Jungle Expert

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by John Kampschroeder

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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