Retreat! Retreat! Gun fire, that's all there was to hear was we were running for our lives. All of us, Dog and Bravo company are retreating through a dense flooded rice field with Vietcong on our tail. A thunderstorm inundated the field a day before. We ran through the rice field trying to get to the helicopters on the other side. Water splashed near my feet as I ran vigorously through the field. Then a stray bullet struck my foot. I yelled and fell to the ankle deep water, it hurt to much to run. Blood was leaking out the bullet hole in my boot. I saw a soldier run by me without even lending a hand. Another soldier saw me, picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. Bullets were flying right passed my head every second. A mortar went off next to us throwing us to the ground. We got back up and made it to the helicopters. I looked out and saw another helicopter take a direct hit from an RPG. "Stop! Go back down, we still have men down there," Daniels screamed.
"If we do not leave now we will all be dead."
We left twenty men down on the field. We watched as they were soon taken prisoner by the Vietcong.
7:00 Am March 29, 1972, 2 Months Earlier
Captain Daniels and Dog Company are being dropped off by helicopter 3 miles east of the town of Quang Tri. Their orders are to link up with the 2nd Armored Division, escort them to Quang Tri and retake the town once again. On their way one of the choppers took an RPG to the tail wing and went down into the dense forest. "Captain Daniels sir, one of the other choppers was shot down should I continue or turn back?" asked the pilot.
"NO! We have orders, I will send a rescue party." He ordered. The helicopters swooped down like hawks and unloaded the men. They emptied in 5 seconds flat. The choppers took off and went out of view behind the tree line. "Area secure!"one man said as he hunkered down next to a tree. Daniels said,"Thompson, Hill Anderson and Fox you men are the rescue party, I want you to find that crashed chopper."
"Yes sir!" they yelled. The men diseappered behind the dense brush. "Well hello 2nd Armored." said a soldier looking down the road. Ten Patton tanks, four jeeps and two Armored Personnel Carriers came into view down the road. The vehicles halted as Daniels waved them down. Daniels said, "Your late."
"We got ambushed by a small group of Vietcong, so lets get going." proclaimed the gunner. The vehicles accelerated down the road. Dog Company trailed down the side of the thin rocky road. Gun fire and mortar fire could be heard from a distance. The tanks took up position on the main street leading into Quang Tri. North Vietnamese were everywhere, in the windows, in the streets, on the roofs. Tank shots echoed through the town as they expunged buildings. This will be a arduous undertaking.
