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C-2The Albuauerque TribuneMay 25. 1967Most Heavily Shelled Spot in WorldAt Gio Linh Near DMZ You Live Like aBy JIM LUCASStrljp* Hawird 8u»( WrilrrGIO LINH. Smith Vietnam -No spoi in the world has ieen more icavily shelled iince World tfar II Lhan Z\o Linh.A bare knob )f a hill less han a mile i‘om the Dc* n i 1 i t a rizedione (DMZ) lividing the wo Vietnams, t sits astrad-lle long-established North / i e t r. o mese infiltration •outes.From Gio Linh, U.S. Army 115 mtri cannon and Marine 55 mm; artillery daily fireLucasas their own. They wait des-peraiely to knock out Gio Linh.Since February, when we first moved in. the 505 officers and men at Gio L i;n h have absorbed more thanThat is all a man can takeand still function normally. An old Navy hospital chief. Perry Sonnier of Lake Charles, La., remarked one nigh! af!er a particularly vicious shelling:5000 rounds of Communist ar-j “It lakes a lot out of a man tillery and mortar fire. Aboutjsecing these kids die. I've 40 men have been killed. Sev-aged 40 years since I came is tuned to the sound of In.up here.# • • One Ear At first I was puzzled because men I was Talking io seemed not to be listening;.Actually, I discovered'they hear every word you say. But only with one car. The othercoming rounds. . - •It’s a peculiar sound, one you're ndtapt to forge t. There's a distant pop, then a low,whine-'In the midst of a conversation, a man will sayincoming!” or simply “geleral hundred more have been wounded.5 Killed .I ha\rc spent five days Gio Linh—much of that underground. In those days, J78 enemy shells hit the encampment, barely 30Q yard3 wide and 100 yards long. Five men were killed in Ihot !ime; 46 were wounded.At Gio Linh you live like a mole, you act like a mole.nlo the DMZ and into North P«*Uy 300,n 'ou start jinking lrie!nam where two enemyjl'-'e a mole, iivisions are massed. ! Only 30 DaysThis is country the Com-j Artillerymen sent to Gio nunists long have regarded Linh stay 3D days at a lime.;can't make them wear their down*1' You have lour sec- flak jackets.onds after that to saye: y(Jur life. .. HigJi Morale *'Yet morale is high. These kids come up whistling and singing, shouting their defiance' at ‘'Charley. OfficersWhenever, I think of Gio Linh .from now on, I'll remember Maj. A1 Gray, their commander, yelling: 'AU right, you heroes, put on those flak vests and don’t let. mo have to warn you again!” Ideal Target Major Gray concedes Gio Linh is an ideal target. The Communists have pinpointed cv^ry installation there. The mess hall, for instance, is hit at least once a day. The men sometimes go wiihout a hot meal when their kitchen ranges are knocked out. But more ranges are always brought up from the tear.Going lo chow, you plot your course!- You make a dash for a truck and hold up behind it. Then you run for a trench and' halt there. After that, you make a break for the protective cover of a sandbagged bunker. After -a. while, . you reach .the bunker where breakfast is being served.”4 Cups •One morning, J poured four cups of coffee before I drank one.Someone always yelled incoming” and I spilled it.On another occasion the Communists opened up with a particularly heavy barrage. Ten or 12 of us crowded into one covered trench. -Dirt and Kocks It was.dark inside, andthose in the rear couldn’t move. Rounds were popping all over the place, throwing dirt and rocks in on us.A kid up front yelled “Charley. you dirty bastard?” FVom directly behind: me, another youngster said quiet by; Don't be cussing the man. He's only doing his duly sajne as you do yours, and'.that's the truth.” *It was incongruous. Half turning, I asked:'Where are you from, soldier?”Oklahoma,” he replied, Where in Oklahoma? ‘. Ever hear of .Checotah?” There are • 2100 people . in Checolah, Okla. I was bornthere.Attention!GRADUATIONSPECIALSSave!Save!
Newspaper Details
Albuquerque Tribune
Albuquerque, New Mexico, US
Thu, May 25, 1967
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Gerald F.
NA, 31 Dec 2018
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