by C. X. Moreau
“One more thing, First Sergeant. As soon as I’m able I’ll be sending someone over to the BLT to relieve you. When that man arrives you are to return here and report personally to me. In the meantime you will not redirect Corporal Downs or any other infantryman from this company or any other unit on how to best employ the Marines under his charge. Have I made myself plain?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Carry on, First Sergeant,” said Ward.
CHAPTER
28
Downs watched as the squad settled itself along the fence marking the western perimeter of the BLT compound. Most of the sentries on duty had remained at their posts after the explosion, anticipating an attack about to be mounted against them. When the attack had failed to occur individual Marines began to leave their posts and attempt to aid their comrades in the downed building. Only a few, manning every third position along the perimeter, now remained.
Most of the men manning the wire would normally have been considered walking wounded and pulled from the line. To a man they had suffered punctured eardrums, and a few had been wounded by flying debris from the explosion.
Downs scanned the boulevard for movement and then the positions of his fireteams. He was satisfied that he had placed them in defensible positions in the event of an attack. He realized that the two corpsmen had been detailed to a hastily designated battalion aid station and that he wouldn’t see them again until the wounded and dead were treated or tagged. Already a long row of bodies had been placed at the southern end of the compound just inside the fence. He looked quickly in their direction, trying to will himself not to look again, but the sight of the poncho-covered forms lying sedately on the dirty concrete captured his gaze.
Downs counted silently to himself the number of bodies in the growing row. When he reached twenty he stopped. He waited for the anger to come and realized somewhat apathetically that it wouldn’t. He wondered if he knew any of the dead Marines, then realized that virtually the entire H&S company of the battalion must have been killed by the explosion. He was certain to know most of the dead men.
Already, heavy equipment from the MAU Service Support Group was beginning to arrive and Marines were being directed to stand clear of the rubble while engineers attached cables and attempted to lift the larger pieces of concrete. Men working in the wreckage of the building were quickly covered by a fine powder and took on a sickly light gray appearance.
In several places Marines were digging furiously with whatever tools were available, attempting to open air shafts in the hopes that those trapped below would not suffocate while the rescue work progressed. On what had been the western face of the building Downs had seen a Marine crawl into the rubble to emerge grimly a few minutes later shaking his head negatively. The squad had watched the man’s entry into the rubble, then issued a collective moan when it became apparent that his attempt had failed to locate any survivors.
Downs continued to watch the rescue effort as an engineer in greasy green coveralls walked purposefully in his direction and spoke with one of the Marines at the far end of the line. Downs watched as a Marine pointed to him and the engineer nodded and headed in his direction. He stood as the man approached and nodded hello.
“Morning, Corporal. I need some help if you can give me a couple of your men. We opened a shaft on the other side of the building and we can hear somebody down there but we can’t get to him. The hole is pretty small and there’s no way to make it any bigger right now.”
Downs nodded and asked, “Okay. What do you need from me?”
“I need any of your men that are small and will go down the shaft and help dig. We’re trying to enlarge the opening or dig past some concrete, but it’s so tight down there only the small guys can get to it. It’s pretty hard to breathe down there, too. They don’t last long once they’ve started. Think you’ve got anybody I could use?”
Downs looked down the line of Marines that formed his squad. Only Tiger would have any hope of getting into a small opening between tons of concrete. “I’ve got one guy. Let’s go and get him.” Downs strode off toward the center of the squad where he had positioned Tiger’s gun. He noticed that Tiger and Samson had opened extra cans of ammunition and laid out their fields of fire, coordinating this last action with the machine gunner from another squad that had arrived and positioned itself north of their squad.
Downs approached Tiger and said, “Tiger, give your gun to Samson and let him designate one of the riflemen to be the new assistant. This corporal needs you on the other side of the compound for a while.”
Tiger opened his mouth to speak, then looked at Downs who spoke to Samson, “Get whoever you think can handle it, but get someone and have the gun back up in a hurry. If you need me, come find me. And make sure whoever you get knows how to change a hot barrel and clear a jam, especially a failure to extract. When this gun gets hot it’ll do that every once in a while, so go over the procedure with him. Got that?”
Samson nodded his assent and Tiger began to climb from his sandbagged hole. The corporal from MSSG looked at Downs and said, “Hey, Corporal, this is kind of risky. I won’t force anybody down one of those tunnels, you know? Maybe you want to tell the lance corporal what I need and he can make his own mind up.”
Downs grabbed Tiger by the wrist and pulled him from the hole. When Tiger was up he looked at the other corporal and nodded, “Okay, that’s fine,” he said. “This is the deal, Tiger. The corporal here is from MSSG and they are moving heavy equipment in to lift the rubble off. Before they can do that they are tunneling down to the survivors and wherever they think there might be some people left alive to make sure they have air. There’s a guy on the other side of the building that they’ve found in the rubble, but the shaft down to him is so small only the little guys can get down it to work. I told the corporal you are the only guy from my squad who could help. Any questions?”
Tiger looked at the MSSG corporal and asked, “Is he still alive?”
