January – March 2022, Issue 102 See all issues to date at the 503rd Heritage Battalion website: Contact: [email protected] http://corregidor.org/VN2-503/newsletter/issue_index.htm We dedicate this issue of our newsletter in memory and honor of the men who fought, were wounded, survived and died while re-taking the Island Fortress of Corregidor. Hiram Edwin Wooster, Private First Class, “H” Company, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, KIA February 17, 1945. He upheld his oath to his country and fellow Americans to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, he would bear true faith and allegiance to the same. He was a patriot. Hiram died unselfishly saving lives of his fellow troopers while in service to his country. (See tribute to Hiram on Page 34). 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 1 of 94
Incoming!!! ~ Second to None ~ One of the best newsletters (Issue 101). Glad to see the Second Generation mentioned. They are our future and know our story. It's a requirement of advancement in the Herd. I attended and was asked to speak at a promotion ceremony in Italy. It was the most important thing I ever said to the Staff Sgt. being promoted to SFC. I appreciate your work for the 2/503rd from our exploits in Vietnam but am also glad to see you include the new guys. I just moved to Lubbock, TX from Terry Charleston, SC to watch the grandkids go through high school. They have TexMex here but no crab cakes or fresh scallops, what a bummer. The good thing is the only NG Airborne Unit in Texas is assigned to the 173rd. I met the Battalion Commander at a change of command ceremony in Vicenza, Italy. I have been to their station near Dallas and they are Sky Soldier through and through. In closing let me thank you for your support of the Association. After all, we are Second to None. TEA Terry Aubrey E/2/503 ~ From Down Under ~ I appreciate you still sending me this newsletter as although we no longer have a chapter down here in Victoria it is great to read about other bloke's experiences and every now and then I see a name come up that I knew in 1965-'66 and others since then. Thanks for all your efforts for all of us. Regards John Arnold 8 Pl C Coy 1 RAR ~ Regarding Corrections* ~ Regarding the bottom of pg. 13 in issue 101, there is also a small memorial on the grounds of the Ft. Campbell museum. I have visited the museum. Aloha Sam Stewart C/2/503 * Sam is referring to my mistake of calling Ft. Campbell and not Ft. Benning as home to our memorial. Up to the 4th pushup so far. Ed ~ He Was A/2/503 ~ In this photo which appeared on Page 66 in our Issue 101, we identified good buddies Leo “Frenchy” Pellerin (C) and RTO Dominic “Dom” Cacciatore (R), both A/2/503, ‘65/’66, but not the trooper on the left; he is David Allen Ferraro, A/2/503, KIA 6/30/66. Dave was from Pittsburgh, PA, and rests at Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Sharpe Hill, Alleghany County, PA. Posted in Tribute to Dave on Wall of Faces He loved us so. Every day, in a hundred ways, he told us so. In honesty, in affection, he told us so. He loved us so. Every day, in a hundred ways, he showed us so. With loyalty and bravery, he showed us so. He was our defender, and he kept us free! He took an oath to guard us, and fought for liberty! He loved us so, and we should know. For we loved him so. Posted by: Unknown Dave, 1947-1966 ( incoming continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 2 of 94
~ He is Col. Rick Rescorla ~ In Issue 101 on Pg. 3 of our newsletter, Ken Steadman, COL, 1/503, was looking to I.D. the trooper in the photo above. A number of readers informed us he was Rick Rescorla. See tribute on Pages 44-47. Ed Ref your latest #101 newsletter and the pic page 3, upper left of soldier w/fixed bayonet. Seen it before multiple times. I believe it’s a Lt Rick Rescorla from the 1st Cav, 7th Cavalry, Battle of the Ia Drang. I have no other info as to who took it, when. Robert E Foti, Sgt. C/1/503 and N75 Rangers 9/68 - 6/70 RVN I believe this is Rick Rescorla. Decades after this photo was taken, he was working as security chief in the Twin Towers. He died while rescuing others on 9/11. Deborah Kitchens Friend of Sky Soldiers That is Rick Rescorla from the 1st Cav. He was killed on 9/11. Dusty Jarnagin 173rd ABN BDE RVN 69-70 The trooper in the photo, I believe, is Rick Rescorla. Please let me know if I am mistaken. ATW, Bob Sandri Father of Matt Sandri, 82nd Abn, KIA 3/20/04 Sgt. Matthew “Matt” Sandri, C Co., 82nd FSB, 3BCT, 82nd Abn Div. ~ Deserving of Special Recognition ~ Sky Soldier Jo Acker dies protecting others. “He loved jump school, he loved jumping from planes, he was crazy,” Robert, his father, said. “He loved being a paratrooper. He wore a lot of his stuff that had [173rd Airborne] on it because Jo was so very proud of that.” "He just wanted to be true to himself," Robert said. In the end, Jo's sacrifice is all that mattered, said his father. Jo would die a hero 26 years later (after army service) as a security guard confronting an active shooter Oct. 25 in the Boise Towne Square mall in Idaho. The confrontation allowed others to escape. "I’ve had personally three people reach out to me and tell me how there would have been a total of five people ... who wouldn’t have walked out of that mall if it wasn’t for him,” Robert said. I don’t know if our Association has a special award it can present to Jo’s family, but should one exist, I hereby nominate Trooper Jo Acker as a most worthy and deserving recipient of it. All the Way, Jo! Lew “Smitty” Smith Editor, 2/503d Vietnam Newsletter HHC/2/503, ‘65/’66 [See report on Pages 70-71] 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 3 of 94
It Was A January Morning For The 2/503rd “Command Group for Marauder Loads Chopper, Snake Pit.” Bien Hoa AFB 1/1/66. (Photo LTC George Dexter, Bn Cmdr 2/503) “LZ Wine During Pre Fires, Opn Marauder, Jan” Mekong Delta 1/2/66. (Photo by LTC George Dexter, CO 2/503) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 4 of 94
