Jan-Feb Saber

Mike Bodnar
307B N Main Copperas Cove, TX 76522
254-542-1961
E-mail: mbodnar27@gmail.com

I received an email from Jerry Clement A/1-5 Jan ‘69 - July ‘69. He said that attached is a picture of a medic, on the extreme right, who was with A/1-5 Cav on 9-3-69. On the date mentioned the medic attended to a fatally wounded Tony Cruz (center man in picture). Tony’s family would like to find out the identity of the medic and possibly thank him if he can be found.

I am not aware of any roster which he may be on. This is the problem with medics assigned to an infantry company. Technically, medics were obtained by their HHC Aid Station and assigned by them. The only way to know anything is to get a roster. Anyone may have one? So lies the inquiry to anyone reading this and may even recognize those in the photo.

I went to a C/2-7 Cav Reunion, and my last CO before my DEROS in 1969, Robert Jackson, had a roster from when he was there. He found my name on it, which confirmed, they kept track of even the medics.

In 1970 I was on call in the MEDEVAC Ops building. They had bunks for us to be there for any call to scramble. Somebody came over to me and said, “Hey Bodnar, there’s a guy from your old unit in for a MEDEVAC interview. I went over to Platoon Leader CPT Hagerty’s office, and I saw a grunt-looking Soldier, not wearing Nomex, coming out. I introduced myself and shook his hand. He said, “Oh, you’re the guy. I thought they had some doctor out there!”

I didn’t know if that was an insult or a compliment. I didn’t pay any attention to anything like that said to me. But that was Bill, Bill Walsh. I just went back to stress, waiting for the next pickup, and he went back to his unit. I never saw him again until the 1986 Chicago Vietnam Veteran’s Parade. I never served with Bill, but he always seemed to come into a unit after me. He was not my replacement in 1st Platoon C/2-7 Cav, but to another platoon. Then, he went to MEDEVAC after I had left, in July ‘70. I don’t know when he came in for an interview, but it had to be before May 1970 when we went into Cambodia. I never saw him in the unit because during Cambodia, everyone was assigned to a helicopter and it stayed that way until my second DEROS in July.

My long-time door gunner Rick Goodson told me that he flew a lot with Bill after I left. So, I know Bill was in MEDEVAC. I have posted a photo of him in a MEDEVAC group shot. Bill was born and raised in Chicago, and he became a policeman when he returned from Vietnam. He invited Rick and me to stay at his house for the parade which he helped to organize. Bill died several years ago from cancer, which I wrote about in the Saber. Rick said that he had never seen such a big funeral. He said something like, every cop in the city attended.

As for whatever he heard about me in Charlie 2-7 after I left, it was just grunt speak. I just did my job as a medic the best I could. If it impressed anyone, I’m glad. I must have been doing a good job.

Another medic I have written about in the Saber was not an MOS medic, but an 11Bravo. That was E. Tayloe Wise of B/2-8 Cav 1969, Blackfoot Platoon. The second time I read his book, it was better.

He spent his first months hating being an infantryman. When they needed a medic, he got recommended, and was experienced enough to take over. That was one less medic the Aid Station had to assign.

Tayloe did everything any medic would do, and so it seemed even better. He mentions having to give out antibiotics for jungle rot, like any competent medic did, and he even mentioned griseofulvin, which I had used. It must have been something that came down from the Division Surgeon’s office about antibiotics. Our 2-7 Cav Battalion Surgeon in June 1969 told all his medics we could carry and use antibiotics. I had them send out some of each, to see what worked.

When I had my RTO call in for my resupply, he laughed, and told the RTO back in battalion that, “I’ll have to spell this one phonetically: GOLF, ROMEO, INDIA, SIERRA, ECHO, OSCAR, FOXTROT, UNIFORM, LIMA, VICTOR, INDIA, NOVEMBER, how copy? Tayloe was intelligent and dedicated enough to use that for jungle rot. Not all medics could be relied on enough for that. That’s one reason why Bill Walsh may have heard stories about me. I was just doing the job, nothing more.

Tayloe had been through the devastation of LZ Becky, so he knew how to administer first aid. When his medic left, and no replacement was immediate, Tayloe got recommended. When firefights ensued over the following weeks, Tayloe filled a vital role. The way he wrote about them was far worse than anything that I ever saw. My battalion, only about ten klicks east at the same time in 1969, avoided what B/2-8 went through. It could have been the NVA’s design of movement, more towards Tay Ninh, and less towards Saigon.

Being the medic, Tayloe had to be responsible for a wounded NVA on one occasion. He mentions being with him in a bomb crater and the MEDEVAC hovering over, firing into the wood line. They ended up getting their wounded out without any more MEDEVACs being lost. This was right after LT John Kuulei Kauhaihao was dragged through the trees by MEDEVAC 19 Dan Toothman when they were so badly shot up. Unnecessary, because LT K was suspected already KIA, and should not have been extracted like that. B/2-8 didn’t want to go through that again.

