AN EVENT THAT I DON’T WANT TO SPEND MUCH TIME ON WAS IN MAY, ONE OF THE SOLDIERS PENDING AN ARTICLE 15 FROM AN EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE BEFORE I ARRIVED, WAS SENT FOR BY THE 1ST SGT AND REFUSED. WHEN I WAS ADVISED THE SOLDIER IN QUESTION WHO WAS REFUSING AN ORDER TO REPORT TO THE ORDERLY ROOM, WAS HIGH I DECIDED TO GO TO HIM TO FIND OUT FOR MYSELF. I DON’T REMEMBER HIS NAME; HE WAS A BLACK SOLDIER WHO WAS VERY HIGH ON SOME TYPE OF DRUG. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO HIM JUST OUTSIDE OF THE MESS HALL HE LOCKED AND LOADED HIS M-14 AND POINTED AT ME. HE THEN BEGAN TO TELL ME HOW WHITE OFFICERS WERE AGAINST ALL BLACK MEN AND THEY DIDN’T GET TREATED RIGHT. LONG STORY, SHORT VERSION I STAYED WITH HIM TRYING TO TALK HIM OUT OF HIS RIFLE STILL POINTED AT ME. THIS WENT ON FOR MORE THAN 4 HOURS AND THE COMMAND GROUP WAS NOTIFED AND THE COMPOUND WAS SURROUNDED BY MP’S AND THEY IN ADDITION PLACED SNIPERS IN TWO OF THE TOWERS. IF I WAS EITHER SHOT OR GAVE A SIGNAL THEY WOULD SHOOT THE SOLDIER. I FINALLY DID ALLOW HIM TO GET IN MY JEEP WITH ONE OF HIS FRIENDS TO BE DRIVEN TO QHIN NHON. HE GAVE ME HIS RIFLE AND WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST AFTER HE LEFT THE COMPOUND. THIS BECAME A MAJOR TURNING POINT FOR ME AND THE OTHER BLACK SOLDIERS. THEY REALIZED I WASN’T LIKE THE OTHER CO. AND I DIDN’T HAVE HIM SHOT. THIS I BELIEVE HELPED EVERYONE TO GET CLOSER. ENOUGH SAID.

ATER THE JUNE ATTACK WE CONTINUED OUR REORGANIZATION, WE DUG IN A COMMAND BUNKER, REENFORCED THE TOWERS, DUG A MORTAR PIT AND CONTINUED DOING OUR REGULAR JOBS AND DEFENDING OURSELVES. BESIDES THE COUPLE OF TIMES THEY WOULD POP UP AND FIRE RPG’S AT THE YARD THEY DIDN’T SEEM TO HAVE THE NERVE TO TRY AND COME BACK IN ON US. I AM NOT SURE IF THE 105 HOW. AND M-60 TANK WE PUT INTO OPERATION HELP MAKE THEIR MINDS UP. MR HEATH’S MINI-GUN JEEP ALSO BROUGHT HAVOC ON THE BAD GUYS WE FOUND OUT TRYING TO DISRUPT THE PIPELINE OR BLOW UP THE ICE HOUSE. WE BECAME THE TOTAL RE-ACTION FORCE FOR THE UNITS IN THE VALLEY INCLUDING THE 173RD ABN BDE. WE FIRED ILLUMINATION AT NIGHT AND RESPONED WHEN EVER CALLED. WE WERE THE LIGHT OF THE NIGHT. PRETTY GOOD FOR A BUNCH OF JUNK YARDOGS!

