Download Report

VIETNAM WAR JEEP MEMORIES
Commemorating the
73rd Anniversary of the Bantam Jeep
VA BUTLER HEALTHCARE
BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA
MAY 29, 2013
Introduction
Seventy-three years ago, local visionaries saw an opportunity to change the course of military combat
with the development of a vehicle that could go anywhere and that could move personnel and equipment through the roughest of situations; a vehicle that could be fixed easily, adaptable and that had
tremendous maneuverability. During World War II the Allies relied on the military jeeps as a primary
quick transport on all fronts. However, during the Korean and Vietnam wars, the jeep took on a new
role as a combat vehicle that could be quickly adapted with guns and armor. Vietnam saw the emergence of several variations of the jeep, the last model being the ever trusty "MUTT", Military Urban Tactical Truck. The M151 "MUTT" was the successor to the Korean War M38 and M38A1 jeep Light Utility
Vehicles (LUV) and was produced from 1959 - 1982. The M151 design provided more ground clearance,
while lowering the center of gravity. This process slightly enlarged the vehicle making it roomier while
still retaining the same light weight feature. It was also designed with independent suspension and coil
springs making it capable of high speed cross country travel while maintaining the signature jeep
trademarks of maneuverability and agility. The new design also provided for a more comfortable ride.
The Ford M151A was the principal US combat jeep used in the Vietnam War and was a descendant of
the Kaiser-Willys M38A1.
The Vietnam War was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country
of Vietnam under a communist government and the United States (with the aid of the South Vietnamese) attempting to prevent the spread of communism. The Vietnam War saw 3 million American soldiers serving (including 7,500 women who volunteered for service), with only 1.5 million seeing combat.
The war resulted in 58,220 casualties and hundreds still missing in action. In the US, the Vietnam era saw
the end of conscription or the “draft” in 1973 and in that same year, the military lifted the prohibition on
women entering the armed forces.
Today, we celebrate the accomplishments of the innovators that laid the foundation for future vehicles
based on the jeep concept (such as the Land Rover and Jeep Cherokee) and the millions of military
personnel who benefited from the labors of these inventors. We also acknowledge the rich history and
sacrifices of our Vietnam War Veterans who fought bravely, and those who gave their lives, to preserve
the freedoms of democracy.
The concept of the jeep began right here in Butler, Pennsylvania. Anticipating the US’s involvement in
WWII, the US Army wanted something that would give them an advantage in war. That advantage was
a vehicle that could do just about anything—haul soldiers, move equipment and artillery—and that
could hold up under extreme conditions. The Army submitted their request asking manufacturers to
produce a 4-wheel drive, 40 horsepower, 1300 pound reconnaissance car. Placing their scientific
capabilities at the service of the military, the American Bantam Car Company of Butler, Pennsylvania,
took up the task to create such a vehicle. The challenge? The manufacturer was to have a working
prototype available for a test run within 49 days. Two companies entered the request: American
Bantam Car Company and Willys-Overland Motors. Bantam received the bid, being the only company
committing to deliver a pilot model in the specified timeframe. Under the direction of designer Karl
Probst, Bantam built their first prototype dubbed the “Blitz Buggy, Old No. 1” and delivered it for
testing. The contract for the vehicle was to be determined by trials.
The Bantam prototype did very well during the testing. However, since the military said that Bantam
did not have the production capacity needed or the fiscal stability to deliver the scale needed by the War
Department, the contract was given to Ford and Willys along with the Bantam blueprints (which the
government said they owned) for development and production of the vehicle that would become simply
known as the jeep. The contract for the vehicle was to be determined by trials. Throughout the years,
the jeep inspired many variations on the vehicle such as the Land Rover and Jeep Cherokee of today.
1
There is some controversy over how the term “jeep” came into existence. Some believe that it evolved
from the Army mechanics who would refer to untried or untested vehicles as jeeps. Another theory
has the term evolving from a popular cartoon character. The jeep made such an impression on the
soldiers at the time that they informally named it after a Popeye character, Eugene the Jeep. Eugene
was a pet of Popeye’s and was small, but agile and able to get in and out of difficult places. And, yet
another theory is said to have evolved from the pronunciation of two letters. Ford’s version of the
vehicle was called the GP or when pronounced “Gee-P”.
