Red Legs Rule!

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by By Don Gourley
2-C-1/501 1969

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I want to dedicate this story to the 101st Arty guys who supported us so well. Sorry it took me so long to say "Thanks."

FireBase Professional; early June 1969; first light. I was standing at the perimeter wire, looking out at the valley below us and proving one more time that God looks after fools and infantry lieutenants when an Americal bunker about 100 meters to my right blew up.

At this point I realized that the NVA had a recoilless rifle team on the hillside opposite Professional, maybe 1000 meters across the valley and that they were very, very good. As I waited for them to hit our section of the base, all hell broke loose to my rear.

This was not just indiscriminate blasting, either. The gunners were traversing, elevating and depressing to ensure that every square meter of that hillside was getting hit. The entire hillside, easily a 300 x 150 meter target, was erupting in the black smoke and orange flame of the HE barrage. They fired for maybe two minutes, then it was over and the recoilless rifle never fired again.

I forget how many rounds they got off but it was a lot and they were pretty proud of themselves. We were pretty proud of them too and mighty impressed with this demonstration of what it really means to have solid brass cojones.

Thanks again guys!

DFG
C/1/501