“He was a few minutes ago. We want to try and tunnel down to him and bring him up so we don’t shift the rubble and crush him with the heavy equipment. It’s really tight down there, and there isn’t a lot of air, so you’ll only be able to work a few minutes at a time.”
Tiger looked back at Downs and shrugged. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, Corporal Downs. Make sure Samson goes over the extraction procedure like you told him.”
“Yeah. Just do whatever you have to, then get back here. I don’t want an inexperienced crew on this gun if we get into the shit. Okay?”
“Yep. I’m clear. I’ll be back in a little while. Soon as I show these guys how to dig a hole. See you, Corporal Downs.” Downs nodded to the other corporal and watched only briefly as Tiger and the other Marine crossed the compound in the direction of the building. Without giving Tiger another thought, Downs jumped into the hole with the M-60 and ran his eye over the weapon. He noted that Tiger had set the gun up on its tripod and weighted each leg with sandbags. In that configuration Downs knew that the gun could deliver a deadly accurate fire by control of its traverse and elevation mechanism. All the gunner had to do was swivel the weapon in the direction of its intended target, fire a burst, and wait as the assistant gunner adjusted the mechanism to correct elevation and bring the rounds into the target.
Downs noted the field of fire designated for this gun and nodded to Samson, who a few minutes before had been Tiger’s assistant gunner. “You clear on what I want?”
“Yeah, Corporal. I got it. Pick a new assistant gunner and show him the extraction and barrel changing procedure. Anything else?”
“Yeah,” said Downs, “don’t forget to show him the designated fields of fire and be sure he understands how the traverse and elevation adjustments work. The principles, not just the mechanical adjustments. I want both of you to know how to do everything. Practice feeding the gun with him. You’ve got time to show him everything while nothing’s going on. If the shit hits the fan we’re going to need this gu
n to be up and it’ll be too late to break him in then.” Downs hesitated, looking into Samson’s eyes in an effort to see that his instructions had registered. “Understood?” he asked.
“Yeah. I’m clear. I’ll get somebody who’s familiar with the gun.”
“Okay,” nodded Downs. “Let me know if you have a problem or if Tiger gets back.” Downs climbed out of the hole and strode off to find the radioman. After making his situation report to Captain Rock he jumped into a hole with Ferris and Smith. “How’s it going,” he mumbled not really expecting an answer. The two cousins shifted to acknowledge his presence but said nothing.
From across the compound Downs heard the shouts of “Incoming!” and watched as Marines took cover. He glanced at Ferris and Smith and said, “Helmets,” as the three of them donned the heavy steel pots and lowered themselves into their hole. Downs crouched on one knee and looked over the lip of the hole as the first mortars impacted the compound, the explosions leaving greasy clouds of black smoke in their wake.
The first series of three explosions was quickly followed by three more which straddled the rubble of the downed headquarters building. Downs heard Ferris mutter “motherfucker” and wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact that wounded Marines were being shelled or because the gunner was walking his rounds in their direction. He lowered himself into the hole and crouched against the damp dirt walls waiting for the explosions. They came quickly, followed by three more that were all long shots over the compound and into the street beyond. Downs heard the metal fragmentation pinging against the iron rails of the fence to their front and silently willed the gunner to shift his aim.
Downs cringed waiting for the next series of mortar rounds as the air was torn by a volley of 155mm fire from the Marine artillery to his north. Before he realized that the fire was outgoing and directed at the enemy mortar position a second volley had been fired and Marines were on their feet and cheering. Across the compound Marines broke from their cover and screamed with a mixture of rage and pleasure as two more volleys were fired by the battery.
Downs looked on without emotion as the radio crackled to life in his pocket, “Corporal Downs, this is Samson. Do you copy?”
Downs pulled Smith back into the hole with one hand and keyed the mike with the other. “I copy, Samson. Go ahead.” He shot a glance at Smith and said, “Stay down, you asshole.”
“We’re takin’ sniper fire up here. Two rounds already during the mortar attack. Do you copy?”
“I copy. Anybody get hit?”
“Negative. But this guy can shoot. He almost got my A-gunner. We think we know where he’s at though. We saw some movement in the buildings across the street. Those office windows just west of our position. At the top of the MEA hangar. You know the one I’m talking about?”
“Roger,” said Downs, resisting the impulse to lift his head over the rim of the hole and look at the building. He looked quickly at Smith and said, “Samson’s got a sniper across the road in the big hangar building. Load your grenade launcher with a smoke round and make ready to assault the building. After we lay down two rounds of smoke the three of us will cross the street and go after the sniper or whoever is in that building. Load with bee-hive for the assault, Smith. I’ll be first out of the hole, then Ferris, then you. Everybody clear?”
The two nodded and checked their gear as Downs explained the situation to Samson, then shouted orders for the rest of the squad. On his command the three squad grenadiers fired smoke rounds from their grenade launchers and all three of the squad’s corporals threw a smoke canister directly in front of their position.
Downs waited for the smoke to reach its maximum density then lunged out of the hole and sprinted for the other side of the street as the rest of the squad laid a suppressing fire on the building where they thought the shots were coming from. As the three ran across the street Downs saw a flicker of movement in the windows of the tallest building. Any doubts about the origin of the movement were erased a split second later as a round cracked past, then struck the concrete of the roadway and whined off.
