Thursday morning, Sept. 28, was beautiful at Con Thien, where
I had just helicoptered in to join Mike Company, Third Battalion,
Ninth Marines. Sunshine was drying the red mud and men atop
the trenches were cleaning their weapons. The last time I covered
the Marines was at Chosin Reservoir in Korea; it was 30' below
then.
|
Now the heat was stifling. A corporal led me into the cool sanctuary
of his bunker, shared his canteen, then took me out to OP One,
the most forward Marine position in Vietnam, to watch our planes
bomb the enemy 700 meters away. Soon we would be in the enemy's
cone of fire. |
