What
is the OSI jeep doing in the Intel shop?
I entered the door
and felt the caress of the cool air. Some guy in civilian clothes
talking to Ken. Ken says, "Hi Mark. This is Agent O'Mally (for
you Cheech and Chong fans) of the OSI, he has something he wants to
ask you about."
I look at the agent
and say, "Okay." Here's the pitch, in the last three weeks
they have received 14 reports of a group of 12 to 21 men with backpacks
and armed with AK47's. They have been seen within 5 kilometer of the
base along the main road from Ubon to Laos. Would I make a sweep down
that road tonight and see what might happen?
My immediate reaction
is to say areyououtofyourf'inuckingmind? You know I work out there
unarmed. But I hold my tongue. I tell the agent that it would depend
on the Thai Police and if they would make a sweep out that far. He would
have to ask the driver if he would be willing to do it or not. I also
tell him that I am going to arm myself. His only comment is that what
he doesn't know won't hurt me. Cool tacit: approval for a fool's errand
and a fool to go on it. One small problem... the armorer won't let
me have my M16; "Hey you know the rules". (Status of Forces
Agreement with Thailand said American military personnel would not be
armed off the installation.) s---.
Ken got the M79 they
"let" us take as well as the buckshot rounds bought on the
black market hidden away by those before us (thanks guys). He also has
the box of flares for the launcher. Now where to get a rifle? Ernie might give me his, he's got the Gofer patrol and won't need it.
So I told what was fixing to go down, and called in my friendship card,
and asked him to let me have his rifle. With barely a hesitation he
said, "Okay" and went and got his rifle and handed it over
with out a comment. I also hit up a couple of K-9 troopers for some
of their "extra" ammo. So away we went--Ken with the M79,
the driver, three Thai cops with worn out M2 carbines, and me with an
M16 and 120 rounds. Not exactly loaded for bear but hopefully we would
not see anyone.
We knew that radio
communications would be a bitch because the Motorola's had a range of
about three feet, as you well know. We knew we would likely be out of
communication with CSC for most of the sweep. Washington in the other
patrol would stay to the side of the base closest to us, hopefully to
relay messages if we f'd up and bumped into these guys or they bumped
into us. By the time we crossed the river we were out of communication
with CSC and we weren't even in the possible contact zone.
Well once we got
out in the country and started the sweep that driver floored the gas
and we raced down the road. Dark--gawddamn it was dark, s--- night vision
what the f--- are we going to do if they ambush us? We won't have any
night vision. we won't be able to see them, and they will be able to
see us. Why is this trip really getting down to being unnecessary? Well what the f-----enjoy the ride, cus you won't get out of the jeep
alive any way if something happens. Then the cold realization that the
M16 in my lap will get a very good man in a heap of trouble should something
happen to me. Oh s--- what the f--- did I do…?
The ride continues
down the highway that seems to go forever. The driver was told to just
take us out to the 5 clicks and turn around, but we keep going until
finally we get to a turn in the road where the direction is east--we
are now out about 15 k about half way between Ubon and Laos. The driver
knows of a Thai policeman in the area and we wind up at his bungalow
and spend a few minutes in this very small ville talking with the Thai
cop the driver knew. The cop doesn't know anything; he hasn't had any
reports. (Imagine?).
We then head back
to the base. Forty-five minutes later the sweep is history. We didn't
see anything (couldn't if we had wanted too) no contact with the bad
guys (thank goodness) just 90 minutes of being very tense. We take Ken
back to CSC to turn in the M79 and let him get back to the Intel shop.
Now you would think that the OSI agent that thought it was so important
for Ken and I and the Thai police to do something out of the ordinary
would have been there to at least determine if there was anything useful
to be learned.
Guess what…yep you got it. NO agent. Guess the
joke or whatever was on us.
So what is the point to this rambling story? Simply
to recognize some stand up men: Ken Olson and Ernie Butts and Washington.
Ken cause you went with me when you didn't have to. You could
have stayed in the Intel Shop but chose to go on this run. Ernie cause
you took a big chance for me. You risked getting into a s--- load
of trouble because of me and I still owe you big time. To Washington, you would have had to pick up the pieces. To the driver, Sgt
Sootah, because he agreed to take us. The next night a different
driver refused to do it. A month after I came home, the three Thai cops
that went without us were killed in an ambush on the Laotian border--that
all but wiped out the Special Action Force for the province..
So that is the worst thing I did over there. I asked
a friend to take a risk for me I had no right to ask of him.
Mark Brooks
8 SPS, Ubon Thailand
Dec 72-Dec 73
THANKS
ERNIE I still owe you.
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