H.D. GUTHRE
H.D. Guthre, a former Dustoff medic, writes a heartfelt and soul wrenching memoir of a Dustoff Medic's experiences in this captivating book. Written much like a novel, the flow of the dialog and his action helps to visually implant the scenes in the consciousness of the reader. His words make the story vivid and alive, because the author uses a unique writing technique and style that uses the third person to tell his personal story. He even changes his own character's name in the book to help him cope emotionally and spiritually with the rememberances and having to deal with the past. It works well. It is only at the end of the book when you read what happens to each person in his book , that one actually puts it altogether and realizes that the author is SSG David Scanlon, from the story. He does not try to hide it as he goes on to write about the author where you see that what happened to scanlon, is what happened to Guthre.
Not many professional writers could have pulled this one off, but Guthre's use of this writing method only makes for a much better telling of the story. Guthre is more able to expose and express his emotions and relate to the events as an observer. This affords the reader a closer and uncensored emotional look at what happened in "The Disneyland of Death" as he calls it.
The Author researched The Library of Congress. POW and MIA Foundations, The Pentagon Papers, as well as de-classified publications freely accessible from the internet, unit historical records of the 82d Dustoff, and last but not least, photos provided by WO Chuck Colley and WO Dick Levey, two highly decorated Dustoff Pilots with whom the Author flew many times during his tour in Vietnam.
He flew over 450 combat hours, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, 15 Air Medals, 2 Army Commendation Medals with "V" Device, and several Vietnamese combat decorations
When he returned from Vietnam, he took a position with law enforcement in the State Of New Jersey. His investigative duties focused upon political corruption, bribery, extortion and misconduct in office pertaining to elected and sworn officials.
In the Postlude the Author creates a striking comparison between the war in Vietnam and the war in the middle east. He relates how the same profiteering, "no bid contracts" bribery and extortion are sufacing with respect to Haliburton, formerly Kellog Brown & Root, just as they did during the 1967 Congressional Investigations.
The Author and his wife Julia, reside in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, with their step son Jay Jr., and the Author's three sons by a previous marriage, Curt Greg and Doug. He is 100% disabled as a result of Agent Orange exposure during the war.
CHAPTER #1
SCHOLARSHIP CANCELED
In March of 1964, President Johnson told his Joint Chiefs of Staff that he would do all that was necessary to prevent the NLF winning in South Vietnam but was unwilling to take unpopular measures like sending troops to fight in a foreign war, until after the 1964 Presidential Elections. Just let me get elected," he told his military advisers, "and then you can have your war."
The Vietnamese A1-E's buzzed dangerously low as they dropped their lethal napalm along the tree lines and rice paddy dikes. Swooping from within the cloud cover they used the sun, much like the Japanese did at Pearl Harbor, and it appeared to be working. It reminded one of a hawk hunting unsuspecting rabbits as they wandered among the plants. But today’s rabbits were of a different species......... These rabbits had slant eyes and were given the name “Charlie” by their endearing U.S. enemy. “Charlie,” as we called the Viet Cong, could take a licking and keep on ticking. Even when he was fighting overwhelming odds.
The Vietcong soldier's faces were caked with dust and perspiration as they peered cautiously through the slits within the banana bunkers. They were cringing against the archaic bunker walls each time a 500 lb. bomb exploded nearby. Ole’ Charlie could hunker down and take everything you threw at him while holding on to his ass like a distressed aeronautical engineer caught in his own wind tunnel. Who else would have the balls to wait out a blistering bomb attack, venture out afterwards, pick up what didn't explode and place it strategically along some trail for an unsuspecting Vietnamese or American GI to step on, blowing him to kingdom come. Oh, by the way, “Charlie” wasn’t choosey. He’d stand patiently in line as the well meaning Quaker missionaries who came over to hand out free fertilizer, distributed it to the local population. It contained the badly needed nitrogen used in making bombs. Why carry it all the way from Hanoi, when you could get two or three hundred pounds, head to the hooch and have the local lady’s auxiliary build the satchel bombs needed for the next raid. Charlie used everything we didn't, killed 58,000 of us and laughed at their ass's as the political morons who got us into this mess were hoisted by their own petards departing the roof tops of Saigon, in 1975.
The operation was a Chinese cluster screw from the time it started this morning. The "slicks," "gun ships" and our "Dustoff" helicopter all met at the staging field southeast of Vinh Long, around 5:30 AM. The C&C, or Commander of the air operation, was adamant about getting an early start. They had a lot of ground to cover. Putting the troops in early would enable him to accomplish most of his mission and get the South Vietnamese soldiers or ARVN, as we called them, out before dark. If you didn't, ole’ "ARVN" wouldn't be there in the morning. Half of the little bastards would desert and go home, the rest would end up with their throats cut by the V C population within their own ranks. Every time we watched the wormy little bastards walking nonchalantly to load on the choppers, we wondered how many of them were Captains and Lieutenants in the VC Army. Most of all, we pondered our leader’s reasoning for putting us 11,000 miles from home supporting a bunch ‘no count rice farmers, who hated our ass worse than "Charlie?" But the American G.I. had four things going for him the enemy did not. He was instilled with discipline, adapted easily to any situation, was full of pride and had a big set of balls. Thank God, they prevailed in this lunatic farm, few of us ever heard about in geography class.
The helicopter gun ships had taken off 30 or 40 minutes earlier roaming above the tree lines and jungle underbrush like sharks feeding among fresh chum. They'd fire at will, shooting anything they felt suspicious, hoping to get return fire. This was known as “recon by fire” designed to elicit return fire that would mark the VC locations prior to the troop insertions. There wasn’t much return fire this morning. But, that might have been because one area was never properly re-conned by fire. It was an area containing several suspicious looking banana bunker complexes. They were causing some real heartburn for the gun ship team leader, who requested more time from the C&C. How dare this little Warrant Officer, rain on the Monday morning body count. The C&C would never make Colonel without sustaining large body counts. Especially on Monday morning.
"NEGATIVE Mr. Daley, was the Air Commander's reply. "You fly! I’ll handle the insertion decisions.... If you haven't gotten anything by this time you're not going to get anything. We need to get those “slicks” out here now and insert the troops. I have a lot of ground to cover today. Return, refuel and get yourselves back out here as soon as you can, over."
"Roger sir," replied the gun ship platoon leader, whose call sign was Viking 26. "Has Thunderbird 36 and his gun team left the staging area yet?"
"Affirmative 26." was the C&C’s reply. "They should be here soon, over."
"Viking 26........Thunderbird 36....we’re off to your east sir....you can break away for refuel....we'll take care of your light work for ya.”
"Roger 36....... banana bunkers to the east there ain't been touched... we were low on “Willie peter” (white phosphorous rockets) ....something about them bastards that looks too fresh not to be occupied."
"36 ....Roger..... We ‘ll throw our trick bag at ‘em ..... see if there's anything in it they like, ....see ya
