Lance Cpl. John W. Garrett

Go Mortar Plt.

Echo 2^nd Battalion 4^th Marine

3^rd Marine Division

Survivor of F.S.B. Russell on Feb 25, 1969 with no injuries.

I joined E. 2/4 in late January just in from the states.  We were only in the bush for about a week when we were ordered to perimeter duty at fire support base Russell.

Once we took over duties at Russell, we found a good position for our GO Mortar Tube on the south side of the 105 gun pits.  We spent days building a strong bunker out of 105 boxes and wood roof covered with layers of sandbags.  We even made bunk beds.  On the night of February 24, 1969 there were usually 4 of us in the bunker myself, Bob Boreman, Bob Brosey, and a 4^th  that I cannot remember.  But that night Bob Brosey had radio watch in the cp.

At a time (that I’m not sure of) we started getting incoming.  It did not take long to figure out that it was not the 105-fire mission in support of Neville.

We were scheduled to be replaced on February 25 by another company so every one was packed up ready to leave.  All my gear was in a pile outside the bunker door about 10 feet.  After listening to the mortars bounce off our roof I figured I better go out and grab my fighting gear.

I ran to the door, opened it and I saw the sappers running up the hill through all the fire and explosions it seems like instantly I was blown to the back side of the bunker about 12 feet.  Then the roof fell in and buried me to the neck.  I started yelling for help when an N.V.A. stopped and looked at me.  The next thing I remember was an explosion real close.  I remember flash backs of important events starting from childhood to the present time, then everything turned blood red and I remember thinking “oh my God I’m dead”.

The next thing I remember was waking up seeing BillyCastillo pulling bags off me.  Once he uncovered me I told him there were more so we uncovered everyone.

With everyone uncovered I went for my fighting just to find it blown up.  So there I was in the middle of being overrun and I had no fighting gear.

Boreman contacted the cp to let them know we were up and ready to fire.  Boreman was told the gooks had the 81 pit right below our pit.

So we immediately went into a gun battle with the 81 pit.  Luckily the 60s did not go as high so we got on target first and killed the gooks.

After that we were ordered to the cp.  Because there weren’t too many survivors left we ran down the hill to the cp and found it destroyed but Skipper was shooting at gooks.  I saw him take aim on me and started yelling that I was a friendly.

Upon entering the cp the only thing I remember seeing the Skipper was shooting and talking to artillery on the radio.  The company radioman was dead and Bob Brosey was lying there with an injury to his leg.  I put a tourniquet on his leg to stop the bleeding and sat there working it.  It seemed like an eternity.  Artillery was landing on our position and Puff was firing around our perimeter.

Later, close to daybreak we were told we had to secure the LZ For reinforcements and medivacs.  I was ordered to the north side of the LZ.  At first plt position running across the LZ all I saw was bodies.  I ran to the finger where the gooks left the fire. 

Scared to death I could not find any movement anywhere so I immediately started gathering rifles, grenades, and set up 2 M 60 machine guns on the northern most tip of the finger.  I could not see any movement to my right or left but had variable contact with both sides.  I sat there for a while and figured I better test the M 60s because they had a lot of body tissue on them.  I yelled test fire and made sure they both worked.  I figured if they came back I would melt both M60s down firing.  After I was ready for anything I sat there yelling obscenities at the gooks hoping some would try to come back but luckily the battle was over for that day.

I sat there for a long time before I heard the first choppers bringing in reinforcements and taking out medivacs.  After a while marines relieved me.  It’s a feeling that you cannot explain seeing the first marines run down the hill to receive me.  I was extremely happy and wanted to cry and laugh all the same time.  I could have kissed every one of them.

After being relieved at my position I was walking past the pit where I got the M60s.  There were a few marines standing there.  They did not have the stomach to go in the bunker to hand out the marines so I stopped and handed out the pieces out.  By then I was too numb for anything to phase me.  After finishing there I went up onto the LZ.  The LZ was almost completely covered with dead and wounded.  As I was crossing the LZ I heard a friend Sol Galegos yell.  I was so happy to see someone I knew alive.  I waved and asked him about his injuries.  I smiled at him then went back to my mortar pit when I got there I sat down and gathered my thoughts for the first time in hours.  I just couldn’t believe that I survived all that without a scratch.