Archive for the ‘Battles’ Category


Buddy re-assigned to Alpha Company

on May 27, 2010 in 101st Airborne, 3/187th, Alfredo Hernandez, Charlie Company, Firebase, Greg West, Hamburger Hill, Lieutenant Joel Trautmann, Val Wuthrich, Vietnam, Vietnam 68-69, War Buddies 2 Comments »

Alfredo Hernandez and Greg West at firebase

I took the picture in this post of Alfredo and Greg as they took a break from working on one of our fire-bases.  They are resting against a fuel or water bladder that had been air-lifted to the fire-base.  I couldn’t remember their names but found out what their names were at the ‘Hamburger Hill’ reunion, which was held this May in Clarksville, TN.  It was my first time attending the reunion and I was anxious to meet some of the men that served with me in Vietnam.  I met my Platoon leader Joel Trautmann and was showing him my Vietnam photo album at a gathering in the hospitality room later that day.  When he came to the picture of Alfredo and Greg he said “Do you know who that it is?”, as he pointed at the person on the right in the photo.  “No, I don’t. Who is it?”, I asked, hoping to put a name to a person in one of my photos.  Looking across the room he pointed at one of the guys sitting at a table and said “That’s him right there, that’s Greg West!”  He told Greg that I had a picture of him and asked him to come over and look at it.   Greg was surprised that I had a picture of him and told me a story about his re-assignment from Charlie Company to Alpha Company.  I’m hoping I can get Greg to tell you the story in his own words.  He also has an unbelievable story about Alfredo.

Needless to say it was great to see some of the guys that I had served with in Vietnam so many years ago.

Ralph Crutts killed in action on May 18, 1969 on Hamburger Hill

on May 18, 2010 in 3/187th, 3rd Squad, Charlie Company, Hamburger Hill, Rakkasan, Ralph Crutts, Vietnam, Vietnam 68-69, War, War Buddies No Comments »

We will always miss you Ralph.  You were a great friend and a true soldier.  You gave your life for your country 41 years ago today.   The Rakkasan’s commemorate your heroism and that of the other fallen Rakkasans on Hamburger Hill, at a formal ceremony at the pylon on the Ft Campbell army base.  Your name is engraved on the wall for all to see and know the you are not forgotten.

Galen Brown and Terry Wender killed on May 13, 1969 on Hamburger Hill

on May 13, 2010 in 101st Airborne, 1st Platoon, 3/187th, 3rd Squad, A Shau Valley, AK-47, Charlie Company, Enemy Ambush, Galen Brown, Hamburger Hill, Jungle, McCarthy, Missions, Rakkasan, Terry Wender, Val Wuthrich, Vietnam, Vietnam 68-69, War, Woody 3 Comments »

While securing a trail leading up the middle of a ridge on west side of Hamburger Hill, Galen Brown and Terry Wender were shot and killed by enemy fire.  The day was May 13th, 1969, a day that I will never forget.  Galen and Terry had only been in country a couple of months when the 3/187th started it’s assault of Dong Ap Bia.  It was the third day of the operation and up to that point we had no enemy contact.   Our platoon had just stopped and we had just moved off the trail when shots range out.  With in seconds we were yelling for the medics.  Three men were hit, Galen Brown was hit in the chest and died immediately.  McCarthy was hit in the leg and up through the hip and need a medic.  Terry Wender was hit in the chest and was unconcious but still alive.  One medic was attending to McCarthy and our medic was at Terry’s side. He was applying field dressings to Terry’s chest wounds.  I was trying to help as the medic worked frantically trying to save Terry.  I could tell that Terry was slipping away and as kaous ensued around us, I sensed an abiding peace where Terry was, except for the medic who was very upset because he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to save Terry and was crying frantically.  As Terry slipped away the war seemed to come crashing in on us.  We consoled our medic and told him that he had done all he could do to try and save Terry.  I will always remember Galen Brown and Terry Wender, and that fateful day.

I promised that I would talk more about Hamburger Hill, and I will.

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