Farewell to a Dear Friend Michael George Sturges A/2/503, RVN The globe-trotting Michael Sturges in front of war maps at the Presidential Palace in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) during his reinvasion of Vietnam in February 2001. (Photo by Smitty) e’ve become much too accustomed to saying goodbye to our Sky Soldier buddies, those we lost during the war, and those after. It becomes particularly sad and heart-wrenching when we, as individuals, lose someone close to us, someone with whom we not only served together in the war, but those someone’s who remained lifelong friends. And so, I say farewell here, along with so many of his friends, to Mike Sturges. I don’t recall when, most likely during our trip together to Vietnam in 2001, but many years ago I give him the nickname “Spermgem”, the reason just as well left to the ages, but he was a gem; others called him Sturg, many called him Mike, everyone who knew him called him friend. After fighting illness over an extended term, his body finally said, “fuck it!”, a phrase familiar to Mike’s vocabulary, and his body gave out on December 31, 2021, in Spokane, WA. A soldier died that day. Mike was wounded on his first combat mission, Operation Silver City, on March 16, 1966, when our battalion was at grave risk of being overrun by forces three times our size, but it was a minor wound not requiring Dust Off, so no record, no medal. They tried it again in June but missed, then in August that year, the bad guys did a more thorough job wounding Mike, nearly claiming his and his buddy Jack Ribera’s lives. Severely wounded himself, Mike kept Jack’s brains from spilling out onto the battlefield until aid arrived; both survived, yet many believed the two troopers had succumbed to their wounds (Jack’s name appears on the Wall in DC). Here, at Camp Zinn between ops, Bn CO LTC Bob Sigholtz awards Mike his Purple Heart. Young trooper Mike during an earlier visit to Vietnam. (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 5 of 94 W
It’s always difficult (for me) attempting to put in words memories of a fallen or passed buddy. Most of the memories are of flashes in time, snippets of moments, in this case, the countless moments spent with Mike Sturges over many years. Reminders of the many winter escapes he made from the northwest to Smithville here in Florida; evenings on the patio talking about war and all other matters, visits to the local VFW together, his rightfully giving my bride Reggie the handle “The CO”, our trip together with other Sky Soldiers and family members to Vietnam in 2001, a most memorable time for Mike and all of us, and the circuitous motor trip from Florida to Benning and the 173d Memorial dedication, then off to the Myrtle Beach reunion before returning to Florida – lots of fun, lots of laughing (and drinking), and lots of Mike. Snippets of a man with a gravelly voice, a sensitivity to others, particularly his war buddies and even more particularly his buddy Jack Ribera. Damn, Mike, you left all of us too soon. How dare you! Following are excerpts about Mike captured in a journal I kept of our reinvasion of Vietnam in February 2001. His buddies reading this might get a kick out of some of his exploits during that trip. Sky Soldiers Return to Vietnam Sky Soldiers on this reinvasion of Vietnam included the troopers named below plus a few relatives: Mike Sturges, A/2/503, ‘66* Jack Ribera, A/2/503, ‘66 Dale Olson, A/2/503, ‘65/’66** Mike Thibault, A/2/503, ‘65/’66 A.B. Garcia, HHC/2/503, ‘65/’66 Steve Haber, C/2/503, ‘65/’66 Craig Ford C/1/503, ‘65/’66*** Lew Smith, HHC/2/503, ‘65/’66 * The trip report refers to Mike Sturges as “Mike S” and Mike Thibault as “Mike T”. ** Sadly, we lost both Dale and Craig many years ago. 2/7/01, Tuesday-Wednesday Los Angeles Regine had a friend at United Airlines give her two First Class upgrade coupons but no room in First. Rented a neat little Camaro convertible as I have a full day tomorrow to explore L.A. before the midnight flight to Taipei where I’ll link-up with Mike S, Jack and Dale who, as I, are also flying Eva Airlines, but out of San Francisco. 2/9/01, Thursday Taipei Airport In walked Mike S and we gave each other the vet hug, something I learned the movements to at the Rochester reunion. A combination of a handshake, pat on the back and cheek pressing, with special attention given to avoiding kissing, although cheek kissing is allowed between particularly close pairs of troopers. On his heels came in Jack and Dale and we repeated the vet greeting. It was great to see these boys, and we talked and drank coffee, and Mike S and I smoked while enjoying the endless number of beautiful Asian girls traipsing up and down the terminal. Yes, returning to VN might not be all that bad. Jack seemed a little on edge knowing the next stop would be Vietnam. I must have looked the same as Mike S made it a point to reassure me, telling me something like, “Wait till you get there and have a drink with one of the young girls.” Dale, Mike S, Jack and I arrived Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in mid-afternoon. As we came across land off the South China Sea I took a deep breath upon seeing the coastline through the clouds, then the Saigon River. L-R: Tony Nong, Mike S, Jack, 1st Bat Guy Craig, An Tran, Dale and Smitty at AnnTours offices in Saigon. (Photo from Craig Ford) 2/10/01, Saturday Saigon Teaming up with Jack and Mike S, we all hopped in an AnnTours van and headed off to the Palace Hotel down the street to find A.B. and his son, but they were no shows. (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 6 of 94
Front of Presidential Palace today. (Photo by Mike Sturges) Roof of Palace where one of the two bombs hit dead center. (Photo by Mike Sturges) Unit maps still on the wall in the underground War Room. (Photo by Mike Sturges) Through the tight walkways of the market we made our way past barrels of dried mushrooms, fish and fish parts, nasty looking things from the sea no one could identify, reams upon reams of textile goods, clothing, toys and just about anything one could imagine. Like a small squad making its way through the jungle, we followed one another through this cesspool of humanity and yuk. Like a small squad we worked our way through the market. L-R: Capt. Quong, Smitty & Jack. (Photo by Mike Sturges) Once outside, Mike S became less than friendly to some of the many beggars trying to corner us, and using his best VN vet language, invited them to take their leave, as we quickly made our way to the safety and A/C of the waiting van. Nasty looking things from the sea we couldn’t identify. (Photo by Craig Ford) (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 7 of 94
