Chapter 14: Ia Drang Valley (Part 2)

(NOVEMBER 14, 1965)

(1000 Hours)

As we lined up outside the base, I can see multiple Huey Helicopters warming up their engines. The steel birds that will be the carriage for three-hundred ninety five strong men to the valley.

Sergeant Savages voice cut through the noise. "Alright, boys, this is it. We're heading into Ia Drang. We land, shot some suppressive fire at anything suspicious, we secure the LZ, and we scout the area for any threats!"

""YES SERGEANT!""

Sarge nodded at this. "Good, await for further commands."

Not even a few seconds later, we heard the voice of Lt. Corporal Moore giving us our order. "Alright men, 1st and 2nd platoon, carry on!" As he run to the choppers with Alpha Company at his back.

"Alright boys, that's our cue, Huah!" Sarge said as he gave us a battle shout.

"Rahhh!"

"Huahh"

"Kick em bastards ass!"

The roar of the engines was defeaning but the cheer of people is as strong as well if not stronger. 

As we boarded Captain Ed Freemans Huey, he greeted us. "Welcome boys, I am your pilot for todays ride. If you lot need me just remember the call sign 'Too Tall'."

"For a call sign like that you sure are small." Tom said with a grin but quickly regretted it as Captain Ed retorted back. 

"Want me to drop you off once were up there?"

"N-no sir, I'm good here thank you for asking." Tom said with stutter.

Captain Ed nodded at this. "Good, now sit tight and enjoy the ride.

As we elevate in the air, the breeze of the wind slaps me in the face, the green scenery of the forest below might have been the ideal camping trip if not for the ongoing war, the native people below looking up as the Hueys pass above them with the engines roaring, probably wondering what's our destination.

Mountains pass by and the time keeps moving, were almost reaching our destination.

"Two miles out. Dropping to nap of the earth." The radio crackled as the lead chopper started to descend just above the tree lines. The other hueys also followed trough as I cocked my gun as I see were reaching an open field.

But before we touched down, the Hueys fired several 2.75-inch Folding Fin Aerial Rockets to anything that looked suspicious, from rocks, trees, to some dugged land suspected as foxhole. 

This probably alerted the ones holing up in the mountain.

As the Hueys landed down, we quickly disembark and scattered out in the LZ X-ray while firing a couple of suppressive fire to anything looking suspicious. After a while of suppressive fire, Lt. Colonel Moore finally commanded.

"Hold your fire!"

As the firing stopped, we surveyed the surrounding area but we did not find anything out of ordinary. No army, no gooks, no response, nothing. It was so eerily silent that it gives me some bad feeling.

After for what feels like hours, Lt. Colonel Moore gives out hand signal. Seeing this, Captain Nadal - commander of Alpha Company, commanded his men to secure the perimeter around the LZ X-ray while Lt. Herrick lead us forward. 

"2nd platoon lets go." As he cautiously moved forward, it briefly gives me a sigh of relief.

"Guess he ain't that bad, right Mack?" I said to Mack, seeking confirmation while still keeping my eyes peeled.

"Hmmm, well see bout that." Mack said.

But that brief relief was wash away as we see a lone NVA soldier stood up and run away, seeing this I quickly pointed out my M16 and prepared to shoot the fleeing gook. But before I can take the shot, Lt. Herrick quickly dashes after him while shouting. 

"Its a scout, lets take him prisoner!"

'Tsk, is he a fucking idiot?!!'

Me and the others looked at this in a bewildered expression, not believing what were seeing right now. I could've taken the shot but I refrain from doing so, disobeying an order is a one way ticket to becoming a tunnel rat.

"There he goes! Come on!"

"Lieutenant!" Sergeant Savage quickly gave a chase, not intending to leave the lieutenant alone.

"Is the Lieutenant fucking crazy?! You don't fall for an obvious trap like that for fuck sake!" I said out loud as we and the other squad quickly followed them.

"Not that bad huh, Corporal?"

"Shut it Mack, we need to bring Lieutenants ass back here before we completely separate from the other unit!" I said as I speed up.

But clearly, we failed at doing that. Lt. Herrick advance deeper in the the jungle as we kept nearing the foot of the mountain, as he gave chase at that gook. We also followed the Lieutenant like a flock of sheeps, even if we do not want to, his still the platoon leader.

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As Jim and others advanced deeper and deeper to the foot of the mountain, Lt. Charlie Hastings - the Forward Air Controller of the 1st Battalion 7th Cavalry Regiment, found a gook hiding deep in the bushes.

"Hey, hey! I think I got something here! I got a boy!" As he approached aiming his rifle at the gook.

"Boy, hell, that ain't no boy." Sergeant Major Plumley dragged the gook up as one of the soldiers check if his carrying any weapon and restrained him.

"Who are are you and what are you doping here! Answer me or I will shoot!" The South Vietnamese translator threatened. The threat was effective as the gook quickly spilled the bean.

"D-don't shoot! Don't shoot! I'm a deserter!" Pleaded the captured gook with his hands up.

The translator translated what the gook said. "He say his a deserter."

"Bullshit his a lookout." Sergeant Major Plumley quickly denied the gooks claim.

Lt. Colonel Moore asked. "Asked him were his friends are."

The translator quickly asked the gook were his friends are, but with each answer he received he increasingly pale. He slowly looked up at Moore and said with a sliver of fear. "H-he say this is a base camp for a whole division, four thousand men." 

Moore, more alarmed than ever quickly asked where. The others couldn't blame him as they too, paled at the thought they unknowingly step foot in the hornets nest. 

The translator asked with desperation in his voice. "Where are your friends! WHERE, WHERE!!"

The gooks left arm slowly pointed at a mountain, where Jimmy and others are. "That mountain."

The gook continued speaking as the translator translate. 

"Same army that destroyed French. He say that they want to kill Americans very badly....

.....just not been able to find any yet."