Abandoned in Hell : The Fight for Vietnam's Firebase Kate (9780698144262)

by Albracht, William; Wolf, Marvin; Galloway, Joseph L. (FRW)

  Shadow 48: Spook, this is 48, how about you being our PR man for a while?

  Spooky 41: Hey, ahh, I don’t know if I can handle that or not, you know I’m getting short.

  Shadow 48: Doing a pretty good job, babe.

  Spooky 41: Well, I hope you can use that equipment you got, these boys need some help.

  Shadow 48: We’ll do our best.

  Spooky 41: Ahh, Beak, this is Spooky 41.

  Beak: Spooky 41, this is Beak, over.

  Spooky 41: OK, we’re fixing to drop a flare, we got one out right now, ahh, we’re going to go ahead and expend our ammo, we’re getting pretty short and, ahh, we’re going to try to get Shadow to come up here in just a minute real quick and show you this and then we’re going to have to pull out of the area for just a few minutes, over.

  Chicken Hawk: Ahh, roger that, Spooky 41, ahh, hey, if those guys are going the other way, let them go, over.

  Spooky 41: OK, ahh, they’re not going to be able to stay where they’re going very long.

  Shadow 48: Ahh, Spooky 41, 48, we’re going to hold here north and we will, ahh, we seen the base down there, so we’ll be working with you after this other activity is over.

  Spooky 41: OK, we’re going to have to be pulling out as soon as we expend because of, ahh, fuel. Ahh, you say you see the base under our flare?

  Shadow 48: Roger that we got a good copy on the base.

  Spooky 41: OK, this thing looks like a big brassiere down here is, ahh, bald area to the north of their camp and we be getting most of the activity of the eastern slope over here and Beak down there can work you after we leave, over.

  Shadow 48: Roger that, is this a complete perimeter here on top of the hill?

  Spooky 41: That’s a Charlie, and they got about a 50- to 75-meter radius from their perimeter down through the tree line on all sides.

  Shadow 48: Roger that.

  Night of 1 November: The Escape

  Unknown Station: Tell them we’re circling right 8,500 right above them . . .

  Unknown Station: That’s a lot of shit out . . .

  Unknown Station: . . . understand we’ll be cleared to drop flames right above . . .

  Chicken Hawk: (Unintelligible) . . . we’re going out buddy, we’re going out.

  Spad Zero Two: OK, Hawk, this is Spad, you’re going to have to talk slower if you want these people to talk to you.

  Spooky 41: Hey Spad, Spooky 41, stand by just one second.

  Spooky 41: Listen (unintelligible) . . . circling at 8,500 right above them . . . you can see it out your window they’re taking incoming and the (unintelligible) is on the other side. Tell them to move out and we’ll go down.

  Spooky 41: Spad Zero Two, Spooky 41 is in orbit above you now, and if you move out, we’ll go down and get the situation under control if we can, over.

  Spad 02: OK, Spooky, do you have that flare at this time?

  Chicken Hawk: OK, Spooky good buddy.

  Spooky 41: Hey there, Chicken Hawk, take it easy there, my friend. We’re right here, we’re coming in right now. What’s your sitch, Hawk?

  Chicken Hawk: (Unintelligible) . . . the tree line, coming down the valley.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, you’re down in the tree lines in the valley in the north west of the figure eight down there, is that affirmative?

  Chicken Hawk: OK, listen, OK you’re going to have to hold up on that, ahh, our people are getting a little bit ahead of me.

  Spooky 41: Spooky 41, tell them we are descending to 7,000 over the target area.

  Spooky 41: OK, Chicken Hawk, calm down, get your information down there and just pass that up to me and we’ll help you out my friend.

  Chicken Hawk: (Unintelligible) . . . hold your fire, hold your fire.

  Spooky 41: Spad, Spook Spooky 41, go.

  Spad 02: Roger, they’re moving from the firebase, ahh, to the November about 800 meters and, ahh, you can just watch Hawk here for about a few minutes and see where those lume [illumination] mortars are coming from and they’re not friendly.

  Spooky 41: OK, understand those lume mortars are not friendly, right?

  Spad: That’s affirmative, they’re from the bad guys.

  Spooky 41: OK, now, who’s moving the 200 meters to the November, the good guys?

  Spad: The good guys are to the November, that’s affirmative.

  Spooky 41: Thank you much.

  Spooky 41 Internal: OK, Lloyd . . . keep them behind us. Tell them I’m going let down in front of them, keep me in sight, I’m going down to 1,500 . . .

