DROPPING THE HOWITZER
This "War Story" is, by far,
the most heavily documented
event by our brothers of the 2/9th. The eyewitnesses
agree on almost every detail. The pilot had no
choice but to punch out the howitzer
The last entry covers another lost howitzer
Our story Contributors:
SSG Charles W. Wahlquist
SGT Rick Ericksen
Lt Joe Hanigan
SGT Herb Ables
SGT Walt Shields
SGT Larry Engels
SSG Charles W. Wahlquist --- "...we were worried about a strong NVA presence..."
Shortly after the
action at firebase St. George, I was with "A" Battery, 2/9th, and
assigned as a crew chief. Forty-six
years later and one day I’m thinking “I wish I could remember the name of
the hill we were on and the date of the action”. Then I start thinking I
should write about why I remember it……
Of course, the name
of the peak was probably just an elevation above sea level, but it would be nice
to know what we called the firebase if we called it anything at all. It
was a pretty good hill for a firebase as hills go. It had the advantage of
really steep sides. No one was going to mount an uphill attack in mass.
It had the
disadvantage of having neighboring peaks (two, or three?) that I remember were
slightly higher but at least five hundred to one thousand feet away at the level
of the gun pits on the peak. Memories get twisted by time and I’m not
sure if this is the same base that started life as a four or five day miserable
stay in the rain and cold for those of us in the advance party. If it was, the
weather socked us in with rain and fog immediately after we landed in the Hueys
and didn’t let up for days. We had no resupply and only a few ponchos and some
plastic sheeting for cover.
Two memories stand
out from that period:
First, we had to be careful of punji stakes, but not too careful. It seems the
NVA were lazy the day they put them down and their sergeants were asleep. They
were all in the open and easily seen. If you stayed in the grass and low brush
you were Ok. Go figure. We cleaned them out in a few hours.
The
second was sitting back to back under a poncho with another guy while we waited
for his last cigarette and my last matches to dry out enough to smoke it. We had
them in our armpits for the warmth and it took them a long time to dry.
I remember that
shared cig as being one of the best I ever had. I wish I could remember his
name.
Finally the weather
cleared and the Chinook’s brought in the guns and the rest of the Battery and
the remainder of the Infantry Company.
I remember that we
were very worried about a strong NVA presence in the area and that we worked
hard to button up against rockets and mortars. We sent work parties down some
very steep slopes to cut trees for overhead support. We watched the adjoining
hill like hawks because the work parties were so exposed. I don’t
remember that we had any enemy contact during our time on that peak as we fired
support for the ground pounders around us but I remember that we remained
worried. And then, like always, it was over. As it usually happened, we got the
word to march order and within an hour or so the guns were ready to sling out
and we were waiting for the Chinooks.
Charlie must have
thought the Chinook they fired on was carrying the last M102 Howitzer out of our
position. I remember that the adjoining hillside erupted in heavy gunfire and we
saw the Chinook take heavy fire. The pilot dropped the Gun and ammo
slings, I saw them fall, and then he evaded as best he could. I should
remember, but I don’t, if it went down. If it did, it was out of my line of
sight and I was already too busy to wonder.
Someone started
yelling for help with moving the one remaining howitzer over the crest of the
hill to where it could be brought to bear on the enemy. I don’t know who was
directing the effort. It could have been Top, or one of the Officers, but it
might have been the crew chief of the remaining howitzer. It was a hell of an
effort and carried out in record time. You have to visualize what the top
of that hill looked like. You could not walk a straight line over the crest let
alone roll a howitzer. Most of you have seen the results of building up and
tearing down a Battery position. I think 13,000 sandbags was the suggested
number of bags required for a finished battery position. The dirt comes out of
holes. When we broke down the firebase, we emptied the bags but we didn’t
refill the holes or worry about the landscaping. There were a lot of holes.
I’m not sure how many men it took to move that howitzer. I know it weighed
about three thousand pounds.
