Just then we hit a sand bar and my train of thought was broken. Another sand bar, and another.  I thought we must be fifty feet up the beach by now.  I could hear machine gun fire, rifle and mortar fire.  It sounded like these boys were playing for keeps.

Just then the gate went down and we started filing off as fast as we could in water three to four feet deep, great! I didn’t think we would ever get on the beach.  Once we were on dry ground we ran and ran and ran.  How long is this stinking beach, I thought.  I was soaking wet, sinking in sand up to my ankles.  Finally I came to a tree and fell down behind it and felt safe, right!  I looked behind me for my men who were still scrambling up the beach.

“Move Up!”  The Lt. ordered, “Into the tree line.” And we ran, and ran some more.  The resistance was heavy but not as heavy as we had expected.  We later found out that the majority of them had moved out leaving behind land mines, booby traps, snipers, and machine guns to welcome us.  Some of the machine guns were chained to a man and a tree so he couldn’t escape.

All I could think of was my D.I. saying, “A rocket man’s life expectancy on the beach is three to five seconds.”  That helped me to run faster, and finally we were in the tree line and we collapsed.

“Corpsman! Corpsman!”  Someone was hit off to my left, another off to my right.  Many were dead, way too many and many more were wounded.  We took a terrible beating and they knew we were coming.

So this was war!  Well, I didn’t like it one bit, I just wish I had that crumb that sold us out for a few bucks and a cold beer right now, sitting on this stinking beach with me.

After the beach was secure the Lt. ordered a head count and it was then that I received the news, “Cpl. Williams had stepped on a mine and lost both of his legs.  They didn’t think he was going to make it, but he was still living,” reported the Pvt.

Oh No! Oh No! Not the rebel, not Williams, he can’t die, he’s to tough. It was then that I lost my senses for a moment and yelled, “Don’t die rebel, don’t die!”  I turned and grabbed the Pvt. by the shoulders and shook him, “Miller, how’s Miller?”  I shouted at him!

“He’s O.K.” said the Pvt., “But he was really shook up when I told him about Williams.”  He said something like, “I’m next, I’m next, I’m second, what did he mean by that Cpl.?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all! Just forget it.” I said.

“Move Out!” Ordered the Lt.  “We have to make a sweep of this village and secure it for a base of operations before night fall.”

It was an easy village to take, not much resistance, only a few shots were fired, some women and children but no men, strange!  Now we can rest for the night.  and as I was checking my men a Corpsman came by and said, “Did you hear about Miller? He took one in the head, he’s in pretty bad shape, I don’t think he’s going to make it.”

A cold chill ran through my body, a deep fear gripped my soul and I broke out in a cold sweat.  My hand slipped down to my side and I patted the ’45’ strapped there.  I slammed a full magazine into my M-14 and said, “If they get me, I’m not going down alone!”

“What do you mean?” replied the corpsman.  Are you alright?  “Forget it!” I said, “I have a score to settle now and it doesn’t really matter anymore, does it!”

I could still picture both their faces and their cold steel eyes looking right through me on the deck of that ship just a few hours ago and hear their chilling sadistic voices still ringing in my ears and their prophetic statement, “And you ‘Bo’ will be the third!”

As soon as we swept the village and set up a perimeter outside the village and got a head count, the sun was going down.  The Lt. came by and said, “We’re sending out three patrols to check for V.C. movement and try to make contact, funny there were no men in that village.”  Our platoon Sgt. said, “I want a scout,  two rifle teams, an M-60 team and a Rocket team.” (next, ‘The Night Patrol’)     ‘Between The Lines’