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The Leach...
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By:
Billy R. Whisenant
Copyright
© 2000
USMC toured Nam 10/67-10/68
2nd battalion 9th marines 3rd marine division
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We were on patrol east of Camp Caroll in Vietnam
some month in 1968. I was a forward observer radio operator for artillery. I
don't remember the month but do remember a leach that got on the inside of my
leg when we crossed a small stream.
I could feel the leach crawling up my leg and was about to pull down my trousers
and remove it when we made contact and came under small arms fire. As we were
rushing up the side of a hill my attention was torn between getting shot at and
the leach which was steadily crawling up my leg. The higher that leach climbed
the inside of my leg the less I thought about getting shot. That leach was
pretty high up my leg when we reached the top of the hill.
We spotted a hand full of the enemy who had been shooting at us running over the
top of another hill. I radioed the CO ordinance of the fire mission to the
artillery at Camp Caroll as I was dropping my trousers. I bent
over, back side facing the marines still charging up the hill behind us. I had a
lit cigarette by this time as was in the process of burning that leach off.
The leach by this time had gotten to close to where I didn't want him to be. The
leach and the enemy were no longer a threat to me. Our guys were shooting at the
retreating enemy so the men rushing up behind us didn't know what was going on
as they came into view of me bending over.
In true marine spirit under fire and fear the first man to see
this sight said "Tex it's bad enough that I'm getting shot at but do you have to
moon me too?" The leach removed, I pulled up my trousers and adjusted the
artillery on to the hills beyond.
That marine never broke stride as he moved on up past me to the line.
#
Copyright 1999 - Billy R.
Whisenant
email: synapse48@earthlink.net
website:
Fire for Effect!
Billy was in the USMC &.
toured Nam 10/67-10/68
2nd Battalion 9th Marines 3rd Marine Division
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