Post by Anonymous Vet on Dec 22, 2002 4:52:09 GMT -5
July 10, 1967
(3 page letter home dated 10 JUL 67, to my wife.
Submitted by Max Mizejewski, Minuteman June & July 1967. The best damn days of my life!)
(page 1)
Dear Joey,
When you pray to God for me, please also say a prayer for the men on the ground fighting this war. I found out what war is like last night, and it is not a very pretty picture. I was on flare stand-by last night. (We have an A/C loaded with flares on parachutes and if anyone gets in trouble we fly around and give light to them) and all hell broke loose after 1900 hrs. Some of the artillery people spotted a large number of people (about 200) gathering in the rice patty's after dark (there is a 1900 hr. curfew) so they sent up 3 gun ships to take a look, using the light from our flare ship. Well no one could decide weather or not they were V.C. so 3 or 3 ½ hours later they called in a tank platoon (5 tanks). After that all the people disappeared and the tanks started back home, well on the way home one tank hit a mine buried in the sand along the beach. The tank burned completely! So we stayed on station until we ran out of fuel and another A/C took over. When we got back to Eagles Nest to re-load with flares, there was a call in that a platoon back in the hills needed help BAD. So we scrambled the A/C and got right back in the air. The platoon had come under small arms fire, hand grenades and mortar attack at about 0100 hrs., and everyone was wounded including the man who was talking on the radio to call in help. It is people like that man, who make you proud to be an American! He carried on after being shot at least 3 times because he knew that without his help no one would be able to find them. And you never heard about so many people working so hard to try to help this platoon. We stayed on station until the sun came up. It was a long night but it didn't seem too bad cuz when your helping to save someone's life you don't seem to tire very fast.
Love always,
Max
(page 2)
I found out today that the guy who was on the radio all night and was shot up was only 19. They are putting him in for the award just under the C.M.H. He sure did an outstanding job. He brought the artillery to within 50 yards of the position, which is what saved them cuz they were about 150 to 300 V.C. against 30 men. Only 2 died, the rest are doing OK now. The artillery fired over 900 rounds in 4 hrs.!!! I understand a lot more about a lot of things due to that night.
I received a letter from my parents today also - so tell them I got it cuz I don't have time to answer it. Say Hi to all of them for me.
Tell me more about your job, what you are doing, who you are working for, etc.
Love always and forever,
Max
P.S. we are going to have to have a business meeting soon, so get your notes straight.
(page 3)
First take off at 0630, 10 July 67
Sorties Pax Weight Mission Time
4 4 0 DCS
2 6 0 DCS
2 5 300 DCS 02:35
3 6 0 DCS
2 4 100 DCS
3 6 0 DCS 01:30
4 9 0 DCS
5 10 0 00:40
4 8 100 00:40
3 11 0
3 15 0 01:35
===============================
35 78 500 Total 7:00 hours
Flare ship 9:20 hours
================================
TOTAL TIME FOR THIS DAY 16:20 hours
Shut down at 0630
11 Jul 67
(3 page letter home dated 10 JUL 67, to my wife.
Submitted by Max Mizejewski, Minuteman June & July 1967. The best damn days of my life!)
(page 1)
Dear Joey,
When you pray to God for me, please also say a prayer for the men on the ground fighting this war. I found out what war is like last night, and it is not a very pretty picture. I was on flare stand-by last night. (We have an A/C loaded with flares on parachutes and if anyone gets in trouble we fly around and give light to them) and all hell broke loose after 1900 hrs. Some of the artillery people spotted a large number of people (about 200) gathering in the rice patty's after dark (there is a 1900 hr. curfew) so they sent up 3 gun ships to take a look, using the light from our flare ship. Well no one could decide weather or not they were V.C. so 3 or 3 ½ hours later they called in a tank platoon (5 tanks). After that all the people disappeared and the tanks started back home, well on the way home one tank hit a mine buried in the sand along the beach. The tank burned completely! So we stayed on station until we ran out of fuel and another A/C took over. When we got back to Eagles Nest to re-load with flares, there was a call in that a platoon back in the hills needed help BAD. So we scrambled the A/C and got right back in the air. The platoon had come under small arms fire, hand grenades and mortar attack at about 0100 hrs., and everyone was wounded including the man who was talking on the radio to call in help. It is people like that man, who make you proud to be an American! He carried on after being shot at least 3 times because he knew that without his help no one would be able to find them. And you never heard about so many people working so hard to try to help this platoon. We stayed on station until the sun came up. It was a long night but it didn't seem too bad cuz when your helping to save someone's life you don't seem to tire very fast.
Love always,
Max
(page 2)
I found out today that the guy who was on the radio all night and was shot up was only 19. They are putting him in for the award just under the C.M.H. He sure did an outstanding job. He brought the artillery to within 50 yards of the position, which is what saved them cuz they were about 150 to 300 V.C. against 30 men. Only 2 died, the rest are doing OK now. The artillery fired over 900 rounds in 4 hrs.!!! I understand a lot more about a lot of things due to that night.
I received a letter from my parents today also - so tell them I got it cuz I don't have time to answer it. Say Hi to all of them for me.
Tell me more about your job, what you are doing, who you are working for, etc.
Love always and forever,
Max
P.S. we are going to have to have a business meeting soon, so get your notes straight.
(page 3)
First take off at 0630, 10 July 67
Sorties Pax Weight Mission Time
4 4 0 DCS
2 6 0 DCS
2 5 300 DCS 02:35
3 6 0 DCS
2 4 100 DCS
3 6 0 DCS 01:30
4 9 0 DCS
5 10 0 00:40
4 8 100 00:40
3 11 0
3 15 0 01:35
===============================
35 78 500 Total 7:00 hours
Flare ship 9:20 hours
================================
TOTAL TIME FOR THIS DAY 16:20 hours
Shut down at 0630
11 Jul 67