|
 Richard L. Dieterle “The Deacon” diete003@umn.edu |
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| Archive Location, 2011-2021 |
The Odyssey of “A” Co. Across Vietnam |
| Index Page for Chronology (from DSJs) |
| Index Page for Mapped Chronology |
| Episodes |
| You’re in the Army Now (1966), by Jerry Prater my strict Christian upbringing and family background — my tenure at Abilene Christian College — I graduate from North Texas State — my first job — my marriage — draft notice arrives the very day we get back from our Honeymoon — my Hollywood concept of the Army causes me some dread |
| Basic Training at Fort Polk (Dec. 12, 1966 - Feb. 24, 1967), by Jerry Prater arrival at Ft. Polk — I decide not to be a conscientious objector — our first day spent processing — the next day: crew cuts and standing at attention — our barracks and drill sergeants — fire watch and KP — how we entered the mess hall and how we had to eat — my 14 day leave — the rigorous exercises inflicted on “fat boys” — I cover for Larry Nunn — I barely qualify on the M-14 — I’m devastated to discover that I’m being assigned to the Infantry — only about a dozen of us board the truck to Tiger Land |
| Ft. Polk – Tiger Land (Feb. 25, 1967), by Jerry Prater AIT at Tiger Land, Ft. Polk — Larry Nunn and Ed House — the Battalion Comander lays out our duties — cadence — qualifying on the M-16 — in rifle training I first experience the sound of bullets coming towards me — other weapons that we trained on — the evasion course — John Heflin |
| Arrival in Country (May, 1967), by Richard Dieterle orientation in Oakland — flight to Cam Ranh Bay, stewardesses run the gauntlet — Pleiku — I get assigned to A 1/8 as I had once asked |
| From the World to the 1st Cav (April - May, 1967), by Jerry Prater on leave after AIT, I tell my family that I expect to go to the 4th Infantry Division — time with my wife — flight to Oakland — duties in Oakland — flight to the Philippines — plane takes nose dive and returns to Clark Field — second flight to the Nam — arrival at Pleiku — 1st Cav suffers losses, so some of us were selected as replacements — Camp Radcliff — assignment to Company A, 1/8 Cav — House, Nunn, Schmidt and I catch a chopper to A Co. — I almost fall out of the chopper — we report to Lt. Pape of the 1st Platoon |
| So, You’re the New Guy! (May, 1967), by Jerry Prater initiation to a combat unit — the differences between veterans and “cherries” — the ordeal of pulling guard at night — “Hand Grenade” Brown’s trick — a skirmish erupts — Lt. Pape uses me as a guinea pig |
| The War Dance (May, 1967), by Richard Dieterle a tent in An Khê — the veterans hold a wild war dance — Indian ways — the story of a stunning tragedy |
| Friendly Fire (Late May, 1967), by Jerry Prater the dangerous inability to identify the enemy — the problem of defending against friendly fire — Schmidt accidently discharges his grenade launcher — Schmidt does this a second time — an incident with a claymore mine — the patrol the next day — we are shot at by our own people while bathing in a pool — we receive H & I fire while out on an OP — the Vietnamese Police fire wildly around a village that we were surrounding on a cordon operation |
| The Chopper Crash (May 26, 1967), by Jerry Prater the importance and consequences of the crash — the flight to LZ Quick (Hill 641) — the terrain of Hill 641 — the first chopper lands without incident — the crash of the second chopper — extensive casualties — the third chopper nearly crashes — Veazy banged up as he is thrown from the chopper — Veazy's further misadventures in the rough descent of the First Platoon down the mountainside — Hoerner's gruesome task — how SSgt. Nottage's precautions saved Hoerner's life |
| Romeo and Juliet for Real (June, 1967), by Richard Dieterle we sweep a town — Archuleta, the most respected man in the company — a couple is cornered in a bunker — their fate |
| The Death of Gerrit John “Doc” Schouwburg (June 23, 1967), by Jerry Prater Doc Schouwburg’s background — the problem of my grenade coming unscrewed and falling off — Doc returns to me the body of my grenade with the comment that he is too short to be killed by carelessness — I get rid of the grenade — the cordon with Charlie Company at Tấn Lộc overnight — I am awakened by an explosion — down the line, a medevac comes in — we learn that Doc was killed with a grenade — my revenge |
