“Looks like the Medevacs are extracting the wounded. Is there any word on the casualties or the CP?”
“Not yet L-T. The sergeant has his hands full coordinating the artillery, gunships, and Medevac pilots during all this chaos. Even the colonel is keeping quiet.”
The men continued to watch the activity to their front and saw the string of flashing red lights of the Medevac Choppers heading back to the hilltop fifteen minutes later. Meanwhile, the L-T passed around a message that rockets had landed on the hill where Fourth Platoon had their NDP - the same hill where all the activity was taking place. His neighbor to the right acknowledged and passed it on to the next foxhole. John wondered what would happen when the message got to his vacant hole. Somehow, two minutes later, the message completed the circuit.
“I’m really concerned about what’s happening on that hilltop. Wasn’t the CP supposed to be attached to the Fourth Platoon tonight?”
“I believe you’re right, sergeant. Maybe that’s why we can’t reach them on any of the frequencies; maybe the radios are just damaged.”
“Hopefully, you’re right. It does bother me, though, to see so many Medevac choppers landing. A shitload of people got hurt on that hilltop, L-T.”
John handed the receiver back to Spencer. “Let us know when the platoon sergeant starts to brief the colonel about his situation.”
“No problem!”
John was anxious to find out about Cotton Top, Stud, Fuzzy, and Cap. From what he had heard so far, it did not look good. It seemed that even if they sustained damage to the radios, one of the CP members would be communicating with the colonel instead of the platoon sergeant.
At five in the morning, the sky to their east began to lighten, signaling the approaching dawn of a new day.
“L-T, the colonel’s on the horn with the sergeant.”
This time the L-T took the handset.
“Four 122mm rockets hit the hilltop. The first one landed in the midst of the CP, killing everyone and destroying the radios. All in all, nine killed, thirty-one wounded; platoon strength is less than twenty. Some of the troops have minor wounds and are still with the platoon. Survivors will be pulled from the hill at first light and brought back to the rear area.”
“L-T, if it’s okay with you, I want to head back to my foxhole. We’ve got another hour before daylight and we still need to keep our guard up until we’re pulled off this hill.”
He nodded his head in agreement. John returned uphill and then back down into his own foxhole. Once there, he informed his neighbors of his return.
John was overwrought with grief. The CP took a direct hit and they were all dead. He thought back to that last day they spent together. It was the day of his promotion, and John remembered the mock ceremony and homemade paper stripes. The smiling faces of Cotton Top, Stud, Fuzzy, and even the captain burned fresh into his memory.
Did fate put him in the First Platoon? The ‘Man’ upstairs must have had other plans for him. He shuddered to think that if he had not received the promotion, he would most likely have been on that hilltop and had his life snuffed out along with the other members of the CP. He was devastated by their losses, but so very thankful that he survived.
John tried to shake the visions from his head and knew he must put aside his emotions for the time being and focus on the situation at hand. He was not out of the woods yet, and still had to survive until he was on the plane leaving for home. By this time in his tour of duty, he had been forced to learn to compartmentalize his feelings. There would be time to grieve later.
In the morning, a gaggle of choppers picked up the First Platoon and transported them to another hilltop on the outskirts of the A Shau Valley. As the men jumped off the chopper, John thanked them and wished them well. He remained on board and waved to the men as they deployed around the hilltop to secure the new perimeter. He would never forget the looks on their faces as he left the bush for the last time, finally returning to Phu Bai for out-processing.
By eleven-thirty in the morning, John had returned all his supplies and weapon, received his travel orders, and said his final goodbyes. John and the First Sergeant shared a sincere and deep hug before boarding a truck in the convoy heading for Cam Rahn Bay.
At eight-thirty the next morning - August 4, 1971 – two hundred and twenty soldiers boarded a Pan American jet, bound for the United States. Chronologically, they were all very young, many not even old enough to legally buy beer to celebrate when getting home. Every one of them, however, looked ten years older than when they had arrived. The pain, suffering, and horror they had experienced during the past year were evident - especially in their eyes, which appeared distant and hollow. Faces were drawn tight, ravaged by stress and fear. Some of the men who boarded had eyes wide in disbelief, unable to believe that the war was finally over for them. They followed those in front of them on ‘automatic pilot’.
It was very quiet onboard as the jet taxied to the far side of the airfield and then turned onto the main runway. The turbines whined loudly, pushing everyone back into their seats when the plane accelerated. All on board held their breath at the sound and mechanically waited for the mortars and rockets to land. As soon as the wheels of the aircraft left the ground, there was one huge cheer. Everyone clapped. Many finally smiled; others sat silently and wept.
“Polack” sat back in his seat, thankful that he had somehow survived this war; it was truly a miracle after all he had been through. Zeke had called it ‘luck’ and said that a person either had it or he did not. John thought about it and agreed that he had his share of luck during his tour of duty. He should have died or have been seriously injured on several occasions, but luck allowed him to make it. He clasped his hands behind his head, and looked up at the ceiling overhead. He noticed a tiny inscription scrawled next to one of the air nozzles and had to get out of his seat to read it: ‘When I die, I’m going straight to Heaven – because I’ve already served my time in Hell.’