A few blocks away we stopped for lunch at a roadside café where everyone, save I, ate a bowl of beef (dog?) and noodle soup washed down with Tiger Beer or bottled water. It was there I learned my senses didn’t agree with the Vietnamese garlic, a taste and aroma which turned my stomach….it seemed everything was cooked with that ingredient. We could have eaten lunch at MacDonald’s….Saigon has one too! L-R “Capt.” Quong (AnnTours driver), Craig, Jack, Mike S and Smitty. (Photo by Dale Olson) Our guide then took us to a Chinese pagoda which was hundreds of years old, but the smell of burning incense was overpowering for Mike S and me, so we waited out front for the others to finish their visit. The scent of burning incense was overwhelming for some. (Photo by Jack Ribera) Returning to the Caravelle we moved to the outside, rooftop lounge, Saigon-Saigon, overlooking downtown HCMC, a busy and drab picture during daytime yet beautiful at night. Jack and Mike S were waiting there, and Dale and 1st Bat Guy soon joined us. Over 333 and Tiger Beers we discussed various plans to steal the Communist flag perched atop the Rex Hotel seen across the city square. Mike S, Von Ryan* and Bill Vose attempted this courageous feat on a trip in 1999. Being from a line Company they didn’t have the intelligence of an S-2 RTO to make such a theft become reality; I told them I had a “plan”. * Mike Thibault had organized this return trip to VN in connection with a school dormitory he had built near Saigon with some of our and others’ donations, and I gave him the nickname “Von Ryan”, which he didn’t much care for. Saigon is a beautiful city, at night. (Photo by Jack Ribera) As we began dinner, A.B and his son Loness arrived to everyone’s delight, and there were more of the patented Vietnam vet hugs all around. More drinking, more toasts to everyone past and present and then foodstuffs soaked in the infamous Vietnamese garlic (I had wished I had brought along snacks as Von Ryan suggested), but I couldn’t eat a bite. It was a fun-filled dinner with a lot of laughs and ribbing going on. L-R: Truc, Craig, Kim, My Linh, Tony, Joan, Steve, Mike T, Dale, Smitty and Jack. (Photo by Mike Sturges) Following dinner a handful of us returned to the Paradise to make sure the porcelain dolls there would continue to practice their English, “You buy me Bali’s I love you long time G.I.!”, or something which sounded like that. Craig, Mike S and I outlasted every- one, and I agreed to be the designated walker, making sure those boys made it across the street alive. “Misser Craig. You mean the parachutes come from the sky like this?” Jack flashing a 2nd Bat sign over the head of 1st Bat Guy. (Photo by Smitty) (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 8 of 94
2/11/01, Sunday War Crimes Museum & Tunnels of Cu Chi The half hour or so before the meeting (with a North Vietnamese General from our war) was a solemn time, and for me it served to further confirm my hatred of war. Jack had some difficulty with the photos on display and was consoled by his blood brother Mike S, although we all were concerned for him. A.B, Mike T, Steve and Joan on left listen as Truc interprets General’s remarks, as Uncle Ho looks on in approval. A group photo was taken with the General, and then off we went on a cross-country jaunt to visit the tunnels of Cu Chi, about 35 miles northwest of Saigon, I believe, about a 1½ hour drive. Today is another hot and humid one, and the air in the van doesn’t help much. Sky Soldiers and friends meeting with former enemy General. L-R: Dale, Truc, Loness, Steve, A.B., Joan, Craig, Lady Curator, Generals’ Lt., Mike S, General, Smitty, Mike T, Jack. Our guide at the tunnels is a Cu Chi resident, who as a child, lived for eight years underground, as did hundreds or thousands of others. He performed his duties as guide but a few of us noticed he wasn’t particularly thrilled with the job of escorting these American vets. Jack and Mike S chose to wear 173d colors and I noticed they received some looks of disdain from some of the older, local people – people whom no doubt remember our unit patch. L-R: Craig, A.B., Mike S and Loness sample VC lunch in the tunnels, as Capt. Quong wisely excuses himself. From the tunnel system we all walked to a nearby mausoleum and while sitting on the front steps for a group photo a bunch of Vietnamese school kids happily hopped in the photo with us. It was evident these kids had no feelings of animosity toward these old American soldiers and their guests. I suspect their country’s war with America gave them little interest. Mr. Sturges, center stage in colors, where he deservedly belongs. (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 9 of 94
2/12/01, Monday The Dustoff Café Enjoying a quiet respite at the Caravelle Hotel from the Saigon heat and long daily drives. L-R: Smitty, 1st Bat Guy, Mike S, Jack and Dale. Mike S and Jack introducing an “old friend” they met at the “Dustoff Café” in 1966. We’ll also visit the site of Operation Toledo (Aug. ’66), about my ninth or tenth mission that year, having missed a couple for hospital breaks, to include a stop at the “Dustoff Café,” where Jack and Mike S were severely wounded and nearly lost their lives. A café now sits on the space where they were dusted off, thus the name. Every year on the date of the battle, August 17, Jack holds his “Glad to be alive party” at his home in Connecticut The Dustoff Café and warm beer all around. L-R: Craig, Dale, Smitty, waiter, Mike S, Jack, Steve, Mike T and A.B. “Follow me!” Jack says as he, Craig and Mike S go shopping. (Photo by Mike Sturges) Two young paratroopers in 1966, somewhere in Vietnam. Two blood brothers, their souls joined as one for all time. Jack Ribera and Mike Sturges, “A” Co., 2/503, ‘66. (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 10 of 94
