April 24, 2000
To the Marines of Alpha 1/9,
I regret not being physically with you today, although I'm
with you in mind, and spirit. With the doc's hospitality and
all the good memories and friendship aflow, you must be having
the best of times. I'm hoping to see you all in the July -Atlantic
City 1/9 reunion where Alpha Co. will have some meeting time
dedicated to us.
When I first arrived as your CO in March '67 there wasn't much
trust, confidence, and love lost between us. You had just finished
combating the NVA in Phu An (first time), and I relieved Capt.
Festa who was injured by concussion from a mortar round. I believed
many of you looked at me as an arrogant, aggressive, upstart
CO who was going to get everyone killed. Initially, the name
you entitled me with "Captain Contact" was given and
received with contempt. I was shocked with the state in which
I found Alfa Co. We had very few officers and staff NCOs (this
shortfall of senior leadership got worse with future combat
and time). I saw a general state of resistance/stubbornness
to change, exhaustion, and a laxness (sloppiness in tactics
and activities) that really scared me, because I didn't understand
it, and realized it could result in unnecessary KIAs. I began
with the intention of aggressively patrolling to locate the
NVA, make "Contact", and then back off and kick the
shit out of them with artillery and other supporting arms. This
didn't always work out. Some of our marines responded with "we
don't want to find them and make contact because that always
results in friendly KIA & WIA- With time and combat, plus
advice and observations from my trusted and appreciated confidant
Cpl. R. G. Powers I began to understand where you were coming
from, and I gained respect for who you were and what you were
doing. Soon I didn't really want to make contact either, and
I wanted to keep everyone alive while accomplishing our mission.
I believed the best defense was a tough- aggressive offense,
so I was very demanding, pushing you hard, doing things such
as constantly relocating our patrol bases (especially after
a helo visit) so the NVA couldn't find us at night. I knew you
needed an R&R break, ideally out of country as a unit, because
the constant combat and individual replacement without unit
training was taking its toll. Occasionally, defensive perimeter
duty at places like Camp Carroll/ConTien/Cua Viet etc. provided
a little relief but we still had to provide offensive activities.
I looked forward to a return to our rear at Dong Ha for showers,
to remove the stink, get a change of uniform, beer and soda,
general replenishment, and a nights sleep without being on the
alert for an NVA contact. I quickly saw the dangers in Dong
Ha in that an overstay diminished our physical fitness combat
effectiveness, and our marines were too quickly contaminated
by the ways of the rear echelon scum bags, (their attitudes,
racial/drug problems, etc.). These rear echelon supporters (ratio
of about ten of them to each combat marine in Nam) reaped all
the benefits (including too many commendations) with no real
threat, and they never really knew what combat was all about.
The scary thing that I began to realize was that we as a combat
unit were becoming a self reliant- inter dependent entity of
its own and the crap that was going on around us (in the rear
and back in the U.S.) made it look like our outside world was
coming apart.
Our many activities South of the DMZ, to include aggressive
patrolling, engagements, building the trace, defending static
positions, emergency reactions, etc., met our overall mission
as a screening force to locate/intercept and engage NVA units
trying to move South across the DMZ. The big problem was the
NVA were as tough, well trained, dedicated and formidable enemy
as was imaginable, and we usually engaged them when they were
well dug in, in Bn. and larger size. They had firepower, equipment
& supporting arms that were as good as ours.
In April '67 we led 1/9 to the Street Without Joy during a
night approach. The 2nd night we hiked through a minefield to
reach, save, and recover the dead and wounded of Charlie Co.
after they were decimated by a VC/NVA force. It's probable that
without our involvement C Co would have been totally wiped out
(100 % KIA), because the NVA were shooting C Co WIA in the head
during our approach, and they left on our arrival.
I don't think any of us will ever forget our combat with the
heavily armed, well entrenched and camouflaged large NVA force
just outside of Phu An in May'67 where we lost too many KIA/WIA.
After Alpha Co. backed off , the remainder of 1/9 went in and
found the few remaining alive NVA had pulled out, leaving behind
a large number of weapons and KIA that they couldn't carry.
The 1/9 CO, Maj. Fullham congratulated A Co for a job well done
for kicking NVA butts and forcing them out. This is especially
noteworthy considering the Murphy Principal was at its best.
Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. 1/9 told
us to cease fire while we receiving casualties because they
thought we were firing on friendlies (we never stopped firing),
they wouldn't authorize artillery/supporting arms because they
thought we were too close to friendlies, a tank backed over
our casualties who were using it for cover-because of comm difficulties,
etc.
On 2 July,'67 we turned and fought our way into the face of
an entrenched NVA Reg. or Div., draging our wounded with us,
to save B Co. who was being decimated. Again we suffered heavy
casualties. The senior B Co. survivor, Gy Sgt Lee Bums, later
stated that on our arrival the NVA shifted their entire offense
from B Co onto A Co, thus allowing the few remaining Bravo survivors
to make it out alive.
