Truth be told there wasn’t in whatever way we can stream you to definitely pallet straight back for the brand new lighthearted truck, very as the good Samaritans we were, i piled as many instances while we you are going to for the all of our V-100-really that we could hardly change the fresh new turret. However, there are particular disappointed MPs that evening and you will plenty of dreadful severe headaches the next day.
To the men who served on a V-100 for a year, the vehicle became more than just a machine. It became your life, your friend and your protector. All but two of our V-100s were named after comic book heroes. These included “Captain America,” “Thor,” “Big Ben,” “Flash,” “Spider – man,” “Barbarian,” “Atom,” “Daredevil” and “Iron Man.” The other two were named “Road Hog” and “The Lemon.” Each of the V-100s had a painting of the character or the name across the front, life-sized and in coloric book superheroes painted on the front of the V-100s made for an interesting article in This new Roundup, our local GI newspaper. The April 1970 article was headlined, “66th MP Co. Super Heroes to Combat VC Wrong Doers.”
Periodically we’d all of our moments, like the go out when we was escorting an excellent convoy up the An enthusiastic Khe Pass and one of cars shed a whole pallet out of alcohol
David A beneficial. Swisher lives in Marshall, Unwell. The guy acquired this new Armed forces Commendation Medal having V Equipment for his procedures when you look at the ambush on An enthusiastic Khe Ticket from inside the April 1970. For further understanding, see: Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando 1960-71, from the Richard Lathrop and you may Jim Laurier; and you can Combat Police: U.S. Army Military Police in Vietnam, because of the Rick Younger.
A lot of our difficulties appeared towards the QL-19, however, I usually noticed much warmer on that road than simply on QL-1, given that they there have been alot more convoys into QL-19 hence greater probability of content. My personal baptism out-of flame appeared on the bush within hairpin contour about An Khe Violation. Our very own V-100 had currently come through the hairpin and is going down the latest pass, if westbound convoy was hit. The text “Contact! Get in touch with! Get in touch with!” emerged along the radio internet whenever i try driving, so i became brand new V-100 as much as and you can headed back up the newest pass. When we surely got to the latest hairpin, I spotted some Korean troops pinned down. Included in this https://escortfrauen.de/en/switzerland/basel-landschaft/oberwil had their sleeve stuck-up floating around pointing towards the south section of the hairpin turn. We removed the fresh new V-100 amongst the Koreans and status he had been leading in order to, so we you’ll provide them with a bit more coverage as well as have engage our firepower.
My V-100 was escorting an effective convoy regarding Tuy Hoa one day when discover enough framework manage the road, causing somewhat an enthusiastic accordion feeling
Some thing on the powering the fresh channels everyday is actually you never knew what uncommon issue would definitely occurs next. If front side of one’s convoy prevented, the back tightened. Then the front side create begin again, and the convoy dispersed before the bottom you will start. Due to this, I informed all of our V-100 rider Reno Catalano to get in the midst of new street so we keeps almost every other vehicle out of all of our convoy until i had from the construction town. Whereas i constantly help less vehicle feel free to solution the fresh convoy trucks, since there is such framework I desired to keep brand new convoy free of one other guests.
On a single convoy in order to Weil Nang, one of the trucks struck a beneficial Lambretta packed with Vietnamese. It had been some a mess. The Lambretta went off the highway and down an enthusiastic embankment. By the time we got a dustoff there and you will got things removed upwards sometime, there have been all sorts of black colored pajama-clad people with firearms condition around talking and you will yelling. From the difficult, a misunderstanding can potentially possess arisen, but before you to taken place we got of here and you will straight back to our convoy.