2 Responses

1. 

   Tribute to a fellow soldier June 10, 2024 at 8:31 pm

   My name is Larry Reid and I was drafted into the United States Army in Nashville, Tennessee, on 11/2/67. I was trained in infantry weapons and tactics at Ft. Campbell, KY, and Ft. Lewis, WA. After arriving in Vietnam I was assigned to Third Platoon, Company E, 4/47th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Brigade (Mobile Riverine Force), 9th Infantry Division.

   The platoon was out on a mission when I arrived aboard the barracks ship USS Benewah and I met another replacement named Jim Fous. Third platoon had seen intense combat during and after the 1968 Tet Offensive. Jim and I were replacements for casualties sustained during that period.

We talked about our home towns and our families. One of the commonalities we shared was that we both had sisters of whom we were very proud and protective. Jim was the first friend I made in this deceptively beautiful place called the Mekong Delta and we promised to watch each other’s backs.

Within a few days we left on our first combat mission. I have taken the liberty of excerpting the Medal of Honor citation and will comment as appropriate:

   MOH

   For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. PFC Fous distinguished himself at the risk of his life while serving as a rifleman with Company E. PFC Fous was participating in a reconnaissance-in-force mission when his unit formed its perimeter defense for the night. PFC Fous, together with three other American soldiers, occupied a position in a thickly vegetated area facing a wood line. 



   LR
   May 14, 1968 was my mother’s birthday and our first night in the field. We were nervous about making some sort of fatal mistake but there was no contact with the VC during daylight hours. We set up for the night with two combat veterans in our NDP (night defensive position) to advise us in case of trouble. Their names were John Sharp and Larry Bunch. The sky was brilliant with stars as there was no moon that night. The four of us were sitting out in a rice paddy with the rest of third platoon positioned in a circle. Anyone in the wood line could observe us without being seen. 

We decided the order of watch, since someone had to be awake and alert all during the night. While I took the first turn, the four of us talked in hushed tones about what sort of problems might be likely in this area during this night. It was a reassuring moment. Sharp and Bunch had agreed to take the last watches of the night because enemy attack was more likely in the hours just before dawn. I was wearing a wristwatch with numbers that glowed in the dark and agreed to let anyone use it during the night to keep track of their two hour sentry duty. 



   After my two hours had elapsed, I handed the timepiece to Jim Fous. Sharp and Bunch were still awake and decided to stay up a little longer during the first part of Jim’s watch. I lay down and tried to figure out how to sleep in a wet rice paddy which seemed to be crawling with unidentified life forms and was also within range of enemy weapons. I looked at the stars for a while, then shut my eyes tight for a while. I realized that I was never going to get any sleep in either of these modes. I began to wonder if I could stay awake for a year.



   MOH
   
PFC Fous detected three Viet Cong maneuvering toward his position and, after alerting the other men, directed accurate fire upon the enemy soldiers, silencing two of them. The third Viet Cong soldier managed to escape in the thick vegetation after throwing a hand grenade into PFC Fous’ position. Without hesitation, PFC Fous shouted a warning to his comrades and leaped upon the lethal explosive, absorbing the blast with his body to save the lives of the three men in the area at the sacrifice of his life. 



   LR
   
My best and only friend in the platoon was dead and I was left to calculate the odds of surviving a year of combat in this tropical paradise. I helped move his body on a poncho from our NDP to the center of the position where the Platoon Leader, Platoon Sergeant and medic stayed. I never found my watch. When I woke up the next morning, one of my canteens was empty. There was a hole in it where shrapnel from the grenade entered and was stopped by the water.

   Combat in Vietnam was no longer an imaginary exercise, it was all too real. I learned that we were in the midst of another series of VC/NVA attacks all over South Vietnam. It was called the May Offensive and resulted in the highest number of US monthly casualties of the entire war. I would be in close proximity to many more dead and wounded US soldiers and sailors, ending up as one of 12 survivors in third platoon by the end of that terrible month. We normally had 25 to 30 soldiers in our infantry platoon. I let go of any hope of making it home alive. Hope was a luxury I could not afford and seemed ill advised. It was too distracting. 



   MOH
   
PFC Fous’ extraordinary heroism at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.



   LR
   
I honor your memory Jim. My remaining days on earth were purchased by your sacrifice. I feel the obligation to live the best life I can, helping others along the way. It is difficult because of the trauma of that night and many other firefights. When anyone asks me, “When were you in Vietnam?” I can honestly say, “Last night.”

   

Larry Reid
   
Smyrna, TN
   6/10/2024

2. 

   Jon Miller June 5, 2024 at 1:35 am

   Visited Jimmy’s grave site June 2, ’24. Someone had left some flowers and a little flag, with few other graves in the cemetery decorated. Beautiful head stone with gold lettering.
   Jim was the nicest guy I ever met. Played little league baseball with him. Great guy.