I have a prized
memory of a lot of highly pissed cannoncockers carrying it over holes and mounds
of dirt and logs as if they were not there. Before the movement of
the gun was finished, the rest of us were breaking ammo out of tubes and moving
after it. They dropped it where there was a good view of the opposite
hillside and I think the first round was fired while it was still on the wheels.
I remember that there were no optics. The chief was bore sighting on targets and
we were firing charge seven, fuse quick. We fired a lot rounds.
Did we kill any
enemy? I hope so. It’s hard to tell what is happening under a high canopy. I
know we made the effort and that sometime later we slung out the last gun and
went on to fill the next thirteen thousand sandbags.
I have a memory that
may be incorrect, that we lost the gun crew that was in the Chinook. I hope
I’m wrong.
submitted
by
SSG Charles "Chuck" Wahlquist
Webmaster's
Note: Our "TAPS" page, thankfully, does not indicate that we lost a
gun crew.
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SGT
Rick Ericksen --- "LZ Tuffy was one hellish hill............"
After reading Chuck's story I can tell you firsthand about that
day...I was there. I was with the FO Party assigned to "B"
Company, 1st/14th Inf and we were sent there for a stand down. Big
Mistake. The name of the LZ was LZ Tuffy and very appropriately named. It
was one hellish hill with very steep sides and in a very nasty
terrain to say the least. I remember it well for it was a Sniper's paradise.
The adjoining hill was directly across from us and was
a perfect place to be if you wanted to take pot shots at someone or something.
It was extremely densely vegetated and you could not see anything or anyone for
that matter. From the day we got there to the day we left, it was like clockwork
every morning. Usually just around the time everyone was up and moving
around, shots would ring out from the other hill. They would only fire a few
random shots and usually be way off except every now and then. They would
get a little too close for comfort and everyone would go scrambling for their
bunkers. Then every evening they would do the same thing, usually just around
the time you would be settling in for chow. Seems like they had this plan to
disrupt your day from the start and then again at evening to ruin your dinner.
In any event, I remember there was a 4-Deuce Mortar unit set up on the side of
the hill facing the one that we were taking the shots from. As soon as the
sniper started, they would start firing rounds in the direction of where
they thought the snipers were and would pound them for a while.
{One day when this was happening, a weird thing occurred and
scared the living daylights out of me. One of the mortars had a cocked round in
the tube and when it fired it came out like a bell ringing and clanging against
the inside of the tube. This caused it to come out in a very erratic way and was
wobbling upwards at a very slow pace and you could see it wasn't going very fast
or high and then when it got about maybe a hundred feet up or so it flipped over
and down it comes. Need less to say myself and everyone else was making a
beeline for cover. Luckily I wasn't too far from my hole and dived in head
first. To my amazement and relief, there was no explosion. A short time later I
heard someone giving the all clear and came out to see what had happened. They
retrieved the round and realized it had never armed. Thank God for the safety
system built into it.}
Let the Games begin. As usual, as soon as the next morning
arrived and we started moving around, the shots flew. And so did the 4-Deuce.
I remember that as soon as the sniper shots stopped, the 4-Deuce opened up on
them again. Then the word came down that we were all moving out and off this
nasty hill. Next thing I know, we are all scrambling to get are stuff together
and the choppers start arriving to pull out the guns and cargo, ammo etc.
If memories serves me correctly, we were in the process of hooking up the gun I
was assigned to when I was with "A" Battery,
2/9th. Last
I remember, I left LZ St. George and went out with the FO party/Grunts. The pad
man was hooking up to the chopper and as it started to go up, I could see it
pulling up the gun which was in a sling and the cargo net below in tow with it.
Some of the guys who were assigned to it had already got on the Chinook and were
sitting inside when it took off.
