John Hiemstra
Vietnam Diary
Web Page 2
THE BEST OF CHARLIE HORSE
VIETNAM
1 July 71 QT
Today was a day off for me. I spent it studying business law
and emergency procedures. Today was standby, not a day off.
2 July 71 QT
I flew the 2nd team again… not much action. Found one possible
mortar site and called arty in.
3 July 71 QT
We checked out yesterdays arty (on the mortar site). It
(the arty) didn’t hit a thing but it (the mortar site) is
still there. We also put some potheads (troops) into an LZ SE
of Mai Loc. One came out an hour later of heat exhaustion.
4 July71 QT
What an uneventful day—-until a few minutes prior to heading
home on the last mission. I discovered a gook near a bunker
still being built. We dived in guns bla¬zing. Again the old
story-he got away-but mighty scared! 3/5 Cav is getting all
its troops together tonight at Dong Ha for a big celebration.
I’ve taken duty of-ficer at the TOC so Foster can go. We had
unusually good food at the mess hall to¬day. WOl Pearson
was shot down in a Cobra yesterday. Both he and his AC got out
of the helo okay. The ship will soon be flying again
soon.
5 July 71 QT
Oh what a day! It really looked for a while like Mr. Wing was
going to give me a check ride but it was too good to be true.
1st team came out and took the check ride ship. They had
to go out to FSB Ann to secure Rapier’s OH-58. Spent the rest
of the day loafing. I did make half a tape for home
today. I really miss my family.
6 July 71 QT
Rain, rain, rain, typhoon Harriet is sweeping from South to
North. It seems like we are going to miss the height of
typhoon. A lot of light damage has been done.
7 July 71 QT
Our team got in about 14:00 hrs today. There is still a lot of
turbulence and light rain. The Redskins have gone back to Camp
Evans for a few days. Sure glad Charlie-Horse doesn’t have to
wander around like that.
8 July71 QT
A4 was turned over to the 1st ARVN today, C2 goes next. This
means it is going to be as hard to
get a clearance to work In AO Orange as it is in the
Checkerboard now. Our team, 1st, flew two hours today.
Again it was rough turbulence on the ground that prevented our
working. There are a lot of new bomb craters in the Pink east
of A4 now to give company to the countless old ones. The Red
flag on the north bank of the
Ben Hai river (DMZ) is just as pretty as ever. Found a tape
from home hidden in with the cookies I received.
9 July71 QT
I had the day off today during which I got my check ride by
WO3Mac Cockerel. Poor guy, I must have really scared him
a couple of times but was too dumb to be scared myself.
I certainly have a lot to learn. During the check ride I
saw for the 1st time an actual EOD (explosive ordinance
demolition). It threw out a multi-fing¬ered flame, a flat
burst and also tossed up a huge mushrooming black cloud. It
was very impressive. I was feeling very depressed this
evening but talking to my Lord helped cheer me up.
10 July 71 QT
Wow, what a day. I flew 2nd. team with Jeff Hayes as AC.
Mr. Foster and Mr. Sims manned the other guns. First mission
was spent reconning URS (usually reliable sources). 2nd.
mission we made an effort to do a VR in the now ARVN held AO
Orange. What a SNAFU that was. We did manage to put in
about 15 minute VR in which we found many indications of fresh
activity. We decided for LL (last light mission around base
perimeter) flight to work over the stuff we found in the 2nd
mission near the Pink. Part of our orbit around the working
scout took Jeff and I over the Red sector of the DMZ.
Maj.Wolfe saw this, wow! was he upset! Not long after this
Jeff and I both lost visual contact with the scout at the same
time. About 30 seconds after this happened the radio cackled
with that fearful sound, a high pitched ”taking fire TAKING
FIRE!” Jeff and. I both could have knocked our heads against a
wall. Here we sat with a fully armed ship and. we couldn’t
help the scout cause we didn’t know where he was. What a
horrible feeling of frustration. Charlie Horse 19, the scout,
had been circling around a large section of bamboo when he
spotted some clothing on a leg (he told us this as he saw it).