Yesterday at the tunnels we were shown a propaganda film heralding Vietnam’s victory over the “American Imperialists”. To our surprise the presentation included surreptitious filming of American G.I.’s humping the boonies. Mike S and I found that to be both startling and amusing….the bad guys were filming us!!! 2/13/01, Tuesday Operation Marauder, 2 Jan 66 Meeting up at 10 a.m. with Dale, Steve, 1st Bat Guy and A.B. (who almost missed the van), Steve’s brother Danny who joined us, and Aussino’s son Loness, we headed out with Truc as our guide to find the rice paddies of Operation Marauder. Jack, Mike S and Mike T chose not to join us as they had arrived in-country after this mission. Standing there in the peaceful quiet of these green killing fields, one cannot help but consider the waste and uselessness war imposes on its players. One cannot help but feel sad, but more than that, so glad to be alive, to have survived. Dropped off in the late afternoon at the Rex for a shower, then off to meet Jack, Mike S, Kim and My Linh for dinner at the Wild Horse, a Western style steakhouse. Jack retired after dinner and Mike S and I were treated to a late night motorbike ride by Kim and My Linh through Saigon’s busy, night traffic….not so scary when you’re in the midst of it all. 2/14/01, Wednesday The (3rd Field Army Hospital) Arms Museum Awoke to a ringing phone and Mike S telling me the group is mustered at the Caravelle and ready to pickup A.B. and his son, then me and off to the Tan Son Nhut (Hospital) Arms Museum to meet with General No. 2 and a couple of his men. Having spent three months of my one-year tour in that hospital I was anxiously looking forward to this visit. Behind the hospital a new building houses a section of the arms museum. L-R: Mike T, Danny, VC Lt., VC General, Craig, Loness, Steve in hat, Joan, Dale, Jack, VC Lt., A.B., Mike S and Smitty. Adjacent to Martha Raye’s stage area were two dining rooms, now used as rental facilities for banquets and weddings, yet 35 years ago served as the mess hall. Down the hall was the bottom floor of the hospital which served as emergency and operating rooms while the entire second floor was the ward where soldiers recovered from their various wounds and illnesses. I recall standing in that very hallway as they wheeled in a wounded soldier. He had lost both legs and his genitals, still conscious, still living, and he would live. Mike S, Jack and I took photos of the area. The rear of the two-story hospital today. A fountain now sits where once was a chopper pad used to bring in wounded. While at the hospital today we joined our former enemies for lunch which featured what Steve came to call the “Standing Fish”, some creature caught in the putrid waters of the Saigon River and served in an upright position without anyone bothering to clean it first. We all picked at this untasty monstrosity and enjoyed a friendly gathering with our former adversaries. L-R: Dale, Danny, Joan, Steve, Mike S, Craig, Jack, A.B., Loness, Truc, VC General, Mike T, VC Lt., Mr. Minh and Skip. (Photo by Smitty) (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 11 of 94
2/15/01, Thursday Operation Phoenix, 26 Feb ‘66 Back at the Rex Hotel I showered, napped and met Mike S, Jack, 1st Bat Guy and Kim and her sister My Linh. After visiting for a while we took motorbikes and taxis to Kim’s hotel where she treated us to pizza and beer, Jack choosing to remain behind at the Caravelle. The 33 beer we all remember is now 333 beer and is quite good. We were told some Germans invested in the brewery in Vietnam and added a ”3” to the name. It now tastes one-third better. Later our US/VN group found a nearby Karaoke Bar where we drank too much and sang too poorly but had a great evening. According to the t.v. monitor Mike S scored 100% on one song, but he was singing two lyrics behind the music so I figured he bribed somebody. 2/16/01, Friday Bien Hoa, Home of the 173d Airborne Brigade We all gathered at the Caravelle around 7:30 this morning to learn the trip to the Dustoff Café wouldn’t begin until 9 a.m. Von Ryan asked me if I’d like to accompany him to Malcolm’s Bridge, a bridge Mike T is having built over a river in some small village in memory of Malcolm Berry, a friend of his who was killed during the war on 29 June ’66 and where Mike nearly lost his life to severe wounds. I declined his invitation and Mike S decided to go in my place, as only a couple Americans could sneak into the restricted area where the bridge is being built. The early morning rushing for naught behind us, Craig, Jack, Dale and I ate a good breakfast at the hotel. Around 9 a.m. the entire team, joined by Steve’s brother, Danny, headed out north past Bien Hoa, destination Dustoff Café. We were headed to the area where, on August 17, 1966, during Operation Toledo, both Mike S and Jack were severely wounded. Jack & Mike S, two blood brothers visiting a time and place from long ago. We met up with Von Ryan, Mike S and Truc at a city along the way from where we would continue on in the large AnnTours van. While there I bought a new hat with Steve’s help. The young girls in the shop laughed as Steve placed a woman’s hat on my head, but it did look fashionable. Arriving the Dustoff Café most in our group went inside to give Mike S and Jack some space together. Jack gave me his camera and asked me to take some pictures. “I’ll be honored to do that,” I told my friend. Truc led the way up the street toward the battle site and I asked Loness to join us with his video camera. We made it a point to give these brothers ample space, and watched in silence as they slowly moved forward, talking, stopping, pointing, hugging, weeping together. The lives of these two men were changed forever that day at this place, and I hope Jack’s “coming full-circle” was completed on the ground those two men stood. Mike S had visited this area in ’99. Without speaking it, we all hoped our Brother found some new peace for himself. Later in the evening we all gathered atop the Caravelle at Saigon-Saigon for evening refreshments. With Mike S, 1st Bat Guy, Loness, a French lady we met, who Mike S referred to as the “old battleship”, Kim, My Linh and a lady friend of theirs, we headed out to again try our luck at Karaoke. 2/17/01, Saturday Project – Next Generation It was difficult reaching the Caravelle Hotel this morning as the streets were blocked off in front for the filming of “The Quiet America,” starring British actor Michael Caine. They’ve been preparing the area for it since our arrival last week. Jack and Mike S had coffee with the actor the other day and said he was a nice fellow, tall, but older. Apparently these Troopers haven’t looked too closely at their fellow travelers… or themselves lately, although one young Porcelain Doll guessed Jack’s age at 41, something we kidded him about all week – hiding our jealousy, of course. I asked Jack if he was offered a part in the movie and he said, “Unless I get the lead role I’m not doing it!” Needless to say, Mr. Ribera won’t be making his screen debut in this flick. Being an S-2 RTO, a point was made to seat me with a group of teachers, and I enjoyed my multi-course meal with these ladies. During the too long meal, we were entertained with singing by one of the school’s male employees and a young student. Even the Aussino sang a song to the amusement of everyone which Mike S and I missed, having stepped away for an important meeting and cigarettes. (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 12 of 94