The Bantam jeep and the service men and women of the Vietnam War share a strong history and
preserving that history is of utmost importance. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is
dedicated to helping document the history of our nations’ heroes. The Library of Congress, in
partnership with VHA, coordinates a program that records the history of Veterans. The Veterans
History Project of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves and makes accessible the personal
accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from the Veterans and
better understand the realities of war. The experiences of the Vietnam War Veteran with the jeep
serves as a testimonial of the jeeps importance to them and to military operations.
“There are no negatives in life, only challenges to overcome that will make you stronger,” quotes Eric
Bates, Editor, Rolling Stone Magazine. The men and women of the American Bantam Car Company
and the men and women who served our nation during the Vietnam War battled their way to meet the
challenges, negativity and uncertainty of a new world in pursuit of their goals, personal or otherwise.
The roads they traveled for the sake of progress and freedom was wrought with many barriers. They
made their own paths and persevered against the greatest of odds moving slowly towards the future
and leaving behind a legacy that inspires future generations to become greater, stronger than the one
before.
Thank you Vietnam War Veterans for sharing a piece of your history and for your service to our great
nation and to the world.
(Note: Information for this introduction researched from various internet sources:
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II, retrieved July 25, 2011; www.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Willys_MB, retrieved July 25, 2011; http://history1900s.about.com/od/vietnamwar/a/
vietnamwar_2htm, retrieved 5/16/2013; http://wikipedia.org/wiki.Vietnam_War, retrieved
5/16/2013; and mottsmilitarymuseum.org, retrieved 5/16/2013.)
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Ken Chenot
Military Service:
Rank:
Job Title:
Division/Unit:
USMC—1964-1967
Corporal
Military Police
Radio Telegraph Operator
1st Marine Division
Chenot (67) enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 18. He
enlisted so that he could see the world. Chenot’s jeep story took place in 1965
when he was a Private First Class stationed at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.
“I had a lot of idle time, so I asked my Sergeant if there were any other duties I
could perform. He thought about it and then later asked if I would like to be the
personal driver for our Company Commander. I jumped at the opportunity and
said ‘yes’. However, when I went to motor pool to pick up the jeep, I realized
that I had never driven a manual transmission vehicle. It took me 10 minutes to
drive the one mile to pick up Captain Williamson.”
Chenot continues, “You can imagine my embarrassment with my Company
Commander in tow as we went lurching and stopping around the base. The
Commander was very understanding, even offered me advice on how to drive a
stick. With my driving, I’m sure he thought he was on a bucking bronco.
However, my cushy job driving the Commander around lasted only one day. I
can only laugh when I think of that day 48 years ago. It is hilarious to anyone
who hears it. Then, several months later, I went to get a jeep to take to Radio
School. I hadn’t noticed at the time, but when I drove the jeep the hood was
shaking. Just as I noticed it shaking, it flew up and smashed the windshield.
Needless to say, motorpool was not happy with me. At first, they said I was
going to have to pay $200 for the damage, but then everything was quiet. Until,
this one time when I put in for leave and was denied. I had never been denied
leave. I was told that I had to report to the jail on base that Saturday. I thought
this was my punishment, going to jail. So, I went to the jail as requested and
when I got there, they handed me a long billy club and told me to take the
prisoners on work detail. I had 4 of the most unruly prisoners you could ever
have who harassed me to death about the broken jeep windshield and having to
watch them on Saturday as punishment. It was a long day.”
“I did finally learn how to drive a jeep and drove them while stationed stateside
and during my one year tour in Vietnam. I now realize what a great vehicle it
was and I am especially proud it all began in my hometown of Butler,
Pennsylvania.”
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John Draper
Military Service:
Rank:
Job Title:
Division/Unit:
Army —1974-1977
Spec4
Military Police
412th MP Company
Fort Dix, New Jersey
Draper (61) enlisted in the Army in June 1974. After graduating from Slippery
Rock College, Draper was unable to find employment so enlisted in the Army and
was immediately sent off to Fort Dix, New Jersey for basic training. Following
basic, he was sent to Military Police School at Fort Gordon, Georgia and was
subsequently assigned back to Fort Dix to the 412th MP Company.
Of his jeep experience, Draper states, “We rotated patrol duties on the post with
the 511th MP Company. We were in the field for 3 months and then we patrolled
the base for another three months while the 511th was in the field. We used
marked cars for patrol duty. One day, I was assigned with a Game Warden to
patrol the large area of Fort Dix that runs for miles along numerous firing
ranges. The Game Wardens used jeeps to patrol the off road areas to look for
poachers, trespassers or other individuals who may be near the firing ranges.
We had been riding through the woods using service roads when the Warden
asked me if I knew what a jeep could really do. I said ‘no’. At that time, my only
experience with the jeep had been for drivers training.”