He swung around for another look to find two part¬ly dressed
gooks staring at him. One of them brought a AK-47 up to
spew hot lead all around him. The scout crew chief answered
angrily with his M60 spraying the area the two gooks were
standing in with tracers as 19 maneuvered violently away from
the two startled gooks. Foster rolled in with rockets flashing
and bursting in an ugly gray puff. Jeff dived in
following Foster, punching nearly all his rockets off into the
red smoke marking the target. I walked the 40mm over the
target and kept firing to cover our break. As I looked out the
side canopy towards the target, I saw with satisfaction that
the 40mm shells were still bursting along the tree line
opposite the target, hopefully suppressing any hostile fire we
might have taken in our break. I honestly think that the
two gooks were killed in the first few seconds of shooting.
The en¬tire ordeal lasted about 90 seconds.
11 July 71 QT
Sunday I enjoyed another worship service with my
brothers. It seems that they will all be gone in the
process of 1/5 Mec (Mechanized Infantry Division) standing
down the 5th of August. I had a real nice day off,
got a letter from home and I made a tape to go back. It
seems that a lot happened here today. The 1st team ran
into three gooks and 11 took fire from them. Later on
today they ran into another three gooks in the same area,
again taking fire. This time they think they killed the
gooks. A Cobra down south took AK-47 fire. The front
seat was killed because he wasn’t wearing his chicken plate. A
scout went down under fire in the Delta, both crewmen were
killed. Another typhoon is headed our way. Whew, what a day.
12 July 71 QT
Well, rain did fall today and all day too! About 1200,
Cockerel, Walker, Sims, and I took two guns to a convoy (ARVN)
three clicks west of FSB Nancy. A truck loaded with 19 ARVNs
hit a anti-tank mine. Whew what a mess. The side of the
truck was completely destroyed. The 19 wounded men were
laid out in rows on lit¬ters near the truck, some mortally
wounded. Heavy rain showers made the medavac a
nightmare. It seems that another large rain storm is due
here tomorrow. We expect a possible mortar or rocket
attack tonight. Whew, what a weather day this has turned
out to be. WO2 Cleveland and Beaver are DEROSing
tomorrow. WOl Gary Richardson is the new guy. Wow, what a
harassing he got.
13 July 71 QT
Flew one mission today, inserted a team of rangers about two
klicks west of FSB Scorpion. QT is slowly shutting down;
the PX on the 17th, AFVN TV and radio on the 15th. Is the APO
next? The future here doesn’t look too bright. There is
not much cheer here.
15 July 71 QT
I wonder if “Vietnam” means “land of tears”. 1Lt Howard
Becker died today along with his AC. Their Cobra was hit near
Ke Sanh and they tried to make it back to QT. The engine quit
by the “little Rock pile” and an autorotation was executed to
the river. They both got safely out of the aircraft and were
being lifted off the aircraft with a rope. The AC was
nearly inside the rescue helo when Becker, only a few feet
be-low, fell into the river. The AC jumped back into the river
to aid Becker. The AC has yet to be found. Becker’s body was
dragged out of the river and brought home. Death comes
when it is least expected. Our team, 2nd, worked the
area just north of the mouth of the Ba Long and later worked
the northern Orange are. Nothing! A Filipino group
played at the EM club this evening. It was good but it wasn’t
home. (See attached article about Lt Becker)
16 July 71 QT
My first “opportunity” to visit Ke Sanh and the Laotian border
came this morning. I also saw the “autobahn”. It
looked like an old logging trail except it wasn’t logs being
hauled along the trail. I saw blown houses, burnt
trucks, smashed choppers (including the one Becker crashed
in), and even a ripe VC body near the QT perimeter. Major
Wolfe had his going away party tonight at the club, round
eyes, food, drinks, and the works. I didn’t go.
17 July 71 QT
Things were “quiet” today, no action. Rain and an
overcast sky severely dampened operations. I didn’t fly
at all despite the fact that I was on the 1st team.
18 July 71 QT
I was on 1st team today. The weather was marginal so we
didn’t fly much. 2nd team went on a route recon to Hue
and the Ashau Valley. It seems like the action is
building up for a “big” operation. Men from the 625th
tossed a grenade into the EM section of A 2/17. It
wounded four people. It seems like our own little racial
war is about to ensue. I had a good time talking with
Sp5 Gary Frazier, 80’s crew chief. I’m going to
try to help the crew chiefs get their flight time for pay
purposes. The guys deserve it.
