In the extreme heat of south western Louisiana at the Joint Readiness Training Center. 23rd of August, 1999.
The following are the events that took place on my 11th anniversary in the Army....
0001 Flying sling loads from the rear area to the drop zone: ammunition and fuel.
0343 Land, shutdown...
0357 Dig a hasty fighting position in anticipation of a large attack...the enemy tank forces are moving closer with every shovel of dirt...
0411 Thats deep enough...time to sleep...been up since 0900 the previous morning...can't sleep due to the extreme heat!
0435 The enemy draws neaerer and boggs our operations down with an NBC attack. Apparently it is driven in on a truck and detonated...
0544 "ALL CLEAR" Time to get out of the protective gear and get back to bed. The sun will be up soon...and that means the heat will be back also.
0605 Go to sleep finally. The sun is begining to crest over the eastern treeline.
0700 A few enemy soldiers begin a harassment attack from the southern woodline approximately 300-400 yards away.
0900 Too hot and sweaty to sleep any longer. We sweat just laying here and not moving...
0953 "RED AIR." Enemy helicopters attack our base and they are all destroyed but not before they take out our aircraft on the ground...so long to 301, 426 and 182.
1531 Finally, LT Brewster finds some boxers (he thought he didn't pack them) and changes his drawers after 7 days in record high temperatures!
1800 We officially report for duty. Although we have been up since 0900 we will be flying well into the night...
2015 It's inevitable. The enemy tanks are clashing with our forward lines...they will be here soon. All able aircraft are evacuated to AA Bulldog. Everyone else must stay and defend to the best of their abilities. The aircraft will support the battle from their new location.
2230 CPT Albus and I receive the warning order to resupply AO Bear (the former assembly area where all our friendly forces are defending). It will be fire base resupply, then water and fuel if possible.
2315 One aircraft: CPT Albus, SGT Delancy, SPC Dreeson and I risk all to sling ammunition to 2 artillery fire bases.
2340 First load of ammunition lands in the Artillery fire base.
The resupply continues on through the night. As the battle rages we find our aircraft nearing zero fuel...we fly to the FARP which was previously under attack. We land. Within seconds we can see the flashes from artillery rounds landing all around us..."GET IN!" The crewchiefs jump in...we pull pitch! Whew!
We land back at AA Bulldog with all our fuel lights flashing. The FARP is seriously damaged and we have no hot refuel capabitlites in this area. The OH-58D's MUST be hot refueled in order to continue the battle...the fuel truck lacks the poper fitting to cold fuel them but has the proper fitting to cold gas us....we get refueled and take the FARP NCO and a certain, crazy LT...(Todd Heins)...everyone is mission focused.
The mission: Fly to the FARP where we were already attacked once, let out the NCO and the LT who will secure the equipment in order to refuel the OH-58's...its a success! The refuel is again established and that FARP NCO is declared the "Hero of the Battle."
0345 August 24th, 1999...the day is finally done...time to sleep.
One more day in double A! Airborne!