Steve
Walker/Haygood, Mike 3/5 My
name is Steve Haygood, although I was named Steve Walker when I served
in the Marines. I was a member of 1st Plt. Mike 3/5 for almost 8 months,
ending when I got hit on Operation ESSEX Nov. 7, 1967. This was in Antenna
Valley, and I was radio operator.
We
walked into an ambush about 2-3 days out on the operation. The gooks
sprung it too soon, and only caught 1st platoon. We had a new boot 2nd
Lt. incountry 8 days, and he got killed and our plt. grenadier. Bill
Little also got killed. Myself and a guy named Nicholson from Detroit
was wounded also.
I
was on incountry R&R during the national elections in Sept of 1967.
I was saddled up waiting on choppers with everyone else to go out on
Operation SWIFT. Sgt. Sullivan told me to drop my gear and hand over
extra ammo, etc. and to report to Bn. to go on incountry R&R. A
bunch of us were quarantined to Mag16 airstrip while elections went
on. That day was the 1st day of SWIFT, and the NVA & VC were hitting
everywhere.
Late
that day, volunteers were recruited to go on medivacs to DMZ and elsewhere.
I went on a Ch-34 to Phu-Bai. Phu-Bai perimeter was 800 meters
across. They took over 800 rocket, artillery and mortar rounds in 3
hours. VMH 22(?) had 23 Ch-34 choppers up there, they were all lost.
The enemy attack set off the ammo dump, and the ammo dump set off the
fuel dump (several big black bladders).
When
we got there, the only things left standing were barbwire stakes. No
bunkers, no wire, no artillery pieces, choppers, or transport was left
serviceable. Horrible burn cases everywhere. By nightfall, we had made
2 medi-vac trips. The next day the base quarantine was lifted, and the
entire tarmac at MAG16 probably had 300 bodies and wounded laid out
on the asphalt. All the hospital ships, Yokuska, Japan, and Subic Bay
were already filled and everyone else was awaiting transport back to
the U.S. I was lucky in missing the 1st days of SWIFT, but those
few days were bad everywhere. I
was also on UNION, UNION II, ADAIR, CALHOUN, PIKE, COCHISE, and SHELBYVILLE.
(click to enlarge)
Sea
Tiger article of Operation UNION courtesy of Frank Jurney, M/3/5
(click
to enlarge)
News
article about Operation ESSEX
Steve
Walker at top, Platoon Sgt. Clyde Sullivan's radio operator. "Conive
Mike 1 Alpha." Doc Griggs 2nd from top. Ralph Asura at bottom,
and Cpl. Phillips from Buffalo, New York. Other man with glasses
in middle was another "Doc" that I can't remember his name.
Anyone remember his name?
(click to enlarge)
"Dogpatch"
Heading south on Highway 1
(click to enlarge)
DaNang River