“The warden then veered off the service road further into the woods, circling
around until we were facing a very steep hill. It was almost vertical, probably
200 feet to the top. The hill was also covered with small trees about 2 inches in
diameter. He put the jeep into 4 wheel drive, let out the clutch and started
climbing, knocking down trees as we went. I couldn’t believe it. Before I knew
it, we were at the top of the hill. And the jeep was no worse for the wear. We
made our way back down and he instructed me on what to do to drive the jeep
up the hill. I was amazed at how easy it was to go up that hill and how easy the
jeep handled.”
Draper comments, “It still stays in my mind how much fun that day was. I can’t
say I had very many days while in the Army that were fun, but that day was a
good day thanks to the jeep. The warden and I drove miles and miles across the
base that day, losing track of time and rushing back for end of shift.”
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Harold Faust
Military Service:
Rank:
Job Title:
Division/Unit:
Army —1968-1969
E5
Petroleum Products Testing
& Distribution
199th Light Infantry
Brigade
Faust (67) entered the Army as a volunteer with the agreement that he would be
trained in the field of Petroleum Products Analysis. He trained at Fort Lee,
Virginia and was assigned to a testing lab at Fort Rucker, Alabama. A few
months later, Faust received orders to go to Vietnam. He married his wife Karen
in August of 1968 and shipped out the next month. Faust was assigned to the
7th Support Battalion of the 199th with their base camp northeast of Saigon.
Faust’s experience with the jeep was limited. “My unit was tasked with the
transport of diesel fuel to generators at 199th fire bases around the Saigon area.
We were also detailed to fill Armored Personal Carriers (APC’s) at various
locations. These missions were accomplished using 2 1/2 ton trucks not jeeps.
However, I drove a jeep around our base camp for various errands. I also
operated a small remote refueling point for helicopters but this was at a fire
base that could only be reached by helicopter.”
“I drove the jeep (pictured on the next page) along with our 1st Lieutenant on
an operation southwest of Saigon. We accompanied one of our 5,000 gallon tank
trucks filled with JP-4 jet fuel. The trip was about 30 miles from our base camp
to an area west of Saigon. We met up with one of our infantry companies at an
area that included swamps and small streams that contributed to a lot of
vegetation growing out of the water. The Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese
Army (NVA) were getting into the city without detection using this growth for
concealment. Our mission was to try to spread the jet fuel on the surface of the
water and then ignite it to burn off the vegetation. Unfortunately, the vegetation
was too wet to burn and we only succeeded in nearly burning a few of our men
as well as the hose that they were using to spray the fuel. Later, as we were
heading back to base camp, things got even worse when our tank truck caught
fire while trying to cross a narrow bridge. The main tank did not catch fire but
the fuel pump on the side of the truck did. I drove my jeep as fast as it would go
to a nearby fire base where we got additional fire extinguishers. We got the fire
out, without the main tank catching fire.”
Faust comments, “My experience with driving jeeps was limited, but I can say
they were easier to drive than a truck through the crowded streets of Saigon. I
was fortunate to come home safely while many from the 199th did not.”
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Photos from Harold Faust:
Top photo is a picture of jeeps at an
operation center in the Saigon area. The bottom photo is a picture of
Faust in one of his company’s jeeps at base camp near Long Binh.
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Jim Harff
Military Service:
Rank:
Job Title:
Division/Unit:
Army —1966-1969
Sergeant (E5)
Military Police
218th MP Company
Jim Harff (65) was 18 when he enlisted in the United States Army and served in
the Vietnam war theatre from 1967-1968.
“When I was in stationed in Vietnam, I was sent out to find a jeep patrol that we
lost radio contact with. As we were approaching a village on Highway 1, I
noticed the patrol I was looking for coming towards me, screaming that they
were being chased by a truck with Vietnamese soldiers. As I was getting my
jeep turned around, I noticed the truck gaining on us. I was speeding as fast as
I could, swerving the jeep from side to side to avoid getting hit by their rounds.
I hit one of the berms on the side of the road, flipping the jeep. My partner had
stood up to jump out, but was propelled through the air. I held onto the steering
wheel and rolled six times with the jeep. We heard the truck drive past us
thinking we were probably dead from the crash. My partner broke his collar
bone while I didn’t have so much as a scratch on me.”
Harff comments that afterwards, as they were inspecting the jeep, they took
note of the bullet holes in the radio and windshield which should have killed
them. “As we looked at the bullet holes, we knew that God must have been with
us that day.”
