Truth be told there was not any way we can load you to definitely pallet back to the the fresh new lighthearted truck, very as being the a beneficial Samaritans we had been, i piled as many times once we you will definitely into the our very own V-100-so much that individuals could not change the turret. Naturally, there are some disappointed MPs one night and you can many dreadful headaches the following 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 The Roundup, our local GI newspaper. The April 1970 article was headlined, “66th MP Co. Super Heroes to Combat VC Wrong Doers.”
From time to time we had our very own moments, for instance the big date once we have been escorting an effective convoy up the An Khe Violation and another of vehicles shed a complete pallet of alcohol
David A good. Swisher resides in Marshall, Sick. The guy gotten this new Armed forces Commendation Medal that have V Device getting his actions for the ambush on An Khe Pass for the April 1970. For further training, see: Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando 1960-71, by 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.
The majority of our very own problems arrived toward QL-19, but I always believed more comfortable on that road than simply to the QL-1, simply because they there are a great deal more convoys towards the QL-19 and therefore better probability of copy. My baptism regarding flames emerged toward plant in the hairpin curve on the An Khe Pass. The V-100 got already break through the newest hairpin and you can is lead off new solution, if westbound convoy is actually struck. The text “Get in touch with! Contact! Get in touch with!” appeared across the broadcast net once i try riding, so i turned into the brand new V-100 around and you will oriented back up the brand new admission. Once we got to the new hairpin, We saw specific Korean troops pinned down. Included in this had his sleeve stuck-up floating around leading south side of the hairpin WГ¤denswil escorts change. I taken the newest V-100 between your Koreans additionally the updates he was directing to, therefore we you may give them more protection while having engage the firepower.
My personal V-100 are escorting an excellent convoy away from Tuy Hoa one day whenever there is a great amount of framework work with the road, resulting in quite a keen accordion perception
Some thing regarding running new paths everyday try that you never knew exactly what strange issue would happen next. When the front side of the convoy averted, the trunk tightened up. Then your side manage initiate again, as well as the convoy dispersed through to the bottom you are going to begin. Because of that, We told our V-100 driver Reno Catalano to get in the middle of the new highway therefore we will keep almost every other auto off all of our convoy up to we got out from the construction area. Whereas we always assist smaller car feel free to solution new convoy cars, since there was really build I needed to save new convoy free of one other guests.
On a single convoy so you can Weil Nang, one of our automobiles hit a Lambretta laden up with Vietnamese. It absolutely was quite chaos. The Lambretta ran off the street and you can down an enthusiastic embankment. Once i had an effective dustoff around and you may had things removed right up sometime, there had been all types of black pajama-clad people who have weapons updates to speaking and you can yelling. From the language barrier, a misunderstanding can potentially enjoys developed, prior to that took place i had from around and right back to the convoy.