From Carl Davis 11/27/2011
Hi Ernie,
My name is Carl Davis. I arrived in-country in October of 1967 and served with D 299th at Dak To air strip. I mostly was a mine sweeper to Ben Het. I was 18 years old at the time. I don’t remember many names except my friend Tom Shehorn from Chicago who was our cook. He unfortunately died in an ambush on a convoy to Pleiku.
One of my failings at this time was my propensity for sneaking through the perimeter to visit the whores in Tan Cahn (spelling?) “Tin Can”. Hey I was 18! don’t bust my balls.
Your name sounds familiar to me. I remember many faces but not the names.
I re-enlisted upon return to the U.S. and served as a grunt (11B2p) in 1969-‘70 with the B/4/503rd Inf. 173rd Abn. Bde.
What a mess. During this period of “pacification” I recall things that I never saw on my first tour including racial fights where my nest buddy Tony Flores was murdered in full view of many others by a black trooper from another unit (at a one-day stand down at L.Z. North English July 1970) several fragging's, a suicide, etc..
So much for naiveté and idealism.
In retrospect I do not believe our government seriously wanted to win that war.
I am grateful though to have made it back and glad to know you and most others did also.
Sincerely,
Carl Davis
Hi Ernie,
My name is Carl Davis. I arrived in-country in October of 1967 and served with D 299th at Dak To air strip. I mostly was a mine sweeper to Ben Het. I was 18 years old at the time. I don’t remember many names except my friend Tom Shehorn from Chicago who was our cook. He unfortunately died in an ambush on a convoy to Pleiku.
One of my failings at this time was my propensity for sneaking through the perimeter to visit the whores in Tan Cahn (spelling?) “Tin Can”. Hey I was 18! don’t bust my balls.
Your name sounds familiar to me. I remember many faces but not the names.
I re-enlisted upon return to the U.S. and served as a grunt (11B2p) in 1969-‘70 with the B/4/503rd Inf. 173rd Abn. Bde.
What a mess. During this period of “pacification” I recall things that I never saw on my first tour including racial fights where my nest buddy Tony Flores was murdered in full view of many others by a black trooper from another unit (at a one-day stand down at L.Z. North English July 1970) several fragging's, a suicide, etc..
So much for naiveté and idealism.
In retrospect I do not believe our government seriously wanted to win that war.
I am grateful though to have made it back and glad to know you and most others did also.
Sincerely,
Carl Davis