On 6 July, our understrengthed and physically/mentally exhausted
Co. was reinforced with C. Co. and some engineers, and tasked
with taking a recon unit North of friendly lines and South of
the DMZ( Indian country) to find out where the NVA were coming
across. After establishing a good defensive perimeter at the
Market Place, a NVA Reg., or Div. moving South marched into
us. They surrounded us, probed and assembled for attack only
to be stopped by a strong perimeter defense and PFC. Sanky,
our Arapaho brother, who fired over 3000 artillery rds. walking
them to within 50 m of our lines. We inflicted heavy casualties
on them, while suffering very few casualties of our own, and
we alerted friendlies to the south. Ultimately, they lost their
element of surprise, they broke off a major attack and returned
to North Vietnam. Among other things, their strength, size and
sophistication was shown in very accurate & heavy artillery
fire, and the firing of a SAM (surface to air missile) that
went right over our position at a low altitude and shot down
an aircraft that was in our support.
I've asked myself how we were able to do so well and why didn't
we suffer the almost complete annihilation (to the point they
ceased to be an effective fighting force) that sister companies
did. Furthermore, we never backed down from a fight no matter
how heavy the casualties, and we always accomplished our mission
forcing the NVA to break contact first. Our scenarios were always
the most difficult, we were more often engaged than others,
our turnover due to heavy casualties was always high, they took
away our trustworthy M- 14s and replaced them with rifles we
couldn't trust to fire. We always received the shity left overs
( the butt end of the supply line) what was left after everyone
in the rear picked over it, and we were fighting a much larger-
tougher enemy then most units in Nam ever saw. You worked longer
and harder without a break than even our WWII counterparts who
had long periods of R&R, replenishment, restaffing and training
after a Pacific island was taken. The elements (heat, humidity,
terrain etc.) were tough, and I always pushed you very hard,
demanding your all. Could it be that we were just lucky? I think
not! the answer lies in you, the individual marines and corpsman
of A Co.
You repeatedly put your lives, hearts and souls into the job,
You took the hell, death, and atrocities in stride, tucking
them away, never looking back, and reaching for/plowing forward
with new energy to HI enemy, accomplish the mission and die
or survive in the process as marines before us have always done.
You continually looked death in the face, living on the edge
with adrenaline highs, deep lows, frustration exhaustion, and
the extreme emotions of fear, hate, rage, disgust and even traces
of joy. You never gave up. You did the impossible. No one else
could have done better. You are responsible for our survival
and success. I knew that if I had given the order to fix bayonets,
and even fire an artillery concentration on our own position,
as I had planned on 6 July in anticipation of being overrun,
there is no doubt that if necessary each of us would have fought
to the death. In appearance we were a scraggily, dirty, smelly,
and an uncouth bunch of marines, but A Co. was a mean, tough,
tight and most effective fighting force.
I'm honored for having been your CO in combat. Had we been
a peacetime company, I probably would have been court- martialed
with the rest of you. Each of you should be proud of yourselves
for your accomplishments. You should have no regrets. I'm proud
of you, I respect you, and I will be forever grateful for what
you did. I now enjoy "Captain Contact" as an endeared
and cherished combat title bestowed on me by my marines.
At R.and G's and the Doc's insistence, I've enclosed photos
of a mounted AK-47. This was captured at Phu An in May '67.
I was at a hedgerow back of one of our tanks and our marines
that were in a heavy firefight. I saw the muzzle blast of a
lone, well concealed NVA's rifle as he sprayed our marines with
fire. Some of our marines that were hit were pulled behind the
tank for protection only to have the tank accidentally back
over them. This is a horror that I'll never forget. I couldn't
get anyone else to see this NVA asshole, so when I saw that
he was temporarily distracted I climbed up and emptied my 45
in his face and chest. I then grabbed his AK-47 and got back
ASAP. Don't ask me how I accidentally got it back to CONUS without
getting arrested, that's a story in itself. The engraving on
this plaque reads "In respect for and in memory of those
gallant marines of A 1/9, March through June, 1967".
Again, I hope to see you all in Atlantic City. Lets try to
have a good Alpha Co. show of force. I've also enclosed some
reunion attendance info. All of the promotions and commendations
the Marine Corps could have bestowed on me would be valueless
compared to your friendship. Thank you for your generosity in
accepting me as one of your own. Doc, whenever Alpha company
marines are addressed, you are one of us, as close and special
as any A Co. Marine could ever be. You can even say " fuck
the Marine Corps" as much as you like, as you readily do.
We would never accept that from someone other than our own.
Semper Fidelis
Albert C. Slater
Alpha 6
"Captain Contact"