  Pilot: (Unintelligible) . . . behind you, right?

  Spooky 41 Internal: Got 2 airplanes behind me . . . too God damn many planes . . . for us to . . .

  Transcriber note: [Multiple stations transmitting at same time; too numerous to decipher individual stations accurately. Spooky 41 is trying to get control to clear out some of the stations.]

  Unknown Station: (Unintelligible) . . . we and a couple of other aircraft out here . . . (unintelligible) and the other is Zero Two. We’re going to start dropping down to 5,500 here, appreciate it if you’d keep an eye on us so we can both get down there.

  Unknown Station: Thank you much.

  Control: Five Zero Two this is control over.

  Spooky 41: OK, pilot, they’re going to clear out for us.

  Pilot: OK.

  Spooky 41: Chicken Hawk, Spooky 41, go ahead, my friend.

  Chicken Hawk: (Unintelligible) . . . one of our people popped a trip flare . . .

  Spooky 41: Chicken Hawk, you’ll have to talk a little slower, take it easy, work with me up here. Now what’s your situation, go ahead.

  Chicken Hawk: OK, buddy, one of our people . . .

  Spooky 41 Internal: Roger, roger, have a flare at my nine o’clock position at this time.

  Chicken Hawk: OK, a ground flare, ground flare to our November our November, over.

  Spooky 41: Roger, flare to your November, we’re looking now . . .

  Spooky 41: . . . ground flare there, Chicken Hawk?

  Chicken Hawk: OK, buddy, why don’t we put it to the, ahh, November to the tree line, in the tree line . . . move this strobe, over.

  Spooky 41: OK, I understand you want us to start working to the November, with that flare up into the tree line, is that right?

  Chicken Hawk: Roger, roger, right to the front, right to the November the tree line, right there in the valley.

  Spooky 41: OK and, ahh, Four One Zero to drop its own flares.

  Chicken Hawk: OK, OK . . . ahead of me, my people . . . got ahead of me.

  Spad 02: Spooky 41, this is Spad, target . . .

  Chicken Hawk: Spooky, Spooky this is the Hawk.

  Spooky 41: Roger, Hawk, Spooky 41.

  Chicken Hawk: OK, my people got ahead of me a little bit, they’re moving out.

  Spooky 41: OK, real fine, ahh, is Spooky 41 cleared to drop light Chicken Hawk?

  Spad 02: Negative Spooky 41, this is Zero Two, hold the light. Hold the light.

  Spooky 41: Roger Zero Two, Spooky 41 to hold.

  Spooky 41: Hey, ahh, Hawk, understand you’re moving out now, is that affirmative?

  Spooky 41 Internal: Pilot do you have that ground flare identified?

  Pilot: Yep.

  Spooky 41 Internal: OK, can you take it 100 or 200 meters north of the tree line?

  Chicken Hawk: That’s affirmative, buddy, that’s affirmative.

  Spooky 41: OK, good deal, how about moving on down . . .

  Chicken Hawk: . . . affirmative, affirmative, that’s what we’re doing.

  Unknown Station: Spooky, hold on here a minute.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, we’re ready whenever you are.

  Spooky 41 Internal: OK, let’s let these guys start moving, we don’t want . . .
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  Chicken Hawk: . . . moving out . . .

  Spooky 41: All right, we’re up here ready when you get your men in position out of the way we’re going to roll in and give you a hand.

  Chicken Hawk: OK buddy, ahh, we’ll keep our heads down, but don’t fire to the November, the November, OK?

  Spooky 41: Roger, we understand, ahh, we won’t be firing to the November. You want us to stay to the east in that valley down there in the draw down there, right?

  Chicken Hawk: (Whispering.) Roger.

  Chicken Hawk: Hey, ahh, we’re down at the bottom now and our people are moving out real fine, no trouble so far, WHOA . . . operator, no sweat.

  Spooky 41: Take it easy down there Hawk.

  Chicken Hawk: No trouble so far, no trouble so far. (Whispering.) OK, ahh, I’ll keep you posted.

  Spooky 41: OK, Hawk.

  Spooky 41: . . . moving north . . . November . . . moving north . . .

  Unknown Station: Roger, roger, understand, we’ll stay to the Sierra, we’ll be working the . . .

  Spooky 41 Internal: I’d like to get that light out as soon as possible . . . radio . . . drop our flares.

  Chicken Hawk: (Whispering, breathing hard.) Hello, Hawk to control, we’re moving pretty good.