Although not in the 1st Cavalry Division, Daniel Evans, a medic who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), wrote a book called, Doc: Platoon Medic. I mention it here as a comparison, and a fellow U.S. Army medic.

Like his WWII father before him, Daniel, even with a student deferment, felt it was his duty to serve. His new wife felt that she was his duty. But, he said he had to go. So, he volunteered for the draft, and with that he could choose his MOS. Being a pre-med student he chose to be a medic, even though he mentions the sight of blood could make him pass out, or faint.

In early 1968 Daniel got shipped off to the U.S. Army Medical Training Center at Ft. Sam Houston, TX (MTC) for ten weeks of medic training. He mentions Colonel Pixley (LTC Charles C. Pixley CO MTC June ‘67 to April ‘70) who had spoken to my class in Aug ‘68 in an assembly in the post movie theater. Colonel Pixley said that everywhere else in the Army everyone was learning to kill, and we would be the only ones learning to save lives. It was a little late for that, I had already qualified with the M-14 at Ft. Dix, but I knew what he meant.

Daniel deployed to Vietnam and got assigned to the 9th Infantry Division in Dong Tam. His expectations were mitigated because he was assigned to the 9th Med, the division medical battalion. Instead of becoming a combat medic, he found himself being rear echelon. He wasn’t happy not being able to do what he had trained for. He now had to be spit shined and available for details, which were numerous. The only way he could get out and away was to be a temporary volunteer for MEDCAPS, to help the Vietnamese locals.

He kept asking for and being denied field duty. One day they were told one of the infantry units was short of medics, so he volunteered as a temporary replacement to the 4th of the 39th Infantry Battalion. He met their battalion surgeon, was loaded with medic supplies, including morphine, and sent to 1st Platoon Bravo Company. He met his platoon when they met him. They were 11Bravos like everywhere else in Vietnam. He learned the ropes.

Daniel experienced his baptism of fire with his platoon. When he had to visit his battalion surgeon again, the captain said that he had heard good things about him, and awarded Daniel with a Combat Medic Badge, despite not having been out there for thirty days, if that was what the A.R. specified then. But, rendering medical aid under fire.

Eventually, Daniel’s loan to the infantry came to an end and was recalled to the 9th Med. He requested to go back to his infantry platoon but was continually denied. He was just cheap detail labor the medical battalion needed.

On one occasion, trying to make himself scarce, he was asked to fill in on a DUSTOFF helicopter. He later got another opportunity to be a temporary flight medic for a couple of weeks and said yes. After many incidents with them, Daniel heard that his requests to return to his 4-39th Infantry platoon was approved. He returned and was welcomed.

As happened in the Army, if the higher ups wanted more out of a unit, the 4-39th got a new commander. That happened to be LTC David Hackworth, who fashioned his new unit into what he called, The Hardcore Battalion. With that, Daniel became an even more experienced medic taking care of his hard-core reluctant platoon. He mentions that he too was using griseofulvin, to lessen the misery his platoon felt.

Over time, the effects of LTC Hackworth’s prodding took effect. The Hardcore Battalion were dominating the VC. It became like the 7th Cavalry under Custer, who massacred aborigine villages, but eventually whose fortunes ran out when they ran into an overwhelming alliance of tribes and were massacred themselves. This is what happened to Daniel and his platoon. On one assault they found themselves up against a large, well-entrenched VC force with NVA, and were getting massacred.

After rendering medical aid to everyone he could, he found himself pinned down with his wounded platoon leader. His lieutenant told him to leave because he was already dead, but Daniel stayed with him Eventually all fought their way out of it, but at a heavy cost. LTC Hackworth was himself a casualty. Daniel’s medic actions helped save many lives, including unexpectedly his platoon leader. For all this, Daniel was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, an award he preferred he never had to receive.

When I read this book, I was surprised how similar my own Vietnam experience was to Daniel’s. Not the DSC part. When I first got to Vietnam, they stuck me in the rear. I was by the 93rd Evac Hospital in Long Binh in December 1968, unloading 1st Cav MEDEVACs at night, which were completely stuffed with wounded. I felt that I had to get out and do my part, when so many medics, and many of those whom I went through A.I.T. with, didn’t have any choice. I couldn’t stay in the rear.

It took me two formal 1049 transfers and, when I finally got to the 1st Cav, two verbal requests, to get to the field, and stay there for the next eight months. It’s important for the medic at the beginning of this column to be identified, whose dedication is appreciated

FIRST TEAM!
Garryowen,
Mike Bodnar C 2\7 '69
MEDEVAC 1-7\70
SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE