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HERE
Recovering from heart attack 3Jul07 (5x bypass). One step at a time - one day at a time, as well as two or three breaths at a time. Recoup/Rehab is a long and very slow process. I am now on the second year of rehab- oh how slow this is, and some days quite hard. If you smoke---QUIT! We can't blame "Agent Orange" on everything. Take and be responsible for your own actions!
New Stuff: 17Oct08 Another heart problem - Congestive Heart Failure. Emergency 911 and four (4) days in hospital. Excess liquids removed, change of/addional medications. Sent home to recover. No driving, no pulmonary rehab until further notice. Bland foods, no salt, and reduce liquid intake. Oh Woe is Me- Will this ever end?????
Other Comments:
Life is beautiful and great. Don't waste it! Maximize each and every day! Live today as though there is no tomorrow! THERE MIGHT NOT BE A "TOMORROW!"
New-new stuff - 30Mar09 - Pulmonary Rehabilitation three (3) days - Monday, Wednesday and Friday per week, Dr. appointments/follow ups on Tue and Thurs. Full weeks of medical appointments. On oxygen 24/7/365 with prognosis of "no cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis" due to smoking, nasty stuff in the air, and the kicker, Agent Orange in Vietnam - 1966-1967. But hell, tomorrow the sun will come up, my backyard birds will sing to me, my wife will still be by my side - and it too shall be a great day! I love it!!!! ************** New newer stuff--June 2009 As if I don't have enough physical problems, I have just been diagnosed as a Diabetic #2 - so the insulin shots and Glucose monitoring, plus doing a lot of reading and research on this subject. So I will loosen up my haversack shoulder straps for this new extra load, and continue to march - one breath, one step and one day at a time. Each day is a challenge, but with the grace of God, the help and support of my wonderful wife and family - this too shall pass. Each day is still beautiful! *************** 20 Sept 2009 Newest of new stuff; Seems my various systems are needing a lot of help, as implants and medications are coming on scene more often to keep this old antique body breathing and stumbling around. Just had a Pacemaker & Fibulator combination implanted - seems this worn heart needs help to stay in sync, and not to "flutter" - makes my Dr.s nervous. However, each day is a bonus, and more beautiful than the last, and I look forward to each new day - who knows, miracles still happen, and although my Drs. say "no way," I have faith, and believe that God makes the call. Life is still precious and beautiful. ******************* 28Nov09- New "old stuff!" Another 911 Help call- More of the same- congestive heart failure along with a major blood infection. In hospital eight (8) days. Many test and scans in an attempt to locate source- all test and culture smears negative. The virus is identified, but its source is not known. More test next week. In the meantime, recovering at home to get strength back and get back to Rehab. Its been too long. Each day is a big "Plus" and I thank God for it and look forward to the next day. Life is good and very, very precious. ***********************
Vietnam War/Counteroffensive Phase II Campaign (1966-67)/Operation DeSoto II
From Month/Year
March / 1967
To Month/Year
March / 1967
Description Initiated in late December 1966 , Operation DeSoto was the last major battle for Marine units in Quang Ngai. The 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, which had re-deployed from Dai Loc in January, 1967, saw extensive action throughout the 4 month long plus operation.
De Soto ended on 7 April. While the 3rd Battalion was in II Corps, the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines was part of the SLF and took part in operations throughout the Marines Corps area of responsiblity. The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines with elements the 5th Marine Regiment bore the brunt of most of the patroling and contact with the enemy who's presence continued in Chu Lai TOAR. One particular incident on, March 26, 1967 which was Easter Sunday ended the month of March on a disturbing and sad note.
Easter Sunday 1967
Background
In 1965 - 66 the Marine Corps Command decided to introduce a Marine Squad usually consisting of twelve volunteers to live with a PF [Popular Force] platoon in a Vietnamese village and provide security and support for the villagers against the Viet Cong, thus was the begining of the CAC [Combined Action Company which was shortly renamed to CAP or Combined Action Platoon because the Vietnamse pronunciation of CAC meant a derrogatory term]. The concept of Marines living amoung the people was a sound one, it would enable the allied forces to deny the enemy a foothold in the rural coastal area's of Vietnam, considered the "bread basket" of the country.
