Abandoned in Hell : The Fight for Vietnam's Firebase Kate (9780698144262) (32 page)

Chicken Hawk:
   Ahh, OK, buddy, hey, ahh, listen, when I get out of this stuff I got a little vacation coming to me anyway and if I get that way I'll definitely stop in and see you boys.

Spooky 41:
   Roger that and if you miss us, stop in Alabama and I'll still buy you a drink.

Chicken Hawk:
   
(Laughing)
OK there, buddy, roger that and if you get up north, Illinois way, you gotta stop in my place too.

Spooky 41:
   OK.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   Hey Vin, let's go on over the west side and hit that hill over there a little bit too.

Pilot:
   To the west?

Spooky 41 Internal:
   Roger.

Pilot:
   OK.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   It's the first hill over yonder there's two
(unintelligible)
looks like a pussy, right in the middle of them.

Pilot:
   OK. Let me work this one on this side, then we'll work them over there.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   Roger.

Pilot:
   How we looking?

Spooky 41 Internal:
   That's the side, that's the side, there you go.

Chicken Hawk:
   You're chewing up some stuff out there, you really are.

Carbon Outlaw 25:
   Spooky 41 this is Carbon Outlaw 25.

Spooky 41:
   Carbon Outlaw 25, are you calling Spooky 41.

Carbon Outlaw 25:
   That's a roger, sir. How much moonlight do you have down in the area, where you are? Over.

Spooky 41:
   Ahh, we have a fair amount of moonlight, but not enough yet to really see the ground yet. We're still having to use flares.

Carbon Outlaw 25:
   OK, sir, thank you very much.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   OK, it's above the pipper now. It's about due north of that light there on the ground.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   Bring it up a little bit, bring it up a little bit, there you go.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   Do you see what I'm talking about Vin?

Pilot:
   Roger. It's in front of the pipper right now.

Pilot:
   Roger that, just between him and the cup of the brassiere?

Spooky 41 Internal:
   That's right. Work it all along those tree lines there.

Carbon Outlaw 25:
   Carbon Outlaw 25, Victor.

Spooky 41:
   You calling, ahh, Spooky 41, 25.

Carbon Outlaw 25:
   That's a roger, sir. What've you got, you got a quarter moon, ahh, or half moon, ahh, or a full moon?

Spooky 41:
   Ahh, roger, stand by just a second . . . We got about a half-moon.

Carbon Outlaw 25:
   Roger, thank you sir.

Spooky 41:
   And be advised, that the ground, ahh, you can start to see some mountains, but not real well yet.

Carbon Outlaw 25:
   OK, sir, thank you.

Spooky 41:
   Hawk, this is Spooky 41.

Chicken Hawk:
   Spooky 41, this the Hawk, go.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, old buddy, you know how the trees come up to the north and then kinda cut off these two little bald mountains, just north of your position?

Chicken Hawk:
   Spooky 41, this the Hawk, go ahead.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, Hawk. You know how the trees come up behind your position to the north [and] kinda cut off those two little bald hills, the one you're on and the one just north of you?

Chicken Hawk:
   Roger, roger, only too well.

Spooky 41:
   OK, we're gonna work that over a little bit if that's all right with you.

Chicken Hawk:
   Fine, fine, go ahead.

Spooky 41:
   OK, and where else would you like for us to move? We're trying to work over all the little peaks and ridgelines around you.

Chicken Hawk:
   Listen, if you hit the peaks and ridgelines around here that'll be fine.

Spooky 41:
   OK and, ahh, we're going to try to stay out about 200 or 300 meters from your November Whisky, we're not going to get much past that.

Chicken Hawk:
   Roger, roger, roger.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   Looking good. You can work all that tree line then.

Spooky 41:
   Hey Hawk, this is Spooky 41.

Chicken Hawk:
   Spooky 41, this the Hawk, go buddy.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, can you tell me if my bullets are hitting the ground?

Chicken Hawk:
   Roger, roger, wait one.

Spooky 41:
   Hey Hawk, I'm just kidding you.

Chicken Hawk:
   Goddammit buddy, you had me going on that one, I'll say that.

ON TO OTHER BUSINESS

Grand Palette Juliet:
   Spooky 41, Grand Palette Juliet over.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, Juliet, this is Spooky 41. Go ahead, over.

Grand Palette Juliet:
   I understand you're very busy, sorry to bother you, ahh, higher request to know if Kate is in contact with Mike Strike Force element northwest of location, over.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, stand by.

Spooky 41:
   Kate, Kate, Spooky 41.

Chicken Hawk:
   Spooky 41, Spooky 41, this the Hawk. I'm taking stuff, what do you need?

Spooky 41:
   OK, ahh, Juliet wants to know if you're in contact with Mike Strike Force to the north, over.

Chicken Hawk:
   Roger.

Spooky 41:
   OK, break, break, Juliet, that's a roger.

Juliet:
   This is Juliet, roger, thank you much. No further. Out.

Chicken Hawk:
   Spooky 41, this is the Hawk.

Spooky 41:
   Go ahead Hawk, Spooky 41 over.

Chicken Hawk:
   Hey, ahh, are you hearing those explosions, explosions? They sound like they're coming from the Whisky, the Sierra Whisky, over?

Spooky 41:
   Negative, I haven't heard a thing. What's it sound like, ahh, ahh, gunfire?

Chicken Hawk:
   No buddy, it sounds like an Arc Light, like a distant Arc Light.

Spooky 41:
   Ahh, OK roger, you got one down here about 10 miles from you.

Chicken Hawk:
   Roger, that's probably what it was then.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, if they get to firing on us, we'll shoot at them.

Chicken Hawk:
   
(Laughing.)
OK.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   Vin let's see how much ammo we got left.

