My year in Vietnam was in its 8th month when we were told that the 1st Cav decided they wanted to lead the assault into the Ah Shu Valley. I had been there twice and was happy to let them lead the show. We stood behind them as they were waiting for the birds to land and take them away. If you have never been in the military, you wouldn’t understand the catcalling and the remarks we make back and forth to each other, even in death situations. I listened to their captain speaking about going into the valley as the leaders, the spear, the main force with the 101st coming in behind us; let us leave no enemy for them to fight; “they were not successful.”

The last five birds were gone and we new that the next ones would be taking us. The radioes were screaming with cahos for medivacs and choppers down, so we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Sometimes i think it was better being first then last .

The valley is in front for all to see the rockets and the machine guntracer are lighting up the sky, worse then the 4th of July. Your eternity is out of yours hands as you have no control over life and death in the chopper and very little when you land. My thoughts. and prays are of my brothers and sisters at home, knowing this adventure could surely be my last.

As we entered the Valley, another chopper on my side of the bird’s, door gunner and I gestured to each other with our hands and smiled; not a second or two later, a rocket hit their chopper blowing off the entire blades of the bird. I looked one more time at the dying bird, now falling uncontrollably to the ground below. I know they all died but my time of careing was over we were now being hit with machine gun fire as we landed and departed the chopper. It is s sickening feeling as they fly away and you face the unkown with no idea how many.

I have wrote many stories of the killing an being killed: I need not repeat men dying and enemy soldiers doing the same. The battle or firefight which ever way you want to see it was bloody.

The 1st Cav lost many more men then us, so I suspect, them going in first might be the reason many of us that day and the battles in the coming days ,in the 101st are alive today. As much as I wouldn’t at the time or now give them the credit it was deserved. GOD BLESS THEM