| The Short LRRP (Late June, 1967), by Jerry Prater and Michael Washburn the purpose of the long range reconnaissance patrol — I am selected for a 6 man lrrp — our covert departure in the boonies — contact with the enemy — I retrieve their bodies from the stream — another lrrp sent out the next day — I run out of water — the severe consequences of dehydration — I learn to keep my canteens full |
| The Firefight of 2 July 1967 at Túy An (1), the accounts of Richard Flanders, and the After Action Report of Major Robert RisCassi, Battalion S-3 Richard Flanders’ (2ḍ Platoon) account. AAR: part of "A" Company, accompanied by tanks, links up with "D" Company to approach the abandoned village of Túy An (1) — they make contact with the 22ḍ NVA Regṭ and a vicious firefight results — the rest of "A" Company comes in relief from LZ Geronimo by foot — the tanks overrun enemy positions at Hill Zebra, but do not knock them out — the infantry fights its way through — artillery expenditures during the fight |
The Road to Disaster (July 4, 1967), by Richard Dieterle Another View of the Road to Disaster (July 4, 1967), by Jerry Prater, Cliff Veazie, and Jim Aguirre the trip on tanks to a place near the sea — the intense heat — choppers see a man digging by the roadside ahead of us — Davis steps on a mine — Lt. Rooney orders me and three others to check the foliage on the flank — Sgt. Witcher stops me from bypassing a steep rise, and goes around it himself — Sgt. Witcher blown to pieces, I am knocked down — Nunn and I have minor shrapnel wounds — Doc Aguirre reaches the scene — I reflect on the fact that if past is prologue, the future looks grim |
| The Observation Post Duty (Early July, 1967), by Jerry Prater Sgt. Prock assigns us an OP after a hard day's trek in the tropical heat — what we carried, and how the radio was used — walking to the OP site — smoking on the OP and the dangers it presented — I try to suppress my cough by lying down, but this causes me to fall asleep — Sgt. Prock makes all the members of the OP return the next night because I had fallen asleep — I find ways to stay awake — at first light, we returned to LZ Geronimo |
| The Mad 79’er (Early July, 1967), by Richard Dieterle the nature of the White Sand Dunes — I get high — the “Mad 79’er” |
| Jumping Jehosaphats (July, 1967), by Richard Dieterle how to break both ankles — the utility of the same — the choppers ferry us to a mountain — I have to jump from a very great height — the expert on broken ankles injures his |
| Help (Mid-July, 1967), by Richard Dieterle we are assigned a night operation — the role of the dog — whispering communication — we go around in a circle — screams from a booby trap — we ignore sniper fire — Lt. Rooney humps an entire mortar |
| The Bad & The Awful (July, 1967), by Jerry Prater The Bad: a cordon operation — an enemy soldier runs between our positions — how I dodged the bullets that he fired at me; The Awful: new platoon leader tests us — a tactical blunder puts me in an offal field — the error corrected, and the lieutenant later removed. |
| • Smoking is Hazardous to Your Health (July, 1967), by Jerry Prater the Army's stance on smoking — night cordon and search operations — the hassle of setting up at the wrong place — the effect of constant cordon operations on sleep — I set up on a small rise — I somnambulantly flick on my cigarette lighter — a flurry of bullets come my way |
| Cordon and Search Missions, (June - August, 1967) by Jerry Prater, with Capt. Tom McAndrews (Company Commander) and Lt. Jerome Church (Platoon Leader) the nature and purpose of cordon operations — the added dangers of such an operation — preparations the night before — moving in the darkness and its difficulties — getting lost — coordinating the link up of platoons — how I became an enemy target — the role of the National Police and their dangerous practices — completing the mission by rounding up suspects and contraband |
