My Experience

My Experience

Have you ever had your adrenaline excited so much that your heart felt like it is on your chest?

It was August 1972, on a typical hot and humid day in Cambodia when the lives of two individuals changed forever. I was in the United States Air Force on a forward reconnaissance mission, somewhere close to the China and North Vietnam borders. My job was to investigate whatever sightings that were assigned to me via the radio, daily. Other times, my job was to disrupt whatever activity I was observing. Disrupting activities always put my life in jeopardy, as I either was planting explosives to disrupt a convoy in transit or perching myself in the most advantageous position where I would take shots at the enemy. This day was going to be a completely different day as I was going to risk my life to save a fellow comrade.

My day started out per norm -- cold coffee, c-ration, and a smoke. I had not slept well the night before due to enemy troop movements that had come within 50 yards of where I was. I really thought about trying to go back to sleep for a while, but it was getting close to the time to call in for my daily assignments.

The time came and I made my call in for orders for the day, hoping that these orders would not have me walking any long distances. I had been in heavy foliage on the ground for the last three days with double canopy tree-cover overhead. Fighting another day in this heavy foliage and being tired was really not on my agenda, physically or mentally. As expected, my desires didn't coincide with the desires of the Air Force.

Orders for the day required hiking 9 clicks (miles) into the edge of the flat land. I was sure hoping there were not too many rice fields since there is no cover and no time allocated to reach my destination on time, if I had to go around.

I had just cleared the forest and was on my rest break when the radio came alive with my code name calling for an immediate response. I dug my radio out and returned the call using all the proper protocols. An incident had just happened that required my immediate attention. A plane had been shot down near me, and I was to check on the pilot. He had not been in communication since he hit the ground.

I only had a couple of clicks to get there and the foliage was somewhat light with single canopy tree-cover. I did not like covering ground in a hurry, in the forest, as it was the perfect place for a booby-trap. I did not have time to be fully concerned with this issue. There is a fellow service person that may need my help.

Upon arriving at the site, I saw a T39 prop aircraft lying in the rice field, smoking, and with the canopy still intact. That meant that the pilot was still inside the aircraft, condition unknown. My adrenaline raised a notch as I waded into the water. I kept checking the area for the enemy as I knew