The Vietnam War was in full swing and ever present in the news and on everyone’s mind, especially young men of Doug’s age. He was classified by the military as 1A when he turned eighteen years old and registered with the draft board. The military was drafting every young available man that wasn’t going to college and that could qualify as 1A. You couldn’t fight the draft unless you had a school deferment or had a 4F (physical condition) that kept you out. It was a mandatory two year term you had to spend in the military once you were drafted.
It wasn’t long after Doug was out of school that he received the dreaded notice that he had been drafted into the United States Army. Since he was working full time and wasn’t going to college he had no way to fight the draft. He would have to leave Shirley at home to have the baby without him. By the time he left for basic training Shirley was already in her sixth month. They agreed she would move back home with her parents until his stint with the military was over or at least until he was stationed somewhere close to home.
Once he was drafted they sent him to Fort Benning, Georgia for his nine weeks of basic training and then on to Fort Polk, Louisiana for his nine weeks of advanced training. There was a lot of letter writing back and forth to Shirley and he received a letter from her almost every day. While he was going through training he found out that he was an expert marksman with the m-14 rifle, hitting ninety eight out of one hundred targets from over three hundred yards. He used to shoot jack rabbits on the farm as they ran across the open fields but had no idea that he would be that good with the military rifle. The Army decided they wanted to make a sniper out of him so right after basic and advanced training they sent him through sniper school for four weeks. He did target practice every day and sometimes for eight to ten hours per day. After he went through his training the Army gave him a thirty day leave of absence so he could go home before he went to Vietnam.
Doug had been gone for five and a half months and when he got home on leave he was finally able to meet his beautiful baby girl. They decided before he left for the Army that they would name her Jenifer if they had a girl. For the first few days he was home, he just sat around and held her, cuddled her, and admired how beautiful she was. He wondered if she looked like him or Shirley as he studied her every move. He was so excited about being a father; he thought it was the best thing that had ever happened to him besides meeting Shirley. He spent some great days at home but felt it was not enough before he had to leave. The entire time he was home, he was both worried and excited about what lay ahead for him in South Vietnam. Then the day came and he was on his way to the jungles of Vietnam. He said his good-byes to Shirley and Jenifer and thought, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life.
When he arrived in Vietnam he was sent to Dong Tam Sniper Headquarters. Once there, they briefed him and told him where he would be stationed and what his mission would be in Vietnam. His permanent duty station in Vietnam was at Tiger Lair. He had been trained in the XM-21 - M-14 rifle with a 3 X 9 Redfield Scope. This rifle was good for several hundred yards. He also trained in the XM -21 M-14 rifle with a silencer (good only up to about three hundred yards but great against the Viet Cong). He received both rifles once he arrived at Dong Tam. (1)
The Viet Cong were villagers and other local people already in the country that was fighting alongside the North Vietnamese soldiers. The (VC) and the North Vietnamese soldiers were small and elusive targets being an average of five foot three to five foot five inches tall. They almost always wore silky black tops and silky black loose fitting pajama looking pants. The North Vietnamese soldiers were different; they had full uniforms and wore military issued boots.
Doug spent a lot of his time being sent to different locations where the VC had been spotted and he was called to go in and kill the enemy. He would set up a firing position several hundred meters away and then just pick them off, one at a time. The targets never knew where the shots were coming from when fired upon by the snipers. He felt it was just like it had been when he spent all day shooting at targets back at Fort Benning. The only difference was these were actual people he was shooting. Because of the distance of the enemy, he never looked at them as “people” when he shot them. They were just “targets” to him. His job was saving American soldiers from dying at the hands of the VC and North Vietnamese soldiers. If he didn’t take out his targets they would just set up an ambush somewhere in the jungle and kill his buddies. For the most part the Army never really gave him a bad time as long as he got a “VC body count.” That wasn’t a problem for him, it seemed like the Army was always happy with him because he got his share of kills.
About three days a month Doug was sent out on the Army’s Mobile Riverine Forge in the Mekong Delta, to scout out and kill the VC that may be waiting in ambush along the river as United States military personnel went by. Sometimes they would have a brief encounter with the VC but when they received incoming fire on their positions the VC would just disappear. Those days seemed more like a break away from the lonely and tedious life back at base camp where he just waited for the call to go to a certain area and shoot the enemy. A lot of his days went by uneventful, slow and boring because no VC were spotted. Doug learned how to play Cribbage with his buddies and they also played a lot of poker during that time.