| My Time in the Hospital (July 4 - Aug. 14, 1967), by Jerry Prater how I was wounded — I am treated in the field where I remain — as the wounds deteriorate, the field medic shows little concern — Sgt. Prock orders me to have doctors examine my leg — the doctor at LZ Two Bits decided the wound was bad enough to send me to the hospital at Qui Nhon — despite many seriously wounded soldiers there, I am sent to the front of the line — I am in danger of losing the leg, and I am put on 100% bed rest — washing off the field — boredom and limited activities — I am suddenly released and rejoin my unit — it takes several days to regain my strength — effects of the wound today |
| The Great Hump (August 4, 1967), by Richard Dieterle humping the An Lão mountains — blowing up giant boulders — cutting down a mountain cornfield — the exhausting march up and down the mountains — massive cramps — dozens of Montagnards show up at our perimeter, we take care of them — (photo of two Montagnards getting C-rations) — burning off the scrub (photo) |
| The White Plain (August 5, 1967), by Richard Dieterle the terrain in the plain — we get serenaded by a spotter plane — stop and set up early — shade tents (photo) — Charlie-Charlie stops by (photo) — (photo of popping red smoke) |
| LZ Sandra (Aug. 2 - Mid-Aug., 1967), by Richard Dieterle flying into LZ Sandra — my letter home — throwing a hand grenade like a frisbee — Care packages — artillery and tinnitus — traditions of the Cavalry |
The Death of Root (Aug. 21, 1967), by Richard Dieterle The Day Roger Root Was Killed (Aug. 21, 1967), by Jerry Prater, Jerome Church, Wayne Westenberger, and Michael Dyess |
| Harry Harvil (Sept. - Dec., 1967), by Richard Dieterle I meet Harry Harvil at Language School — a Moslem from Texas — his adventures during his Hajj — some of the old Ludwig Van — his language skills and his girl friend in Bồng Sơn — I meet a Palestinian in the US Army — death of Harvil’s friend in a rocket attack — my hot argument with Harvil’s lieutenant — the fantasy-world “intelligence” briefing — I ignore a guard who threatens to shoot me |
| Airstrike on the Bunkers (Sept. 3, 1967), by Jerry Prater, with Jim Aguirre the advantages of being air mobile — we take fire from an enemy bunker on a nearby hill — we air assault to the top of the hill — the difficulties of the terrain — 2ḍ Platoon makes contact with the NVA — our gun crew ends up in a dry swale — airstrikes send shrapnel our way — a terrifying close call — what was left of the enemy — we return to LZ Santana by air |
| Willie Bridge Firefight (Sept. 24, 1967), by Jerry Prater, with Jerome Church, and William Bruce Thomas taking a duster to Willie Bridge — the NVA hit the platoon at night — my M-16 jams — screams of the wounded — Stamper and Thomas wounded by shrapnel — death of Archuleta and Yelland — Lt. Church ordered to stay on LZ Willie — Heath wounded and his gun knocked out — instead of reinforcements or medevac, the battalion commander lands alone — Battalion Commander nicked in the ear — we repel the NVA attack — we almost shoot our own reinforcements — rumors of my death greatly exaggerated — commander of the First Cav gives out medals — the DSC given to Lt. Col. Jenkins – an officer's account of the action at Willie Bridge (with a map) — the actual situation at Willie Bridge (a map) — the citation for Lt. Col. Jenkins' medal |
| • LZ Willie Remembered (Sept. 21-30, 1967), by Jerry Prater a search and destroy mission — the set up at LZ Willie — security responsibility for Willie Bridge — while at the bridge, I am able to hear a notable football game — the enemy attack on Willie Bridge — medals given out: deserved and undeserved — the Donut Dolly SNAFU — the harrowing removal of a Quad 50 — the fate of LZ Willie |
| Blown Up (Oct. 6, 1967), by Richard Dieterle Charlie Co. war criminals assigned to us — fire put out with our own canteen water — we set up where foxholes had already been dug — hot food flown in — man blown to pieces as I watched — bits of intestine land in my food |
