Rains

 

FOXHOLES LTeeF,  I can remember after being there for some months we started putting a firing position between the tracks every night.  Easy enough in the sand at Qua Viet but a real pain in the ass in some of the soil out west.  I started taking the tankers bar and sledge hammer and punching a hole down about 12 inches into the ground with the tankers bar and them stuffing it full of C4.  A quick placement of a claymore blasting cap and a walk to the other side of the tank and BOOM we had the finest foxhole US taxpayers could buy.  You remember that?  Malan

Hey Jerry,

I remember we used to cheat.....we would dig under the APC about 8 inches of sand from under the bottom of the APC, between the tracks, made for a nice, out of the rain sleep in comfort foxhole G.I.'s are so resourceful...:-)

Wally


Wally,  I remember doing that as well.  Can't remember doing it during the rainy season.  Don't remember it ever turning into a swimming pool under there do you?  Jerry Jerry,

I remember it was during late January to early April, we had rain, but I can't remember how much during those months, I do know it rained like a cow pissing on a flat rock during December and early January 1970.

Wally
RAIN Wally Mendoza wrote:

I wonder how many of our troopers suffer from the same stuff, it makes me crazy because I have no one to share it with who really understands except you all out there on this net...
The rain,
The dark,
The quiet,
The little noises,
The movement in the hedge,
The imaginary gooks,
The real gooks,
The tension,
The artillery,
The commo checks at 3am ...


Hi Wally and all Cav Brothers, When I spoke at the first reunion, I simply mentioned thoughts and memories that have been stored in my soul for all those many years. You are quite right that only those who have been there and done that would understand. Many times since then, as I see and listen to the rain, I think to myself "Thank God I don't have to sleep in this shit tonight". Not to mention all the other things that went along with those long nights, such as being scared, nervous, and wondering if this might be the night some of us may buy the farm. Hearing that others have the same thoughts, memories and feelings as I have validated my own. EARL (40)

Hi Wally,
You are so right about the rain. Trying to stay dry, and the mud! I remember the day four or five of us were sent to ATroop, it rained all day. Got to Quang Tri and the First Sgt. pointed to this new tent still folded up, and said this is your home. Put it up! Nice to just look out the window now.
Mack.

Can't figure out the problem with the rain.  I was talking to my office staff about it today and I was telling them that it is so strange that Nam vets have a problem with flashbacks and little sounds, and the sounds of rain, and the smell of diesel and all that shit, and I was saying how it does not affect other veterans from other wars as much as us.... I mentioned that perhaps it has to do with the distance from home we were....Korea was just as far, North Africa was as far, Europe was far as hell also, but Nam was not only far from home it was......"10,000 MILES AWAY!!!!!" I don't give a shit how far Korea was or the Alemain, "10,000 MILES" is a long f____g way from home.   And that is what we heard from the beginning of AIT until we left to come home. Somehow I think that played into our Psych)did I spell that right?)we were just kids then and I don't give a shit if its true or not, but 10,000 miles is a WALLY NOT ON MY WATCH  Wally, I particularly liked this part of your recollection, it's right on, it matches what I think of as our typical Nam experience.  Other stuff comes in flashes - contacts, weapons, unusual situations, interesting characters, bizarre sights, things imprinted by the feeling "Wow, this is weird but it's real."  But dark and quiet can bring back the imaginary gooks, and rain - well, then you can't even HEAR the enemy sneaking up.  I wonder how many times there was somebody out there who was just checking out our position looking for an opportunity.  Stands to reason, many times I think. Though I don't usually dwell on old combat experiences, I recognize their importance in my life.  They were important to me, at the time vitally important to others as well, and thus???