  Kangaroo Control: Roger that, let me know when you come across that first bald hill and starting down this way, over.

  Chicken Hawk: . . . ahh, correction, OK, buddy, we’re by Ambush Hill, Ambush Hill, we’re going up on the left side, the left side.

  Kangaroo Control: Roger that, when you come across that hill and start down into this next wood line you’ll be coming into me, over.

  Chicken Hawk: (Whispering.) Roger, roger on that.

  Spooky 41: Chicken Hawk, Spooky 41.

  Chicken Hawk: Spooky 41, ahh, hey buddy, what’s happening?

  Spooky 41: Just want to keep in contact with you down here, ahh, I’m seeing if we can drop our flares, my friend.

  Spooky 41: Chicken Hawk, Spooky 41, do you read me?

  Chicken Hawk: (Whispering.) Hey buddy, give me about One Zero minutes.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, Chicken Hawk.

  Kangaroo Control: Spooky 41, this is Kangaroo, ahh, over.

  Spooky 41: Roger, Kangaroo Control, Spooky 41, read you Five By.

  Kangaroo: Roger, this is Kangaroo, ahh, appreciate it if no flares are dropped on until you, ahh, get an all clear from me. I got, ahh, four different elements out there . . . en route . . . get these people in and I’m controlling from here, ahh, when they’re clear and linked up and on their way to mission, then we’ll let it go from there, but let me do it from here and not on the ground, over.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, I’ll coordinate with you, ahh, Kangaroo Control.

  Kangaroo: Fine, I’ll be finished with this element here about 500 meters to the November Whisky, 500 meters to the November Whisky . . . runs east west . . . and grab any Viking, any Viking is the next call sign you’ll pick up with . . . any Viking . . .

  Spooky 41: That’s a roger, that’s a roger . . . got 500 November Whisky from the element that he’s picking up now . . .

  Kangaroo: That’s affirmative, that’s affirmative . . . on your push.

  Spooky 41: Roger . . . on this push . . .

  Chicken Hawk: Lima Salines, Lima Salines, ahh, this is Chicken Hawk, Chicken Hawk, over.

  Lima Salines: This is Lima Salines, over.

  Chicken Hawk: (Whispering.) We got . . . on top of the hill and we’ll be coming down the hill into your location.

  Shadow 48: Spooky 41, Shadow 48.

  Spooky 41: Roger, Shadow 48, go.

  Shadow 48: We’re going to be coming in over the . . . we’re at 8 point 5 . . .

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, Spooky 41 is at Five Five now.

  Lima Salines: Chicken Hawk, this is Lima, roger that. My people have been notified of this type movement . . . over.

  Chicken Hawk: (Whispering.) OK, buddy, right now pushing to top of the hill by the blown out wooded area.

  Lima Salines: . . . I am NOT, I repeat, I am NOT at the location that was given to me, over.

  Spooky 41: Zero Two, Spooky 41.

  Spad 02: Spooky 41, Zero Two.

  Spooky 41: Zero Two . . . contact with Carbon Outlaw, they want to know the name of the ground commander that was controlling the air strike, do you know who it was?

  Spad: No, I don’t think, should be able to get that, ahh . . . It was Chicken Hawk that was . . . the air strike.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, understand. It was Chicken Hawk.

  MULTIPLE TRANSMISSIONS.

  Chicken Hawk: . . . firebase . . . OK?

  Spooky 41: OK, Chicken Hawk, we’re going to have to drop light before we can . . . Break, Break, Kangaroo Control, Spooky 41.

  Chicken Hawk: OK.

  MULTIPLE TRANSMISSIONS.

  Spooky 41: Chicken Hawk, hold on, hold on, stand by one, let me contact Kangaroo Control down here.

  Spooky 41: Kangaroo Control, Spooky 41.

  Kangaroo: Spooky 41, this is Kangaroo Control . . . negative at this time I’ll give you the word from here when we want you to . . .

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, Kangaroo Control. Break, break, Chicken Hawk, hold on my friend, ahh, got to get the complete clearance from Kangaroo Control and then we’ll hit it.

  Spooky 41: Chicken Hawk, Spooky 41, you copy?

  Chicken Hawk: . . . (Loud breathing) . . .

  Kangaroo: Roger, Spooky 41, could you call, ahh, Lima Salines and see if the linkup is complete and also have him relay to me . . . his location . . . over.

  Spooky 41: . . . OK . . . location again?

