Upon arriving in Vietnam, we were told
about the dangers of the country. Also we were told lot of do's
and don'ts. One of the dangers was the types of snakes in that
country. One of the don't was at night don't stare at one thing too
long. One do was to maintain light discipline.
I was assigned to the Panther Flight, 35th
APS, while at Phan Rang. We helped to maintain the security of the
base. During my tour several snakes were killed on the base. Most
of them by the jeep patrol units, they always carried a M-12 shotgun,
mostly just to kill dogs, cats, and also snakes.
Each
morning after our night shift was over we were taken to Central Security
Control. There we cleaned our weapons before returning them to the
armory. On this particular morning when I arrived at CSC, I heard
several of the men talking about a snake. Well! my ears perked up
right away. I was cleaning my M16 on a shelf outside the armory.
I asked one of the guys; " What snake are you talking about?
" He answered; "The cobra up on that board." When I
looked up on the top shelf, there was a skinned cobra probably nine
feet long. I ran backwards a good ways before I could stop.
I asked, "Where did that come from?"
Someone said; "At the bomb dump area." I moved to a different
spot to finish cleaning my weapon. After I turned my weapon in, I
went over to the bulletin board to check what post I would have the
coming night. As soon as I saw my name by the bomb dump post I was
getting a very bad feeling, I immediately started asking guys to trade
post with me for the coming night. I had heard cobras travel in pairs;
male and female, and that bomb dump was just not the place I wanted
to go to that night.
Even during morning chow I tried to get
someone to trade posts, and even offered money. No one would trade
with me. I believe most people thought it was bad luck to trade a
guard post. Well! I don't believe I got very much sleep that day.
As a matter of fact it was hard to sleep over there in the day time.
Even if you weren't thinking about a dark night with nine foot cobras
around. At guard mount that night I tried again, but no one would
trade.
On the truck ride to the bomb dump, I really
worked myself up. I guess I was thinking that I wasn't going to make
it through that night. The post I had was about thirty meters off
the road. It was on the east side of the bomb dump storage area. In
this area there were one man bunkers around the perimeter about every
hundred meters. As soon as the truck stopped, the guard that I was
to relief was there on the road ready to be picked up. As I was getting
off the truck, I was trying to ask him if he had seen any snakes,
but he just climbed aboard the truck and it pulled away. I got no
answer.
I am thirty meters from my post, and there
were lots of small shrubby bushes between me and that bunker. I don't
know how long, I just stood there. But I knew I had to go to my post.
So I did a (no no), from my pack I pulled out my flashlight and turned
it on. It took me a good ten or fifteen minutes to reach my bunker,
because I was checking the area good. After I reached the bunker,
I began to check the area out for the snake. The one that I knew was
out there somewhere. I checked inside the bunker and all around the
outside. In my mind that was all I had to worry about. If (Charlie)
had been around that night and had seen my light, I might not be writing
this now.
Well, after checking the bunker out, I stood
on the side of the bunker for maybe thirty minutes or more. I even
checked inside the bunker and around it probably every thirty seconds
or less. I was scared of snakes!! Well, the more I checked the area,
the further out from the bunker I was shinning the light. Then I saw
it, about fifteen meters straight out in front towards the perimeter
wire. It was moving back and forth.
So with flashlight in hand, high above my head, my night eyes were
locked on that snake. It was coming towards me. I immediately charged
a round into my M16 and blew that snake (root) away!
Yes,
my snake was just a root from a bush, which was coming out of the
ground, with part of it was broken off. With my night eyes locked
on and with the movement of the flashlight, that snake (root) was
moving. As soon as I pulled the trigger, and several rounds went off,
I knew it wasn't a snake. The next guard down from me was on the radio,
and calling in; " automatic firing at post *###*." When
I heard the patrol jeep coming up, I jumped off that bunker and began
to kick around in the bushes. After the patrol arrived, a Sgt jumped
out and yelled;"What is it?" I responded back with, "
Oh, just a snake, but I missed him."
Fear; light, and my night eyes could have
put a hurt on me that night. I still don't like snakes.
I was stationed at Phan Rang from March 1966 til February 1967,
with the 35th APS. I helped form the Panther Flight.
I remember we use to go to the outdoor theatre, and we would watch
Combat before going to guard duty at 9pm. Does anyone remember this?
I remember the PSP runway, and helped guard it too. I was part
of the team that helped build the guard towers around the flight line
and fuel storage areas. I also remember the day A1C Sclofield received
his medal. I was part of the ceremony with the Panther Flight. I still
have one picture, when we were drawing weapons for that event.
Most of my photos were lost in a home fire in 1976. I still have
about 30 slides that were at my parents home at the time of our fire.
Robert Claud,
A1C USAF (Ret)
