OCTOBER 1, 1969
Let me tell you about my adventure getting to my new unit. I'm with Echo Company, 2^nd Battalion, 4^th Regiment, 3^rd Marine Division. When I got to Da Nang, I got my orders to go up to my unit. They told me to get on to a transport plane flying to Cam Lo where my unit's rear was. A couple of minute's after the plane takes off it fills with smoke. The crew's running all over and I thought we're going to crash. It turned out to be water vapor but it was very scary. Then we're told we can't land in Cam Lo because the airstrip is under fire. Great! We diverted to Quang Tri. Once landed, I asked how in the hell was I supposed to get to Cam Lo. I was told to hitch hike to Cam Lo, to catch a ride on one of the convoys running along the highway between the bases. I rode in the back of an open truck… scared as hell. There were Vietnamese all over the place. Anyone of them could have been an enemy. Any one could have pulled a rifle out or thrown a grenade. I didn't even have a weapon yet. I was also afraid we might hit a mine. When I got to Cam Lo, I found out my unit had moved to Quang Tri, 1 or 2 days before…. Just like the Corps! I had to hitchhike back to Quang Tri as it started to get dark out…caught one of the last trucks. This was freaky scary.

Anyway, I've been here a day and a half, 350 more to go, give or take. It's hot as hell. It must be 100+ but I'm told we're entering the monsoon season. Maybe rain will be okay. I'm scared and excited. I just got my gear, my rifle, it's a new M-16. I've already fired it, sighted it in. The gear includes: a rucksack, an aluminum frame, a few prs of socks, 6 canteens, a knife/bayonet, an e-tool, a couple bottles of rifle cleaning oil, a flak jacket, a helmet, 12 ammo magazines, a poncho, a poncho liner, halzone tablets, malaria pills, a set of combat fatiques, a green undershirt, combat boots, a couple toothbrushes, more to come….Met the X/O (the company executive officer) …said he hoped I did better than last boots (new guys) that went out (5… 2 came back in plastic, 3 were medevacs) (means wounded or injured as in medical evacuation) Was this meant to cheer me up? I was supposed to be here for five days to go through orientation before going out to the bush but it looks like that may be cut to 2 days. An nco here says that's because "they need my body."
OCTOBER 11,1969
Fellow Marines seem crazy- hardened by combat and tough to talk to. They're all scary looking. They have this look like all life and feeling have been sucked right out of them. Their eyes stare right through me. I'm the only new guy here. Everyone else seems to have been here six months or more. I'm known as "Boot" or "FNG" (tell you what that means later) and everybody orders me around…I'm scared so I just do what they tell me to do… They blew away (killed) our own Co. Cmdr.!! I'm cold, hungry, wet, eaten and bitten by mosquitoes & leeches. I'm dog-tired and I've humped up & down, never the easy way. There is only the Marine Corps way. I'm carrying 100lbs.+ (got to shit can some things) I must have lost 25lbs in weight in a week sweat and blood …. cut to shreds by elephant grass…now I'm at a combat fire support base near Cam Lo…. been here 3 days… going out on 10 day op 3-4 miles So. of DMZ. Got shot at for 2^nd time today…a marine 20 ft from me got hit… not bad though… thank God! This time I returned fire. The first time we got shot at, I just collapsed. I was just happy for the break because I was ready to drop. I almost wished they shot me to put me out of my misery. Imagine that!!! This is not how I thought combat would be! After Op ends 22^nd or 23^rd we're supposed to go back to rear at Quang Tri. Unit scheduled to pull out 11/5. I won't be…. I'll be heading to 1^st Mar Div. It's been pouring and I'm wet and cold… Everything's wet…nothing dries out…peeled off my socks…half my feet (probably 5 layers of skin & blisters) came off with socks…smelled like dead rotted fish…elements all suck here.
OCTOBER 25,1969
Back in Quang Tri, I'm headed south to a new unit shortly. Op was moFo humping. Let me explain "humping". You carry all sorts of gear.. it weighs a lot. You go through grass that cuts, branches and vegetation that's very thick, trip over trees and vines, then climb up hills… the hard way straight up, sometimes using ropes, sometimes sliding and slipping and falling back down. Then you get to go down again, only now you fall longer and harder. Then you come to another