Vietnam Time-line recollections 1968-69 for Rex's Co

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Vietnam Time-line recollections 1968-69 for Rex in Co. D 4/21 11^th Bgd Original info pieced together from reading my letters home. Many additions from Bob W.
11 Apr 68	Left Hawaii 5 AM
12 Apr	Arrived in Chu Lai about noon Friday
16 Apr	Move to LZ Bronco, Duc Pho
25 Apr	1^st Patrol -- 8 days
	First night in rain on beach
13 May	David Worthey died. Crawled into a tight tunnel and suffocated. Robby Robertson went in after him and we thought he was lost too, but recently found out he is still with us.
18 May	Benny Lewis killed.
20 May	SP4 ~$200/month
29 May	To LZ Thunder (later Liz) S. of Bronco
9 June	At thunder. 3-day cycle of patrols.
	1st ambush. 1st of many lame ideas. Target was trail that was lower than the open field we were laying in. We were exposed to a hill behind us. Someone started shooting while I (and Valdez?) were out to arm the claymores. Fortunately we were protected by the stupid design of the ambush - just got down on the trail which gave cover. Fortunately nobody blew any mines or fragged us..
	Found 105 mine at top of a hill (breakfast time?) Tied a rope to it. Valdez pulls rope while casually standing up. Boom! Image of Valdez diving for ground is in my mind. Nobody hurt.
8 Jun	Lt. Bobadillo trips mine in hedgerow -- Out of Nam.
15 June	To LZ Baldie ~20-30 mi S of Danang. Attached to 196^th.
18 June	… but right back to Bronco then LZ Dragon N of Bronco along hwy 1
	Daily "8 to 5" patrols across road, through rice paddies, to unfriendly villages near beach. Get sniper fire usually every day, coming and going. Alarm gongs from villages, nothing but women & children when we get there, booby traps.
18 June	Eddie Mauldin killed by mine.
30 June	Baldie again
3 July	In field from Baldie
9 July	In boonies W of Chu Lai. One platoon started fire with smoke grenade and lost some of their equipment(?). One day so hot we stopped on top of hill and put up poncho liner for shade. Spent day drawing lots to see who would walk down hill to find water. Per a thermometer I had, 120 ° F in shade.
11 July	First land leeches. No one knows what they are and most of us find several on our bodies the first time we stop.
	Walk to Laos. One heli resupply in valley. Had to chop/blow down trees to clear an area. Chopper nearly crashes from wind vortexes in valley.
25 July	LZ Rider. Small firebase on top of mountain. Scary OP post outside main base. This LZ later overrun, I think, while different company there.
	Feel like we may have been at Rider before but can’t think when ?? yes/no ??
	I almost get squashed, one morning, by a "water buffalo" trailer brought in by Chinook. I dive for safety and tear my pants on concertina wire. Many days before I get replacement pants.
10 Aug	Baldie. Road clearing patrols.
	Lt. Marion joins platoon.
Sep
	My R&R
? about 15 Sep	Big stand down somewhere with a big 2-story building and USO or Red Cross near by. Chu Lai?
22 Sep	1^st part of Tam Ky battles. 3rd Platoon ambushed and pinned down. Several killed: Scotty (James Scott) RTO for Cpt. Gasdek, Frank Gonzales, others? I remember that one guy (Hispanic, Carlos comes to mind. ?) was wounded and played dead overnight with enemy all around him.
25 Sep	Tam Ky, big infantry/track assualt one day, and another the next day. Several killed 1^st or 2^nd Day?: Michael Sublett (machinegunner), Mark Ellsworth (medic), Hiney Willis. On first day I remember a big explosion toward center of our line. Apparently a track filled with explosives for road clearing got hit. Rahming was wounded in the ankle near me. During the nigh between 1^st and 2^nd big assualts, I was almost run over by a tank while sleeping. Details or corrections on this several-day sequence appreciated.
18 Oct	24 hrs in Baldie to dry out. I think this is the time everone got in line to see doctor or medic. All of the first few got put on light duty , so they called off he medical consultations.
21 Oct	Monsoons. Worst of the rains.
11 Nov	Detached from 196 Bde, back to 11^th. No longer to Chu Lai.
14 Nov	Building LZ Amy. SW of Duc Pho, 800 m high, near Special Forces air strip. Chinooked to top through clouds. Rain, mud, leeches.
	Thanksgiving on hill in boonies. Me RTO.
1 Dec	In 20 mi NW of Duc Pho, mountains
25 Dec	Christmas in boonies.
	I'm supposed to get infused to another unit.
29 Dec	In rear. (Because my birthday?)
6 Jan 69	Got malaria while on bunker guard at Bronco. In hospital, so missed infusion. On light-duty till 23^rd.
13 Feb	In boonies. Get word someone applied for leave and got it. I am one of first to apply after this and get it!
1 Mar	At Cam Rahn Bay (w/ Mathiason ?) trying to get flight out to start 7-day leave.
	Okinawa for a couple hours, then Tokyo.
	I stay gone almost two weeks. I almost get Article 15, but they let me off (too short to bother I guess).
Early Apr	I forgot the exact date of our DROS. Anyone remember when we flew out?