It was dry and extremely hot. It certainly wasn't the monsoons. I was attached to a Marine combat squad in Vietnam and it was June 1969. I was now a seasoned infantryman and was a grenadier with the squad. I carried an M-79 grenade launcher and was referred to as the "blooper man". My weapon was used for a variety of reasons. It fired high explosive rounds called HE rounds, smoke, gas and beehive rounds. The beehive rounds consisted of small ball bearings, and small sharp metal darts. The HE rounds were used against bunkers, the smoke for cover and ground signals to the jets and attack helicopters, the gas against personnel, and the beehive against personnel.

We were on patrol across a valley when we approached a small hill. Our point man indicated he could see fixed positions on the hill as we crossed the valley.

The squad leader ordered us on line for a frontal assault up the hill to reconnoiter the area for enemy troops. I was placed in the very middle of the line for the frontal assault. My job was to shoot HE rounds into any bunkers or foxholes ahead of our advance.

I was perspiring as I was nervous. A frontal assault on manned high ground positions would produce casualties. I had been involved in this type of assault before, and I knew it could get nasty. I looked at the other grunts as we moved out on line. Their entire focus was now on the hill ahead. I knew if the NVA were dug in and present, that some of these Marines would fall before we reached the objective.

Suddenly out of nowhere, two Huey helicopter gunships appeared flying low over the hill. I could see the two 60 caliber machine gunners on each chopper pointing their weapons at the hilltop foxholes as the ships rapidly passed tree top level over the hill. They were trying to draw fire from any occupied positions as the machine gunners protected them with cover. If they drew any fire, they would circle and attack with their rockets.

The two helicopters shot across the top of the hill and there was total silence. I felt relieved. That meant the enemy was probably not occupying the positions on top of the hill. The squad leader picked up the pace and we advanced closer. As we approached the grade up the hill, he instructed me to start firing HE rounds into any bunkers or foxholes ahead. I fired about ten rounds with no response from any of the foxholes. He ordered me to cease fire as we climbed the hill and finally arrived at the top of the hill.

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