(January 1970 to December 1970?)
Mike McGuire and I served together in Vietnam from the first day assigned to 101st Airborne until his death. We were best friends and shared a foxhole on Granite, I turned in all his personal effects which amounted to an ammo box filled with pictures after his death. Captain Moore ordered Mike and one other on a two man sniper team about a 100 yards or less outside our peremeter. NVA were again spotted outside our peremeter. Artillery lowered their guns to shoot straight ahead like rifle fire causing Mike and the other soldier to be wounded. When bodies were retrieved it was evident Mike had attemted to save own life by tying off the wound to stop bleeding but failed.
At the time of Mike's death he was under orders to go to Korea. Weather having fogged in was the only reason Mike was still in field. He had a brother with a rear job in Vietnam and only one brother could serve in a combat zone at a time was rule. I was also with Sgt English when he was killed. We were on a six man team set up in small circle. It was the middle of night in the jungle, pitch black with zero visibility. I was on guard duty and woke Sgt English up to stand guard. I had just laid down when Sgt English apparently heard some movement in front of us and popped a grenade and dropped it in own lap. I found his body by feeling around in that it was so dark you could not see a thing. I felt his legs and feet. He was head first in a fox hole. I later discovered I had shrapnel wounds in my back that I was not even aware of at the time. Those wounds were not serious.
As to Firebase Granite I was outside our perimeter as Forward observer with one other when the initial attack began on opposite side of Firebase, All hell broke loose. We had to dodge razor wire, claymore mines and friendly fire to get back into perimeter. The guy with me lost an eye but I was not hurt, The thing I remember most about Granite is the bodies - both our men and the sappers. Bodies were everywhere and the smell was horrific. I also remember totaly evaucuating the base in a dead run into the jungle in the middle of the night due to reports large numbers of NVA were about to attack. It was after Mike was killed that a chopper flew out Captain Smith (Zippo) and Captain Moore and he swapped companies.
Have been married 35 years [as of 2008], raised a son who is now 27 years old and a daughter who is 31 years old. Son is a store manager for Hibbett Sports and daughter a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines.
After discharge from Service, I returned to college at the University of Southern Mississippi and graduated with a BS degree. Owned and operated a men's store for nine years and then went to work for US Postal Service for 29 years. Served as Postmaster in three different offices retiring this past January. Am presently involved with American Legion working on a project to expand War Memorial for those who died serving their country from Pike County area.