The Death of Peter Cole (Oct. 11, 1967), by Jerry Prater, Jerry Church, Wayne Westenberger, Michael Dyess, Ralph Ricedorf, and Dallas Owens; written by Jerry Prater the strength of the First Platoon — social circle confined mainly to the squad — a cordon operation with elements of D Company — in setting up for the night, booby traps were encountered and disarmed — a hot meal flown in — the extra treat of ice cream which I ate first — a sudden explosion sends body parts and clothing fragments everywhere — I eat my ice cream anyway — body parts collected and hauled to new set-up site — we learn that it was "Sugar Bear" Cook who was KIA |
| LZ Mustang (Oct. 11, 1967), by Richard Dieterle we enter An Lão Valley — its reputation and ruin — the old French bridge — the old French fort where we build LZ Mustang — cutting fields of fire in the monsoon — Army anti-intellectualism — short round — the bombardment of an NVA bunker complex — inspection by the high Brass — what price democracy ? — we leave the valley for the mountains |
| The Great Ambush (Oct. 25-26, 1967), by Richard Dieterle I get a couple of special treats — pulling point — nearly swept away crossing a river — set up in an old rice paddy — the enemy walks right into our perimeter — one killed, the other escapes — Truck accidentally sets off his claymore — we move in the night — the return — Prof. van Tulp |
| Skirmish at the White Sand Dunes (Nov. 4, 1967), by Richard Dieterle night skirmish — two teenagers brought to us wounded — we are told that they were later murdered by the chopper crew — a revelation in my old age |
| Thanksgiving (Nov. 9 - 23, 1967), by Richard Dieterle my family's military background — my grandma's father's brush with a cannon ball — my belief that I would never be hit with solid shot — our activities on the 9th of November — our new middle-aged Sergeant — smoke rounds — a smoke round skips off the fallow paddy with grim results — solid shot is still with us — sanitation in the rear and in the field — the outhouse and the cat hole — Alcala's misadventure — answering a call of nature: American vs. Vietnamese — burning human dung — intestinal worms — our special Thanksgiving Day in the field — after a true Army mess, we are sort of thankful |
| The Firefight at Đại Đồng (Dec. 7 - 9, 1967), by Richard Dieterle contact made at Đại Đồng with the NVA — the death of Lt. Boettcher and the strange assault upon him — we fly in on a flight of Hueys — we link up with Bravo Co. and move on line — Bravo Co. takes KIAs — Mechanized Infantry join us — we are shot to pieces in an open field — death of Tewkesbury — most of Mechanized unit made casualties — “Bullet” Bouchard retrieves Tewkesbury’s body — scout chopper shot up — Bullet throws a WP grenade and is hit with a piece of phosphorus — carbine shots from our rear — Bullet jumps into an APC, charges and crushes an enemy bunker — general withdrawal — death of Winslow — Top hit by a falling tree — second assault — it stalls at the same place — an APC goes up in smoke — our center is “in the air” — individual assaults move the Infantry line forward — I assault a position with my rifle accidentally in the “off” position — our platoon split — I run part way to them and signal them to come up — Thomas advances with his machine gun right up to the enemy entrenchments — we rush the enemy trench — four NVA killed at point blank range — other enemy soldiers found on our right — Charlie Co. shot up by Guns à Go-Go — next day begins with a barrage — miraculous escape from death — massive CS gas attack, half the company without gas masks — hit by pinhead-sized ’79 shrapnel — I knock out a bunker pulling the pin of the grenade with my teeth — we return to LZ English the next day on just one Chinook chopper — “Wild Bill Elliott” Jenkins says good-bye — After Action Report — newspaper account — DSC citation for “Bullet” Bouchard — the entry on "Bullet" Bouchard in the Congressional Record — a poem by Maj. David O. Valandry |
| Almost a Friendly Murder, by Richard Dieterle how we set up for the night using ponchos — I settle down for a night’s sleep — a machine gun opens up, and I barely escape “friendly fire” with my life |
| The Firing Line, by Richard Dieterle the old time firing line — ARVN lead comes our way — I do not take cover |
| Deacon, What’s This? by Richard Dieterle R.’s character and determination — picking up a booby trap — Blue Deacon with “F” Device — a nice ceremony |
