Road Run
The night was black, so black you could not see three feet in front of you. The only time you could see any distance was when the dry lighting lit up the sky. It was the strangest sensation, going from complete darkness to that flash of light. I don’t know how the drivers of the Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs, also called Tracks) could see to stay on Highway #1.
We were ordered to keep the roadway clear of traffic and that meant we would make road runs. My unit would drive the Tracks up and down the road as fast as they would go all night long. We would set up a camp on the side of the road, and run at 50 mph in one direction for about five miles, turn around and head back to the roadside camp. This was designed to keep the Viet Cong from traveling, on the highway, which they could only do safely at night. We had lights on the APCs but we dared not use them, for fear of being a target for a Viet Cong RPG (rocket propelled grenade).
Most of the guys gave their Tracks names. “Widow Maker”, and “Death Before Dishonor” was a couple of the names I remember. My squad was the 2nd squad of Bravo Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 47th Mechanized Infantry of the 9th Infantry Division. Therefore, we were the double deuces 2 for Bravo, and 2 for the 2nd squad. My squad also had four of seven (a squad was supposed to be 10 men and a driver, but we could never keep that many) members who were from Ohio. Therefore, we named our Track “The Ohio Express” after a rock group with that name. Now all this was fine until we painted the side of the Track with a pair of Deuces, and the name “Ohio Express’ in white.
One night as we were making road runs, in the dark, with the lightning flashing, all was well, until the Track behind us took an RPG round and one of the guys lost a leg. We could not get back to the roadside camp fast enough. As soon as we did, we got down, found a mud puddle and smeared mud all over the “Ohio Express” and the “Double Deuces”. Live and learn; learn and live.
We soon started back out for another run, and we got no further then a mile or so, when up ahead we heard a great explosion. We pulled up to the sight of the explosion turned on our lights and saw several Viet Cong bodies spread all over the road. It appeared that the mine they were going to plant to blow us up went off prematurely. War is hell for both sides.
We were ordered to keep the roadway clear of traffic and that meant we would make road runs. My unit would drive the Tracks up and down the road as fast as they would go all night long. We would set up a camp on the side of the road, and run at 50 mph in one direction for about five miles, turn around and head back to the roadside camp. This was designed to keep the Viet Cong from traveling, on the highway, which they could only do safely at night. We had lights on the APCs but we dared not use them, for fear of being a target for a Viet Cong RPG (rocket propelled grenade).
Most of the guys gave their Tracks names. “Widow Maker”, and “Death Before Dishonor” was a couple of the names I remember. My squad was the 2nd squad of Bravo Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 47th Mechanized Infantry of the 9th Infantry Division. Therefore, we were the double deuces 2 for Bravo, and 2 for the 2nd squad. My squad also had four of seven (a squad was supposed to be 10 men and a driver, but we could never keep that many) members who were from Ohio. Therefore, we named our Track “The Ohio Express” after a rock group with that name. Now all this was fine until we painted the side of the Track with a pair of Deuces, and the name “Ohio Express’ in white.
One night as we were making road runs, in the dark, with the lightning flashing, all was well, until the Track behind us took an RPG round and one of the guys lost a leg. We could not get back to the roadside camp fast enough. As soon as we did, we got down, found a mud puddle and smeared mud all over the “Ohio Express” and the “Double Deuces”. Live and learn; learn and live.
We soon started back out for another run, and we got no further then a mile or so, when up ahead we heard a great explosion. We pulled up to the sight of the explosion turned on our lights and saw several Viet Cong bodies spread all over the road. It appeared that the mine they were going to plant to blow us up went off prematurely. War is hell for both sides.
posted by 7horses | Tuesday, June 21, 2005
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