My Tour of Duty: Red Devil Drive

MY TOUR OF DUTY : RED DEVIL DRIVE AND OTHER MECHANIZED

Article by Owen S. Haddock www.patriotic-education.org INFANTRY OPERATIONS Too many Vietnam war combat veterans are like Lt. Col. Bob Curnell in that they went under recognized after the war.

Arriving in Vietnam, he experienced the immediate sharp contrast between peace and war. After arriving Feb., 1971, he is assigned to the 77th Armor, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) to command four mortars tracks (M113 Armored Personnel Carriers) and one FDC/Command Track, M577 Armored track (command and control vehicle) and 24 enlisted men.

He describes his first mission: "The task force was two kilometers out of Kah Sanh when the first ambush was encountered. The tracks stopped and started to fire on the ambush. A rocket propelled grenade hit the tank's drive sprocket in front of me. That was my wake up call that I was in combat. I killed the NVA that fired the RPG. I may have killed several more but I am not sure. After the seventh or eighth ambush we came upon an American unit that was being attacked. The column broke the ambush that had 1-11 infantry pinned down. I had a machine gunner lay down suppressive fire. This cost me my hearing in my right ear.

After several more ambushes, we made it to the border (Laos and Vietnam) and established our night defensive position. Two special forces sergeants arrived with current information on NVA activity. They had old French maps and we had old Vietnamese maps and they did not match. During a meeting to discuss the next day's defense plan, we heard the unmistakable sound of an incoming artillery round. Sergeant Charlie Logan was standing next to me. We both turned and took a step. The round detonated behind us with sound like a breaking stick. A very loud crack. The air got very hot and I was knocked to the ground. I got up took another step and the second round knocked me down again. A third round also knocked me down. After jumping into a hole by my M577, we took 2 to 3 more rounds.

Someone yelled Charlie was down and I went to him. He was on his back with blood on his face and head. I took my first aid pack and placed a bandage over his head wound. Dust off arrived 15 minutes after the attack. Two men were loaded and sadly died on the way to the field hospital.

I had Charlie Logan's blood on my uniform for the next 10 days. I discovered Sgt. Logan was not wearing his helmet but I was wearing mine. My helmet had a large crease in the back at about the same location as Charlie's wound.

In Oct., 1971, President Nixon announced "no American troops North of Da Nang". I stayed in the military holding many positions and retired in 1997. I always wanted to be a soldier, for as long as I can remember. I have no regrets. I would live my life in the same way, I am proud to be of service to my country."

Editors comment: Col. Curnell is typical of soldiers sent directly to "hot" areas. Areas next to North Vietnam's infiltration routes along the Cambodian and Laotian borders. Its hard for many to grasp the sudden contrast between having a airline lunch to be surrounded by NVA regulars trying to kill you. Bob Curnell was also in I Corps bordering North Vietnam itself. His description of having Sgt. Logan's blood on him for days points to the lack of respite he experienced. His unit's clearing roads and taking ground only to have to turn around and abandon them is one of Vietnam War vets big gripes. That endless cycle of victory then retreat was emotionally difficult and is symbolized by the way the war ended. Our U.S. Congress cut off funds from the remaining South Vietnamese army, while Soviet and the Peoples Republic of China continued full support of the NVA. After we left in 1973, South Vietnam was overrun in 1975. Abandoning innocent civilians throughout South East Asia to torture and imprisonment was harsh enough. Our troops also came home to assault by insults generated by false reporting and histories.

Note: This report is an abbreviation of Col. Curnell's full tour. Ref: www.vvfh.org

The 5th Division (Mechanized) is nicknamed the “Red Diamond”. The “Red Devils” was an infantry division that served in WW I, WW II, the Vietnam War, NATO and the U.S. Army III Corps. During WW I, at the Battle of St. Mihiel, the 5th played a key role in the Meuse Argonne Offensive offensive. Gen. John J. “Blackjack” Pershing commanded the Allied Expeditionary Force.

Later Gen. Pershing founded the Military Order of the World Wars in 1919 to encourage officers to continue serving after the war. LTC Bob Curnell belongs to the Knoxville Chapter.