| Last Modified: 2002-11-08 | Entry ID: 62  |
Richard Carnes    | Duty Status:Discharged Rank:L/Cpl   |
| Location: Norton, MA 02766 | Country: USA |
| MOS: 0355 Served:0 | Vietnam Dates: 4/66 to 5/67 SN: 2181986 |
| Boot Camp:MCRD Parris Island | Grad:Dec 65 Platoon: 3007 |
| Stationed: 3rd Bn, 1st Mar, 1st Marine Division, Kilo Co, 1st Plt - Weapons. |
| Interests:Internet, Sports. |
| Comments:I arrived in Nam on the U.S.N.S. Gen. William S. Weigal(The Wig-Wag)in Danang with about 5000 other marines and soldiers after doing Staging Battalion in Camp Pendleton. It was a 19 day voyage with nothing to do but wait in line and watch old "Combat" TV shows. Lots of liars poker waiting in line. Sun Bathing was mandatory. A quick liberty call in Okinowa.
Loaded on an LST and shipped immediately to Chu Lai to meet up with K31 doing security on the new air strip.
Kilo had just been hit hard in an ambush in the highlands and was pulled back to regroup. Lots of new faces and hardened vets. We moved back to Danang for a minor revolt amongst the Buddist ARVN there. 1st bivuac using shelter halves. Discarded after that.
1st night patrol I went belly down into a pile of fresh Water Buffalo Dung due to an illumination flare. The smell stayed in my web gear for months.
Lots of names escape me now. I remember Smitty in Rockets. Bond in Machine Guns. John Wheeler. Miguel Marreo, Frenchy, Lt. Merrieau, Lt. Pachika, Capt Winston. I recall the night we started going out in 3 man cadre units to set up ambushes. What a disaster! The first group killed a village chieftan who worked for the CIA. Schultz, the squad leader, got court marshalled for murder 1. We heard he escaped in Danang but heard no more. The 2nd group was never seen again MIA and we later heard one (Balboni?)was captive in the North. His mother had received notice from the Red Cross and she wrote the Company to let us know.
I did 26 combat operations and only got scratched a couple of times falling off trucks and getting my feet eaten by fire ants. R & R in Tokyo just before Christmas 1966. Worst time was getting over run by a NVA Battalion on the morning of Jan 15, 1967 just before dawn. Our bunker was the only one not over run. Another time to fall back & regroup. The Platoon received 3 Bronze and 1 Silver Star(John Wheeler)that night.
I've seen John Wheeler here in Boston about 4 years ago. Talked with Miguel Marreo & Richard Bond on the phone too. Look forward to hearing from anyone who recognizes my name.... (fat chance).
Lots of good men were lost in that year. I only met a handful of guys I knew on the flight to Okinowa and while there.
I served out my enlistment in Quantico as an enlisted instructor at "The Basic School".
I'm proud to have been a Marine and have many Former Marines as friends today....... It is a special brotherhood of men.
Semper Fi Served with Kilo Co 3/1 from 4/66 to 5/67, 1st Plt - Weapons, 0355. |