Doug felt like going after his targets was like a game of cat and mouse. He was the cat and the VC were the mice. He would hide a few hundred yards away and then shoot them when they popped out into the open. He never kept track of the number of VC or North Vietnamese soldiers that he killed like some of the other snipers did. Some would put a little notch on their gun for every kill, others kept it in a journal, and some would brag about it. He just tried to forget about them as much as he could.
On one of his missions he was told by his commanding officer that he and one of his fellow snipers Calvin Yates, was going to be dropped off in the jungle where the VC had been spotted. Calvin was a nice guy but a little too boisterous for Doug’s taste. He was from the south and had a twang in his voice. Every time he killed a VC or North Vietnamese soldier he would yell out, “How’d you like them apples you miserable little gook.” He was always bragging about the body count he was getting. Their mission was deep in the jungle to kill as many VC as they could before they were picked up by the helicopter later that evening. Calvin was excited about getting more bodies to count but Doug was just hoping to come back alive and not injured.
They were put on the helicopter and flown deep into the jungle about twenty five to thirty miles from his base camp. There was nothing around but thick brush and trees. When they got to their destination there was an open area just big enough to land the chopper. They called it the (landing zone) or LZ. As they were dropped off, the pilot told them he would be back to pick them up before dark around 1800 hours. Little did Doug know at the time, but the VC had spotted the helicopter and knew it had touched down as soon as they landed. Once they were on the ground the VC were on their own hunt to find him and Yates. As soon as they got off the helicopter they headed for the trees to find cover. They needed to find an observation point where they could get a good idea of the VC’s location. Doug and Yates decided to split up so they could cover more area and they made plans to meet back at the LZ before it was time to be picked up. The jungle was so thick there weren’t any clear enemy routes or trails. Doug found cover that resembled his surroundings and attached them to his body so he could blend in with the terrain. After about an hour of creeping through the jungle he found a location where he felt he could spot the VC if they crossed an open area about three hundred yards away.
After fighting the mosquitoes and other insects for forty five minutes Doug spotted a group of five VC crossing his target area. He took careful aim with his rifle and scope and squeezed off a round taking out one of his targets. He then quickly took aim and soon had another one taken out. Before he could kill more of them the remaining soldiers pulled their w
ounded buddies into the heavy trees and disappeared. He waited a few minutes to see if they would reappear but they didn’t. He knew from previous experience that he had to move quickly to another location because they would locate his position and come after him. As he started to slowly move from that position he could hear VC voices from deep in the jungle and they sounded like they were in several locations. It wasn’t much longer when he heard four shots from what he thought was Yate’s rifle taking out some of the enemy. The birds, insects, and everything suddenly went silent and he realized the VC were looking for him and Yates. Now instead of being the hunter he was being hunted. He wasn’t sure where the VC were so he slowly made his way back to the LZ and hid in the tree line in the thick brush and waited for Yates and the chopper.
Because of the number of the enemy in the area Doug decided to keep waiting at the LZ until it was time for the chopper pilot to pick them up. He waited quietly hidden for a few long hours. It seemed like forever but the chopper was right on time and there was still no sign of Yates. Doug could hear the “thwap,” “thwap,” “thwap,” of the chopper blades as it approached the LZ. Just as the pilot was getting ready to sit down Yates went running to the chopper from across the other side of the open field. The surrounding jungle erupted in hundreds of small arms fire from the VC that had been hiding in the tree line. All he could do was watch in horror as Yates was hit several times by enemy gunfire and went down. He had an idea the VC were there but didn’t realize they had been waiting all around the LZ and not too far from his position. Once the chopper started receiving incoming fire and the pilot knew that Yates was dead he didn’t land; he immediately took off and was out of sight in just a matter of seconds. The LZ was what they called too hot to land. He thought, the sound that I so loved a few minutes earlier, I’m now dreading to hear. He waited there until all he could hear was the faint “thwap,” off in the distance. He had been left in the jungle and it would be up to him to survive on his own and find his way back to his camp.