HISTORY TIDBIT: The seven military police battalions that served in Vietnam were
organized into three military police groups: the 8th performed all criminal investigative work in
the theater; the 16th provided command and control of all military police units assigned to the I
and II tactical zones; the 89th controlled those units in zones III and IV. These units in turn were
organized under the 18th Military Police Brigade, the first military police unit of its level to be
employed in the Army. The brigade commander also served as provost marshal of the Military
Assistance Command, Vietnam. During 1968 the Army Chief of Staff, acknowledging the
Military Police Corps' active involvement in support of military operations in Vietnam,
approved changing the branch's identification from combat service support to combat support.
This change was clearly justified by the responsibilities assumed by the corps in Vietnam where
military police units were organized, trained, and equipped to perform operations in a combat
support role. As a combat support branch, the Military Police Corps was placed under the U.S.
Army Regimental System in September 1986. (http://www.history.army.mil/books/Lineage/mp/mp.htm,
retrieved 5/20/2013)
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Photos from James Harff: Top, Harff (right) and a Korean MP standing
beside an M151A1 jeep outside of Nahtrang, South Korea. Below, picture
of the jeep Harff was driving that was hit by enemy fire and then rolled six
times.
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Bill Heilman
Military Service:
Rank:
Job Title:
Division/Unit:
USMC—1967-1973
Sergeant
NCOIC Avionics
H&MS-56
1st Marine Air Wing
Heilman (64) enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17 through
the delayed entry program. Two days later, after High School graduation, he
found himself headed to basic training. From there, Heilman was sent to the
west coast to work on helicopters.
Heilman states that his jeep experience was limited, but his friends used them
often especially in this one instance. “I was assigned to a helicopter squadron
and was trained on the maintenance of all of the Marine Corps helicopters, which
is what I really wanted to do and was excited about the assignment.
I
eventually ended up in Okinawa assigned to the H&MS –56, 1st Marine Air Wing.
One day, I had a bad accident on the flight line and was subsequently flown to
an Army hospital a short distance away.”
“I was in the hospital for two weeks. To keep up my morale, my Company
Commander announced to the unit that if anyone wanted to visit me, they could
use his jeep to make the trip to the hospital. He was a really nice guy and it was
very good of him to offer his jeep so that my friends could come and see me.
And I had lots of them come to visit. However, I learned later that my buddies
were more interested in seeing the nurses and arranging dates for themselves
than visiting with me. The Commander’s jeep got a lot of use those two weeks.”
HISTORY TIDBIT: In Vietnam, women held a variety of jobs which included operating complex data processing equipment, serving as stenographers and nurses. The women who served
in the military were solely volunteers. They faced a plethora of challenges, one of which was
the relatively small number of female soldiers. Living in a male-dominated environment
created tensions between the sexes. While this high male to female ration was often
uncomfortable for women, many men reported that having women in the field with them
boosted their morale. Although this was not the women’s purpose, it was one positive result of
their service. By 1973, approximately 7, 500 women had served in Vietnam with nearly 3/4 of
them serving as nurses. (http://history1900s.about.com/od/vietnamwar/a/vietnamwar_2htm, retrieved 5/16/2013)
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Joseph J. Jenkins
Military Service:
Rank:
Job Title:
Division/Unit:
Army Air Force—1945-1948
Army—1950-1967
Major, US Army
Artillery Battery
101st Airborne Division
Jenkins military service began in 1945 when he was drafted at the age of 16.
He had been creative in giving his age when he originally signed up for the draft
at the age 15. Jenkins belongs to an organization called VUMS (Veterans of Underage Military Service) of which there are many in this group.
Of his jeep experience, Jenkins recalls, “My first experience with the jeep was in
the Panama Canal Zone in 1946 where I was assigned to the Message Center of
Albrook Field. I drove a jeep usually with the top down and the windshield laid
down on the flat hood. The weather was mostly always cooperative. Later, I
drove a jeep on the Galapagos Islands, where it was invaluable in going off-road
over the rocky terrain watching the wild goats and the numerous iguanas scurrying around the island. Again, I lowered the windshield onto the hood of the
jeep…it never rained in Galapagos while I was there. But fast forward twenty
years to Vietnam, 1966. There I was a Captain, the commander of an artillery
battery in the 101st Airborne Division. In the jungle environment of Vietnam the
jeep was used for its radio capability as much or more than its mobility. Radios
mounted on the rear sides of the jeep made the vehicle the Command Center of
the unit.”