  Kangaroo: Roger . . . his element . . . location . . . and . . . with Chicken Hawk, over.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger. Break, Lima Salines, Lima Salines from Spooky 41.

  Lima: Spooky 41, this is Lima Salines. Be advised, we still haven’t linked up here, we’ll give you a call when we do, over.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger. We’d like to know ASAP as soon as you link up so we can get started up here.

  Lima: Roger that buddy, I’ll let you know as soon as possible.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger. Break Kangaroo, Spooky 41, did you copy?

  Kangaroo: This is Kangaroo . . .

  Chicken Hawk: . . . Lima, this is Chicken Hawk, this is Chicken Hawk.

  Lima Salines: Over.

  Chicken Hawk: OK, buddy, we’re coming into you now. Look, I’m getting them into a single file, it’s a long one, but you’re only gonna have one entrance into your perimeter, only one entrance into your perimeter, only one people coming in one line, I’m trying to . . . hope it don’t get screwed up by the time it gets down to you, you roger?

  Lima Salines: Roger that, come on in. I’ll let my people know.

  Chicken Hawk: Roger, roger. OK, we’re moving in now . . . they might be hitting your perimeter now, it’ll be a big long line, but don’t worry buddy (whispering) we only got one line coming in.

  Spooky 41: Kangaroo Control, you copy Lima Salines?

  Kangaroo: Negative, I can’t read them . . .

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, Lima Salines, you have to link up on rebounding tone and, ahh, Chicken Hawk they’re just about ready to let us know as soon as they got the linkup.

  Lima Salines: Roger, I’ll be standing by.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, I’ll let you know.

  Lima Salines: It’s not complete yet, over.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, keep us posted, my friend.

  Lima Salines: Roger, will do.

  Unknown Station: . . . can you hear Chicken Hawk . . .

  Spooky 41: Haven’t heard from him in a little while, I’ve been monitoring.

  Spooky 41: Break, Chicken Hawk, Spooky 41.

  Chicken Hawk: . .
. OK.

  Spooky 41: Chicken Hawk, Chicken Hawk, Spooky 41, over.

  Chicken Hawk: . . . Spooky 41, this the Hawk here, ahh, I’d like to contact Lima Salines, over.

  Spooky 41: Lima Salines, this is Spooky 41, Chicken Hawk is trying to contact you.

  Lima Salines: Roger, roger, Chicken Hawk, this is Lima Salines, over.

  Chicken Hawk: OK, buddy, listen, here’s what we’re gonna do, we got in the wrong path here a little bit, ahh, wrong path a little bit, so, ahh . . . pulling back up to the wood line, back up to the wood line, instead of this jungle, I am going to be at the November end, November end, and when I get up there and get my people there, could you send us a small party of two or three people out to the wood line and walk to the November and you can link up with us and lead us back to your perimeter, over.

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, is this Chicken Hawk, calling Spooky 41.

  Chicken Hawk: Roger, roger, Chicken Hawk calling Spooky 41, Chicken Hawk calling Spooky 41.

  Spooky 41: Roger, Chicken Hawk, calm down, my friend, Spooky 41, go ahead.

  Chicken Hawk: OK, buddy, somebody’s firing on us up there.

  Spooky 41 Internal: OK, ask him if he’s firing at us and we’re clear to fire back at them.

  Spooky 41: OK, Chicken Hawk, is this man firing at us or at you, my friend?

  Chicken Hawk: OK, buddy, he’s firing at me, he’s firing at me, what other aircraft is up there?

  Spooky 41: OK, all aircraft, attention all aircraft, cease fire, cease fire, you’re firing on Chicken Hawk’s position.

  Shadow 48: Shadow 48, we are not firing.

  Spooky 41: Spooky 41 is not firing, Chicken Hawk, are you sure you took any fire from above?

  Chicken Hawk: OK, buddy . . . down in this hole and it looked like it was firing on my people from above. I’m gonna get a real close look and I’ll let you know, OK?

  Spooky 41: OK, Chicken Hawk, just take it easy, my friend, now.

  Lima Salines: . . . Hawk to his November . . .

  Spooky 41: Roger, roger, Break, Hawk, Spooky 41, Lima Salines is calling and wants you to move to your November, move to your November.

  Spooky 41: Chicken Hawk, Chicken Hawk, Spooky 41, did you copy?

  Spooky 41: Contact with Lima Salines.

  Kangaroo Control: Roger, OK, push . . . down here . . . relay and . . . hear Lima Salines, over.