Now the shit really hits the fan. For unknown reasons, the
chopper goes straight up and instead of just going straight, the pilot banks a
hard turn and hooks a half circle but right over the adjoining
hill where we were taking all of the sniper shots from. Well, this was just
too much temptation for Charlie. So, as soon as he's directly over the center of
the hill, they started peppering him and the chopper with small arms fire. He
immediately started to climb upwards but in vain. He had taken too many rounds
and starting losing altitude and going straight down. Next thing I see is that
he releases the cargo hook and there goes our gun, a net of ammo and all of our
personnel stuff. As soon as he released it, the chopper started to regain
altitude and took off. Next thing I hear is the XO screaming to push the
guns that were left to the top of the hill and the side where the other hill has
facing. Soon as we had the remaining three guns set in place, he ordered us to
direct fire on the other hill nonstop. We then went all out and expended every
round left, leaving nothing to spare. It was like the end of the world. We
blasted that hill to oblivion and then some. I do not know if we got any of the
little bastards but we sure as hell gave them something to think about. Soon
after we got everything together and were picked up, that was the end of LZ
Tuffy.
Amen, Brothers.
P.S.
One footnote to this story. I later met up with the Squad of grunts from
our unit that were sent out to find the Gun we lost. They found it stuck
straight down half way with the trails sticking straight up. They packed it with
C-4 and blew it in place. The remaining stuff/personnel items were scattered all
over and they did not want to hang around in case Charlie showed up. All I
remember is getting back a cigarette lighter. On another note, I heard back from
the guys who were on the chopper when it got hit. They were like a bunch of
Mexican jumping beans inside. There was nowhere to run as the rounds came
blowing through the under belly. The pilot got hit in the legs and the hydraulic lines
were hit, causing him to lose power, so that is why he dumped our gun to save
the ship and the guys on
it.
submitted by
SGT Rick Ericksen
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LT Joe
Hannigan --- "...the
sniper shot either the pilot or co-pilot..."
I
read Chuck Wahlquist's story and believe I have pertinent information.
In the past couple of years I have been in touch with some members of "Bravo"Co,
1/14th Infantry, to which I was attached as a FO. The following is from a
timeline I had prepared about my experiences:
"A day where a large tragedy was narrowly averted came when we were
clearing out of an LZ, and I’m not certain if it was LZ Schueller, but I think
more likely Toughie (LZ Tuffy). A CH 47 was hoisting out one of the guns
from the artillery battery, with a sling load of ammo, and numerous members of
the artillery battery as well as Bravo company personnel. As it was
starting to gain altitude and slowly circle up and away from the firebase, a
sniper on a nearby ridgeline shot either the pilot or co-pilot, who slumped
forward over the controls, causing the helicopter to start nosing down RAPIDLY.
The other aviator managed to hit the release and drop the sling, and then pull
the other wounded flier back off the controls and regain control of the chopper,
which barely cleared the ridge. The howitzer and ammo were last seen
heading off on their own."
The Infantry platoon leader recalled:
"I remember this vividly. They sent my platoon down into that valley
to try and find the howitzer. We did not find it, but a platoon from
another Battalion who was in the area did find it. The platoon leader
happened to be a friend of mine; I was a TAC Officer in OCS with him. We
came in country on the same flight from Travis AFB. Lt Gary Cassidy found
the howitzer and we found him and his guys. The gun was buried in the muck
at the bottom of the valley. Only a bit of the barrel and the breech were
showing. Lt Gary Cassidy and his guys took the breech off and he or
we took it, I don't recall. They then went off in the direction his
Battalion told him to and we returned back up to the firebase in the middle of
the Jungle. As I recall there were limited fields of fire as the jungle
came just about up to the edge of the perimeter of that FB. The area near one
end stank of CS gas.