19 JuJy71 QT
Winds were high today but the teams still flew. I tried
to take the business law test but the Army education center
has moved elsewhere. Ray Cox (civilian missionary) is
still here! But he is leaving tomorrow. Ray led a study
of the scriptures for me and a man named Rodriguez. It seems
that the Church here is dwindling away due to DEROS and.
stand-downs. I have a list of members so I’ll have to
see what I can do to help keep things going.
20 July 71 QT
I flew two short missions in the backyard. Not much to talk
about.
21 July 71 QT
The winds are at 30 knots gusting to 40 knots. I
flew one ranger insertion. That was all for the day.
22 July 71 QT
More high winds, what a blessing. Flight activity is
very low. I didn’t fly at all today although scheduled
to. Jeff Hayes shot a perimeter guard with nails while
firing on a suspected sapper platoon site. The guy
nearly died but is going to be okay. Nails do a really great
job. A 2/17 Cav held a memorial service for 1Lt Howard
Becker. It was very sad for us. He left a wife,
Kathleen. I know how heavy her heart must be with
grief. Lt Taylor is still lying on the bottom of the Ba
Long. He has joined the growing list of American “missing in
action” that will never be returned to native soil.
23 July 71 QT
The winds continue. There is still a lot of arty firing.
The #17 bunker guard really tore the river up with his M60. He
had us all running over to see what all the excitement was
about. I had fried chicken for supper. So
far I’ve killed four roaches (bugs) today.
24 July 71 QT
I flew with Larry Dunagan today. Not much happened until last
mission. We found a newly constructed hooch with a tin roof.
We proceeded to shoot it up. We had to leave before we could
destroy it.
25 Ju1y 71 QT
Sunday! No worship service though Gary Joy and I were
all that showed. We studied some with Wilfredo Rodriguez
and then looked up Bob Scohan. It looks like all my brothers
are going to be gone inside of a month. I watched a 5
minute documentary of Charlie Horse by CBS. Very
interesting. Rickabaugh and Lee nearly had a midair
today, too c1ose! They think they killed some gooks
though.
26 July 71 QT
Lots of wind, but very little flying. There was a
striptease show at the “0” club.
27 Ju1y 71 QT
I flew 2nd team today, not much happened. I did receive some
banana bread from home and pictures too. The officers
watched the same striptease show again.
28 July 71 QT
Today was definitely a day to remember. 18 was shot at just
south of the Pink and north of A4. We rolled in and shot the
area up with unknown results. There was a lot of
act¬ivity up there along the pink. Later we were flying
over the DMZ north of Fuller, 18 was shot at first and then 32
(Lee). We fired a few rockets and then we left. The
turret still wouldn’t fire. Last mission was flown northeast
of Ca Lu. We found thirty 82mm mortars, and picked them
up. Just as we were leaving I test fired the minigun
into the bunker complex, all six seconds worth. Wow, it
worked! We got a new guy yesterday, Capt Becker, and two
scouts.
29 July 71 QT
I was on standby today, very little activity in the A0.
I studied some; I’m very homesick.
30 July 71 QT
My first mission with Capt Hogg was spent in the backyard
doing VR spots sent to us by Kicks 6 from activity during the
night. We spent one fuel load in blocks A, E, F of AO Orange,
nothing! Another fuel load spent near Mai Li, nothing.
Finally we made an extraction just north of the “S” in the Ba
Long after much effort trying to find them at the place where
they were reported to be. I found out that Jeff
Hayes has been accused of being on “horse” (marijuana).
He’s really in trouble. Also last night the CO
(commanding officer) hooch was gassed with CS. Need¬less
to say some officers are furious. Things are really
getting tight around here. The “Panthers” blacks were run out
of the EM club tonight during a Vietnamese floor show (very
good). They are suspected of intending to frag (throw a
grenade) our hootches tonight so everyone is up in arms and
making plans for “what to do”. I think will just pray
for peace and protection.
31 July 71 QT
I flew today with Ed Rickabaugh. We flew up on the pink
(DMZ) and drew fire from the 158738 grid. We fired
back. The minigun worked great. Last mission I
flew with 19 (Halevy) to see what scout work is like. I
didn’t like it. Lt. Goins has quit guns to fly for the
lift section. I received two tapes from home today!
Page 3 - August 1971