April 1970 to April 1971
Fox Holes and Zippo & Other Memories
I do have a couple of stories to relate. I remember when we
stole a couple of regular shovels from the rear and were using
them to dig our fox holes. Of course you could dig ten time faster
with them. We were on the same trail as Zippo but he was about a click
ahead of us and we had stopped for the evening. With those shovels it
only took us about fifteen minutes to dig in. Zippo was always on me
about having great fox holes that you could actually get in and he asked
me if we were digging them. I mistakenly told him that they were done. He
didn't believe me because he knew from the time we stopped until our
conversation, only about fifteen minutes had passed. So he came back with a
patrol to inspect our position. Of course by the time he got there we had
hidden the shovels. Even though the fox holes met his satisfaction, he
still knew sometime smelled, but he couldn't figure it out. He was just
too smart to be fooled.
I also remember how if the guy in the rear area who was supposed to put the meal (THE HOT MEAL) together for us for resupply screwed it up, he would end up in the field with us because Zippo wouldn't let anyone in the rear screw us over. I think at one time we had three of those individuals in 1st platoon.
I always remember how much Zippo stuck up for the men in the field. I have used the principle often in life for the people that work for me. He taught us all some great lessons in life.
One more item I also remember how we would get C-4 to blow an LZ and would always split it up and use it to heat water for hot Chocolate and LRRP meals.
John Georgiton