Lord, Lord.

It was almost dusk, on 6 or 7Dec70, best I recall after having looked at the calendar; I was standing at the pisstube behind the avionics hootch (from the hotspot) -actually, facing the front gate.

I heard two birds coming in fast over the ville out from the gate, and looked up- they were beginning a fast low turn to short final.

Seems one was a gun and one a slick, but I honestly cannot recall. One of the birds was flying erratically- that is, didn't appear to be very stable in flight- the two landed in the revetments at the top of the active, toward Pleiku, just outside the Medics/Avionics/Bn Maint hootches-right next to the fire station.

As they set down, one dropped the last few feet, and it seems I remember a minor blade strike on the sandbags atop the revetment.

By this time, of course-I'd finished at the p-tube, and was standing in the door of the hootch, facing the revetments. From the right rear of the bird to my left, emerged the GIB, and he bolted for the front door. I arrived at the right front door just after he opened it. We could see that the right-seater had taken a round through the head, and most of that was all over the rear compartment. It was clear that he was gone. The GIB looked completely lost, and I KNOW I was.
I was so shocked, I have no memory after that.
I'm sure I went off somewhere and got loaded.
I found out later that apparently only one round
had hit. It was thought to be a .51 cal.
I don't have any idea who it was, or which unit they were from. Anyone know?

I didn't know it at the time, but I had less than two weeks left in-country. A week later, I was summoned to the HHC orderly room at about mid- evening. Top asked me if I wanted to go home the next day. Yes, I did. The event of a week before was the major factor in my decision. Holloway was not really all that "hot" at the time, but we'd all heard of "the one with my name on it"....I'd already had two injuries under fire at Holloway which could, if pressed, have gotten me a Heart, but screw that. I still live with a very bad back from the first one.

Got a little more ripped than usual with the guys that night, and the next day, all day, sat under the wing of a Caribou with a couple of Brothers,
Dane Juarez and Dan Melton. Flew out that night to Cam Ranh, and out of there four nights later.
Didn't want my steak at McChord. Stopped in Frisco and visited Dane's people. Went back to Texas.

I still feel bad for leaving.