I believe War Stories can teach valuable lessons both tactical and psychological. How did you earn your CIB?

I had been "in country" about two weeks when, as XO of the MACCORDS Camp Conversion Team at A-502, I was detailed to advise a CIDG platoon patrolling the base of the Dong Bo Mountain which overlooked the coastal city of Nha Trang. The operation consisted of an Special Forces (SF) Sergeant with radio, two Montagnard body guards and about 40 CIDG mercenaries under the indigenous leadership of an RVN SF Lieutenant known as an "LLDB," Vietnamese for, I understand, "Eye of the Tiger."

We convoyed by deuce and a half out to our Assembly Area just before dusk and crossed the LD in queue just after dark but under a full moon. We crossed a fallow rice paddy and, unfathomably, drew up on an elevated railroad berm and commenced to follow the tracks in a file formation with open ground on either side of us for some 200 meters and the Dong Bo looming over us. Being the new guy on my first operation, I asked the NCO if this was normal. "Well, L-T," he said, "the LLDB is in charge. You are just here to advise."

At that, I worked my way forward in the formation and, through our interpreter, advised my counterpart that we were providing one very unfortunate silhouette. "No sweat," he assured me. He would "fix" this. He then proceeded in the exact same fashion for another 30 to 40 meters when--following a quick "WTF" comment to my American RTO--I grabbed the LLDB (or Little Lop-sided Dumb B****** in this case) by the shoulder and spun him around to let him know we were indeed getting off that berm when we, at that exact moment, experienced a flood of green tracers bouncing up and down the track. The next thing I know, I'm on the ground with a Montagnard body guard spread eagle on my back. We called in some illumination, dropped a few rounds and redirected our route of march. When I asked the Sergeant later why I had had a Montagnard on my back, he explained, "You are the most important person out here 'L-T.' You are the guy that calls in the Arty, Spooky, the Medevac. If a round comes in low, he's there to take it for you."

I learned some valuable lessons that night not the least of which had to do with respect and humility.

Thirty days in combat with an airborne Infantry company with the 1st Cav in RVN late in 1966. In those days we did two sorts of combat assaults, insertions and assaults to contact. Insertions were when we were sent somewhere and then went looking for trouble, assaults to contact were when someone had already found the trouble and we were sent to deal with it. There were days when we did both kinds. There were some days when when both kinds were "hot." I made my first CA the morning after I joined the platoon in the field. Went to trading bullets back and forth about 200 meters of the LZ. Got medevaced the first time about 45 days later. When I got back to the company area the First Sergeant told me to add a CIB to my jungle shirt before I went back to the woods. And that was that.

I didn't earn mine. I received a cab even though I was attached to a line company holding a 19D MOS during deployment. They could've kept the damn thing cause I surely didn't want one. Had a job to do and we did it. Just so happened to involve enemy contact. I personally can't stand idiots looking for another medal or ribbon or badge to have across the water during wartime. Those guys get people killed. It's a different story in garrison. I know people's gonna get mad about this statement but suck it up buttercup. If your mad it's because you are one of those people