(NOVEMBER 14, 1965)
It was a sunny morning of just lazing around in our tent. We have no schedule patrol right now so were just here playing cards and joking around, its practically our day off.
Sarge was here as well playing pokers with Mack and others but he was called of somewhere saying its important. Its been almost an hour since then and his still isn't back and if my guess is right, his getting brief for another mission. This happened a few times before but he'll only be gone for few minutes.
And missions in day off? Arghh even though I like fighting and bashing some gooks head, works in day off is something I loathe.
"Sarge been gone for an hour now, I think his getting debrief for another mission." Bungum said to me with what's already circulating in my mind.
Without looking up as I give my rifle daily maintenance while also preparing my gear, I replied. "No shit sherlock and if my guess and instinct are right, this mission will probably be the most dangerous one yet. So the rest of you prepare and gear up your weapons."
Mack chimed in and said with a grin, "Sure, sure Corporal, whatever you say corporal~"
Yeah it seems like I forgot to mention this but just two weeks ago I was promoted to Corporal because I performed exceptionally well during my stay here in Vietnam. So its not Private Jimmy James Jackson anymore, its Corporal Jimmy James Jackson now, the second-in-command of Bravo Two squad!
I deadpanned at this as I crossed my arms in my chest, I look at Mack and said, "Mack, am I correct or am I right that you've been mentioning me as a Corporal like every hour since I was promoted, are you perhaps..... jealous?" I said as a smirked make its way in my lips.
"W-whos jealous?! Y-your jealous! I'm not jealous, y-your yeah, your a Corporal so I have to show some respect!" He said stutteringly.
'Yeah his jealous.'
A few minutes of bantering and teasing Mack later, Sarge finally arrived but gone was the usual easygoing attitude of his as its replace with a grim, serious expression.
Seeing Sarge expression cemented that my guess is right, this will be a lot more dangerous than before, and a whole lot of fun.
"Cut the banter boys and ready out your gears, the battalions got operation."
"What?! As in the whole battalion?" Mack couldn't help but yell, others were also clearly shocked by this. I expected something hard and dangerous but I did not expect that.
"Now gather around boys, we got a task in hand." Sarge said as he quickly spread a map in a make shift table. "Some NVA soldiers last night hit our camp at Plaei Me, the camp suffred no casualties as the NVA's quickly retreated at this mountains." Sarge said as he pointed at a mountain called Chu Pong Massif.
"Wait Sarge, I ain't some smart motherfucker but even I can tell its a fucking ambush." I voiced out my opinion, NVA's attacking with no casualties is something I found hard to believe. Although I hate to admit it, those gooks ain't amateur's, they are well trained and well armed to cause no damage to that camp.
"Well, Lt. Colonel Moore also think were walking on an ambush but orders are orders, and the orders this time is to chase and kill those men. And if this is really an ambush, expect for the bad were a company is lying there and waiting for us."
"And for the worse?" Chuck whose usually quite, asked.
Sarge looked him deep in the eyes and said. "Worse case scenario is that the whole valley is a camp for a full NVA battalion."
Mack and the others couldn't help but gulp, even Chuck went a little pale as well. I couldn't blame them cause I'm also a little nervous about this. If there's really a whole battalion lying there, it wont be the usual skirmishes that happened in this past months, this one will be the first major battle between the Americans and Vietnamese.
"Now once we dropped down the Huey helicopters, the Alpha company is tasked with securing the LZ X-ray and establishing a perimeter, the Bravo and Charlie Companies will be the spearhead, pushing up the mountain range to eliminate any threats. Lastly, the Delta Company will be the reinforcement."
"The round trip per chopper will be thirty minutes with the respective 1st platoon of the Alpha Company, 2nd platoon of Bravo Company on board, and we are part of the 2nd platoon of the Bravo Company, that means we got the first ride ticket. Any questions?" Sarge said as he looked at us.
Carter couldn't help but voice out a complain. "That means that the first eighty men out there will be left helpless if shits hit the fan real quick. Fuck this shit, were being sent to the chopping board at this rate with no reinforcement for the next thirty minutes."
"Don't worry, were not totally helpless if that's the case. We can still call for artillery fire if things go south." Sarge said as he closed the map. "With that all said, get ready men we move out in 1000 hours!"
""YES SARGE!""
We chorused as we speed up our preparation, ammo, C-rations, canteens and others. As I load my gun, I couldn't help but ask something to Sarge. "By the way Sarge, whos gonna lead the 2nd platoon?"
Sergeant Savage just shrugged his shoulder and replied. "I heard his shipped freshly from the U.S. and gonna be the commander of the 2nd platoon, Lieutenant Henry Herrick."
Tom chide in with a snarky remark. "First time in the field and already got the best squad in his command, Heh fucking NFG."
"Zip it Tom, if someone hears you saying shits like that, you'll be NJP or worse court martialed." I couldn't help but admonish him. Insulting higher ups like that out loud, while may not warrant a court martial but sure as hell gonna face Non-Judicial Punishment.
I don't want him to be reassigned as a tunnel rat.
"Alright alright, I'll zip my trap. Its just I had this bad feeling you know, having some NFG's command you in the battlefield just doesn't sit well to me. Who knows he might led us to a trap or some worse shits like that." Tom said clearly worried of the prospect of following someone inexperienced.
Me and the others too shared the same sentiment, its just we didn't voice it out loud compared to him. "You worry too much Tom, he ain't gonna run ahead and led his platoon on an ambush or something, he still a soldier after all."
Just right after I said that, Mack slapped my back and barked. "Dude, don't fuckin jinx it!"
"...Oh"