“I suspect he may get further than Japan,” Jonesy answered. “We stopped the bleeding, but it’s a nasty jagged cut that took a good chunk out of his calf.”
Finally the intercom went to private.
“Bob, there was nothing we could have done. If we’d stayed any longer, we would have lost the aircraft and we all would have been killed. If he would have just not gone back, he would have made it. You did the right thing,” Tim said. Bob said nothing but just stared ahead.
A few minutes later, another voice came over the intercom, one Bob didn’t recognize at first.
“Hey, Chief.” It was the other pilot, wearing a headset Dorsey had given him.
“Yeah?” Bob replied without looking back to see who was talking.
“Thanks. You could have stayed out, but you came in for us. He should never have gone back to the aircraft—for what, I have no idea.” Bob did.
“There was nothing you could have done, and to stay there any longer, we would all be laying back there. Don’t beat yourself up over this. You did the right thing. Hell, you came in and stayed long enough for us to get to the aircraft and then some. You did everything you could,” he said. Bob didn’t respond. The remainder of the flight passed in silence.
On their arrival at Quan Loi, an ambulance was waiting at the base of the tower with two stretchers and four medics standing by. Touching down in front of the tower, Bob rolled the throttle back and shut down the aircraft. Three medics quickly had Tim on a stretcher, but Jonesy passed on being carried and was walking with the one medic that was carrying the empty stretcher. The remaining LOH and Cobra had followed Bob back to Quan Loi and landed behind him.
Climbing on the skid to Bob’s open door, the rescued Cobra pilot placed his hand on Bob’s shoulder. “I can’t thank you enough. You did what needed to be done so we all could get home. He shouldn’t have gone back.” And with th
at, he squeezed Bob’s shoulder and then left to fly home with his unit. Dorsey slowly started picking up bloody bandages. This was the first time he saw who he was shooting. He had never killed anyone before. Dorsey had been running on adrenaline and now it turned his stomach. He began to throw up.
With concern, Bob asked, “Dorsey, are you okay?” Bob had experienced this himself before on a hot landing zone.
Wiping his mouth, Dorsey responded, “Sir, I’ll be fine. I just ain’t ever killed a man before.”
“But you did save Mr. Triplett’s life and probably mine too. Thanks,” Bob reassured him. After a few minutes, he said, “Let’s crank her up and head for home. You can sit up front in the right seat,” Bob indicated. That would be a treat for Dorsey.27
Chapter 26
Warning Orders
First Sergeant Miller had been enjoying a quiet morning starting off with cinnamon buns from the mess hall and good coffee. Lockwood was pounding away on the manual typewriter, getting out the unit morning report for the courier bird. Lieutenant Colonel Islem, the 227th Battalion Commander, had called a few minutes before. After exchanging pleasantries with Miller, he’d asked to speak to Major Adams.
“First Sergeant,” Major Adams called from his office.
The first sergeant stuck his head in the doorway. “You called, sir?”
“Top, I just got off the phone with Battalion. We have a warning order to be prepared to be attached to the Fifty-Second Aviation Brigade. We can expect to depart Lai Khe for Camp Holloway up in Two Corps by Dak To by the end of February, which gives us a month to get ready for the move. Have you ever been there?”
“No, sir, haven’t had the pleasure. Any idea when we’re getting the attachment order?”
“Probably within forty-eight hours. Let’s round up the staff and initiate some planning. I’ll call the platoon leaders, XO and Ops as well as Doc Christeson and Maintenance. You gather the mess sergeant and Supply sergeant and let’s meet in the O club at fifteen hundred. I have zero nine hundred right now.”
“Roger, sir. How about we get the installation property manager from the contractor as well and bring him in? They’re going to have to sign for all the installation property, such as the deep freezers and mess hall equipment, the steam table, etc.”
“Good idea. You want to call him?”
“Will do,” the first sergeant said and headed to the phone.
Sitting in his office, Major Adams started thinking through what all had to be done and what questions had to be asked. He began making a list.
1. Advance Party: XO, Assistant Maintenance Officer, Supply Officer. That should be enough to coordinate our arrival. One aircraft.
2. Main Body Deployment:
(a) Flight crews and some maintenance personnel self-deploy in aircraft. Note: All aircraft must be flyable before departure. Watch required maintenance inspections so we have 100 percent availability for the move.
(b) All others: number of CH-47s for personnel. How many by load plans?