Just Another Day in the Nam.
by Doc Dave Pfeifer
C
oming up over a hill, the pointman was hit first and the column of Bravo
company was pinned down from automatic weapons fire coming in from several
directions and ripping thru the smaller trees with an ack-ack-acking
sound. They called for "medic forward!" as our point man kept screaming out
in pain. The LT., AND SGT BARNES AND CORPORAL LANGLY were there in a group
as I made my way thru the brush to link up with them. "Doc" he says "They are
using him as bait to get us out there to cut us down. Any ideas?"
"I may get to him if I stay to the right and follow that row of trees. Barnes said he'll
need cover LT. and first squad is already up here." Besides, the pointman is one of our
guys says Langly.
"OK, you guys set a fire team to keep them busy while doc works his way up there."
"You got it LT.", says Barnes, and turns to yell first squad listen up. At the same time
Langly leans over and says, "Don't worry doc, my guys will take care of
you, besides, I'm a paid killer. Let us know when your ready."
I dropped
my ruck and untied my first-aid bag from the bottom of my frame. I
pulled the straps over my shoulders and checked my .45 had a round in the
chamber. Then I half squatted ran forward to the nearest tree in line of
his direction. I waved my arm and crouched to move forward to the next tree,
when behind me I heard the LT. yell out "Doc's going out!, fire em up." The
biggest burst of gunfire that you can imagine erupted behind me. I ran forward
my heart was pounding and I could hear myself breathing in ears. As I
peeked around looking for the next tree for cover I heard
16's, 60's, m-79's, even a l.a.w. going off. "Jesus!" I said to myself as
I ran to big stump, they're gonna cut down the whole dam jungle. As I looked
around the jungle trees bushes everything was flying up in the air, like a
tossed salad.
Feeling more confident I moved forward a lot almost to the
downed man before I slid to the ground and rolled on my belly. It seemed
absolutely quite for a short time and I could hear that choppy high and low
pitch of gooks yelling at each other. Suddenly first squad again and the gooks
answered back with at least three AK's. "Shit!" I said these goddam buttons on
my shirt are too high and they'er gonna shoot my back out. I could hear
the whizz of the bullets for just a second as they passed over my head. I heard
movement behind me, and I thought I was gonna get shot in the back from
behind me. I turned slowly and carefully just my head and neck and I spotted
three or four gi's crawling up behind me. Then I recognized first Barnes then
Langly were two of them. The firing from the front stopped and all I could
hear was an occasional 16 fire. Then the front guys started opening up and
really laying it down and I could see more guys from the back jumping an
moving forward. I don't know who got to the pointman first, me or Langly.
"Keep your ass down Doc, don't move till we get back."
With that him and Barnes
took off on the run with other guys behind trying to catch up as they
chased those gooks thru the woods. Those guys were true to life heros to
me and everyone did it like just another day in the nam. There were no
decorations or rewards exept we got our pointman back.
Doc Dave
Medic,
Vietnam