The three reached the safety of the far side of the street and flattened themselves against a hanger wall. Without looking back Downs instructed the other two, “I got him. He’s in that building just ahead of us. He was on the top floor as we crossed, but he’s bound to have some sort of security down below. On my command let’s put some 40mm on that door and then we’ll rush it. I’ll take the point. Smith you reload while we cross. Clear?”
“Let’s do it, Steve. That guy can shift positions and either get an angle of fire on us or get out of the building.”
“Yep,” said Downs, “let me ready the squad.” Downs again spoke with Samson via the small radio in his flak jacket pocket. “Samson we’re going to assault the hangar you said the guy was in. We got some movement on the way across and drew some fire. When you hear Smith’s 40mm go off lay down suppression fire on the face of that building. Be careful not to go too low, we’re going to enter from the south side. If you copy, acknowledge. Then pass the word to the rest of the squad. Over.”
“Roger, Corporal Downs. I copy suppression fire on the upper stories of the hangar after we hear your grenade. Give me thirty seconds to pass the word and we’re set. Over.”
“Okay,” said Downs, “that’s it then. Smith get up here with that grenade launcher and give the door a round of HE on my command. As soon as it goes Ferris and I will rush it. You two set?”
“We’re ready, Steve,” said Smith. “My reload is bee-hive. I’ll be right behind you.”
Downs edged away from the wall and took a quick glance at the door some forty meters away. He noted the absence of windows in the flat hangar wall and the single small window in the door. Failing to detect any movement he motioned Smith up and said, “Do it.”
Smith stepped quickly away from the wall where the three had been sheltering and aimed his rifle with its 40mm grenade launcher at the small door. He eased back on the trigger and the grenade sailed toward the door in a low arc, arming itself on the third rotation. The bulbous aluminum nose of the grenade struck the door high in the center and blew it off its hinges. Before the smoke had begun to clear Downs and Ferris were running toward it.
Downs gained the wall two strides ahead of Ferris and threw himself against it. He paused, momentarily listening for any movement inside the building. Hearing nothing, he stepped inside, the acrid smell of the explosive stinging his eyes. He realized instantly that he was in a stairwell that led to the upper stories of the building. Roughly finished concrete steps led upward to the office spaces of the huge hangar. Downs guessed that this must be a service entrance and that it probably had doors opening onto a central corridor on each floor of the office space that served the huge hangar.
He eased himself away from the wall, his neck arched as he looked up the darkened stairwell. The only light filtered in from windows in the exterior walls, and Downs’s eyes slowly adjusted to the dim interior light. He edged closer to the steps and continued to strain for any sign of movement. Hearing nothing he gained the center of the small room and peered up the rectangular space between the flights of stairs. As his eyes became fully adjusted to the dim light he heard the empty metallic ringing of a grenade spoon hitting the concrete flooring on one of the upper stories. Without hesitating he took two quick steps back toward the door and collided into Ferris. Catching him full in the chest with his rifle, Downs shoved with his arms and succeeded in throwing Ferris back out the entrance. Both rolled away from the open doorway and sheltered behind the concrete wall as the grenade exploded and threw its deadly shrapnel in every direction.
Before the smoke could clear Downs had regained his feet and was again in the small room. He carefully settled his rifle in his shoulder and aimed it almost vertically, then slowly advanced toward the stairs. Checking to ensure that the sights were aligned, he positioned himself under the steps and again looked for movement in the space between the flights of ascending stairs. Downs c
ontinued to look over his sights until the top portion of a head appeared in the narrow rectangle of light. He waited a fraction of a second longer, then shifted his focus to aim the rifle through its sights, acquiring his target and squeezing the trigger in the same instant.
The report of the rifle seemed deafening in the concrete confines of the stairwell and in the back of his mind the tinkling of the expended brass casing on the floor dimly registered. Downs continued to eye the upper flights for any sign of movement, then signaled Ferris and Smith into the room. As soon as the two cousins surmised what he had been doing he bounded up the steps to the first flight.
Downs gained the first landing and was confronted by a heavy gray metal fire door. He debated the wisdom of trying the door to see if it would open, then decided not to. The noise would only alert anyone who was waiting for him, either in the corridor or higher on the stairs. Reasoning that he had the initiative, and knowing that he had inflicted at least one casualty, Downs knew it would be better to remain on the attack. The problem with any advance up the stairs was that it would allow the defenders the first shot at him, or they would simply throw another grenade down the steps, at the very least forcing him out of the building.
Downs quickly decided to try the door. The knob spun freely in his hand and he slowly opened the door and peered into the empty corridor. He brought Ferris and Smith up to the first landing and explained his plan to them. Since it was logical that the sniper and the rest of his comrades were on the top floor and they were expecting an attack up this stairwell, Downs would cross to the far side of the building and ascend the stairwell on that side. In that way he would maintain the initiative and have a reasonable chance of attacking the enemy position from an unexpected direction.