2/18/01, Sunday NVA & BAR GIRLS The early afternoon of this next to last day was spent drinking coffee at the Caravelle Hotel with Jack and Mike S, and talking with a couple of school teachers from Japan. Our entire crew jumped in taxis this evening for a final dinner at a café not far from the hotels. Jack, being the daring Sky Solider he is, ordered the calamari, which turned out to be rubberish, and whatever Mike S ate claimed him as the second victim of Ho’s Revenge. The last heard of Mike, he was praying in front of the porcelain god at his sister’s home in San Francisco. (I would later learn Dale had his own losing bout with Uncle Ho upon his return home to Sacramento). Ah ha! The garlic!! Our final couple hours of our last night were spent at the Saigon-Saigon lounge looking across the city square at the communist flag still waving in the breeze atop the Rex Hotel. The S-2 RTO’s “plan,” like the “A” Co. line grunt’s plan of 1999, had alas, failed. No amount of money would convince the pool attendant at the Rex to take that flag down – his words were, “Even if you offered me a thousand dollars I couldn’t do it.” No amount of money would convince the pool attendant to take that flag down! 2/19/01, Monday Goodbye Vietnam! Bidding farewell to A.B., his son Loness and 1st Bat Guy, we all hugged and promised to see one another again, maybe in Ft. Worth this July at the 173d reunion. Vietnam vet hugs went all around, and hell, there was even some cheek kissing going on. Some Closing Thoughts As Mike Sturges said some years ago, “Vietnam is a country and not a war”. To re-experience that land, particularly with a group of men for whom you care and with whom you share the same early life history, is something special. For myself, I’ve tried to find some deep and profound importance or meaning or lesson I’ve learned from spending ten days in peace in a place where I once spent a year in war. One thing I did learn, and that is there are two Vietnam’s…. the Vietnam we all remember from over three decades ago, a Vietnam and people many of us hated and many still hate, and then there’s the Vietnam and people of today. Brothers, they are entirely different places and different people. Smitty Out Sky Soldiers bid farewell at Taipei Airport. L-R: Dale, Jack, Old Man With Hat, Mike T and Mike S. There is a cliff on Red Gulch Road also dubbed “Sky Soldier Cliff” near Greybull, Wyoming which particularly inspired Mike, where on April 23 this year, in the presence of his Airborne buddies and friends, Mike’s ashes will be freed for all time. We wish him a safe PFL. Ed In 2001, Mike and Jack pause to view the location where they both nearly died together that August day in 1966. How fortunate we are they both survived. Thanks Mike, thanks for everything! 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 13 of 94
The Island Fortress of Corregidor The Rock ~ February 1945 (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 14 of 94
Battle of Corregidor (1945) USS Claxton provides fire support during the Corregidor landings. The Battle for the Recapture of Corregidor (Filipino: Labanan para sa Corregidor), which occurred from the 16th to the 26th of February, 1945, pitted American forces against the defending Japanese garrison on the island fortress. The Japanese had captured the bastion from the United States Army Forces in the Far East during their 1942 invasion. The retaking of the island, officially named Fort Mills, along with the bloody Battle of Manila and the earlier Battle of Bataan, marked the redemption of the American and Filipino surrender on 6 May 1942 and the subsequent fall of the Philippines. The surrender of Corregidor in 1942 and the ensuing fate of its 11,000 American and Filipino defenders led to a particular sense of moral purpose in General Douglas MacArthur, and as shown in the subsequent campaigns for the liberation of the Philippine archipelago, he showed no hesitation in committing the bulk of US and Philippine forces under his command. To the American soldier, Corregidor was more than a military objective; long before the campaign to recapture it, the Rock had become an important symbol in United States history as the last Pacific outpost of any size to fall to the enemy in the early stages of the Pacific War. Capture of Corregidor The Japanese opened their attack on Corregidor with an aerial bombardment on 29 December 1941, several days after MacArthur moved his headquarters there, but the heaviest attacks through- out the siege were from artillery based on nearby Cavite and later on Bataan. When the last American and Filipino troops on the peninsula surrendered on 9 April 1942, the Japanese were able to mass artillery for an all- out attack of the Rock and its antiquated batteries. Including the Malinta Tunnel, the tunnel network that ran through the island’s hills afforded protection to the defending garrison, but much of the defense activity had to be carried out in the open. By 4 May, many of the guns had been knocked out, the water supply was low, and casualties were mounting. Heavy shell fire pre- ceded Japanese attempts to land the next night, the Japanese later admitted their amazement at the savage resistance, which accounted for the sinking of two thirds of their landing craft and losses amounting to 900 killed and 1,200 wounded, against US losses of 800 and 1,000 wounded. Strategy for recapture Corregidor in 1945—though it lacked in importance to the defensive strategy of the Japanese that it previously had held for the Americans in early 1942— remained a formidable sentinel to the entrance to Manila Bay. Consequently, American planners thought it merited a separate attack. MacArthur's strategy was to make a combined amphibious and airborne assault—among the most difficult of all modern military maneuvers—to retake the island. (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 15 of 94
