Viet Nam Patrol 3

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Category: Conflicts/Vietnam

	Viet Nam Patrol 3; another day at the office for a Crunchie
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So far the patrol has been without major incident. That is about to change . . .

CONTACT !

Jeesuz. Look at that tracer and there is incoming mortar. Where are the bastards. Bluey has the Gun working thank Christ. Beautiful sound. Watch his tracer; the bastard's got eyes like a cat. There's one. Over there near that tree with the deformed trunk. See him? Stick an M79 up his arse and see if he grins. You bloody beauty, smack on. That might stop him farting in church.

Oh SHIT. Davo has been hit. Hey Skipper, we've got one down. We'll need Casevac. Hey Doc, see to Davo will ya. Good lad. For God's sake get him to stop that bloody screaming. Hit him with some morphine. Get rid of some of the pain for him, for fuc'sake.

That was short and sharp. Bastards have drifted away again. Might be a tunnel complex. We'll have to get some help and clear them. Thank Christ you're not a tunnel rat. Anyone need about 4 gallons of adrenalin? You've got plenty to spare.

C'mon grab hold of that end . We have to get Davo down to where DUSTOFF is coming in. Jeezus. What are those explosions? Hope it's not more incoming mortar. Oh! just the Sappers blowing a helipad for Davo's DUSTOFF. OK. Everything's cool. Hang loose Davo, old son, you'll make it.

Thank Christ for DUSTOFF. Old Davo's got a chance now, poor bastard. Righto boys, let's go sort out those bunkers.

There is that bunker. Bloody hard to see, ain't it.

Stand clear. That Sapper is about to blow the hole.

OK. Scratch one bunker. It's now just a hole. Righto. Saddle up, we're heading back to the Dat.

Look at that. It's the rice harvest. Hope the VC don't get too much of it.

OK boys. The choppers are incoming. Get ready to pop smoke. Throw smoke. Confirm red. Oh shit! A grass fire has started. Oh, well. The choppers can't miss that.

OK choppers are down. Load up. Go! Go! Go!

OK son. You're back on the bus. You've got your first patrol under your belt. Maybe you're not a new boy anymore. What's your name again? Steve? OK, Stevo, you can buy me a beer later. I will need eleventy seven at least. Davo died in the chopper on the way in. What a bastard of a way to make a quid.

Most (not all) images from a selection of 283 Vietnam Pictures – Ian Cavanough,
- 2 Pl A Coy 2 RAR Vietnam 70/71
  - http://users.mildura.net.au/users/marshall/2RAR/thumbs1/index.html
ALL photos are genuine, taken in country. None are staged.
I make no suggestion that this is anything other than a representation. It is not intended to be a Battalion specific story. It is a generalization.