The Bridge

Neal:

As with the others, "the bridge" is one of my most vivid memories. I believe I have a photo of Lt. Lenihan and his readio man crossing the river on our way to the An Tams on our first day. I'll bring it with me to Denver so it can be posted on the web site so everyone can see what a difference a few days rain can make.

If my memory serves me right, an article in Stars and Stripes indicated an early monsoon storm dumped approximately 39 inches of rain on us in a four day period. I also remember on day 6 you had me lead a patrol whose mission was to find a way across the river. I think I might have temporarily had 1st Platoon at the time because I distinctly remember SSgt McCollough and Pfc Cook being on that patrol with me. Well we went back where we first crossed over and Sgt. McCollough managed to swim across with a rope. After securing the rope to two trees I attempted to cross holding the rope. I made it half way and the current had me and the rope stretched like a hunters bow. We gave up on that idea and proceeded all the way to the dam.

Here Cook tried to swim across the lake side of the dam. The current was so strong he almost didn't make it to the first cement piling. We had to throw him the rope and pull him back through the current. On our way back to the company perimeter, we experienced our only "contact" during the operation, when we were opened up on by Marines from "Alpha" Co. ( PG Winstead's platoon). Fortunately their marksmanship was off as they were on the other side of the river.

When I got back and advised you that the only way we were getting across was to walk across the downed bridge you asked me if I'd totally lost my mind (" son, have you lost your f---ing mind" or words to that effect was how I remember it). But you soon realized that it was the viable option. The others being, wait out the rain ( no end in sight and we were already about 6 days without re-supply and our comm was just about out, or walk around Alligator Lake and across the Que Sons which was  7th Marines TAOR .

I also remeber the Marine tripping the booby trap after we crossed and were on our way to An Hoa. It was where a paddy dike cut across the railroad berm and he walked through a narrow opening in the dike. It was probably a 105 round judging from the shrapnel that flew all the way down the line of patrol and splashed in the water near me and my radio man. When I reached Cook who was second in line he was leaning up against a dike with a dazed look on his face and he had a piece of shrapnel the size of your fist imbedded in his helmet. But other than having his bell rung he was ok.

When I got to the point man he was in a great deal of pain. His one hand was laid open to the bone on the back side of the hand, at least one arm appeared to be broken, but his lower extremities were surprisingly intact. I think he had a piece of shrapnel in one or both legs , but the fact that he was in waist deep water when he tripped the booby trap probably accounted for saving his legs from most of the blast. I rember speaking to the Batallion Surgeon the next day who told me that they operated on him and had probably saved his hand. It was quite a shock to learn he later died of pneumionia while in the hospital in Da Nang .

The meal we ate that night after top Lee got the mess hall opened for us was probably the best meal I ever had in country.

Enough of my ramblings or as you called it Neal, "palaver", whatever the hell that is.

Contributed by Rich Crawford