“Artillery moved mostly by helicopters. The jeep with its invaluable radios was
slung below a helicopter, as were the artillery pieces and the ammunition. Once
in the designated location, the driver/radio operator had only to drive the jeep a
short distance and then place a low wall of sandbags around it. The flat hood of
the jeep seemed to lend itself to further use. We placed a box on it to carry
extra C-rations, small arms ammunition and other miscellaneous articles. The
box was only four or five inches high (so as not to interfere with visibility) but
covered the width and length of the hood. Hinged in front, with latches near the
windshield, it was a practical addition, or modification, to the jeep.”
Jenkins further relates, “We came under heavy attack one night a few hours
before dawn. I was busy giving commands while I returned fire with an M-16,
shooting at the muzzle flashes in the dark. One magazine that I loaded and
began to fire had been filled (for reasons unknown) by my driver with all tracer
rounds. When I pulled the trigger it was like pointing a finger at my location. I
moved away from the jeep, not wanting to draw fire to my Command Post. But
ammo goes fast in this type of situation, and remember, my ammo was in the
hood-box of my jeep. I went back, had to lean my rifle against the jeep, raise
the lid of my box with my right hand, reach in with my left to grab a couple more
magazines. Just as I was doing this, the lid of the box took a couple hits. I
dropped the lid, crouched, reloaded and continued the skirmish. The hood-box
on the jeep had apparently prevented me from possible injury, evidenced by the
gouge marks on the lid!”
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Joseph J. Jenkins, con’t
An interesting aside: It was during this battle on 7 November 1966 that we lowered an artillery tube to the horizontal
position and fired point blank at the on-rushing enemy…
using a 105mm flechette round (also known as a beehive
round). This is a round filled with 8000 darts with fins
(flechettes). This was the first time ever that this particular
round was fired in combat. The empty canister was sent to
the Artillery Museum at Fort Sill, OK. Jenkins received the
Purple Heart and the Bronze Star (V) for actions during this
hours-long scuffle.
Of his jeep experience, Jenkins notes, “The jeep was a pleasure to drive, and an
invaluable tool for its versatility and
applications, considering the radio
capabilities and, for me especially, the flat hood! When I retired at the end of
the next year (1967) I looked into buying a used military-type jeep for personal
use, but since I had seven kids, I felt I needed something a little larger.”
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Photos from Joseph J. Jenkins: Top (pictured left) and bottom (left,
facing) are pictures of Jenkins in his jeep.
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John W. Martin
Military Service:
Rank:
Job Title:
Division/Unit:
Army—1967-1970
Specialist 5th Class
Weapon Support Radar
Repairman
1st Logistics Command/
Headquarters & Main
Support Co. 5th Maintenance Battalion
Martin (65) was 19 when he enlisted in the United States Army after finding out that his
draft classification was 1A1. He hoped to take advantage of the educational opportunities
the Army afforded. Martin told his recruiter that he wanted to be a “TV repairman”. The
recruiter told him that they didn’t have that in the Army, but that they had an excellent
school for Weapon Support Radar Repair that would teach him the basics. When Martin
got to school, he asked the instructor what type of radar he would be trained to repair.
The instructor told him that he would be repairing radar that tracked mortar rounds.
Martin knew then where he would be headed next.
Of his jeep experience, Martin notes, “The 5th Maintenance Battalion was located in II
Corp, which is the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. It was located along Highway 1
just north of the coastal city of Qui Nhon. Highway 1 runs north and south along the coast
of the South China Sea. Another major highway in II Corp, Highway 19 runs east to west
between Highway 1 and the border with Cambodia. These highways were paved but were
two lane roads similar to our secondary roads. I supplied Depot maintenance support to
radar sites throughout II Corp. If a maintenance call was within a hundred miles of my
base we answered the call by vehicle, otherwise, we traveled by air. We made our highway calls by either our 2 1/2 ton mobile shop truck, or we checked out a 3/4 ton utility
truck or 2 1/2 ton troop transport truck from the motor pool. Our section chief, who was a
warrant officer, was assigned a jeep for his disposal and occasionally he would permit us
to use it when there was no vehicle available in the motor pool.”
