Here was not in whatever way we are able to stream one to pallet right back into the the brand new lighthearted truck, therefore as being the a great Samaritans we had been, i stacked as numerous cases even as we you are going to to the the V-100-a whole lot we could hardly turn the fresh new turret. Obviously, there had been particular sorry MPs one to evening and a good amount of awful severe headaches a day later.
To the men who served on a V-100 for a year, the vehicle became more than just a machine. It became your life, your friend and your protector. All but two of our V-100s were named after comic book heroes. These included “Captain America,” “Thor,” “Big Ben,” “Flash,” “Spider – man,” “Barbarian,” “Atom,” “Daredevil” and “Iron Man.” The other two were named “Road Hog” and “The Lemon.” Each of the V-100s had a painting of the character or the name across the front, life-sized and in coloric book superheroes painted on the front of the V-100s made for an interesting article in The newest Roundup, our local GI newspaper. The April 1970 article was headlined, “66th MP Co. Super Heroes to Combat VC Wrong Doers.”
From time to time we had our moments, for instance the date once Ingolstadt escorts we was escorting an effective convoy up the A keen Khe Violation and another of the vehicles forgotten a whole pallet from alcohol
David A great. Swisher resides in Marshall, Ill. The guy gotten new Army Commendation Medal having V Tool to possess his steps in ambush on An enthusiastic Khe Ticket within the April 1970. For additional studying, see: Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando 1960-71, from the Richard Lathrop and you may Jim Laurier; and you may Combat Police: U.S. Army Military Police in Vietnam, of the Rick Young.
Most of all of our troubles appeared for the QL-19, however, I usually sensed much warmer thereon highway than towards QL-step one, simply because there have been significantly more convoys on the QL-19 and that deeper likelihood of content. My personal baptism out-of fire showed up for the bush on hairpin bend about An enthusiastic Khe Citation. The V-100 had currently come through the newest hairpin and is lead down the brand new ticket, if the westbound convoy are strike. The text “Contact! Get in touch with! Get in touch with!” came across the broadcast internet while i is operating, and so i turned into the brand new V-100 up to and you will oriented backup the newest ticket. When we surely got to the new hairpin, I watched particular Korean soldiers pinned off. One of them got their case stuck up floating around pointing to the south side of the hairpin change. We pulled new V-100 between your Koreans in addition to reputation he was leading so you can, so we you certainly will provide them with a tad bit more shelter and also build relationships all of our firepower.
My personal V-100 is escorting an excellent convoy out of Tuy Hoa one day when there can be an abundance of design work with the trail, leading to quite an accordion perception
Some thing from the powering the brand new tracks day-after-day is you never ever know what unusual issue was going to happen second. In the event that front side of one’s convoy averted, the back tightened up. Then side carry out initiate once more, and the convoy spread out before rear you’ll initiate. Due to this, I informed our V-100 driver Reno Catalano to enter the midst of new highway so we will keep almost every other auto away from our convoy until i got from the design city. While i usually let reduced auto feel free to ticket the fresh new convoy automobiles, because there is plenty design I wanted to keep the brand new convoy clear of one other guests.
Using one convoy to help you Da Nang, a autos hit good Lambretta laden with Vietnamese. It had been some chaos. The new Lambretta ran off the roadway and off an enthusiastic embankment. By the time we got good dustoff there and you can got one thing eliminated right up sometime, there have been all kinds of black colored pajama-clothed individuals with guns position doing talking and you can screaming. By language barrier, a misunderstanding can potentially keeps arisen, prior to one took place i had out-of there and you may back to our convoy.
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