Archive for the ‘Lieutenant Joel Trautmann’ Category


Hot LZ

on June 30, 2010 in 101st Airborne, 1st Platoon, 3/187th, Enemy Ambush, Helicopter, Huey UH-1B, Jungle, Lieutenant Joel Trautmann, M-79, Missions, Uncategorized, Val Wuthrich, Vietnam 68-69, Woody 6 Comments »

Another air-assault into the jungles of Vietnam.

Usually when we were dropped at an LZ the pilots would touch the skids of the helicopters on the ground.  Occasionally we would be dropped at an LZ that was either covered with bushes and other large plants.  Or, on rare occasions the LZ would be consider “hot”.  An LZ was considered hot if it was known that there were enemy in the area and they could be laying in wait near the landing zone.  As the helicopters came in to the LZ the enemy would ambush the helicopters and troops as they unloaded. 

On one occasion we were told that we would be hitting an LZ that could be hot.  Our platoon was briefed by our platoon leader.  We were instructed that as soon our helicopter touched down on the LZ we needed to hit the ground running and fan out to establish a perimeter on the edge of the LZ.  We were told to be ready to return fire if we came under fire.

We talked among ourselves about what to expect and what we needed to do to secure the LZ.  We were all quite nervous about being fired upon while we were in the helicopters and while we were unloading and running for cover.

to be continued…

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.

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