A beautiful day
By Woody on January 22, 2010 in 101st Airborne, 1st Platoon, 3rd Squad, AK-47, Ambush, Ed Raines, Enemy Ambush, Huey UH-1B, Jack Schmitz, Jungle, Lieutenant Douglas Dugger, M-79, Medevac, Val Wuthrich, Vietnam, Vietnam 68-69, WoodyAt the end of December, 1968, we were on a company size operation in the mountains somewhere west of Hue. Delta company was also on an operation in the mountains and made some contact with the enemy. Battalion headquarters pulled Delta company out. Our company was resupplied in the field and choppered to a new location, probably close to where Delta company had made contact. On Dec 31st, we were humping towards our next night defensive position (NDP). The weather was nice that morning and into the afternoon, with sunny skies, but the tempature wasn’t too hot for humping. I thought what a beautiful day it was and I liked the trail we were on. There were large trees all around, and the thick jungle growth was broken up by large open areas. I remember the trail started to make a sweeping turn to the left and we were given the sign to stop. Our platoon leaders, Lieutenant Dugger and Sergeant Perez needed to check the map to figure out which way we should go. Appearently there were other trails ahead and they needed to decide which trail would get us to our NDP. I recall that the area where we stopped was quite open, with some big trees here and there. We were standing in the trail, waiting for the order to move out, when automatic weapon fire rang out. We immediately hit the ground and I scrambled behind a big tree that was just off the trail to my right. There was only the initial burst of fire and then silence, only a short echo of the gun fire through the trees. Soon, word came back through our platoon that Lieutenant Dugger had been hit, a single bullet to the heart had killed him almost instantly, even before the medic could get to him. When I heard that he had been killed, I was in disbelief, which was soon replaced by rage. I wanted to kill the bastards that had killed our platoon leader. Lieutenant Dugger was only days from going home to his wife and family, and this was to be his last patrol. He had talked lovingly of his wife and he was looking forward to seeing her and his family once again. It wasn’t right that he wouldn’t be going home to see his wife and family again.
Sgt Perez gave us orders to advance towards the location that the enemy fire had come from. Jack was on my right and Raines was on my left, thier weapons in firing position, as our squad moved up a slight incline covered with grass and brush towards a denser growth of dark jungle. I thought that the enemy could still be in there waiting for us, but I didn’t care, I had my M-79 loaded and at the ready. We advanced side by side and made a sweep of the area but didn’t make contact with the enemy. We found foot prints that indicated that there were about five NVA.
A medevac had been ordered and was on it’s way. Our platoon moved to secure a nearby clearing large enough for the helicopter to land. It wasn’t long before we heard the thumping of the Huey’s rotor blades in the distance. A yellow smoke was popped on the LZ to help the pilot find the clearing we had secured. The Huey soon broke over the trees and dropped into the clearing and touched down. Members of our platoon picked up Lt Dugger’s poncho wrapped body and carried it to the waiting helicopter. Yellow smoke swirled through the blades of the helicopter as it waited forLieutenant Dugger’s body to be loaded onboard. As soon as the men had placed his body in the Huey and cleared the LZ the pilot applied more throttle to the engine and pitch to the rotors, the helicopter lifted off and slowly rose straight up from the clearing, turned and tilted towards the east and soon disappeared over the trees. Lieutenant Dugger was going home.
A beautiful day to die…
This post has forever changed the course of this blog. My friend, Steve had visited my blog after I told him about it. He told me that I should go to http://thewall-usa.com/ and do a search for Lieutenant Dugger. I knew the exact day he died and the website search was excellent in finding his record. Not only that, you can leave comments, which Douglas’ brother has done. He had left posts with his name, e-mail and mailing addresses. There are three posts, two updating his e-mail address. Well, I e-mailed him late last night and had a reply at 1:20am that same night. Dale e-mailed me the names of other men that had served with Douglas. Alvin Dunn and Roman Perez who I served with, and Dennis Gordon, Bernie Skoniecz, Richard Longley and James Bond who I didn’t serve with. I hope to hear from all of them.
I hope that this post, this story, is somehow comforting to Dale and his whole family. Thank you Dale for leaving your posts at ‘The Wall’, I am forever grateful to be able to know more about one of the greatest men I was privileged to know in Vietnam. He was seasoned in the ways of jungle warfare when I joined his platoon. He is a big part of why I’m here today to talk about. He taught me so much about how to lessen my chances of being killed. Because of his, Sergeants Dunn and Perez’s leadership, I am here today. Not to mention a lot of good luck.
I had buried the memory of Lieutenat Duggers death for many years. But when I started to try and remember all of the things that happend in Vietnam, the memory of that day, the last day of 1968 came raging to the surface. You can’t believe the things I remember about that day. Along with my memories of that day, I have the letter in which I wrote my parents about that fateful day.
Comments are appreciated!
Woody, I too will never forget when Douglas Dugger was killed in Vietnam. I was getting ready for work and there was a knock at my door. When I opened the door, there stood two Army officers. They asked if I was Mrs. Douglas Dugger. I was in shock, as I kept asking them why. They continued asking me and I kept saying, “Has Doug been killed?” They said they would have to talk to Mrs. Dugger. I told them that I wasn’t her, but she was living here. They asked if she was home. I didn’t want to go get her as I knew that what they were going to tell her was going to crush her. Through my tears, I went to her room and told her that I needed to talk to her in the living room. When she entered the room and saw the officers, she started yelling and crying. The officers were so patient and kind to her, and they were able to calm her some. They told her what had happened to Doug and gave her a package, which I asumed was his personal items. I comforted her as much as possible and let her talk. She had received a letter from Doug earlier and he was counting the minutes until they would be together. Carol was staying with me and working to save up money for them to start their lives together. They loved each other so much. I have often wondered what happened to Carol and how Doug’s family recovered from such a heartbreaking loss. Thank you Woody for the homage to Doug in “A Beautiful Day”.
Carol, I read your comment yestarday afternonn while at work. I was very touched by your story of the news of Douglas’ death being delivered to your home. Needless toi say I cried after reading your account of the day the Army officers came calling. I still remember thinking about the news being delivered to Douglas’ wife and family. As I have said before, we all thought a lot of Douglas and were counting the days until he went home with him. The mission we were on was to be his last and I know he was anxious to get home to his wife and family. He talked fondly of Carol and how he couldn’t wait to get home to see her.
I have talked with Douglas’ bother Dale on quiet a few occasions. He told me that his mother took her son’s death quiet hard and doesn’t think that she never really got over it. Dale told me that his mother passed away some time ago, but that his dad is still living. I haven’t had the opportinity to talk to Douglas’ father but love to talk to him sometime. Maybe I will call Dale and ask him if his dad would like to talk to me. I don’t know where Carol is now, but I would like to talk to her too.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. It makes this blog that much richer. I would love to have you write more.
Richard O. Carte 1968 -1969 101st 187th D Co. 3rd Plt..
Matthew Carte, my father is here with me and he was in vietnam and Hamburger Hill.
Hello Matthew, Your father, from what I remember, was in one of the toughest companys of the 187th during ’68 and ’69. I would like to hear about your father and his experiences in Vietnam and on Hamburger Hill.
Val, I have not been at the site for a while. I will give you a call soon, if not when I am done here. I am wondering who Carol is, talking about Doug’s wife Carol? Later, Dale