| Comments by Barta, Leroy (Lee) V. on Monday, October 20, 2003 at 18:17 |
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 for your website!
Joined B Co, 1st AmtracBN July 1967 after a shortened tour of recruiting duty in Tucson, Arizona. Served with "5th" Platoon B Co. as section leader. Recall spending Vietnamese elections (October/November '67) with 3 P5s at Con Thien, plenty of mud, and incoming! Returned to Cua Viet as Seebees arrived with instant housing  . Often crossed the Cua Viet River heading north either as a member of ambush patrols mounted on P5s to be dropped off in the tree-line or as part of the 3 vehicle delivery and pick-up crews. Also made several trips as the reaction force to ambushed "ambush patols." Remember the lights going out for HOW 6 fire missions? And all the photos taken of HOW 6 destroyed by rockets? Recall patrols to the "Rocket Box?" December 1967 joined Lt. Noke and Gunny Smith with a full T. O., for the first time in Vietnam, and assigned as Amtrac Platoon to SLF with 2nd Bn 4th Marines. Quick trip to Subic Bay landing back on the beach at Cua Viet in January 1968. Supported 2/4 and various other infantry battalions. Was on board a HOW 6 on 1 March 1968 when hit by at least 7 RPGs. The turret caught fire and we bailed out into heavy small arms fire. The crewchief was killed by an RPG and Lt. Gosch was killed by automatic weapons fire. Would like to talk with any crewman who survived that day. Jim Stahl in 40 came in like the Lone Ranger and got us out of a real bad situation. On 25 May 1968 I was with 2 tractors resupplying a grunt mortar position north of the river when we came under mortar fire. I remember Stahl and Lockhart were also there but hazy as to who else. I was seriously wounded for my third Purple Heart. Stahl got me back to BAS and I was medivaced to Delta Med in Dong Ha and eventually to the USS Sanctuary. I was out of the war! Looking forward to the reunion in Tampa April 2004...see you there! The Amtrac Platoon will be having their reunion in Phoenix in August 2004. |
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