NOTHING THAT I DID WOULD HAVE WORKED IF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR THE GUYS OF E COMPANY WHO MADE IT LOOK EASY. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE PUT ON A FIRE POWER DEMONSTRATION FOR THE NEW ARRIVALS OF THE 173RD ABN BDE. THE SUMMER WENT BY AND INTO THE FALL WITHOUT ANY MAJOR EVENTS HAPPENING. WELL ALMOST. WHEN MAJOR COY AND JEFF DECIDED TO SHIP A HANJIN TRAILER LOADED WITH AIR CYLINDERS BACK TO THE STATES. THIS WAS NOT UNUSUAL EXCEPT THEY SECURED THE CYLINDERS WITH FOAM. I THINK WE MADE THE FRONT COVER OF SOME MAGAZINE FOR HOW NOT TO SHIP AIR CYLINDERS. THERE IS ANOTHER STORY OF THE LOCAL GIRLS COMING INTO THE COMPOUND. BUT DUE TO OBVIOUS REASONS OF KEEPING MARRIAGES TOGETHER, I WILL NOT GO THERE.

ONE OF MY MANY BRIGHT SPOTS WHILE IN COMMAND OF E COMPANY WAS OUR MESS HALL. SFC CASTILLO MY MESS SGT PUT OUT SOME OF THE BEST FOOD EVER EATEN IN A MILITARY MESS FACILITY. IN THE 12 MONTHS I WAS THERE HE WON BEST MESS 11 MONTHS IN A ROW. HE WAS ROBBED OF THE OTHER ONE. SFC CASTILLO WAS REALLY AN EXCEPTIONAL SOLDIER. EVEN AFTER AN ATTACK ON THE FACILITY YOU COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON BEING FED WELL. HE TOOK CARE OF HIS TROOPS.

AFTER CHRISTMAS THAT YEAR WE WERE GIVEN NEW MARCHING ORDERS. WE WERE TO PICK UP EVERYTHING AND MOVE TO CHARANG VALLEY WHERE WE WOULD BE REASSIGNED TO THE 86TH MAINT. BN.
THIS WAS TO SAY THE LEAST NOT AN EASY CHORE. BUT AS USUAL THE MEN OF E COMPANY DID THE IMPOSSIBLE. THIS OLD ENGINEER SITE WAS SAFER AND MUCH MORE DEFENDABLE. IT JUST WASN’T THE SAME AS THE VALLEY, BUT THEY WANTED US CLOSER TO THE 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION.

MAJOR COY, JEFF, SGT MILLER, SFC STOVALL AND ALL OF THE WARRANTS AND OTHER NCO’S WERE SOME OF THE BEST LEADERS THAT I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILAGE OF WORKING WITH. THE MEN COLLECTIVELY WERE SOME OF THE MOST DEDICATED I HAVE EVER SEEN. FOR THOSE LOST AND WOUNDED I STILL PRAY FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. FOR THE DRUGGIES THAT I HELP GET EVACUATED, YOU DESERVED IT. YOU HAD NO PLACE IN E COMPANY. YOU PUT OTHERS AT RISK AND THAT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

MOST KNEW I WAS TO GIVE UP MY COMMAND AFTER 6 MONTHS AND GO TO WORK FOR GEN. HUNTER BUT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASSIONS WHEN CHANGE OF COMMAND WAS SCHEDULED, MY REPLACEMENTS ALWAYS SEEMED TO GET WOUNDED BEFORE TAKING COMMAND. SO I STAYED WITH E COMPANY FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR MARCH 1969-MARCH 1970. A YEAR IN MY LIFE THAT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER---THANKS TO THE MEN OF E COMPANY.

AS MAYBE A NOTE OF INTEREST I RETIRED ON 1 APRIL 1982 WHILE STATIONED AT FT RILEY, KANSAS WITH THE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION. I AM ALSO RETIRED FROM THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT. I’VE ACTAULLY TRIED TO RETIRE OVER 4 TIMES SINCE 1982. CURRENTLY I OWN PART OF A INVESTIGATIVE COMPANY IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA. I AM 63, MARRIED FOR 43 YEARS WITH 8 GRAND CHILDREN AND ONE GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER. GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.

 

 

CHARLES L. BEEGLE
LTC (RET) USA
“HEAD BEAGLE”

 
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