MINES- My Last Patrol
In Memory of Cpl. Carroll E. Raymer - KIA 8-8-70
My name is William Dean
and on August 8, 1970 I was a 20 year old 1st Lieutenant with 1st Platoon
Company D 3rd Bn 187th Abn Inf., 101st Airborne Div. My platoon was on patrol
outside Camp Evans near abandoned Firebase Sword. In preparing for the coming
night operation, I had been directed to establish three ambush locations. With a
platoon of only 18 troops it was kind of hard to do. We split into three squads.
As we separated and moved out, I decided to go with 1st squad. This squad
consisted of Sgt's Harvey and Latham, my RTO "Whimpy", our medic "Doc"
Crum, Cpl Carroll Raymer and myself.
We had picked
an ambush site 2 kilometers, "klicks", from our daytime position. We
moved out an hour before dark. We used one of the many old tank trails left by
the 5th Mech. when they worked the area. As was our norm I walked 3rd in line.
We reached our night spot and I directed Sgt Latham to move off the trail about
30 yards and into the waist high "saw grass". As we reached that point he made a
right turn so as to make our line parallel to the trail. I had dropped my ruck
and was talking to each squad member as they passed. My RTO was standing
next to me when there was an explosion and I found myself laying flat on my back
about 10 feet from where I had been. I stood and moved back to where my rucksack
lay. Whimpy was on the ground unconscious. My left hand was numb,
bleeding and bent back. I could not see from my left eye and could see blood on
my fatigue shirt. I sat on my rucksack as Sgt. Harvey came running in from the
trail. He had been walking rear security and had not been in the blast area.
Neither of us knew what had happened but I told him to check everybody.
As he moved
off, I reached down to the radio on Whimpy's back and picked up the
handset. I called the CO and told him we had been hit and that all packs were
down. His immediate response was for me to change to the battalion radio
frequency and call for med-evac. Before I could do that I heard urgent radio
calls from my other two squads saying they had heard the explosion and my radio
transmission and were on the way to us. In minutes I had contacted med-evac and
they were on the way. I also could hear the other squads approaching, calling
out in the dark to let us know who and where they were.
As I sat
there, Sgt Harvey returned to say that Latham, Doc and Raymer were down hard and
that he was not sure if Doc and Raymer would make it. As we spoke the other
squads moved in and began setting up security and providing what medical aid
they could. I heard th med-evac copters approaching and they called wanting to
know the type of contact we had been involved in and how long ago. I told them
that we had hit a mine or booby-trap and that we had the LZ secured. With that
Sgt. Harvey turned on his strobe light and moved to the trail.
I sat and
watched as the 1st bird landed, watched as my platoon members were loaded aboard
and then watched the bird lift and move away. My thoughts were "Wait, I'm hurt
too", but before I knew it a second bird sat down and I was being carried
aboard. Sgt. Latham had also been put on the same bird. As we flew towards Camp
Evans I felt no pain and could only hope that I would live.
Upon landing
we were rushed inside the evac aid station and all my clothes were cut off. A
medic was doing a quick check on me and I could see blood coming from holes in
my chest and stomach. There was also blood between my legs. I asked him if
everything was ok "down there"? With a pull and quick look he laughed and said
"Yeah man, everything still there". I was having a hard time breathing and
within minutes I was back on a copter headed to the 85th EVAC hospital near
Hue.
The doors on the copter were open and being naked I became very cold. I asked
the medic for a blanket and told him I wanted to sleep. He told me that he had
to keep me awake until we landed and that being cold would slow my blood loss.
We landed and
I was rushed into a building. A doctor looked me over and sent me to x-ray. They
lifted me onto the table and the medics moved me around for different x-ray
shots. I felt weak and then vomited. It was thick, foamy and dark red. I looked
at the x-ray tech and knowing he would have to clean up my mess, told him that I
was sorry. His reply was " Hell man, you're the hurt one, don't worry!" I was
moved into an operating room and put under.
I awoke the
next day to see my older brother standing at my bedside. He was a navy corpsman
attached to the marine corps at Da Nang. The night before in the aid station I
had given the 1st Sgt my wallet and asked him to call my brother. There I lay
with tubes in my nose, side and other parts. He had his arm in a sling and my
first words were " What the hell happened to you?"
Of course his
words were not to worry about him, but to worry about myself. ( I later learned
that while driving an ambulance down
Monkey
Mountain at
night with a patient, he had run off the road.)
Sgt. Latham
was at the same hospital. He improved and was shipped home. The others had been
flown elsewhere. I was visited by the first Sgt and told of Raymer's death. I
really was saddened by his death because he had a new son that he would never
see. I also thought that "Doc" Crum had died, but have not been able to find him
listed on the "Vietnam Memorial Wall". I have seen Raymers name there.
I stayed at
the 85th Evac Hospital for 2 weeks. Then I was transported to the
military hospital at
Camp Zama,
Japan
for 2 more weeks. I was then transported to Womack Army Hospital, Ft
Bragg, NC. My stay there was over a period of 4 months. I was in and out
having surgery.
Many American boys became men in Vietnam. Many never got to grow
up. Those of us that God allowed to return home must never forget those that
gave that last full measure for their families, friends and Country. God bless
this country and all who have served her.
#
Copyright 1999 - William Dean
The author's website:
http://www.geocities.com/grandaddydean/
Photo by William Dean
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