The VC ran over to Yate’s body and shot him a few more times just to make sure he was dead. Doug knew he was in deep trouble and the VC were all around him so he had to get out of there or he would also soon be dead. What the hell do I do now? I’m alone and surrounded by the VC. Our troops won’t send a chopper back for me or Yate’s body until tomorrow with the incoming fire the chopper received. He figured that soon his own artillery might be called in to fire on the position and maybe even air strikes since so many VC were spotted in the area. Regardless, he knew he had to get out of there before he became a Vietnam casualty. He started very quietly to find his way deep into the jungle. He tried to figure out his position from the fading sun and knew that if he headed east he could find the direction of his camp. After creeping through the jungle for several hours until late in the night and becoming exhausted, he had to find a place to rest and hide until daylight.
Doug didn’t get any sleep that night; he was so cold and scared he felt like he could hear his own teeth chattering. Even though Vietnam got hot and humid during the day the nights were sometimes very chilly. While he was hiding and waiting for daylight he had a lot of thoughts going through his head. For the first time since he had been in Vietnam he felt afraid for his own life. He wondered what the VC would do to him if they found him, would they immediately kill me or would they torture me and then kill me. He was aware that snipers are one of the most feared and hated soldiers of all because of the way they kill their enemy. There were insects making different noises and he was praying a deadly Viper snake didn’t crawl up next to him and strike him as he moved. He sat in total silence and he could hear his heartbeat pounding in his chest. He was hoping that as loud as it sounded to him the VC couldn’t hear it. He tried to collect his thoughts and plan his strategy as he sat all alone in the thick cover of the jungle. When he looked up through the trees there were millions of stars and his thoughts were on Shirley and Jenifer and how much he missed them. His only thoughts at that moment were what I wouldn’t give to be home with them right now. He couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for himself as he sat in a curled up fetal position softly saying a prayer for God to protect him and guide him back to his camp. He was wondering if anyone really cared what he was going through accept for Shirley.
The next morning just as the sun started to come up Doug headed east again. He wasn’t sure where the VC were in relation to his position but believed they were somewhere close on his trail. He knew they were hunting him and would not give up until they found him. He had to make sure he covered his urine because he had heard that the VC could smell the Americans while they were in the jungles. They could smell the soap used on their bodies, the cigarettes they smoked, and their discharged urine. He had a little water left from his canteen but wanted to save some of it in case he had to be in the jungle for a while. He put the canteen to his dry parched lips and took a few small swallows.
He made his way through the jungle as he crept along all that day and into part of the night. It was now his second night alone and he was starting to wonder if he would make it out of the jungle alive. He’d never realized how lonely a person can feel until he was in that position. He wondered if he would ever see another person again accept a VC torturing him before he died. He had heard about American soldiers that were captured, tied upside down in trees, skinned alive, then left to die. Of all the ways they could kill him he felt that would be the most inhumane way for him to die. The one thing that kept him focused on trying to get out of the jungle alive was the thought of someday seeing Jenifer and Shirley again. Late in the evening it started to rain and the torrential rains in Vietnam always brought everything to a halt. During the monsoon season when it rained you could only see about five to ten yards in front of you. Because it was bearing down on him Doug decided to take refuge under some thick tree cover until morning.
The rain had slowed down during the night but Doug was able to fill his canteen with much needed water. At the crack of dawn he was up and slowly moving around. Once he felt comfortable that he was safe he headed east again. Several hours later he came to a big open area that was about a quarter mile across to the tree line on the other side. It looked like it went for miles in both directions so there was no way to go around it. It had grass about three feet high but that was the only cover in the open field. He couldn’t tell if there was a river or creek in the middle of the field because of the weeds. As he contemplated his options he thought, this could be it for me, if the VC are on my trail and waiting for me to pop out in the open they will kill me for sure. If he wanted to continue east he didn’t have any alternative but to start across the open field. As soon as he got into the weeds he took off his tree camouflage and attached some of the dry weeds to his clothing and helmet so he would blend in with the rest of weeds and it would be hard for the VC to spot him.
Sixty yards into the field Doug realized there was a little creek and the closer he got to it he was in water and mud about knee deep. The leeches were starting to crawl up his boots and pants and the mosquitoes were like a swarm of bees when you steal their honey. They were all over him, biting his hands and face. The leeches were all over his clothes and he was fighting to peel them off as he went along. Now he was not only fighting the VC but fighting off leeches and mosquitoes. Even though he had taken malaria pills he was hoping he didn't get sick from the mosquito bites. Once he was on the other side he peeled off the rest of the leeches and the mosquitoes were a little calmer.