| The Dead Forest, by Richard Dieterle a forest of gray trees — Agent Orange |
| Sergeant Washburn and Lieutenant Moore (Late December, 1967 - February 1, 1968), by Richard Dieterle the positive role played by Sgt. Washburn — Washburn's daring one-man patrol — his success — Lt. Moore takes over our platoon — the tension between Washburn and Moore — Moore's encounter with a suicide squad — their grisly end — a routine set up in the boonies — fatal shots in the twilight |
| Michael Washburn’s Friendly Fire Incident (February 1, 1968), by Michael Washburn, Tom McAndrews, Jim Battcher, Dallas Owens, Pat Skinner, Jerry Church, Wayne Westenberger, and Bruce Whitish; written by Jerry Prater the meaning of "friendly fire" — its frequency — the leadership qualities of Michael Washburn — the background of Lt. Wesley Moore — Moore given command of the 1st Platoon — the move to I Corps and the dangers encountered — Moore slated to replace Capt. McAndrews when he rotated, despite having a weak Infantry background — the position of the Company on 1 February — checking the perimeter set-up was part of Moore's learning the duties of the CO — Moore shows Capt. McAndrews his sector of the perimeter, but they drift too far out at dusk — Washburn fires at voices outside the perimeter, hitting Moore and McAndrews — the fate of Moore and McAndrews — Washburn cleared of any wrong doing by Battalion |
| Riding the Skids, or, An Army of One (March ?, 1968), by Richard Dieterle the meaning of “riding the skids” — the sensation of flying in midair — my first experience — “Sky King” — I ignore the ban on riding the skids — the problem of a hot LZ — how I almost became an “Army of One” |
| Homosexual Incident (March, 1968), by Richard Dieterle we search for a company moniker — one of our guys gets a dozen homosexual letters at once — he later rapes an 80 year old man — the Marines think up a company nickname for us — rapist returned to the field in the hope that he would be assassinated |
| The Lost Platoon — the Tragedy of March 25 (March 25, 1968), by Richard Dieterle taking it easy on LZ Sharon — 75 NVA bodies strung out along the road — lieutenants discuss taking action against me for smoking grass — news that 2ḍ Platoon made contact — gunner’s arm almost shot off — 2ḍ Platoon “lost,” surrounded but protected by artillery FO — they cannot break out — the vast fleet of slicks that come to pick us up — I jump from a very great height — the frustration of our probe — the death of Giddings and Orwig — our Chiêu Hồi deserts — firing through a cloud of CS gas — we attack in XVIIIth century style, but told not to fire our weapons — we make contact, but have to fall back — small arms fire directed at my Gun, we fall back to next hedge row — B-40 rocket kills Witt and Schmidt — we are back at the tree line — 2ḍ Platoon fends off the enemy — we return to where we started — I am given an anti-tank weapon — mortar attack followed by B-40 rocket — decimation of the 1st Platoon: death of Leonard and Thoman — our guys in the rear show up for us — enemy withdraws during the night — liberation of the 2ḍ Platoon — tragic letter — Operational Report |
| The Death of Giddings (March 25, 1968), by Larry E. Nunn, with Jerry Prater the burden of command for those who rose from the rank of Private — air assault to Thôn Xuân Dương — I appoint Giddings to be the point man — heavy enemy fire: Giddings hit and pinned down — the fire was so heavy that we could not cover Giddings — Giddings shot dead — the pain of losing a long time friend — my feelings of responsibility for his death |
| Khe Sanh Campaign (April 5, 1968), by Richard Dieterle I am given command of the guns — the Marines in a fix — air assault to establish LZ Snapper — the Guns of Co Roc — guns miss us — moonscape — B-52s shake the earth — the tragic fate of the 1/5 — Operational Report |
| Staying Awake (April 6, 1968), by Richard Dieterle our position on a spit outside Khe Sanh — enemy probe alarm — two new men flown in — how one of them stayed awake — Medevac |
| A Shot in the Dark (April 8, 1968), by Richard Dieterle the jungle in I Corps — NVA spotter walks up to our position and is shot — After Action Report |
