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Vietnam was a beautiful country. This morning view from hill 1338 (I think) saw just the near hilltops sticking up with clouds filling in around them. That's how we knew where we were. Shooting a compass azimuth to the surrounding hills and estimating the distance. Then, we just located ourselves on a topographical map (a map that shows hilltops).

Left to right: Jim Spearman, David Vold, Joe Cummings and I'm sad and embarrassed that I can't remember the name of the 4th man. [Let me know: support@justbibletruth.com] A helicopter caught us unaware right after this photo was taken and blew what ever we couldn't grab all over the hill.

Joe Cummings waiting on the helipad in Dak To or Pleiku for a ride out to our Company C firebase. It seemed most every helipad operator had a monkey. You had to be kind of careful with them, though. Personal experience was some of those monkeys would bite the heck out of you.

Sgt. Max Worthington. Max was and remains a good friend. He was wounded in action on March 11, 1969. It wasn't a good to go "back to the world" wound, but was good for a basecamp job. He finished his tour as mail clerk.

This photo was taken from inside the company perimeter which was around the top of the hill, There was a wide gentle ridge that came up [this view looking out over it] allowing easier access for enemy attack. The 55 gal napalm canister was to help defend the hill from such an attack. When detonated, all in a fraction of a second, the wraps of white plastic explosive "detonation cord" around the far end of the drum would cut the end off, as the shape charge at the near end would spray the napalm out over the ridge. The barrel parts would become shrapnel. Trusting souls we were... Sitting there in front of a huge napalm bomb waiting on incoming helicopters. Retroflectively, this firebase layout might have been poorly thought out! Bad for trying to get incoming choppers in a firefight...

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