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SSG Michael Doolittle
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I carried 45 loaded magazines, 3 taped together so I did not have to fumble in a pouch to reload.... In the 18 months I spent with the 3rd brigade of the 4th ID, and then the 3rd Brigade of the 25th, there were many firefights and perimeter defense's that it came in handy.... This one especially, how we survived the onslaught is still a mystery to me, but I credit LtCol John Vessey and his calm leadership... The initial estimate was 2,500 =- enemy of the 272nd & 273rd NVA Regiments... John Vessey when he retired as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs was appointed to head the POW-MIA Commission, at a luncheon in Hanoi he met the Commander of the force that attacked us that early Tuesday morning March 21, 1967... Vessey was told it was the 9th NVA DIVISION of some 9,000 strong, how many in the attack ?? I doubt that we will ever know, but 881 enemy KIA were left on the battlefield, many more drug off into the jungle... I met one of those soldiers who attacked us that day on March 20, 2019 and we traveled together to that battlefield, the first time returning for both of us... A new friend who's older brother died that day accompanied us, Charlie & Carol Brewer his brother James Dale Brewer died on that battlefield.... Those memories are as vivid today as they were 53 years and 6 months ago the 21st of this month
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SSG Michael Doolittle
SSG Michael Doolittle
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SPC Randy Zimmerman - That is me front & center on one knee... Dale Wilson can verify that as we worked together in Hawai'i County
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SSG Michael Doolittle
SSG Michael Doolittle
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SPC Randy Zimmerman - it was the 34 AC that came to our rescue along with 2/12 Inf and the 2/22 Mech Infantry.... Sadly what I remember most are the ones we lost who never came home... My trip back to Vietnam March 15-26, 2019, and the visit to the battlefield was a surreal experience... Good in many ways, a struggle in other ways, America forgets rather fast, those who fought never will forget....
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SSG Michael Doolittle
SSG Michael Doolittle
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SPC Randy Zimmerman - a time I can’t remember, in a land I can’t forget.... Profound and so true, at the wall I struggled to remain composed as I read the names of those who died that day, tears in my eyes.... There are days that are much harder than most...
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SGT Robert Pryor
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I never had the urge to do that, and no one had to tell me the right way. The bullet in goes in first and the business end of the bullet points in the direction you wish it to travel.
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SPC Woody Bullard
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I never witnessed anything like what I have just watched in this video
happen during my BCT at Fort Benning in 1968. All trainees received
instructions on the loading of rounds into the M-14 magazine before we
walked up to the firing line at the range. We placed the rounds into
the magazine so we knew the number of rounds in that magazine.
With the M-16 it was easy to keep count of the rounds fired on semi-auto,
not full-auto. I understand not keeping count of the rounds fired in a actual
combat firefight with the adrenaline flowing but not on a BCT rifle range.
My D-8-2 BCT brothers actually listened to what our Drill Sergeant was teaching.
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SGT Robert Pryor
SGT Robert Pryor
>1 y
Trust me, SPC Woody Bullard, when you are running out of ammo, you count -- regardless of the intensity of the action. The voice of experience here. I got down to my last magazine once when alone. I fired exactly 18 rounds out of that 20 round magazine. I felt kind of stupid, but there were no friendlies nearby to laugh at me. There actually were about 1,600 rounds of ammo prepositioned nearby, but I was shot up too badly to make it that last five meters or so. It's kind of funny to laugh at now, just not at the time.
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SPC Woody Bullard
SPC Woody Bullard
>1 y
MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. - The M-14 was my first issued rifle in 1968
on through '69 and '70 in West Germany. Mine had the wooden stock and was a very
accurate rifle on the range. I always qualified for the expert badge rifle bar with my
M-14. The M-16 rifles finally arrived in our 558th arms room in 1971. I along with
three other guys who were in the barracks were "volunteered" by our platoon sergeant
to unload the M-16's from a deuce and a half and carry them into the arms room.
The first time I picked up a M-16 the rifle felt like a kid's toy it was so light weight.
I was used to the weight of my wooden stock M-14. I was sorry to see my M-14 be
replaced and never got comfortable with my M-16 only qualifying for the marksman
badge rifle bar at the range. One thing that was nice that light weight M-16 was much
easier to carry than my heavier M-14.
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SPC Woody Bullard
SPC Woody Bullard
>1 y
SGT Robert Pryor - When I was reading through what you experienced
during that firefight the fact that you continued to fight never giving up and finally
pulling yourself through that hell and surviving to be where you are today is a miracle.
SGT Pryor you are one tough Special Forces Soldier of that there is no doubt. Maybe you
had a Angel on your shoulder. Although you and I were in different areas of the world it would have been a honor to have served with you in the Army.
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SGT Robert Pryor
SGT Robert Pryor
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SPC Woody Bullard - It would have been an honor to serve with you too. That is one of the reasons I connected with you.
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