Page 92 - Stand Down Vietnam

We got attacked quite a few times. Right near Bien
Hoa, a friend of mine that I went to school with, SP5
Michael Laverne Smith (Army) was involved in a
situation; a night mission, I think, wounded were being
pulled back to a fire-free zone from an evening attack.
Mike carried four or five guys into the fire-free safe
zone. He was shot right in the heart and killed.

When Mike was returned home, his mother insisted that
he be taken to her home. She wanted her baby to be
returned home.

Another Army soldier was killed, Bernie Rosales, he was
a point man and an enemy guy took him out.

So, early into my tour, I lost two guys and it made a
lasting impression on me.

I never went out on missions, as I said, I’m scared of
snakes and the bush. I especially don’t like it when
there is someone in the bushes trying to kill you.
Nighttime attacks scared me the most.

In my unit, morale was high. We had a 98% Fully
Mission Capable rate; we had our crap together. Our
planes were fueled, armed and ready to fly. Pentagon
inspectors were on the ground over there. They’d ask
if we were “pencil whipping” the stats. No sir, we

were not. Many times, we got ZD or zero defects.

I don’t recall any drug abuse cases from any branch of
the service at Bien Hoa. My way of making it through
was with nicotine and alcohol.