European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 the stars and stripes darkness aids Marine defenders night is time for action on Hill 881 by Dave Powell Hill 881, Vietnam up they sleep by Day and fight by night. They read bibles and scratch god help me on their helmets. For entertainment they . Jets bombing the communist divisions surround ing them or try to kill the rats scrambling about their trenches and bunkers. Since the communists began shelling Khe Sanh and this Hilltop Jan. 21, 21 marines have died on 881. Another 140 have been is an enemy too. Three wounded leathernecks died on881 for want of a helicopter that could t get Here. The wreckage of one chopper lies Clown the slope. Darkness is an ally. It hide the men of 881 from the North vietnamese observers and gun ners lurking unseen on the twin mount called Hill 881-North, just 500 Yards marines captured Hill 881 last May in one of their fiercest Battles. They have held it Ever since. But no one kids they really want to take this Hill they can take it said capt. William Dabney of Saluda va., son in Law of retired Gen. Chesty Puller America s most decorated Marine. We can hold against regiment. They would take tremendous casualties he night d a b n e y s men wiggle out of the bunkers and into trenches. They crawl out to pick up the supplies the helicopters have dropped and to fire their mortars and darkness they make More sandbags. There s a hellish Little ceremony at Dawn that makes them proud up Here on 881.three marines race at first Light from a Bunker with a american Flag. Two of them hoist it to the top of a 15-Footradio Antenna. The third blows a Bugle it is a rust rendition. But it is a Symbol of life atop 881.at Nightfall the marines retire that Day s Flag to Send it to the family of a Marine slain on the Hill. They have a stockpile of flags. Stay Down and stick around is the byword Here. Stay in your Bunker during the Day and you live. Daylight is the time for quiet talks the Bible Reading. A few have Day time jobs like the mightiest Corporal in the that s what they Call . J. Arrotta of la Canada calif., because he goes out inthe midday Sun to coordinate the air strikes around the . John to Esslinger of Ephrata pa., makes his Home in a Bunker dug by former communist occupants. House keeping is a bother what with the incoming shells occasionally unearthing More communist bodies left Over from May fighting. But a medic Navy corpsman James r. Mathis of Houston concentrates on the woke one Day to see a rat on his Chest. The rat stared at him. A few Days later another rat wiggled into Mathis , said Mathis. He fashioned a Blowgun. Inthe darkness of his Bunker he Waits for a sound. Then returns on his flashlight and uses the Blowgun. So far he has killed five rats plus one probable a rat that fled witha Dart in its Side. Mondoy Maulius. Tails korean tigers Trang Vietnam Tual conomy the Viet con the air Force men me Mem of the Republic of tactical air conts party tap Are helping Pride air support for the division s f"01"1 operations and instruct ing the koreans in its proper use made up of Forward air fact and radio Oner. Actors the tap is headquartered at Tiger town the korean division s base Camp near a vietnamese City of qui Nhon capt. Robert Courser is a fac with the Tiger division i1st regt. Fie d e s c r i b e s the tap s Job this Way when one of the Rok regiments goes into the Field a fac Liaison officer and at least one radio operator go along in a radio jeep. At first the koreans were unaware of the tremendous help air Power can give ground troop Sand did t make full use of the air strike forces available to Thorn. They be become believers he added. Support run a ?130 lands at Khe Sanh to deliver supplies to the marines. Air Force photo tide Selz eases on helmets Walls ships graffiti9 replaces kill Roth was Here by George a . C. Fields is not dead. He s alive and Drunken Harrisburg a. This information comes from the Back of a i helmet in South Vietnam. On helmets flak Jack ets and clubroom Walls the i has gone Happy and hippie at least with words. You would t be Here if you weren t weird graces a chop per Pilot s bar. Caution. I Mav be hazardous to your health stares from Aflak Vest. A collision at sea can ruin your Day appears on the Bridge of an aircraft love and War says a Marine sentiments Are largely the work of the youngsters of this Cool generation typified by the Soldier wearing dark glasses who fell on his head while Dis embarking from an air plane at3 . Vohy was he wearing j sunglasses at that hour Man he replied if you re Cool the Sun is always the combat Soldier s pre occupation with the hereafter is sometimes expressed by having a Rosary in his helmet band or a psalm inked on the helmet. As frequently however you will see such expressions As j god in t dead just temporarily one Soldier with j a personal View wrote just you and me god. Kight " i while civil rights Are Seldom discussed in the remarkably integrated combat units the negro i frequently puts keep the Faith baby on his helmet. The outpouring of Vest pocket literature is attributed by some scholars to nothing More complicated than the new Brush pen and the introduction of cloth helmet covers. The i these scholars say was always an artist. He just did t have much to write on or a proper pen to write with. Furnished the equip ment he took off. Nor does the hippie influence run much More than skin deep according to it. Cmdr. Morris j. Chalick a psychiatrist who has been in Vietnam 11 month with the marines. The psychiatrist save the youngsters simply use the Lan Guage of their i who decorates his Hel met with keep California Green legalize grass is no More Likely to smoke marijuana than anyone else the Young doctor from Springfield pa., believes. It Isis method of identifying with his doctor advances one Seri Ous reason Why the combat i decorates his helmet and Fla Vest. He has a magical attach ment to these items since the May save his life lit wants them to be readily identifiable As psychiatric tools however. The doctor does t see much significance in the i Vietnam i he doctor says professionally this is a social acceptable Mode of expression
