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Chapter 19 Major Disagreements
- University of Nebraska Press
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183 On Friday, November 6, we began a new mission. We were tasked by division to conduct Eagle Flights. The province chief had put all of the roads off limits to the locals after 6:00 P.M. The incentive he used to gain compliance was us. At six o’clock a Cobra, a LOH, and an H-model full of ARVNs took off to patrol the roads surrounding Phuoc Vinh. It was kind of like playing highway patrol. The idea was that if we spotted any vehicles on the roads we would stop them so the ARVNs could be landed to inspect them. If the vehicle didn’t stop, it was left up to the discretion of the Cobra AC how to bring them to a halt. People walking along the road were usually shot by the ARVNs. They took no prisoners . We hadn’t been finding much in the AO since our encounter with COSVN, so this new mission was welcome because it was different and relatively easy— at least it should have been. The lead up to the IG inspection was tedious on everyone. Major Nelson took on a new persona and decided he was going to change virtually everything. He and the operations officer decided they were going to start running the missions and that’s when the trouble began. During the afternoon of the seventh, I was out on a mission when I got a call from operations. They had bounced the Blues and ARA and told me to insert them at a grid coordinate. “What’s the target?” I asked, “And who did the recon?” “Negative known target. Just insert them,” Captain LaChance told me. “Understand we have no known target, nobody has VRed the area, we haven’t checked out or prepped an LZ and you want me to insert them cold turkey?” I asked. “Roger that,” he replied. “Who is my contact for the Blues?” I asked. “It’s Three-five.” “Roger . . . break. Three-five, Two-four on family. Come up channel two.” “Two-four, this is Mom. Go ahead.” “What in the fuck is going on?” I asked. “Since when does ops bounce you guys to insert the Blues without a target?” Chapter 19 Major Disagreements “He told us you bounced us!” Fred replied. “Negative. Ops called and told me you and ARA were en route, gave me a grid, and TOLD me to insert the Blues.” “You’re calling the shots. What do you want to do?” Fred asked. “We’re down to bingo fuel so turn around and I’ll see you back at base. I need to get on to ARA and send them home too,” I told him. After re-fuelling, we went back and shut down. I walked into the TOC and no sooner had I walked through the door than Mike jumped on me. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked. “I’m not doing anything,” I shot back. “I gave you a mission and you wasted the assets. You don’t run this troop, Mister. You do as you’re told!” he yelled. “No, sir,” I yelled back. “YOU wasted the assets. I do NOT put the Blues on the ground without a target. I do NOT put the Blues on the ground without a recon of the area. I do NOT ask for the Blues to be bounced until the prep has been done. I do NOT tell anybody to do anything without a proper brief. I do NOT bounce the Blues when I have no fucking fuel in my aircraft and I do NOT do what you say just because you say it.” I was so mad I just walked out. That night at the meeting Dick told me the CO had chewed his ass out because I was sarcastic on the radio. As the meeting continued, Major Nelson walked in. “Did you have a problem out there today, Two-four?” he asked me. “No, sir,” I replied. “I didn’t have any problem at all.” “Then can you explain why you didn’t get the insertion mission completed?” “I didn’t get the insertion completed because there was no mission, sir. I am not going to put the Blues on the ground unless I have a pretty good idea what they’re up against. Operations don’t tell us squat and—” He interrupted me. “That is not your call, Mr. Zahn.” When you are given...