Military news & tribute thread

In October 1967, I was serving my 12th month in Vietnam. Specifically, I was stationed at a very large 1st Division base outside of the small village of Phu Loi, about 20 miles north of Saigon.

My job was as a fire direction specialist in the headquarters fire direction center of the 8th Battalion, 6th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division.

In very simple terms, this job entailed using chart paper to set up a simulated map of an area where the howitzers would be firing. When a forward observer called in a fire mission, we would plot the coordinates that he would give us from his map and then give the distance (vertical angle) and deflection (horizontal angle) figures to the cannoneers to set off on the howitzers.
During the fire missions, there were usually two chart operators, and they would check each other's figures to ensure accuracy. Then these figures would be compared to the firing battery's figures to further ensure accuracy. Once everything checked, the howitzers would be fired.

One night in October 1967, I was on the shift which was on duty in base camp when a fire mission was called in from an infantry company of the 2nd Battalion of the 28th Infantry, which was in the field in an area somewhere near Phu Loi.
One of our firing batteries was in range, so we became involved in this mission. We could tell right away how urgent the situation was by the sound of the forward observer's voice.