He sat back down and smiled broadly, knowing that he would never experience anything like this ever again. The rest of his life would be charmed.
~~~~~
EPILOGUE
The return flight took them across the northern route over Japan and Alaska to their destination in Ft. Lewis, Washington.
There, they were shepherded off the plane and moved across the landing field to a large building. On the way, many signs were posted along the sides of buildings and fences. Some said the country was proud of them. Some offered thanks. Others simply read ‘Welcome Home’. There was no military band to greet the returning warriors, and not a single person stood to the side to cheer their return, to applaud or wave to show that they were happy that the young men were finally home, safe and sound. Instead, it was a silent and dreary arrival, with only one column of men wordlessly marching across the tarmac.
Once inside the building, everyone stripped, showered, endured another physical examination, and then requisitioned new uniforms, much smaller than what they wore a year earlier. John was surprised at how much he had changed physically, rarely noticing it while in Vietnam. He remembered that upon leaving for war, he weighed 196 pounds and had a thirty-six inch waist. That day, he weighed 155 pounds and had a twenty-nine inch waist.
When the veterans were all fully dressed with their appropriate ribbons and campaign medals in place, the soldiers were escorted to yet another building where they were served a steak dinner.
There were no speeches or parades. When they finished eating, a bus drove them to the airport to make their own connection home.
The whole process had repeated itself thousands of times since the war started. To many of the returning veterans, it all just happened too quickly. On one night the enemy was shooting at you and the bodies of your dead friends lay nearby - then, four days later, John Kowalski was sitting on his front porch in Detroit, watching cars drive by and kids playing in the street. There was no transition period for him to adjust to life back “in the world”.
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John did not regret anything he did during his time in Vietnam, but found life difficult upon his return. He was the only person from his high school graduating class and group of friends that went to Vietnam; there was nobody to share his experiences with, or anyone who had any understanding whatsoever of what he had endured during those last twelve months.
Friends and family tried to understand, but had no ability to comprehend or even imagine what he was telling them. He only got so far before their eyes glazed over. In their minds, it was just a bunch of exaggerated war stories, blown out of proportion. After all, it would be impossible for somebody to actually endure all of that.
Most of these conversations ended with John apologizing, saying, “Sorry, I guess you would have had to have been there to fully understand.”
John never heard from his former friends in Vietnam, and was not sure if they even survived the war. Most had only used first names and nicknames, and trying to find them afterwards was an exercise in futility.
At the time, he could never have imagined breaking the powerful bonds he had formed with other young soldiers from across the country as they withstood matters of life and death together, but sadly, once back in the world, he was never to have contact with his “brothers” again.
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Thank you for taking the time to read my book, ‘Cherries’. A blog site is available with additional stories and information relating to this book. You can also view a slide show and see some of the items referenced in the book.
Please visit:
http://cherrieswriter.wordpress.com/ and leave your comments and questions about my story. I promise to respond to every posting.
About the author:
John Podlaski served in Vietnam during 1970 and 1971 as an infantryman with both the Wolfhounds of the 25th Division and the 501st Infantry Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. His awards include the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, two Air Medals, and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He has spent the years since Vietnam working in various management positions within the automotive industry, and recently received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. John is a member of both the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154 and The Great Lakes South East Michigan Chapter of Harley Owners Group (HOG) and lives with his wife of thirty-eight years, Janice, in Sterling Heights, Michigan. This is his first novel.
Cast of main characters
In order of appearance
John Kowalski – Lead character from Detroit and protagonist – also called Polack.
Bill Sayers – Best friend of John Kowalski, Bill is from Tennessee. Buds since their first day in the Army.
Junior Brown – African American soldier from Detroit who takes John under his wing, helping him prepare for the field. John spends his first night at the firebase pulling guard duty with Junior and gets his first indoctrination to war. Junior also teaches him many valuable lessons during their time together.
Captain Fowler – Company commander of Alpha Company.
Lieutenant Ramsey - Leader of the First Platoon, also called “L-T”. He eventually develops pneumonia and is forced by the captain to leave the field.
Larry Nickels – Trained with both John and Bill during Basic and AIT, joining them in VN. This Cherry felt comfortable carrying the M60 machine gun and was eventually Medevac’d with malaria.
Sergeant Holmes – Training NCO of the AIT platoon which Larry, Bill and John were assigned to in Fort Polk. This is his second tour, forced to volunteer because of stateside fights with pacifists about the war; also called Sixpack. He rotates between squad leader and platoon leader in the absence of officers and ends up going to the 101st with John.
