Lumpy,

The true story started back in the LRRP bar and RON tent. About a half dozen of us had made E-5 that day and so we were celebrating. We had left the LLRP bar with several Black Label beers stuck in our pockets and as we headed back to the tent somebdy decided that we should visit the ladies at Tan Canh to complete our night of fun.

So here we go not sneaking through the wire, it was more like a herd of cows heading for the feed bin. I think out of eight or so guys I was the only one with a weapon and it was a .45. We make it through the wire and the MP's show up as we are walking down the run. They load us in the jeeps and we head back. After Frakes does the swan dive off the back of the jeep we all scatter in different directions. I was with Sempek and he is still determined to get to Tan Canh. I decided that I at least wanted the chance to have my new rank for more than one day so I headed back to the tent.

The next day at pre-flight Frakes doesn't remember anything. He is limping like crazy and has a large bump on his head. Two days later he goes to the dispensery and they discover his leg has a crack in the large bone above his knee. Commonly called a broken leg. They end up DEROSing him back home because he is under sixty days in his tour. Not long after that was when we were pulled back to Holloway and the first flight platoon was sent to the coast to work with the ROK's for a couple of months. I wonder if they gave Frakes a Purple Heart for that?