3/3 RVN Ass’n Vol 1 Issue 9 05/01/2007
Pages 5-8
Ambush 30 January 1968
By Jeff O’Donnell
My best recollection of a night ambush pulled off by the 3rd squad of the 3rd platoon, or should I say my vivid memory of my squad’s moment of glory.
The 3rd squad was assigned what in my mind was a routine ambush that evening Southeast of our base camp Alpha 3. I don’t believe any one in the squad thought we’d do anything that night except get some much-needed sleep. About sundown the squad took off toward our site co ordinance to find a nice place to setup. The area was pretty flat and barren but we managed to find an area with a few clumps of bushes to hide us.
We setup in non-military fashion in a circle (which is against any training we ever had, but it covered everyone’s backside) with myself, our radioman and Corpsman in the center. Once set in, we loosened our gear and divided up the night watch as to who and how long each man would be up answering sit-reps and watching out for every one else, while we got some sleep. (NVA activity in the area had been pretty sparse at that time) Designated time to start watches was 10:30 P.M. and would go till sunup.
It was dark that night with no moon so visibility was poor, but I had taken with us a Starlight scope so we had a much better view of the area than with just the naked eye. Around 10:00 P.M. while looking through the scope I spotted some figures coming out of a tree line, couldn’t tell if it was NVA or friendlies at first and actually thought they were one of our recon teams. I remember telling everyone to settle down and be quite as recon was passing through. Well that all changed as these little figures got closer; all of a sudden I realize they’re Gooks. (Now it’s too late to reconfigure the squad for maximum firepower, we would have been spotted moving around)
I counted 20 maybe 25 of them as they came closer and heading right for us, I mean they’re going to walk right over us. Talk about being nervous God I wasn’t sure if I should SHIT or get off the pot. The whole caravan of these little guys come right up to us and not knowing we were there, decide to sit down and take a break. I’m not talking about them taking a break 10 or 15 yards away from us, I’m talking the lead Gooks were 1 to 2 feet away, so close that a couple of them after see us thought we were part of their group and started talking to my machine gunner.
Of course he couldn’t answer them, (about the only words we knew in their language was Dee Dee Mau and that wasn’t going to make it) at that time these 2 or 3 Gooks realize that we’re not part of them and the shit was about to hit the fan. They remained very cool though and just got up and tried to nonchalantly walk away not yelling or anything. Probably thinking they needed to get a little distance between them and us.
I don’t think they wanted to do hand-to-hand combat with us. Just then my machine gunner yells “ They’re on to us” and I yelled back “Let’em have it” (The Shit has Just Hit the Fan) and he jumps up with the M60 and commences to fire (damn I wish I could remember his name, he’d been man of the hour if only the gun worked) and the gun goes bang and jam’s, he re-cocks it and it goes bang and jam’s again (the following morning we checked why the gun jammed and found the gas piston in backwards).
The same time we decide to mow them all down with a machine gun that didn’t work I jump up with a M79 grenade launcher spot 4 Gooks off to my left and fire at them, it seemed like an eternity before that round hit them, but when it did, they went down like bowling pins. By now everyone’s firing all over the place, some guys shooting at Gooks some guys shooting at nothing but thin air, you got to remember we were set up in a circle and the guys in about a third of the circle really couldn’t see what was going on, but that’s O.K. fire power is what counts.
The Gooks at that time were returning very little fire and after a few minutes of kicking their asses I decided we better move back and regroup. This was not the smartest thing I ever did, as the few Gooks that were left (I know we had to kill or wounded 10 or 12 just on our initial burst of fire) had time to come to their senses and return fire as we were moving out. They didn’t put out a lot of fire but enough to hit and wound one of my guys. I saw the muzzle flash and got the MF’er with the M79 (God I fell in love with that M79 that night, I fired every round that was in the bag which had to about 40 shells, talk about fire power that baby sure had it that night). A minute or two later the Gooks stopped firing and took off toward a tree line, we continued to fire at them till they disappeared.
