http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine en-us http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine N/A admin@leatherneck.com Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:42:43 -0400 20 http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine/articles/53/1/Going-Home/Going-Home.html On the long flight back, I had lots of hours to reflect. Things that came to my mind were; “Why did I get out, with just a few bumps, lumps, scratches from enemy fire and others didn’t?” When I got word that my Company CO a 1st LT, whom I befriended and who had only ten days left of his tour, was sent out with a team, I couldn’t believe it! So I even asked him and he said, ”I was ordered out, I don’t have a choice.” Then word came he had been killed. It really made me angry. His wife sent me a letter and his picture telling me how much he thought of me, and all about him. I sat down in my team’s tent and cried. temp@temp.com (Paul Bailey) Sun, 13 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine/articles/48/1/Hero---Part-II/Hero---Part-II.html                          "AUTHOR'S NOTE"       First of all I have to set the record straight about something that has some wondering.   I was not given a "Recon Marines'" MOS, I was made an 0311. Of which most of our Company and Battalion was made of. As we didn't have any skilled training in Recon, it was some harsh on the job training. Our hard core Recon Marines were up in Dong-ha before joining the rest of us at Quang-tri, Force Recon. We were given grunts mainly for FNGs, so I hope I've answered any questions you may have as to the authenticity of my writings. You just don't become a Recon Marine you have to attend a school. So yes I was a supply man who became a grunt in a Recon unit, and I've told my story.                   temp@temp.com (Paul Bailey) Fri, 16 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine/articles/42/1/The-Forgotten-Heroes-amongst-us/The-Forgotten-Heroes-amongst-us.html I was a young Lieutenant going through TBS in the early seventies.  The instructors where all Viet Nam Veterans and most of them where highly decorated.  Navy Crosses and Silver Stars adorned the chests of many of the instructors and especially those in the tactics instructor pool.  These instructors where serious, dedicated and highly motivated.  Their instructional techniques included attention gainers and methods of instruction that have become legendary in the Corps.  They often used examples from there own experience in Viet Nam or from the stories of extraordinary exploits that remain with units forever. This is about one of those exploits and its impact almost three decades later.  The story starts in the year 1966 on Hill 488 northwest of Chulai overlooking the infamous Hiep Duc Valley where 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Recon Bn's 16 Marines and 2 Navy Corpsmen are inserted and ends in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997. RA0302@msn.com (Robert Adelhelm) Tue, 16 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine/articles/43/1/Hero/Hero.html It was right after monsoon season when for me, all hell came loose in that far off land of "OZ". It came unglued on a recon patrol in the proximity of our base camp in the Quang-Tri province.   The enemy's Tet Offensive was in full swing at the once Capitol City of Hue. They were also attacking Phu-Bai, laying siege to Khe-Sahn and Saigon.  Rolling Thunder was in high gear. This was the first, or maybe the second time, President Johnson ordered Rolling Thunder. Air power from the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps were pounding the North Vietnam area of Hanoi and Hai-Phong, along the DMZ, as well as around Khe-Sahn, the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and any other targets they could find. temp@temp.com (Paul Bailey) Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine/articles/25/1/What-Happened/What-Happened.html So, what happened in Vietnam? Why all the acrimony after all this time? Why won't the wounds heal? Can't we all just get along? The war in Vietnam was part of the Cold War. The communists, China and the USSR, wanted control of Southeast Asia. The easiest way to take that control was through Ho Chi Minh, a North Vietnamese Communist. The West, the United States and its allies, did not want the Communists to seize control of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and other countries of the area. The place to stop the Communists was Vietnam. Deduke@kc.rr.com (Mike Smith) Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine/articles/22/1/Getting-Lost/Getting-Lost.html Running around blind in enemy territory is not a good thing. When you don't know where you are to call in fire support or extraction, bad things can happen.   After moving from one part of Quang-Tri area west, we got our GP tents set up. There wasn't any formed line of infantry protection.   It was wide open to the west. In other words, if you went 2 feet passed the Offices and SNCOs quarters you were in enemy country, especially so since we were in enemy country all the time. temp@temp.com (Paul Bailey) Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine/articles/19/1/The-Mission/The-Mission.html The mission is to strike deep into the enemy camp. The enemy is a treacherous, traitorous terrorist who is responsible for the death of many comrades-in-arms, and for the torture of those buddies who were captured.   The first step is to develop a plan of action. Decide on a goal and work out the necessary tactics to get it done. Do the necessary recon. Do the necessary preparation. Refine the plan. Prepare again. Recon again. Deduke@kc.rr.com (Mike Smith) Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine/articles/13/1/Tammys-Bracelet/Tammys-Bracelet.html A Combined Action Platoon was a squad of Marines who were assigned to defend a group of small South Vietnamese villages. Under ideal circumstances, a squad consisted of 14 Marines and a Navy corpsman. Often, though, CAPs operated short-handed.Our job was Vietnamization, the winning of hearts and minds of South Vietnamese civilians, and the training of South Vietnamese military forces. We lived in the villages and hamlets 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We interacted with the South Vietnamese on a daily basis. In fact, our lives depended on our interaction with the people of South Vietnam... Deduke@kc.rr.com (Mike Smith) Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.leatherneck.com/ezine/articles/9/1/Dear-Jane-Fonda/Dear-Jane-Fonda.html As a CAP team member I lived with the people of Viet Nam. My Brothers and I safeguarded them and did our best to make their life better. We put our lives on the line to protect them.I personally take great offense to the words of Jane Fonda calling us War Criminals. Words cannot truly express the revulsion and loathing I have for her. But here is an attempt to express what I and I know many of my Brother Marines feel about Jane Fonda: Deduke@kc.rr.com (Mike Smith) Sun, 12 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500