Although this particular plan of action had been used to good effect during the Luzon landings, the airborne phase was risky. As small as it was, at just over five square miles, the tadpole-shaped island made a difficult target for a parachute drop. Complicating the strategy, was that the paratroopers were required to land on a hill known as 'Topside', the island's foremost dominant terrain feature. MacArthur's staff balked at the proposal, but on the other hand, there was little choice. From 'Topside', the Japanese could dominate all possible amphibious landing sites. The American premise was that the Japanese would certainly not expect an airborne landing on such an unlikely target. The role of recapturing the Rock went to the 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team (503rd PRCT) of Lieutenant Colonel George M. Jones and elements of Major General Roscoe B. Woodruff's 24th Infantry Division, the same units which undertook the capture of Mindoro island. The 503rd PRCT included Colonel Jones on Corregidor the 503rd Parachute Commanding Infantry Regiment, Co. C, 161st Airborne Engineer Battalion and elements of the 462nd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion with 75mm pack howitzers. They were airlifted by C-47 aircraft of the 317th Troop Carrier Group. The amphibious assault was by the reinforced 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, carried by Landing Craft Mechanized (LCMs) of the 592nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment. Bombardment On 23 January 1945, the aerial bombing to soften up the defenses on Corregidor commenced. Daily strikes by heavy bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) continued until 16 February, with 595 short tons (540 t) of bombs dropped. Estimated figures since the bombing campaign started up to 24 February showed 2,028 effective sorties, with 3,163 short tons (2,869 t) of bombs dropped on Corregidor. On 13 February, the United States Navy added to the bombardment, with cruisers and destroyers shelling from close to shore and braving sporadic Japanese artillery counterfire, with minesweepers operating around the island by the next day. The softening up, or gloucesterizing (so-called after an intense preinvasion bombardment of Cape Gloucester the previous December), of the island lasted for three more days. On 14 February, while assisting minesweeping operations prior to landings on Corregidor Island, the destroyer USS Fletcher was hit by an enemy shell and set afire. Watertender First Class Elmer Charles Bigelow fought the blaze, contributing greatly to saving his ship, but was badly injured and died the next day. For his valor and personal sacrifice he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. YMS-48 was also struck by shore fire and had to be scuttled with 3 MIA/KIA. The USS Hopewell was also struck by shore fire and had casualties. Medal of Honor Elmer Charles Bigelow Watertender Second Class USS Fletcher, WWII For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving on board the U.S.S. Fletcher during action against enemy Japanese forces off Corregidor Island in the Philippines, February 14, 1945. Standing topside when an enemy shell struck the Fletcher, Bigelow, acting instantly as the deadly projectile exploded into fragments which penetrated the No. 1 gun magazine and set fire to several powder cases, picked up a pair of fire extinguishers and rushed below in a resolute attempt to quell the raging flames. Refusing to waste the precious time required to don rescuebreathing apparatus, he plunged through the blinding smoke billowing out of the magazine hatch and dropped into the blazing compartment. Despite the acrid, burning powder smoke which seared his lungs with every agonizing breath, he worked rapidly and with instinctive sureness and succeeded in quickly extinguishing the fires and in cooling the cases and bulkheads, thereby preventing further damage to the stricken ship. Although he succumbed to his injuries on the following day, Bigelow, by his dauntless valor, unfaltering skill and prompt action in the critical emergency, had averted a magazine explosion which undoubtedly would have left his ship wallowing at the mercy of the furiously pounding Japanese guns on Corregidor, and his heroic spirit of selfsacrifice in the face of almost certain death enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country. (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 16 of 94
At sunrise on 16 February, attacks by Consolidated B-24 Liberators and an hour of low-altitude bombing and strafing runs by Douglas A-20s preceded the landings. Touchdown on Topside At 08:33 on 16 February, barely three minutes after their intended time and facing 16–18 knot winds over the drop zones, the first of one thousand troopers of the 503rd PRCT began dropping out of C-47 troop carriers of the US 317th Troop Carrier Group of the 5th Air Force and to float down on the surprised Japanese defenders, remnants of Maj. Gen. Rikichi Tsukada's Kembu Group at the two tiny go-point areas of Topside's western heights. However, some paratroopers were blown back into Japanese held territory. No troopers drowned, although some who were unable to climb the cliffs through hostile territory, or had fallen close to the rocks, had to be rescued near Wheeler Point. Paratroopers of the 503rd PRCT descend on Corregidor, 16 February 1945. Despite the grueling air and naval bombardment that left the defending troops dazed and scattered, they rallied and fierce fighting erupted almost immediately. At one point that same morning, they threatened to drive a salient into the paratroopers' tenuous foothold on 'Topside'. Paratroopers and infantrymen waged a tenacious battle with the well dug-in and determined enemy. Private Lloyd G. McCarter, a scout attached to the 503rd, during the