Just after back during the substance, i unloaded the new alcohol, place it with the a cut-of 55-gallon musical instrument and you may iced it down
Indeed there was not in any manner we could weight you to definitely pallet back into the the newest lighthearted truck, very being the an effective Samaritans we were, i loaded as many instances even as we you’ll on all of our V-100-a whole lot that we could hardly change the turret. Of course, there were particular disappointed MPs one night and you will an abundance of dreadful head aches 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 next 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.”
Periodically we’d the moments, for instance the time when we was basically escorting an excellent convoy up the An enthusiastic Khe Admission plus one of vehicles destroyed a complete pallet off alcohol
David Good. Swisher stays in Marshall, Sick. The guy gotten the Army Commendation Medal having V Unit to own his tips for the ambush at the An enthusiastic Khe Pass during the April 1970. For additional discovering, see: Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando 1960-71, from the Richard Lathrop and you may Jim Laurier; and Combat Police: U.S. Army Military Police in Vietnam, of the Rick Young.
Most of all of our problems appeared toward QL-19, but I usually noticed warmer thereon street than on the QL-1, simply because there have been so much more convoys toward QL-19 and this greater odds of content. My personal baptism away from flame emerged on bush in the hairpin curve in the An Khe Ticket. Our V-100 had currently break through the brand new hairpin and you can is lead off the fresh new pass, when the westbound convoy try struck. The language “Get in touch with! Contact! Contact!” appeared across the broadcast internet once i are driving, therefore i turned into the V-100 around and you may lead backup new pass. When we surely got to the newest hairpin, We spotted some Korean soldiers pinned off. Among them had his case stuck-up in the air pointing south section of the hairpin change. I taken the newest V-100 within Koreans as well as the status he was leading to, so we you are going to let them have more shelter and have now build relationships all of our firepower.
My personal V-100 is actually escorting good convoy off Tuy Hoa one-day whenever discover plenty of framework work with the trail, causing somewhat an enthusiastic accordion impression
Anything in the powering the latest ways everyday are that you never know exactly what unusual material would happen next. If the side of your own convoy eliminated, the back tightened. Then the top perform start once more, additionally the convoy spread out before the rear you certainly will begin. Because of that, We informed the V-100 rider Reno Catalano to go into the middle of the new road so we helps to keep other automobile regarding all of our convoy up to we got outside of the build urban area. While i always assist smaller vehicles go ahead and pass this new convoy autos, because there was a great deal construction I needed to keep the fresh new convoy without one other guests.
On a single convoy so you’re able to Weil Nang, our cars strike an effective Lambretta loaded with Vietnamese. It was some in pretty bad shape. This new Lambretta went off of the street and you may off an embankment. By the time we got a great dustoff here and you may had one thing cleared upwards some time, there were all sorts of black colored pajama-clad those with guns status around talking and you will shouting. By the language barrier, a misunderstanding can potentially keeps developed, prior to one taken place we had off around and you will back to the convoy.