We then needed to get our wounded Marine back to safety and get medical attention. I covered our retreat back to the perimeter with the M79 (damn I still can’t say enough about that weapon) along with a couple of guys with M16’s, while some of the other guys carried our wounded guy. We got a little lost on the way back because it was so dark and had to have someone inside the perimeter send up a flare so we could get our bearings. We got back to the base camp without any other incident and had our wounded Marine MedEvac’d out that night. (He lived and I remember getting a letter from his mother to our squad a few weeks later thanking us for getting him back to safety)
Once back in the base camp perimeter we were debriefed by the powers to be. The guys were so keyed up; to listen to them you’d have thought we killed a million or so Gook’s. All I could hear was “O’Dee, O’Dee, I know I got 4 or 5,” from every man in the squad.
The following morning I think the whole company went out to check out the area of the ambush; we found NVA equipment all over the place and 1 dead Gook. Our squad got to pick and keep anything that wasn’t of military value as souvenirs, which I got an AK47 bayonet and a Russian belt buckle. That belt buckle turned out to be of great value as I traded it to our XO for R & R in Sidney Australia. The R & R was taken on March 6th, 1968, a dreadful day in the history of Mike Company.
Below is the official Command Chronology report of what happened that night, notice that it’s a dash inaccurate about how well our machine gun worked.
30Jan68 – At 2012H, a Mike Company ambush observed and engaged approximately 20-25 NVA at YD 183719. At least 15 NVA were in killing zone at a distance of 5-25 meters when ambush leader triggered ambush. The M-60 machine-gun malfunctioned after approximately 5 minutes and the ambush withdrew to the objective rally point. The enemy fired only small arms and was observed withdrawing to the northeast. The enemy was carrying packs.
Several NVA fell during the initial burst of fire. Heavy H&I fires were continued throughout the night in area of killing zone and known infiltration routes. The site of the ambush was checked out at 0600H 31Jan68. One NVA KIA was found and also two weapons and numerous packs and equipment. One Marine was wounded and MedEvac’d.
Since writing this story and through the power of the internet, several of the guys involved that night have been found and reunited after roughly 35 years.
Machine Gunner: Curt Morgan
Corpsman: Les Osterman
Wounded Marine: Guy Everett
Squad Members: Vito Lavacca
John Mick
Sam Rubino
John Elliott
George Wilson
Rex Collins
O'Dee
3/3 RVN on the Internet
Back around 10 years ago, Larry Wilson began a 3/3 home site.
Richard Duprel followed up with a 1965 tour site (original Nam crews).
In 1999 Doc Russ Jewett created a site on his ’67 tour with Lima.
In 2000 Bart began the Mike Co. site, and Bob Neener began a Lima Co. site. ThirdMarines.net was developed, later renamed 33USMC.com.
A year or so later, Doc Hoppy began an India and a Kilo site. Ted Phelps took over the India site shortly thereafter.
Jeff O’Donnell created a new Mike site and Doc pitched in to assist with it, saving much of the old one.
Several others have created web pages on 3/3 too, including Chuck Percherke’s tour pages and Les Johnson’s Memorial pages.
There are some 1,000 plus alumni created web pages on 3/3 on the internet. All can be accessed via www.33USMC.com (links).
Over a year ago our programming was sabotaged for our search engine, but it is being rebuilt and should be accessible fairly soon (if not already since this is written in late December).
Ton’s of info and history is available!
Most of the above sites are on the back cover of this newsletter, plus on our links pages. They are easy to use and hold thousands of pictures and stories.
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
My life has been different since I’ve returned to the states. At first, I was just happy to be home and everything seemed to be ok. But now things have started to change. Now I dream about the things that happened while I was there, and I can’t quit thinking about some of the things I saw. It’s on my mind all the time.
At night I am frightened to fall to sleep because of the nightmares. The only way I am able to sleep is by taking a few drinks. I know this is wrong, but what am I to do?