initial landing on 16 February, crossed 30 yds (27 m) of open ground under intense fire and at point-blank range silenced a machine gun with hand grenades. In the next few days, he inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese, but was seriously wounded; McCarter was awarded the Medal of Honor. Medal of Honor Lloyd G. McCarter Private, 503rd PIR, WWII Rank and Organization: Private, U.S. Army, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment. Place and Date: Corregidor, Philippine Islands, February 16, 19, 1945. Entered Service at: Tacoma, Wash. Born: May 11, 1917, St. Maries, Idaho. G.O. No: 77, September 10, 1945. Citation: “He was a scout with the regiment which seized the fortress of Corregidor, Philippine Islands. Shortly after the initial parachute assault on 16 February 1945, he crossed 30 yards of open ground under intense enemy fire, and at point-blank range silenced a machinegun with hand grenades. On the afternoon of 18 February he killed 6 snipers. That evening, when a large force attempted to bypass his company, he voluntarily moved to an exposed area and opened fire. The enemy attacked his position repeatedly throughout the night and was each time repulsed. By 2 o'clock in the morning, all the men about him had been wounded; but shouting encouragement to his comrades and defiance at the enemy, he continued to bear the brunt of the attack, fearlessly exposing himself to locate enemy soldiers and then pouring heavy fire on them. He repeatedly crawled back to the American line to secure more ammunition. When his submachine gun would no longer operate, he seized an automatic rifle and continued to inflict heavy casualties. This weapon, in turn, became too hot to use and, discarding it, he continued with an M-1 rifle. At dawn the enemy attacked with renewed intensity. Completely exposing himself to hostile fire, he stood erect to locate the most dangerous enemy positions. He was seriously wounded; but, though he had already killed more than 30 of the enemy, he refused to evacuate until he had pointed out immediate objectives for attack. Through his sustained and outstanding heroism in the face of grave and obvious danger, Pvt. McCarter made outstanding contributions to the success of his company and to the recapture of Corregidor." (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 17 of 94
Battle of Banzai Point The most ferocious battle to regain Corregidor occurred at Wheeler Point on the night of 18 February and early the next morning, when D and F Companies, 2nd Battalion, 503rd PRCT, settled down in defensive positions near Battery Hearn and Cheney Trail. At 22:30 under a moonless night, 500 Japanese marines came out of the Battery Smith armory and charged the American and the Philippine positions. F Company stopped the attacks by the Japanese trying to break through to the south. Aside from flares fired throughout the night by warships laying offshore, the threehour battle was decided by the weapons of the 50 paratroopers ranged against the Japanese marines. The savage encounter ended in failure with more than 250 Japanese corpses strewn along a 200 yd (180 m) stretch of Cheney Trail. F Company suffered 14 dead and 15 wounded. This was the first significant attack by the Japanese on Corregidor. Official historians of the 503rd refer to Wheeler Point as "Banzai Point". Seizure of Malinta Hill 34th Infantry lands at San Jose Point At the same time the 503rd paratroopers touched down at 'Topside', the first wave of 3rd Battalion under Lt. Col. Edward M. Postlethwait of the 24th Infantry Division's 34th Infantry Regiment (under Col. Aubrey S. "Red" Newman) waded ashore and established a beachhead at San Jose Point on the eastern end of Corregidor named 'Black Beach'. The succeeding waves of troops took the brunt of the hastily organized Japanese defense, and several landing craft and infantrymen became victims of landmines. The battalion pushed inland against sporadic resistance, mostly from groups coming out of the subterranean passages of the island to waylay the advancing American troops. Two 3rd Battalion units—K and L Companies under Captains Frank Centanni and Lewis F. Stearns, respectively—managed to secure the road and both northern and southern entrances to Malinta Hill, while Capt. Gilbert Heaberlin's A Company stationed itself near the waterline. I Company—under 1st Lt. Paul Cain—occupied the North Dock and guarded the harbor. They intended to keep the Japanese troops inside the tunnel as other units moved inland, accompanied by tanks and flamethrowers; weapons that devastated pillboxes and tunnels in the surrounding areas held by the Japanese. For eight straight days until 23 February, these units staved off successive banzai charges, mortar attacks, and a suicide squad of soldiers with explosives strapped to their bodies; they killed over 300 Japanese. On 21 February at 21:30 near Malinta Hill, a few dozen Japanese survivors were killed attacking US positions following a large explosion. Two nights later, a similar attack happened. Subsequently, American engineers poured and ignited large quantities of gasoline down the tunnels. The lack of Japanese activity afterwards implied that the Japanese garrison had been wiped out. There were no more organized Japanese attacks for the rest of the campaign. Only isolated pockets of resistance continued to fight on until 26 February, when Corregidor was declared secured. Aftermath The remains of a Japanese cave Large numbers of Japanese troops drowned while attempting to swim away from the Rock. Many of them, estimated in the thousands, sealed themselves in the numerous subterranean passages of the island. In compliance with the philosophy of Bushidō, the defenders, hiding in caves and tunnels like the ones at Malinta Hill, preferred to commit suicide rather than surrender. Corregidor reverberated with many underground explosions for days afterward. (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 18 of 94
