Jungle Expert
by John Kampschroeder
After I had been in A 1/501st for about
5-6 months I got my R & R. I went from LZ Sally to Phu Bai, then caught a
C-130 to Long Binh. After a couple of days I went to my R &R destination
for 7 wonderful days then went back to Nam. I guess I had been away from
my squad for about 15 days when I got a chopper flight out to my unit in
the field. I immediately went over to my squad to see my buddies and tell
them about my R&R. A little while later one of the guys came and told me
we had a new LT., and he wanted to talk to me. So, I left my group and
went over where another squad was sitting around a circle and walked up to
the LT. And said "Sir, you wanted to see me" He responded "Aren't you
going to salute me?" I promptly snapped to a half ass attention and said
"Yes Sir" and saluted him still with a puzzled look on my face because I
never had to do that before in the field. I couldn't help but notice he
had a great big Jungle Expert Patch on his fatigues After our
conversation, I went back to my squad and talked about what had just
happened with the new LT. I asked what the Jungle Expert Patch meant, and
one of the guys said he had gone to Jungle Training School in Panama and
that is how he got his patch. Later that night we had to set up our
three-man ambush in the village we were occupying. Since I had the rank,
I had first guard duty. After it was dark for over an hour I heard
someone walking up from behind. He said in a low voice "Who is on guard
here?" I replied in a low voice, "I, am", Then he said again "Who is on
guard here?" Now, the other two guys in my ambush were awake when I said
back "I, Am? Then for the third time now he was getting closer "Who is on
guard here?" I said "Muther Tucker, I, am." He responded back to me "Who
do you think you are talking to?" I replied "I'm sorry SIR, I didn't know
it was you SIR." The other guys are making little snicker sounds knowing
I was about to get my ass eaten out. The LT. Said "I don't like the way
you have your ambush set up." I was going to reply back to him, he should
not be walking around checking on ambush positions, because we had some
ARVN'S the next few positions down and they would shoot anything that
moves, but I didn't say anything except "...why do you not like my set up.?"
He said, "I could see you standing up against the tree over looking the
rice paddy." I said, "SIR, if you could see me standing up, you wouldn't
have asked who was on guard". He was beside himself now, and told me how
the cow ate the cabbage and to do what he said "NOW!!!." He then left our
position and headed directly toward the ARVN position. About 8 minutes
later there were a couple of shots fired and I said to the other two guys,
"They got him" Sure enough he had been wounded and they had to bring in a
Medivac with strobe lights to get him out. I never gave the incident a
second thought until about 5 months later when I was in Long Binh
processing out to go back to the states. I heard someone yell out my
name.. I turned around and there was the LT still with his Big Jungle
Expert Patch on. I guess they never sent him back out in the field again.
To be honest I don't remember if I saluted him or not.
John Kampschroeder
A/1/501