| Thompson’s Hill (April 9-10, 1968), by Richard Dieterle we run into the enemy concealed and dug in — death of Thompson — we return, enemy flees — the face of death — Thompson’s body lost at Đà Nẵng — our FO shells enemy night convoy — After Action Reports |
| The Booby Trap (April 12, 1968), by Richard Dieterle we fly to LZ Sharon only to leave it for the boonies — we set up at an old site — the K-9 dog sets off a booby trap — the death of a young man — the risky way we remedy the situation — we move to another site |
| R&R at China Beach (April, 1968), by Richard Dieterle my watch is stolen — atmosphere of hostility — I nearly get caught with a bag of grass — mortar attack |
| Bravo Company’s
CO Gives Advice, (April 22, 1968), by Richard Dieterle a dopey idea — something for us to think about — I fire off a LAW |
| A Shâu Valley (April 26, 1968), by Richard Dieterle plan to auto-gyro into A Shâu — commander of the whole division chews me out — we land without incident — tank knocked out, D Company captures a deuce and a half — digging in — walking through a minefield — the living black cloud — crash of the C-130 — a man crushed by an air drop — hit with a pebble while on guard — discipline problems — sergeant has his foot blown off — we steal rear echelon’s rations — a racist move against Lt. Ewing — Operational Report |
| Trip to Đà Nẵng (May, 1968), by Richard Dieterle Mike and I chosen to go to Đà Nẵng — looking for Thompson’s body — “shortosis” — going through Phú Bài — Đà Nẵng is like being “back in the World” — incident with Air Force personnel — the ghoul ambulance driver — we do not find Thompson’s body |
| Welcome Home Baby Killer (May, 1968), by Jerry Prater emotional wounds of combat veterans — I receive orders to leave Vietnam — Ed House and Larry Nunn are on my flight home — land at Ft. Lewis where we are given new uniforms — hostile protestors at the Seattle airport — prejudicial behavior of the stewardess — arrive at Dallas and run the gauntlet of another hostile crowd — welcomed home — people distanced themselves from combat veterans — my wife's betrayal and our divorce — the price we veterans paid |
| Why Am I Still in the Army? (May 21 - Dec., 1968), by Jerry Prater options for concluding service — I report to 2ḍ Armor Division at Fort Hood, Texas — dragging out processing — the disrespect shown the old First Sergeant — riot training — training West Point cadets — I am charged for meals — Nunn and I become members of the Color Guard — frustrations with the Army — the Army refuses to give an exit physical — what the VA later found — the Army's failure to help veterans readjust to civilian life — despite all, my service time was one of the best times of my life |
| In Memoriam |
| • Larry Nunn Remembered, (2023) by Jerry Prater Nunn and Prater training in Ft. Polk together — adventure in Escape & Evasion — Nunn, House, and Prater assigned to the same platoon of A Co. 1/8 Cav — "Hand Grenade" Brown — acts of kindness by Nunn — Nunn and Prater DEROS on the same day, and both are assigned to Ft. Hood — both members of the Honor Guard — the passing of Larry Nunn |
| Topics |
| ✪ Glossary ✪ |
| Cav Patch, by Richard Dieterle |
| China Beach TV, by Richard Dieterle |
| Close Calls, by Richard Dieterle |
| Hand Grenade Brown, by Richard Dieterle |
| M-16, by Richard Dieterle |
| Medal of Honor, by Richard Dieterle |
| My Role as Interpreter, by Richard Dieterle (incomplete) |
| Water Torture, by Richard Dieterle |
| Killed in Action | |||
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| Photographs |
| ✪ 272 Photos, 1967-1968 ✪ |
| Photographs of LZ Willie, 18 July 1967 |
| Selected Photos from 1966 |
| Photos from the 2015 & 2018 Reunions |
| Films |
| Larry Douglas, Vietnam (1967) A Film Showing LZ Willy, 7/18/67 |
| “A” Company Rosters, Vietnam War |
| 31 July 1965, Ft. Benning |
| 31 August 1965, Enroute |
| 31 January 1966 |
| 28 July 1966 |
| 31 October 1966 |
| 31 December 1966 |
| 30 April 1969 |
| 31 October 1969 |
| 31 May 1970 |
| 30 November 1970 (incomplete) |
| Unit Strength |
| The Strength of Line Companies in the 1/8 Cavalry, 6 Nov. 67 - 29 May 68 (with a Graph) |
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