Gunner:
   Approximately 9,000 left sir, half a load.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   OK, we got about an hour and ten. Why don't we hold off a while.

Pilot:
   Roger . . . We can hold off until about 0100 [hours] and then fire out 30 minutes and, ahh, hope to stay with them another 15 to 20 minutes.

Loader:
   . . . 14 flares . . .

Spooky 41 Internal:
   OK.

Spooky 41:
   Hawk, this is Spooky 41.

Chicken Hawk:
   Spooky 41, this the Hawk, go buddy.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, ahh, we're down to about half a load right now. What we're gonna do is . . . stay up here for about, ahh, 40 minutes and just orbit the area and then we'll come back in and work off the other half of our load and stay with you up to about, ahh, pretty close to one o'clock, ahh, pretty close to 2 o'clock.

Chicken Hawk:
   Ahh, roger, roger that buddy, OK, when you come back in to work off that other half, ahh, don't work it
all
off, in case they, ahh, something happens.

Spooky 41:
   Ahh, you know it, we're gonna save some.

Chicken Hawk:
   Roger, roger, on that buddy, ahh, sounds real fine. I'll let you know if something happens here, we get a target here and I'll bring you right back down.

Spooky 41:
   Ahh, OK, and if you want to rest a little bit, we're watching for any muzzle flashes or anything else, so we'll keep you posted if we see anything.

Chicken Hawk:
   OK, certainly appreciate that.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, and I'll leave you alone for about 20 or 30
minutes and then I'll have a little commo check with you.

Chicken Hawk:
   Roger, roger, if you don't get me the first time, give me a couple of calls, OK.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, and if I don't get you then, I know what your coordinates are, we'll wake you up.

Chicken Hawk:
   
(Laughing.)
Ahh, I'll tell you what, I think I better stay awake for this.

Spooky 41:
   That's OK.

Chicken Hawk:
   OK, buddy, ahh, I'll be waiting to hear from you.

Spooky 41:
   Roger.

Carbon Outlaw 25:
   Be advised Shadow 48 will be, ahh, relieving you and, ahh, he should be up here around Zero Zero Four Zero, they are launching him at 15 past, over.

SHIFT CHANGE

Chicken Hawk:
   Ahh, this is Chicken Hawk's buddy.

Spooky 41:
   OK, ahh, Chicken Hawk's buddy, we're ready to shoot.

Chicken Hawk:
   Pour it on there buddy.

Spooky 41:
   OK, we're gonna work the general areas we were working a while ago, if you wanna move us, let us know.

Chicken Hawk:
   We'll give you a skinny as soon as we get any over.

Spooky 41:
   Roger. OK, buddy let's go.

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

Spooky 41:
   Hey, Hawk, welcome back.

Chicken Hawk:
   Hey buddy, I'll be back only for a little while, I gotta get some shut-eye here. Hey listen, ahh, I'll talk you in. And when you come back, I hope you do, with this new guy coming in, will you brief him on what you been doing and shooting, because you're doing an outstanding job there on your own putting it in where you think its good and that's exactly where we need it, ahh, could you brief the new guy coming in too? Over.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, I've already given him, ahh, a small rundown, but we're gonna wait and show him the area and brief him real good and, ahh, we've put in a request to turn us around as soon as we get back and we hope our highers will let us come back and spend the night with you.

Chicken Hawk:
   Well I do too buddy, I do too. OK, buddy, listen, I'll be on the floor here and if you got anything for me, ahh, feel free to ask for me, OK, buddy?

Spooky 41:
   OK, and, ahh, I'll just call you Chicken Hawk, buddy, huh?

Chicken Hawk:
   Roger, roger, that's affirmative.

Spooky 41:
   OK.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   Might not hurt to put a little fire around those fires burning down there, they might be cooking up fish heads and rice with them.

Pilot:
   OK.

Spooky 41:
   Chicken Hawk buddy, Chicken Hawk buddy, hey, how's things going?

Chicken Hawk:
   Ahh, Spooky 41, this is Hawk's buddy, ahh, really going fine there, really doing an outstanding job, just keep moving it around, ahh, that's all we can ask of you.

Spooky 41:
   OK, ahh, if you have no special area, we're gonna work up and down the east side and, ahh, the Sierra side and the Whisky side a little bit.

Chicken Hawk:
   That sounds real fine, ahh, that whole, all the way around us we get shit all day long, over.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, ahh, we're also working over these little fires, I guess, out here, we figure they might be cooking up rice and fish heads and we wanna cut a little of that out.

Chicken Hawk:
   That's it, we'll starve them so and so's out.

Spooky 41:
   I'm with you buddy. Break, break, Shadow 48, this is Spooky 41, you copy on my Fox Mike?

Shadow 48:
   Roger, Spooky 41, Shadow 48 here. Break, break, Chicken Hawk, Shadow 48.

Spooky 41:
   Shadow 48, you'll be working Chicken Hawk's buddy, B-U-D-D-Y, Chicken Hawk's laying on the floor getting some sleep so we just call him Hawk Buddy.

Shadow 48:
   Roger that, Chicken Hawk's buddy, Shadow 48.

Chicken Hawk:
   Spooky 41, this the Hawk's Buddy, over.

Spooky 41:
   Go ahead, Hawk Buddy.

Chicken Hawk:
   This the Hawk's buddy, we decided to change my
call sign, here, to, ahh, we, ahh, call me the Beak, I took a piece of shrapnel through the nose, ahh, we thought you'd get a kick out of that, over.

Spooky 41:
   You took a piece of shrapnel through the nose?

Chicken Hawk:
   That's affirmative, ahh, so from now on, you can just call me the Beak.

Spooky 41:
   OK, Beak, we'll be calling you that then and, ahh, how bad was it?

Chicken Hawk:
   Oh, it just made a nice little neat hole clean through, over.