There were very few Japanese soldiers captured. 1945, Japanese POWs work at entrance to tunnel where U.S. forces surrendered in 1942. An M4 Sherman tank fired a shell into a sealed tunnel suspected of harboring Japanese soldiers but which instead contained tons of stored ammunition. The subsequent explosion threw the 30 short tons (27 t) tank several dozen feet, killing its crew and 48 US soldiers nearby, and wounded more than 100 others in the immediate area. By 1 March Manila Bay officially opened to Allied shipping. On 7 March, Gen. MacArthur returned to the island fortress he had been forced to leave three years before. "I see that the old flagpole still stands. Have your troops hoist the colors to its peak and let no enemy ever again haul it down", he said, at the ceremonial raising of the Stars and Stripes. On 2 Mar 45, with Gen. MacArthur presiding, “The American flag is raised on Corregidor after recapture of the island in March of 1945.” (US Army Signal Corps) Insert Some of the WWII 503rd troopers who attended our 173d reunions in Myrtle Beach, SC and later Lexington, KY, were present during this flag-raising ceremony. Ed The coordinated triphibious American assault to recapture Corregidor left the 503rd PRCT with 169 dead and 531 wounded. The 34th Infantry Regiment suffered 38 killed and 153 wounded. Of the 2,065 men of both lifts by the 503rd PRCT, three men suffered parachute malfunctions, and two men who collided with buildings died. Eight men were killed either in the air or before they were able to get free of their chutes, a further 50 were wounded in the air or upon landing. Several men were missing in action at the drop. The total injuries (not by wounding) on the drop were 210. Japanese sources have estimated that there were about 6,700 Japanese on the island when the 503rd PRCT and 34th Infantry landed, of which only 50 survived. Another 19 were taken prisoner, and 20 Japanese holdouts surfaced after the war on 1 January 1946. Corregidor today is a tourist destination in the Philippines. Over the years, most of the decrepit artillery pieces and significant battle sites on the island have been restored as important historical landmarks. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Some photos added. “The Rock Force” memorial at the Topside Parade Ground on the island of Corregidor. (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 19 of 94
Editor’s Note The Fallen On Corregidor During the process of compiling tributes on the following pages to the paratroopers who died on Corregidor during WWII in a February long ago, I couldn’t help but make a comparison of who and what they were; young men who volunteered to serve their country, young men who did not want to die but accepted the fact they very well could, and all these young men did die. They died in service to their country while they and their fellow servicemembers saved the world! They died loving their country. And the comparison you ask? Well, not one of them ever attempted to overthrow their own government, to destroy the democracy we all cherish, and for which they died. They were not weekend wannabe soldiers decked out in Amazon-purchased cammo’d attire and face paint shooting big guns at stationary targets while posing for the camera as they wave the banner of their fearless war-dodging leader. Those weekend warriors should take a moment to read about these men. These men will forever be the real patriots and keepers of that oath we all took to our country. They fell to earth onto Landing Zone “B” on Corregidor, and gave all they had to their buddies and their country. They kept their oath to our Constitution, they, well, they were patriots. Wanna be a real patriot? Join the military. And if you really want to experience combat, not against stationery targets on Saturday afternoons or against fellow Americans, but versus other soldiers who shoot back at you; if you really want to experience the fear and horror and madness of war, you might consider enlisting in the Army Airborne or perhaps the Marines, to increase your prospects of learning about real combat which you seem so willing to commit. And should you die in service to your country, that very government of your country will take care of your spouse and your children when you no longer can. Read about these men. Maurice “Sleepy” Linton 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team, WWII Sleepy survived the war. He took an oath to his country. See other warriors and patriots on the pages which follow. Lew “Smitty” Smith HHC/2/503, ‘65/’66 (continued….) 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 20 of 94
The Fallen On Corregidor, In Service To Their Country Honor Some, Honor All…..Lest We Forget “History will record what you did here, this hallowed ground shall be your tomb and the hearts of free people forever filled with gratitude shall be your monument." Col. George H. Jones, Commander, 503rd PRCT during dedication of the cemetery at Mariveles, Bataan 16 February 1945: Corregidor was the most unsuitable jump field ever designated during Combat operations during WW2. Sure there were drop fields which by enemy occupation or sheer and tragic error proved to be more fatal, but Topside was a designated zone. The field itself was littered with jagged chunks of concrete, shell holes, uncertain footings and blasted tree trunks. That was, as they now say, ‘as good as it gets.’ Beyond that it became worse, being ringed either with sheer cliffs, bombed out buildings or virtually impenetrable undergrowth. On the first run, the C-47's came in at 550 feet, which proved to be much too high. Witnessing the error from his command plane, Colonel Jones quickly radioed the pilots to come in at 400 feet, and directed the jump masters to count from five to ten seconds longer after the ‘Go’ lights flicked on in the cabin. ‘Not so in my case,’ suggests Lt. Don Abbott, leading the third stick out of his C-47, who can't recall receiving the order. Having himself seen the first two sticks blown back from the drop zone towards the cliffs, he deliberately counted off the extra time, causing the jumpmaster to think momentarily that he might have frozen in the doorway. His decision to count the extra seconds until the plane was almost across the parade ground meant that the high winds blew his stick only to the edge of Battery Wheeler. Only one trooper refused to jump.” Source: https://corregidor.org -- David Metherell’s photo collection, National Archives. 2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / Jan-Mar. 2022 – Issue 102 Page 21 of 94
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