Pacification of the local population was the goal Marines believed would ultimately be the downfall of the Communist insurgent forces and bring a stable form of government thus ending the war. Denying the enemy food and shelter would force his hand to engage in combat and ultimate destruction, or force him to retreat from the theater and his goal of domination. CAC L-5 was such a unit, nine young Marines and a Navy Corpsman volunteer's drawn from the men of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines who lived in the Vietnamese hamlet of Phuoc Thuan and patrolled the area with the Vietnamese PF's from the village.
These units were supported by their parent organizations and the men were carried on the Company rosters until 31 January 1967 when an administative transfer of all CAP personel was made to Sub Unit #2, HQ Co., HQ Battalion (Rein), 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF as well as the Operational Control fell to their new Command. Thus the men of CAC L-5 left Bravo Company and became part of Sub Unit #2, HQ Co, with the exception of LCpl James Adrian Setter of Bravo Co who joined the ill fated patrol.
The Patrol and Ambush
On the morning of 26 March, 1967, at approximately 09:30H sixteen men left the CAC L-5 compound, to visit the community and administer medical help to the local population, only two survived their Med-Cap patrol.[ Med-Cap was a patrol which offered medical assistance to the local villagers, who for the most part lived without medical services in the rural communities]. Information as to time, route, and destination of a patrol was never shared with the PF's, this was a common practice by Marines in Vietnam for security purposes. The small unit consisting of nine Marines, one Navy Corpsman and six PF's began their march south and slightly west towards their destination of Van Thuan, a distance of approximately two miles, and thesite of two previous Med-Caps.
About an hours march from their compound, in the vicinity of Van Thuong the patrol was ambushed by a numerically superior force of Viet Cong, estimated to be 50 or more in number. The Marines and PF's were raked with automatic weapons and machine-gun fire by the VC, the patrol returned the fire as best they could with small arms and M-79 grenades. Quickly realizing that they were vastly outnumbered, a desperate call for assistance in the form of artillery support was radioed to the 1st Bn, 7th Marines. A artillery salvo was fired immediatly to try and relieve the pressure the patrol was facing from the heavy volume of fire directed towards them by the attackers, but during the mission all radio contact was lost.
A squad from "Bravo" Company departed from it's combat base as reinforcement, and a platoon of Marines from "Delta" Company was heli-lifted just south of the ambush. By the time the friendly forces arrived in the vicinity of the ambush, the VC had melted away in the heavy brush leaving the dead and wounded Marines and PF's.
The Aftermath
The reinforcements found that from the 16 man patrol, 8 Marines were killed as was the lone Navy Corpsman and 5 of the PF's were also dead from the deadly ambush. All of the bodies were within 15 paces of each other and all had died from multiple fragmentation and gunshot wounds as well each man was shot in the head at close range after having being wounded or killed during the engagement. There were survivors, one Marine miraculously survived who was wounded having been shot several times in the back and neck; and the PF Platoon leader who somehow escaped the carnage with a wounded hand. The enemy had escaped with all of the patrols equipment and ammunition, leaving 8 of their own dead behind.
This Easter Sunday will never be forgotten by the men who survived, those who heard the cries for help, and those who recovered the living and the dead.
Patrol Members Killed in Action and where they are at Rest
NAME
PFC James Charles Batson
LCpl Robert Thomas Brinkley
PFC Clarence John Burley
LCpl David Estrada
LCpl Barry Francis Price
LCpl James Adrian Setter
LCpl Terry Dean Shauver
HN Cyril Jeffrey Westly
PFC Charles Henry White
During Operation Desoto, Hathcock set the record for the longest sniper kill. He used a M2 .50 Cal Browning machine gun mounting a telescopic sight at a range of 2,500 yd (2,286 m), taking down a single Vietcong guerrilla.
Carlos Norman Hathcock II (20 May 1942 – 23 February 1999) was a United States Marine Corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. His fame as a sniper and his dedication to long-distance shooting led him to become a major developer of the United States Marine Corps Sniper training program. He was honored by having a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather.