I came across this note that Flame Platoon Member Jim Crocker sent to Dennis Driscoll in 2004.
This was buried in my LZ Litts folder, which I pulled out to begin some badly needed consolidating and updating. I will be working on developing my research over the next few weeks. I hope to have everything updated and prepared for the reunion so the attending "D" company guys can see some fruit for all their input as well as offer more correction and detail.
I am "calming down" from some of the negative feeling I developed while trying to pull this all together via our web site message board. Some, although espousing being open minded and having a working knowledge of "research"....seem, in reality...quick to correct every tidbit they see as flawed. Fortunately, most of you do not have these "ego issues" and I am grateful for your open-minded input.
I am posting this letter, nearly "verbatim". It speaks to some of the details of this contact on March 9th. It speaks for itself....and is more evidence of what a majority understand as some simple facts of the events I am attempting to chronicle.
"Dennis,
Sgt. David Erick came to me and said he needed some time in the field. Since I had a lot of combat experience by that time and Erick and I were friends, he wanted to pair with me on the Flame Track. Both of us were TC's but since Erick out ranked me I decided to go as driver. I informed him Delta Company was going on patrol and we could go out with them if we cleared it with SSgt. Lee (our boss). So, off we went.
After some time on patrol with Delta Co., we arrived at LZ Litts to camp for the night. I set up our Track behind a small hedge row behind one of the line tracks on the south side of the perimeter. We ( Flame Platoon) believed it to be suicide to put our track on the line and we wanted to be away from others in case we get hit for obvious reasons. Also we would be able to more easily move to the side needed should the Company get attacked.
Late that night I was awakened by a large explosion. As it turned out the Track we parked behind got hit with a RPG. Immediately Erick and I prepared for combat with our M16s. I noticed the combat was fierce on the west side of the perimeter and as the fighting went on other Tracks were moving over to the west side of the perimeter to help with the fight, including the line Track on our left. That Track checked with me before they left as I said we could handle it. I had plenty of M 16 ammo and noticed VC coming out of the woods directly to the south of me. Figuring the VC were probing us, I fired and hit (several times) a VC moving towards me from those woods. As there seemed to be more VC in the woods I kept firing always looking for fresh targets. Erick could not help me as his gun had jammed and could not fix it. We were saving the flame thrower in case we were called upon. Explosions were all around us from RPG and mortar fire and that Track that got hit with the RPG kept blowing up all night. Then, I felt something very hot hit me in the face. From what, I was never sure. A piece of jagged metal had hit me in the face and stuck there. There was no blood. Well, not until I pulled it out later. I figured that was it for me and told Erick I was hit. Moments later, I realized I was okay and shot another VC who had entered our perimeter. Later as I saw no more movement from the woods in front of me someone in a track to the east of my spot was firing a M60. I figured ( I hoped anyway) the VC had given up probing us. During the battle a Dust-Off was hovering to the east of me and I thought to myself if he tries to land he will never make it out of here. This place was just too hot. But the Dust Off WAS trying to land and I saw bullets hitting it especially around the engine. Then the Dust Off turned upside down and hit the ground hard sending torn off parts flying past my head. I continued to fight until daylight when the battle was finally over. I felt bad for the guy who was killed in the Track in front of us as no one knew who he was. Just a new guy. That's all they knew.
Jim Croker
Flame Platoon"By the way, the Daily Staff Journal for the 3rd Brigade, 4th Inf Div reads that the medevac chopper was reported down 75 meters East of the perimeter. (DJ 9Mar68 Line 12)
My work is made difficult, emotionally, when criticisms and finger pointing take place. I am attempting to pull together collective memories, often from totally different battle perspectives....and coordinate them into an account that will be as close to accurate as possible.
Will it be perfect? NO.
Short of having complete audio and video record of the account in question, this can never happen. We have only limited documentation and our individual memories as "meat" for this meal.
Fortunately, most of you understand this. I am uplifted by the support I receive from our steadfast Association Membership...who witness my physical archives at each reunion.
After our 2009 reunion, I attempted to load a video I took of our Archives room. I realize now the file size was entirely too large, and I have compressed the format into something that will work better:
http://ichiban1.org/media/Archives2.wmvAs I watch this, I am realizing the vast amount of documentation I have added
since I took this video! The Large Plastic File containers shown on the lengthwise table are full of hard copy documents from the Battalion's 3+ years in Vietnam.
Time to get back to work!