50 Yrs Ago Today Assigned To B-1-5 1st Cav Division. My Life Changed Forever. [View all]

[TheMastersNemesis]

Last edited Thu Nov 9, 2017, 11:01 AM - Edit history (2)

It was on this day I was on my way to An Khe, RVN and Camp Radcliffe and the 1 Air Cavalry Division formerly the 7th Cavalry Division where Custer served. I was assigned to Bravo (Mongoose) Company under Captain Nawrosky and Sergeant Denison. Due to odd twists of fate my life would be changed forever for the positive.

I would eventually end up serving as mail clerk and company clerk under two of the finest men I have ever met in my life. The were the best and most fair and caring leaders I have ever personally met in my life. I only fully realize now how blessed I was to meet these men. Sergeant Denison was an E-8 even though severely wounded in July 1968 chose to return to his unit. He did everything possible both legal and possibly illegal to make sure his men had absolutely everything they needed for there missions. He was my mentor and we would have been lifelong friends in civilian life after the war.

Captain Nawrosky was a West Point graduate and destined to become a full general had he survived the war. Seriously wounded with a neck wound in March or April 1968 during Operation Pegasus to relieve Keh Sahn he's would later die in surgery at Walter Reed months later. He always thought of his men FIRST and would not unduly risk his troops. He was the kind of commander every soldier deserves in war.

One of the saddest duties I had was during operation Pegasus on LZ Stud near Khe Sahn. After being shelled by the NVA I was told by my 1st sergeant to go down to graves registration to ID our KIA. We had taken 30 KIA during Pegasus the night before. One or two were from Bravo Company. 28 were from our brigade. Colonel Runkle had been shot down only XO survived. Captain Nawrosky severely wounded during night in artillery attack. One soldier from HQ squad killed.

Walking into a tent with these KIA was sadly gruesome. And it was was very angering to say the least. I still remember that event. However I have never been haunted by it. The cost of war is just so terrible. In the end Khe Sahn was freed from siege and later abandoned.

I had another notable commander Captain Boyersmith who became a major and reportedly personally ran a injured soldier over his shoulder for nearly a mile along a booby trapped trapped trail to a MEDEVAC helicopter. Sadly the soldier could not be saved. Ironically I would run into him again in December 1974 in Colorado while working at DOL. He was a personnel manager for a large corporation. We were supposed to have a beer later but never got together. He was my captain for about 3 months.

I was infantry 81 mm mortar crew until I was given the clerk job. I learned to type at all boys school. Imagine the harassment being such a "sissy" course. It likely saved my life or sanity in 1967. December 9, 1967 is when I was placed in that jobs.

I was on combat operations for about 3 weeks. We killed 2 VC on first day, got shelled by our own artillery and would take 27 KIA during the year. I humped the jungle and went on one company air assault during that time. IT IS REALLY LIKE THE MOVIES.
Except you can seriously get killed. It would have been along year and I wonder if and how I would have done. Ironically 1967 - 1968 was one of the highest casualty periods of the Vietnam war. One month there were500 KIA country wide for US forces.

In the end looking 50 years back my life has turned out extremely well. and have been retired for nearly 20 years now after a successful career at DOL.

Finally in signing off. AFTER WATCHING MASH! Being a company clerk is 100% exactly like being Radar O'Reilly! I did so much of that part in real life back then. During my tour as company clerk I did all I could to serve the guys in the field and get them what they needed.

Sadly on this coming veterans day I still mourn all my fellow soldiers who were not as fortunate as I.