long ways from Ireland, and this is what's called the pucker factor, your arse clamps shut, if it didn't you would crap in you pants for certain. Your gut ties itself into knots, and you're more scared that anyone could ever imagine. But you do what you have to do because that is all you can do; there is no other option.

My job was to drop in and pick up four badly wounded Marines and get them back to help and safety. I got volunteered to promote inter service relations and give the corps a helping hand. Between you and me I’d rather be doing something else, like having root canal done by a blind dentist.

The plan is to come in fast and low, touch down, get loaded and gone again before Charlie can shoot my arse full of holes.

"Alfa six, I see yellow smoke, over."

"We see you Baker three five, be advise Charlie is pissed, over."

Oh damn, Charlie is pissed, well too bad. The world is full of people who are pissed, and one more won't matter.

Coming in fast and low into a hot LZ is better than an E ticked at Disney Land and something to brag about, if you survive the experience.

My gunner (Sgt. Harry Jolly) is firing as we touch down, Corpsman bring out the wounded and start loading. One corpsman is hit and he's down. Someone loads him into the chopper with the rest. My medic is doing his thing, my gunner is doing his thing, and I just sit there waiting, watching, and thinking, Randy my co driver is green, this being is first trip is about to make him lose his breakfast. "Come on assholes, get that last one on," I hear myself screaming inside my head. All the time hearing the enemy fire hit the chopper causing a sickening ping sound as it punches little holes in the metal skin.

Last one is on board; at last, my gunner is shouting, "Come on L T lets get the hell out of here."

"That's a good idea," I think to myself as I give it power and we lift off. Charlie is still shooting at us, but now his troubles really begin. While he is paying attention to us, the Marines I leave behind start to introduce Charlie to a world of pain. You see the Marines are pissed too, and these boys wrote the book on paybacks.

Thirty minutes later, I had a hot shower and shaved and now heading for chow, then later into my nice clean bed. A Nurse tells me that all of my passengers made it except for one. I don’t ask which one, there are somethings I prefer not to know.

The end to just one more day at the office.

Baker three five, out.

Feadog