Zeke – Most seasoned soldier in the First Squad, he only has thirty days left on his tour and is anxious to get back home. Zeke was awarded the Bronze Star with a “V” device for valor when he rescued wounded soldiers during a firefight. He is also an explosive expert and solely responsible for setting up mechanical ambushes.
Frenchie – Seasoned squad member in First Platoon, who carries the M79 grenade launcher and is the other explosive experts in the squad. He, Wild Bill and Scout all arrived at the same time and plan to go home in February. Frenchie remains in the background and just does his job.
Scout – Cherokee Indian and fellow squad member who spent much of his time walking point during many of the patrols. Scout woke John for his first night of guard duty in the jungle NDP and stayed with him until he was accustomed to the dark. Scout is the most out-spoken of the squad members and comments on everything.
Doc – African American medic for the platoon. He and John are normally in close proximity of one another and often spend their breaks and free time together. Doc is scheduled to leave at the end of January and is second to Zeke with time spent in country.
Wild Bill – aka Bill Hickock, a former rodeo star and cowboy from Texas, who befriends John while building bunkers in a new firebase. Wild Bill is scheduled to go home in February with Scout and Frenchie, he is second to Scout in voicing his opinions.
Nung – Former VC soldier, who surrendered to the Americans early in the war, was retrained and assigned as the First Platoon’s “Kit Carson” Scout. He was a valuable resource to the men in the First Platoon and watched over his allied American friends. Nung was a good teacher and shared his skills with the rest of the squad members.
Bob, the L-T’s RTO – Not actually part of the First Squad, but participates in patrols with them at times.
Billie Joe Johnson – New replacement, who joined the squad in FSB Lynch and was quickly nicknamed “BJ” and assigned as Larry’s ammo bearer. He is from Alabama and full of questions. John takes him under his wing and teaches him about the bush, just as Junior Brown did for him during his first few days in the field.
Lieutenant Stryker - New 2nd Lieutenant for the First Platoon. He wasn’t too sharp and was nicknamed “Rubber Duckie”. During his first mission in the field, he makes a critical error that results in the injuries of two First Platoon soldiers.
Lieutenant Alphonso Rodriguez – New First Lieutenant assigned to lead the First Platoon after Rubber Ducky leaves. He had been in country for many months and was reassigned from the First Cavalry, which recently pulled out of the country. He preferred that the men call him “Rod”. The L-T is from Hollywood and shares much of his personal life with John, who soon becomes his RTO.
Danny Jigelewski – New Cherry and former gang member from New Jersey. He is quickly nicknamed “ski”. Danny finds himself at home and very comfortable with his new squad members, aka “new gang members”. He is gung ho and ready to contribute in any situation. He later volunteers to be the slackman whenever John walks point.
Malcolm Dupree – African American Cherry from Jackson, Mississippi. Top outfitted him with the M79 grenade launcher and vest prior to coming out to the bush. He, too, remains in the background.
First Sergeant Trombley – Head NCO for Alpha Company 1/501st Airborne, who took a liking to John and agreed to help him get a job in the company CP carrying a radio for the captain. He was also instrumental in helping John prepare for his sergeants exam. Preferred to be called “Top”
Captain Robertson – Leader of Alpha Company 1/501, who accepts John as a new member of the company CP. As with most officers of this rank, he preferred to be called “Cap” and is later instrumental in helping John get a promotion to sergeant.
Cotton Top – Company CP member carrying the battalion radio, he looks to be fifteen years old and is so nicknamed because of his light blond nubby hair.
Fuzzy – Eldest member of the CP and is the Forward Observer for the firebase artillery unit. In the field, it was his responsibility to pre-determine defensive targets around NDP’s, and assist with radio watch. He was also the direct liaison between the grunts and the support units.
Stud – final member of the CP. Works in tandem with Fuzzy on the artillery and controls the fast movers whenever they are in the area.
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Lieutenant Bozolynsky – Cherry ROTC Lieutenant assigned to the First Platoon. After receiving his promotion, John was assigned to the First Platoon to help train and mentor the new officer. Initially, they butt heads, and a feud develops, which disrupts the platoon during a precarious time in the mission.
Glossary of Terms
Taken in part from Viet Nam Generation, Inc
Sixties Project, copyright (c) 1996
Actual: The unit commander. Used to distinguish the commander from the radioman when the call sign is used over the radio.
Advanced Individual Training: Specialized training taken after Basic Training, also referred to as AIT, i.e. infantry, cook school, armor, helicopters, artillery, etc.
Airborne: Refers to soldiers who are qualified to jump out of planes with chutes.
AK-47: Soviet combat assault rifle that fires a 7.62-mm round - primary weapon of VC / NVA
Ammo dump: Location where live or expended ammunition is stored in any compound
AO: Area of operations – designated area where an infantry unit will patrol through
APC: Armored personnel carrier. A tracked vehicle used to transport Army troops or supplies ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam; the South Vietnamese Regular Army and US ally
Azimuth: A compass bearing to a set location or point of travel
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel - Revised Edition Page 46