“One day, another mechanic and myself were sent on a call to a fire support base located
along highway 19. Our section chief offered us his jeep since the location we had to drive
through was one of the two notorious passes along the highway and he felt that in the
event we got caught in an ambush, we could get out of the area faster in a jeep than if we
were in a truck. Highway 19 had two narrow passes that wound up through the
mountains, An Khe pass to the east of the fire base and Mang Yang pass between the
town of An Khe and the town of Pleiku to the west. Both were prime ambush sites. After
arriving at the firebase and troubleshooting their radar set we determined that we did not
have the part we needed to repair it. We learned that the part we needed was at a radar
site located in Pleiku, about 50 miles to the west. It was a known fact that in Vietnam, we
(Americans) owned the highways by day and the Viet Cong owned them at night. We felt
that we had enough daylight left that we could get to Pleiku and back before dark so we
set out to retrieve the part we needed. Our jeep was not equipped with a radio and we
were only armed with our M-14 rifles and one clip of ammunition, standard issue to
soldiers who were considered to be "behind the lines". On our return trip we were flagged
down by a tank crew who were guarding a bridge along Highway 19. They told us that
they had received word that the Viet Cong had been spotted placing mines along the
13
John W. Martin, Cont’
“They advised us to spend the night at their location and follow the mine sweeper the next
morning that would be clearing the highway back to the firebase. There was a bunker next
to the bridge and they told us we could sleep in it. The tank crew was spending the night
in their tank. We were going to take them up on their offer until we spotted rats the size
of small dogs going into and out of the bunker. So we spent the night sleeping in the
jeep and followed the mine sweeper back to the firebase the following morning.”
Of his jeep experience, “While using a jeep for transportation in Vietnam would not be my
favorite mode of transportation, simply because jeeps in Vietnam are primarily used for
officers and they were a priority target for the enemy, I was glad to know that we had a
vehicle capable of speed if needed and afforded a much more comfortable place to sleep
instead of on the ground in a bunker infested with huge rats.”
HISTORY TIDBIT: The National Route 1A was constructed by the French
colonists in early 20th century. It has been upgraded recently by Japanese
ODA as well as loans from World Bank. During both the First Indochina War
and Second Indochina Wars (the Vietnam War), Road 1A was the site of a
number of battles between Vietnamese forces and French or American troops.
One of the most notable engagements was the French Operation Camargue in
1953. Specifications:
 Total Length—2,300.45 km



Total Width—10-12 m
Road Surface—paved with asphalt
Total Bridges—874 bridges, bridges vary from 25 to 30 metric tons
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_road_1A_(Vietnam), retrieved 5/20/2013)
14
Photos by John Martin: Top, shows the jeep Martin and his team spent
the night in parked outside of a shop office. Below, Martin at a pumping
station halfway up the An Khe pass where he spent the night when his 3/4
ton utility truck got a flat and there was no spare.
15
Jeffrey S. Smith
Military Service:
Rank:
Job Title:
Division/Unit:
Army—1967-1968
Sergeant (E-5)
Infantry
101st Airborne Division
Smith (65) enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 19. Following basic
and infantry training, Smith was sent to Vietnam. Being infantry, Smith had
limited experience with the jeep. However, he attributes the jeep for saving his
life.
Smith recounts, “We had just arrived near Phu-bia, South Vietnam. It was our
first day there and we had gotten off the plane and were hiking it into the field.
There were about 30 in our platoon. We had several vehicles with us, jeeps
were one of course. As nightfall came, we decided that it would be best to make
camp, finishing the journey in the morning. Since it was raining, we put all of
gear and duffle bags under the jeeps and other vehicles to keep them from
getting too wet. Then we all found various spots to sleep. I decided to sleep
beside one of our jeeps. Later on, I heard a mortar round hit on the other side of
the jeep and then in the next instance the jeep blew apart as the next mortar
found its mark. The jeep and gear under it were gone. But, I was okay except
for a loss of hearing for a little while. The jeep with the gear under it absorbed
the explosion keeping me (I feel) from getting hurt.”
“Mortar’s continued to be lobbed at us, so we spent the night waiting out the attack. When morning came, the attacks ended, so we quickly gathered up what
we could use (what was salvageable), loaded it onto the remaining vehicles and
proceeded onto our destination.”
HISTORY TIDBIT: In mid-1965, the 1st Brigade and support troops were deployed to the
Republic of Vietnam followed by the rest of the division in late 1967. The 101st was deployed
in the northern I Corps region operating against the Vietnam Peoples Army (NVA) infiltration
routes through Laos and the A Shau Valley for most of the war. In almost seven years of combat in Vietnam, elements of the 101st participated in 15 campaigns. Notable among these were
the Battle of Hamburger Hill in 1969 and Firebase Ripcord in 1970. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/101st_Airborne_Division, retrieved 5/20/2013)
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