The Mayor of Charlie Company
Copyright Donald F. Gourley, 2012

PFC Rudy Rossi, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division was given the title, "Mayor of Charlie Company" by our company commander, Captain David T. Gibson, aka "6". Why, because on many an afternoon, after we had set up our NDP (night defensive position), Rudy would take a walk around the perimeter, meeting, greeting and chatting with everyone in the unit like a politician down on Main Street.

Not that 6 liked this; after all, what if every soldier just roamed around doing as he pleased? In fact he had tried several times a to put a stop to it. But Rudy didn't change and Capt Gibson, an experienced and highly effective combat leader recognized that this was a minor issue, best ignored. Rudy was a good man in a firefight, a soldier who knew his business and could be depended on in a tight situation. You appreciated men like him.

A gregarious individual who loved interacting with people, Rudy told great stories of his large, close-knit Italian family and growing up in the Howard Beach section of Queens. He drove us crazy with descriptions of the many great eating-places he knew there. He got some of the best packages from home imaginable, full of Italian sausages, cheeses and other goodies. Best of all, whenever a package came Rudy shared everything with the men of C Co.

In mid-April 1969 we were in the A Shau Valley in western Thua Tien Province, patrolling and ambushing along the Laotian border. Rudy went to Capt Gibson and told him that his cousin, assigned to a Signal unit near Saigon, wanted to visit him. Thinking Rudy was asking to go to the rear for a family reunion, Capt Gibson said no, explaining that in fairness to all the other soldiers he couldn't let Rudy leave the field for something like this.

Rudy clarified his request, telling 6 that his cousin wanted to visit him in the field. Capt Gibson told Rudy he thought they were both crazy but OK-ed the plan. One day a couple of weeks later, a log bird (Huey helicopter) came in on a routine re-supply mission and off jumped Rudy's cousin complete with M16 and rucksack, ready to live in the jungle. Rudy took him around and introduced him to the Charlie Company soldiers. He was as friendly and out-going as Rudy and we took an immediate liking to him.

Not only did he hump the mountains with us, but when it was Rudy's turn for a patrol, ambush, or OP duty he went along too. He did everything that a grunt would do, did it well and was quickly accepted by the normally suspicious infantrymen of Charlie Company on the basis that since he's Rudy's cousin, he must be all right. Soon he had proven himself on the patrols and ambushes and the daily grind of life in the field and we no longer considered him a visitor.

Which after a couple of weeks, led Capt Gibson to tell Rudy that while he would just as soon keep his cousin in Charlie Company, there had to be a unit commander somewhere, wondering about his missing man and when he was coming back. So, the family reunion came to an end. Just before the next log bird came in, Rudy's cousin made the rounds, said goodbye to all his friends in Charlie Company and left the A Shau Valley.

Epilogue

Charlie Company along with the rest of the 1/501 was unexpectedly pulled out the A Shau Valley on the morning of 15 May 1969. We boarded C-130 cargo planes at Phu Bai and soon were at a location in Quang Nam Province, southern I Corps that we simply called Tam Ky, after the small village near the landing strip. Here we began a three-month operation called Lamar Plain.

On the 16th we made a combat assault some 25 km west to a range of short, steep hills and small valleys with rice paddies and abandoned villages. This had once been busy farming area; now the only people there were a few local VC and a North Vietnamese Army regiment. The NVA, well trained, well equipped and not lacking in courage had been ordered to stop the advance of "the Americans with the chickens on their sleeves".

On the afternoon of May 17th we NDP-ed near a small, nameless hill. A log bird brought supplies and mail; Rudy got a package from home. As usual he walked around the perimeter sharing his food with everyone and as usual, he stopped to visit with me. We talked that night for a very long time and for some reason, Rudy got into a very unusual subject area--the possibility of him getting killed.

This was something no one ever talked about. Not only did we all believe we were bulletproof, we also knew absolutely, positively that getting hit was something that would only happen to "the other guy." But there was Rudy talking about this thing and I'll never forget how he ended the discussion. He said to me, "I know that if they do get me, it will be right in my big, Italian nose." A few moments later, he headed back to 1st platoon's section of the perimeter.

The following morning, as 1st platoon, reinforced by 3rd was moving up that nearby hill to secure the high ground, a firefight broke out and Rudy was killed. The hill was well fortified and held by some 30 NVA in concealed fighting positions. They were quickly overrun but two more 1st platoon soldiers, rifleman John Vollmerhausen and medic Paul GaNun were also killed. NVA losses were 8-10 killed on the hilltop and another five killed by 2d platoon at the base of the hill.

I knew from radio traffic that Rudy was dead. After moving 2d platoon to the top of the hill, I went to find him. Two close friends and New York City soldiers, John Sansone and George Drape were sitting by Rudy's poncho-covered body, talking about him. I joined in the conversation for a while then had things to do. I began to walk over to take a last look at Rudy and say goodbye but stopped when George said, "You don't want to see him 2-6, he got hit right in the nose..."

N.B. Rudy's obituary, sent to a C Co soldier in June 1969 suggests that his family was told he was killed by rocket fire in the A Shau Valley battle for Hamburger Hill. Rudy was in fact killed by rifle fire in Quang Nam Province, far to the south of the A Shau Valley.

Donald F. Gourley (2-6)
1LT, INF
2nd Platoon, C Co, 1st Battalion 501st Infantry
101st Airborne Division 1969

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