We provided
perimeter security after we all got back up to the firebase after looking for
the howitzer. For the rest of the day, everyone continued to be ferried
out by helicopters and then when it was getting late and we were the last ones
there. We began to relocate our platoon. Everyone was on a
helicopter on their way back to another firebase and we watched the last
helicopter coming in to pick us up. (It was Dave "Doc" Brown, my
RTO, one M-60 team and me). Our helicopter started to fart large puffs of
white smoke and the pilot told us he had developed hydraulic problems and was
headed back to base. Whether he was hit by a golden bullet or something
just broke it was a sad and scary sight to watch that helicopter turn around and
head back (later info: five (5) .50 caliber rounds). Higher ups told us
there were no more birds flying that night and they would be back to pick us up
in the morning. We were on that abandoned firebase all damn night.
So, I learned what "expendable" meant and I don't feel guilty about
taking my retirement and disability payments. We made a big FuGas bomb out
of a 55 gal. drum, mud and JP-4 and a claymore. I'm glad that we didn't
have to set it off, but I've always wondered what damage it would have done.
A helicopter came just after dawn and married us up with the rest of the
platoon. It was a very long and very dark and scary night. I don't
think any of us slept. I sure didn't."
Joe adds: I also spent the night on the mostly empty
firebase. I called in some extremely close DT's that happily weren't
needed and was glad to fly out in the morning with the remaining infantry
troops. I was later told by the LNO, Max Rishell, that the wounded aviator
was going to recover. The quick action of the other aviator in dumping the
howitzer undoubtedly saved numerous lives, as it was obvious the helicopter was
not going to clear the ridgeline with such a heavy load.
submitted by
Lt Joe Hannigan
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SGT Herb Ables: "...I remember the chopper dropping the cannon..."
Losing that howitzer brings memories flooding back. The LZ was Tuffy and properly named. I was in the Advanced Party for my
section. I remember the LZ well because of the rain. Wasn't many dry days there.
I also had to hump down the bottom of the mountain. Helluva
a climb.
Lots of stories about that LZ. I remember the chopper dropping the cannon.
Chopper didn't crash, but remember being told the pilot getting hit in the leg
from the bottom of the chopper. Grunts salvaged some personal belonging for the
crew and then blowing up the gun and ammo. Was a wicked LZ. Had sniper fire
almost daily, but nothing serious. Like "12:00 Charlie" on the M*A*S*H
TV series. Knew it was coming, but not from where. We spent almost a month
there. Went up right after New Year's Day. Had to wait on a decent day to fly
in. Slept in my helmet with a little plastic over us.
Remember someone falling in the "shit" latrine while it
was burning and how they got him out in bad shape. Medical chopper flying up to
get him when nothing else would fly up there. Wish I could remember names or had
pictures, but my camera was stolen from St George. I'm sure Rick remembers more.
submitted by
SGT Herb Ables
**********************************************
SGT Walt Shields: "...I got on (LZ) Tuffy...I didn't like it..."
I
was assigned to "B" Battery, 2/9th and to A/2/35th. We were north of
An Khe on a firebase named Armageddon. I never like that place with a that name.
This was in January of 70. Things had been picking up in the area and it really
picked up for us a little later.
Alpha
company was guarding the firebase, so I was staying with the battery and helping
out on fire missions. It was fun being being on the guns even if all they would
let me do in hump ammo and RTO. I still to this day love to watch a howitzer
fire, see the tube flying back and then back into battery, hearing the breech
open and the brass fly out. But it wasn't to be. I got called to FDC and the
Battery Commander told me to grab my gear as I was being flown to another
firebase to help run a relay as the grunts were out a ways in some valleys and
couldn't get radio contact with the batteries.
I
grabbed my gear and I was cussing the whole time. They were yelling at me to
hurry as the Loach was on the pad to pick me up. I was approaching the bird from
it's right side. Now, I have to tell you that the Loach is a small 4 seater and
when it was on the pad, the blades were about 4 or 5 feet off the ground on the
side I was approaching from. You guys know that when those blades are flying,
it's hard to see them???? I'm running up to the bird and the pilot is jumping
around like he has fire ants in his crotch. Then I see he is pointing to the
blades spinning at a million miles a hour and I fell to the ground. Yep, I
almost ran into the damn things. I got stopped about 5 or 6 feet from them. I
will tell you that my ass puckered on that one. I went around the bird and got
in the back for my trip to I had no idea where. And it took me 44 years to find
out the name of that firebase. LZ Tuffy.
