I served in the 57th Assault Helicopter Company, in Kontum, Vietnam for the full year of 1968. Kontum was knick-named "Rocket City", as we were rocketed every day, sometimes two or three times a day. During the Tet Offensive of '68, the North Vietnamese threw 3 NVA Batallions against us, and 168 of us held them off, without a death in the unit. There were so many enemy bodies that we couldn't count them or bury them. But no one got a medal. I flew 262 combat missions as a crewchief on a Huey slick and, except for the usual Air Medals, of which I take great pride, no matter how hot the insertion, or extraction, and there were too many of them, I never got a medal, even though I went down three times. No one one in my unit got any medals, even though we are one of a very small group who are allowed to wear the CCC Special Forces patch. We lost a gunner, who fell out of a ship during a crash one day, and one of our Crewchiefs jumped ship with only an M-16, in the middle of heavy enemy fire, and found our gunner and carried him back to the LZ, and put him on board a ship and both were flown out. He never thought of anything except saving one of our own (we never left anyone behind) and he put his own life at extreme risk, running on the ground, not floating around on an armed boat, and he never got the Silver Star he was put in for. I hold the greatest pride and admiration for every member of the Gladiators, and our Cougar Gunships, and I never flinched once about our service, and the number of lives we saved, every single day, in the heaviest combat you can imagine, even that one afternoon when Kerry came to town and lied about the way 'Nam vets raped, pillaged, and plundered, just so he could work his way into the political system that runs our government. That man lied about his own men, and he lied about every single guy who put his butt on the line to keep his buddies alive, and he never flinched while doing it, because he also lied about his own service, so it meant nothing to him! Now, he wants to be "one of us", just to help his attempt to take the White House. He never cared about us before, he lied about us, and now he is using us for his own political gain, and all of you civilians out there who have never fired a weapon at an enemy, who never have had your heart pounding in your chest while you watch other men fire at you, only wanting to come out of it alive, and for your buddies to come out of it alive, are buying every pound of crap that Kerry puts out. It is the Vietnam War all over again, only the protestors have their own "Nam Vet" to run for president! We have reached a low point in this country when people will back up a traiterous coward, just because they can't accept that the last election was a close one, but a fair one.
If any other candidate had been put forward, but Kerry, I, as an independant, might have voted democratic. But, by putting that embarssment to every combat ( combat, not era; you have to have the ribbon to be a real 'Nam Vet ) veteran up as your candidate for the presidency, you have ensured that I will vote republican this year!
I wrote a book, not for publication, but for my brothers from my unit, about my time in the 57th. I have never offered this before, but if you want to read about real heroes, not some puffed up jerk who got in, gave himself three Purple Hearts, just to allow hime to get out in a hurry, email me and I will email a copy to you. It's only about 100 pages, and a quick read, but you will see why Kerry is no hero. And, just in case you are wondering; I turned 18 on 10/25/67, I was in 'Nam on 1/6/68.
Michael J. Kilgus
Gladiator 059