Doug decided he would rest and wait about fifteen minutes to see how close the VC were behind him. He didn’t have to wait long when he saw three VC dressed in their black uniforms, appear at the other side where he had just come from. He was angry that they were still on his trail and that close to him. He was hoping and praying they had given up the hunt for him after two days. He waited for them to get about sixty yards into the mud of the open field and then sited in and k
illed the VC that was bringing up the rear. The other two ducked and tried to hide in the weeds. As they turned and started to run for the cover of the tree line he took careful aim and killed another one. By then the third one was able to make it to the cover of the trees and get away. Doug knew, there was no doubt now, they were hunting him and there would be more that would take the place of the two he had just killed. Now the killing had become a personal thing with him; it was now kill or be killed. He waited a few more minutes to see if the one that escaped would appear again but he didn’t. He took off the camouflage weeds and put on some cover of the surrounding trees and brush and headed east.
This encounter with the VC made Doug pick up his pace as he made his way through the jungle. He went as far as he could go in the dark and found another place to hide for the night. The fact that the one VC had escaped created a since of fear in him he never had before. The jungle was home to the VC and he was in their back yard. He tried to stay awake as much as he could that night but it was hard as he caught himself dozing off a few times. He tried to think happy thoughts of going home and being Shirley and Jenifer.
When the sun finally came up it was now the fourth day of his nightmare and Doug was pretty ragged looking and exhausted. It was hot and humid and his uniform was dirty and sweaty and he could hardly stand his own body odor as he made his way through the jungle. He kept looking back to see if he could spot the VC following him. His feet were starting to bother him because the inside of his boots were wet from sweat of constant walking. All he had eaten were insects he caught along the way. He could feel his body starting to weaken from lack of some solid food and constantly fighting through the jungle. Every step he took he kept thinking, man it will be great to finally get a shower and some real food.
It was mid-afternoon of that fourth day when he finally came to a dirt road about forty feet wide in the middle of the jungle. It looked like it had been traveled on a regular basis. Once he was there he got down on his knees in the middle of the road and thanked God that he was now out of the jungle. He found a place to hide on the side of the road and rest for a few minutes to see if the VC were close behind him. After waiting for a while and not seeing any VC he headed down the road in the direction of his camp. After a few hours he heard a vehicle coming in his direction. He got off the road and hid in the woods until it got closer and he could tell it was a United States Army truck. When it was within about forty yards of him he walked into the center of the road with his weapon in the air, as if to surrender. The soldiers in the truck could see he was very weak as he fell to his knees. The soldier on the passenger side had a rifle pointed at Doug as he got out of the truck and started asking him questions about what he was doing in the middle of the jungle. Doug started explaining to him that he was with a sniper unit and had been left in the jungle. The soldiers were familiar with his unit and had heard what had happened to him and Yates so they gave him a ride back to his base camp.
Once Doug was in his headquarters he ate and rested for a few days. They brought him before his commanding officer and he told Doug they had given up hope of finding him alive and had reported him as missing in action (MIA). The commander stated, “Everyone figured there wasn’t any way you could have gotten out alive, especially after what the chopper pilot told us regarding Yates and the number of VC in the area.” It was also just as Doug had suspected; they had hit the entire area with air strikes and artillery once they couldn’t get the two of them out. It was a good thing he went into the jungle when he did or he may have been killed by “friendly fire” (our own military).
That was the most frightening experience Doug had in Vietnam but it made him realize an important lesson in life and that was he had only himself to rely on. He found out that when things got tough you can’t always count on other people to bail you out. That’s when he came up with his belief that the only true place you can put your faith is in yourself and God.
After killing the North Vietnamese soldiers and the Viet Cong in South Vietnam for a year his tour of duty was up and the Army sent him back to the United States to serve out the rest of his military time. He still had about five months left, after a leave of absence to go home and see Shirley and Jennifer. He was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia to be a sniper instructor for his remaining months. Although he never really ever liked his time in the military he did his patriotic duty and after two years he was discharged from the Army active duty status.