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First Contact with Charlie
by Bill Scholtz, aka: "Feet"
37th SPS, Phu Cat
1967
I was assigned to work the swing shift (1400-2200) base security.
My assignment was on the southeast area of the base adjacent
to the river. There was a rice paddy in front
of my tower with an eight (8) foot fence between the rice
paddy and tower. My equipment included my M16, starlight
scope, M60 and radio. During the hours of darkness
there was a K-9 unit assigned to patrol in front of my post.
Located behind my tower was a mortar pit again manned during
the hours of darkness. Also assigned to the area was
a three-man. SAT team.
After arriving on my
post and getting all my equipment up the tower I made the
necessary contacts with flight control and surveyed the area.
As was customary I mounted the starlight scope on my M- 16.
I would then adjust the "T" sight of the scope on
the object. I figured that I would be close to whatever
I shot at if the need arose.
Throughout the night
I would make frequent checks with the starlight scope.
I would check the rice paddy and the rivers edge for any activity.
At times I would watch the K-9 unit make its rounds up and
down the fence line. It was an uneventful night as usual.
At about 2145 hours I decided to take one last look starlight
scope before taking it off my M16 and putting it back in
the case. As I started to sweep across the rice paddy, I saw
three (3) shadowy figures floating across the rice paddy.
It was an eerie feeling to see the three VC moving ever so
slowly across the rice paddy. As I said, they appeared
to be floating. All I could see of them was from about
the waist up. I will never forget what I felt with my
first contact with Charlie. Without taking the scope
off the figures, I called on the radio that I had three unidentified
subjects about 100 yards out in front of my post. Flight
control acknowledged and sent the SAT team and reserve SAT
team to my location.
After I made my first
call, I could hear the radio in the mortar pit come alive
and within a few minutes the night became day as the mortar
pit restarted sending up flares. With flares in the
air the VC disappeared. With the assistance of the flares
I could see better than anyone responding. I started
directing the SAT team to the location where I last saw the
VC. Sometime during this exchange a Tech Sergeant climbed
up my tower and started relaying my instructions to the SAT
teams. While the TSgt gave the instructions, I kept
my eye glued to the scope watching for any movement in the
rice paddy. During the SAT team search for the three VC a
fire fight broke out.
With the muzzle blast,
the tracer and flares the starlight scope intensified the
brightness. At one point the mortar pit ran out of flares.
Just as they fired off the last flare, the resupply truck
arrived. I could hear the frantic effort by the troops
breaking open the flare cases. As the last flare burned out
and before the resupplied mortar pit could get another flare
up, there was about 30 seconds of darkness. That is
when the VC started to move toward the river. I saw
one VC at the river's edge and reported this to the TSgt who
requested permission for me to fire from flight control.
I was stunned when I heard the response from flight control
'permission denied.' What a way to fight a war.
After the flares again
turned the night into day, the SAT team successfully captured
one of the VCs. Sometime in the early morning hours
I was relieved (from duty) and the TSgt took me to the operations
office where I met Mr. VC. He was wearing only a pair
of shorts and had covered his body with some type of dark
oil. He was armed with an AK-47. It was later
learned that the reason for the infiltration was to test our
ability to observe and respond. The AK-47 was mounted
and placed over the doorway of Operations.
It's strange how one
is aware of what is happening around them in a stressful situation.
At one point I heard the troops in the mortar pit request
additional flares as their supply was running low. I
remember the SAT leader yelling at the VC they captured later.
I remember the TSgt's (not his name) voice that was a calming
effect on me. I was no hero at the time, just a scared
19 year old.
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From: Don
Cox
The TSgt that was
referred to in the story is me. I am Don Cox, MSgt, USAF,
Retired. I remember the incident very well. Just thought you
might like to know who the other guy was in the tower.
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