When
I got on Tuffy I didn't like it. You can see why when you read what the others
said about it. Anyway, the other guy I was with was called Toy. Can't remember
his real name. Well he outranked me so he got day shift from 0600 to 1800 hrs. I
got 1800 to 0600 hrs. Anyone want to guess which shift is the busy one??? I knew
no one would guess the night shift. Now there were 3 companies of grunts and
they were split up into platoon size units. That's 9 units and we had 6
different batteries firing: 105's, 155's, 175's and 8 inch. Everyone had
different call signs, so that makes 15 different call signs not counting mine. I
work good under pressure. I had no problems relaying to the guns and everything
was good. My last day there, I was being flown back to my battery, I got off at
0600. Around 0800, I think I'm being gagged to death. Toy found some ants
and took out his Right Guard deodorant, held a lighter in front of it and made a
torch. Too bad that it also makes some wonderful C.S. I think I tried to kill
him. Well getting on toward my time to fly off there, I'm outside our bunker
watching the CH47's, we call them shithooks, come in and watch "A"
battery hook their guns up. The bird was hovering over the gun and got his load
and stared to lift the gun with the crew inside and a sling load of ammo off the
LZ. It started to take off and it was heading toward the other mountain from
which we took sniper fire from. As he is gaining some altitude and banks a
little to the left, a whole lot of gunfire opened up from that mountain top. I
heard the rounds, saw the bird punch the gun and watched it fall to the jungle
between that mountain and the one we were on. I almost shit a brick on that one.
Then, as I was standing there, a 4.2 mortar dropped one down the tube to fire on
where we heard the fire coming from. I'm about 15 to 20 feet from that tube and
it didn't sound right. That big round came out so slow, like in slow motion. I
new it was going to be a very short round. I just fell to the ground and waited
for it to explode. It didn't. Thank you Lord. By now the only 105 on the LZ was
getting the firing stakes into the ground for some direct fire. The next thing I
know is that there are 2 F-4's right above us firing their chain cannons on the
hill top. I sure was glad to leave that place.
submitted by
SGT Walt Shields
*****************************************************
*************************************
ANOTHER LOST HOWITZER:
Moving from Short to Bunker Hill
submitted by
SGT Larry Engels
The
story occurs, I believe, on the move from LZ Short to LZ Bunker Hill.
At approx 0830 hrs, the first shithooks were coming in to take our guns off of LZ Short and move them to LZ
Bunker Hill. From the time that first shithook came in, Charlie started firing
mortars at us. One shithook would fly in and here came the mortar attack. At
approx 1630 hours, here come the fly boys and their toys. They continued
dropping bombs all around LZ Short until all the M102's were off the hill and on
LZ Bunker Hill. We left some guys from the 1st/14th on that hill only because it
got dark after the last M102 was lifted off LZ short. As soon as we landed on LZ
Bunker Hill, sighting (firing) stakes were driven into the ground and we started
firing at the perimeter of LZ Short to protect the guys from the 1st/14th. It
wasn't until the next morning that they got off LZ Short and joined us on Bunker
Hill.
I was with "A" Battery from Jan 69
to Jan 70 and I'm pretty sure this is where we lost that 102.
As for getting off LZ Bunker Hill, that is another story altogether. We ran
out of food and water. We were so high up that we were looking down on the
clouds that kept the shithooks and slicks grounded as monsoon was setting in.
We moved from LZ Bunker Hill to Kontum for a stand down before we trucked it to
LZ Saint George. After about 5 days when they finally got the birds off the
ground, the first thing they dropped on Bunker Hill was a blivet of water. Great
move on someone's part because no one had any water. As for food, we were
digging around in the sump below the mess tent looking for anything to eat.