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My First Engagement with The Enemy
by: Bob Fleury
(© Copyright, 2008)
I think it was around Song Be. I had been in the field less than a week so I was as cherry as they come. It was late at night, I was with Sgt. Adams squad, and it was my turn at watch between three and four in morning. Suddenly I heard sounds. We were in a pretty low-lying area with a lot of tall grass. And the sounds of someone moving through the brush seemed to be getting louder. I didn't know what to do. A lot of thoughts were rushing through my head. Was my mind playing tricks on me? Was I actually coming under attack my on one of my first nights in the field? Should I throw a grenade or wait for a trip flare? Should I risk waking someone else and maybe give away our position? Finally it just sounded too close to take any chances and I blew the claymore. I know, I know, dumb cherry move, but its what I did. Woke everyone up, radio reports were made but it was too dark too recon the area. That we did the next morning. And then we found the body. All the blood, and all the guts, and all those.....feathers. Yes, I had blown away a wild chicken. But in my own defense, it looked like an NVA chicken on a long range reconnaissance mission, and no one will ever convince me otherwise.
Bob Fleury