My wife and children seem to be frightened of me. I guess this is because I get angry at the smallest thing. I can’t even keep a job because I get angry and quit or get fired.
My family and I used to have fun. My wife and I used to go places together and we did things as a family. But now I just want to stay at home. Home, is the only place I feel safe. My family and friends don’t understand what’s wrong and I can’t explain it to them because I don’t know.
I don’t know why I get nervous when I see a group of people clustered together. I just get this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don’t care if it is people on a street corner or people in a restaurant. The few times I have been out with my wife to a place like a restaurant I find myself setting with my back against the wall. I just feel more comfortable that way.
When I drive I find myself watching every car I meet and every car that is setting at an intersection. Even if I am driving out of town on a highway I get very nervous when I see a cluster of buildings or a tree line in the distance. I once thought I was having a heart attack because my heart started to beat rapidly and my legs and arms became weak and all those butterflies were in my stomach. I only drive when I have to now; I let someone else drive if at all possible. This way I can watch everything going on around me.
My wife says that I am becoming compulsive. I guess one of the reasons she said this is because I find myself getting up several times a night to check the doors and windows. I do this even though I know that I locked them. I do this because I just feel like I have to. I can’t explain the feeling; it’s just there.
And now I have even got to the point that I keep a weapon near. At first it was just by my bed, but lately I have been carrying it in my car. This is dangerous, and I know it’s wrong and eventually I will get in some kind of trouble. But I feel better when it is near.
My family wants things to be like it was before and so do I. But I don’t know what is wrong with me. So, what do I do? Where do I go for help? Who can I talk to?
Many veterans and even some active duty personnel may be able to relate in some form or fashion to the above statement. If so, you may be having the symptoms and associated symptoms of a condition known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The following information was obtained from several different psychological texts. Since the reference materials are written for an individual who works in the mental health field and some of the wording has been changed to help insure that whoever reads this information will understand it.
Definition
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that reflects the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to extremely devastating traumatic events. Basically, PTSD is a stress and anxiety disorder that occurs to an individual when the individual tries to react in a normal manner to an extreme abnormal event.
Symptoms
According to the definition of PTSD to qualify as having PTSD you must meet the following criteria.
You have been exposed to a traumatic event involving actual or threatened death or injury, during which you respond with panic, horror, and feelings of helplessness. (Note: Some individuals have a tendency to misunderstand this symptom of PTSD. They see the word “panic” and they read no further. This symptom of PTSD includes all individuals, men, women, and children. If you are in the military and involved in a combat situation your training and normal survival instincts allow you perform.)
You re-experience the trauma in the form of dreams, flashbacks, intrusive memories, or unrest at being in situations that remind you of the original trauma.
You show evidence of avoidance behavior, a numbing of emotions and reduced interest in others and the outside world.
You experience physiological hyper arousal as evidenced by insomnia, agitation, irritability or outburst of rage.
The symptoms in Criteria B, C, and D persist for at least one month.
The symptoms have significantly affected your social or vocational abilities or other important areas of your life.
Associated symptoms
The above symptoms are basically direct symptoms of PTSD but there are many associated symptoms of PTSD. An individual can have PTSD without having any associated symptoms but in most cases, an individual will exhibit at least one or more of the associated symptoms. If you demonstrate any of the symptoms below and begin to seek treatment please make certain that the person initiating the treatment is aware that you have been involved in a traumatic event. If not informed, there is the possibility of acquiring the wrong diagnoses and the treatment for PTSD may be delayed. Below you will find a list of some of the more common associated symptoms of PTSD.
Survivor’s guilt
Self destructive and impulsive behavior
Dissociative symptoms
Feelings of ineffectiveness, shame, despair,
or hopelessness
A loss of previously sustained beliefs
Social withdrawal
Feeling constantly threatened
Impaired relationships
A change from the individual’s previous personality characteristics
Panic Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder
Substance abuse and related disorders
