the warning order for the next day’s helo operations. We were to utilize one Sea Lord for insertions and extractions and two Seawolves for gunship support. The Seawolves would be guiding us to numerous VC/NVA targets that were located in the southern edges of the Plain of Reeds—the NVA’s major infiltration route from North Vietnam into the South Vietnamese III and IV Corps Tactical Zones. We were to fly to the northwestern half of Cai Lay district, near the abandoned My Phuoc Tay strategic village that was south of the King Tong Doc Loc canal and west of the Kinh Cai Chuoi canal. Once enemy locations were identified, the Seawolves would prep the enemy’s position if needed and the Sea Lord slick would insert us. Depending on the enemy’s reaction, we would either assault or patrol to the target to begin our pillaging and burning. Those types of off-the-cuff missions were called “Parakeet” ops, or targets of opportunity. Parakeet ops were a lot of fun but were very risky because we were not always certain of our enemy’s strength or reactionary capabilities.
In 1970 a SEAL 1 squad was having great fun working with the Seawolves and Sea Lords on Parakeet ops near SeaFloat. On their last insertion of the day, the SEAL squad was inserted into a fairly large opening and were immediately taken under heavy small arms fire by a company-size VC unit that was not expected to be in the area. Worst of all, the enemy unit was well-hidden and camouflaged within a heavily fortified jungle area. One of the men in the SEAL squad took an AK-47 round (7.62×39mm) in the chest The projectile entered one side of his chest, traveled all the way around the inside of the rib cage and exited on the opposite side. Amazingly, the fellow survived the terrible wound, but no doubt his recovery was long and painful. It was also incredible that all members of the SEAL squad were eventually rescued, thanks to our airdale buddies of the Navy Seawolves, Black Ponies, and Sea Lords.
On the morning of August ninth, Fletcher gave us a warning order and I worked on field expedient antennas for our PRC-77 radios until lunch. At 1300 Dai Uy gave his PLO. Afterward the eight of us went to the helo pad and rehearsed until 1400 when our Navy slick arrived. All eight of us loaded our slicks, and I took my favorite spot on starboard side just aft of the pilot. I held onto the edge of the door and looked closely for enemy bunker complexes while we were flying over the Route 66 canal—Kinh Thuong Mai Di Song My Tho—to the northwestern corner of Cai Lay district, near the borders of Kien Phong and Kien Tuong provinces. We were only thirty to forty klicks south of the infamous “Parrot’s Beak” of Cambodia that stuck its nose into the interior of South Vietnam. The U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, 196th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, 173d Airborne Brigade, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and others had shed a lot of blood fighting the infiltrating NVA in that area since ’65.
The Seawolves, who were leading the way, soon identified five hootch and bunker complexes. After Dai Uychose our first target, we inserted within fifty meters of the complex while the Seawolves circled overhead. Kit Carson scout Same Tam and I were points, and we moved into the hootches and bunkers once Dai Uy had the rest of the squad set on a frontal skirmish line for security and maximum firepower. The gunships also circled overhead as observers.
Tam led the way because he was an ex-VC sapper—he knew all of the VC’s tricks of the trade. I was amazed at how fast he moved toward the hootches and bunkers. He seemed to know just how fast to go and where he was going. In some ways he had a lot in common with some of my PRU buddies, who were ex-VC also. When we reached a bunker, Tam went past it and I threw a grenade into it. When we reached a hootch, I set it afire after Tam and I had gathered VC AK-47 magazines and other ammo. At times the going was very slow
In 1970 a SEAL 1 squad was having great fun working with the Seawolves and Sea Lords on Parakeet ops near SeaFloat. On their last insertion of the day, the SEAL squad was inserted into a fairly large opening and were immediately taken under heavy small arms fire by a company-size VC unit that was not expected to be in the area. Worst of all, the enemy unit was well-hidden and camouflaged within a heavily fortified jungle area. One of the men in the SEAL squad took an AK-47 round (7.62×39mm) in the chest The projectile entered one side of his chest, traveled all the way around the inside of the rib cage and exited on the opposite side. Amazingly, the fellow survived the terrible wound, but no doubt his recovery was long and painful. It was also incredible that all members of the SEAL squad were eventually rescued, thanks to our airdale buddies of the Navy Seawolves, Black Ponies, and Sea Lords.
On the morning of August ninth, Fletcher gave us a warning order and I worked on field expedient antennas for our PRC-77 radios until lunch. At 1300 Dai Uy gave his PLO. Afterward the eight of us went to the helo pad and rehearsed until 1400 when our Navy slick arrived. All eight of us loaded our slicks, and I took my favorite spot on starboard side just aft of the pilot. I held onto the edge of the door and looked closely for enemy bunker complexes while we were flying over the Route 66 canal—Kinh Thuong Mai Di Song My Tho—to the northwestern corner of Cai Lay district, near the borders of Kien Phong and Kien Tuong provinces. We were only thirty to forty klicks south of the infamous “Parrot’s Beak” of Cambodia that stuck its nose into the interior of South Vietnam. The U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, 196th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, 173d Airborne Brigade, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and others had shed a lot of blood fighting the infiltrating NVA in that area since ’65.
The Seawolves, who were leading the way, soon identified five hootch and bunker complexes. After Dai Uychose our first target, we inserted within fifty meters of the complex while the Seawolves circled overhead. Kit Carson scout Same Tam and I were points, and we moved into the hootches and bunkers once Dai Uy had the rest of the squad set on a frontal skirmish line for security and maximum firepower. The gunships also circled overhead as observers.
Tam led the way because he was an ex-VC sapper—he knew all of the VC’s tricks of the trade. I was amazed at how fast he moved toward the hootches and bunkers. He seemed to know just how fast to go and where he was going. In some ways he had a lot in common with some of my PRU buddies, who were ex-VC also. When we reached a bunker, Tam went past it and I threw a grenade into it. When we reached a hootch, I set it afire after Tam and I had gathered VC AK-47 magazines and other ammo. At times the going was very slow
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