Contributed by Tom Martin – Blackhawk 67
I was wounded on May 4, 1968, when a 122mm rocket hit near the officer’s shower, about 10m from my front door. This started a sequence of moves from hospital to hospital in Vietnam, Japan, and the USA. Along the way I saw and experienced a lot of significant stories that added to my life events. Thought I would share them over time. Rather than a long post, I will make it a serial version and space it out over time.
A couple of things to remember as I go along.
1. 90% of the people that cared for me along the way were professional, kind, and dedicated. The other 10% just did their job and sometimes abused their power.
2. The medical system of the Armed Forces and VA were over stressed. May 1968 had the highest number of casualties of the Vietnam War. With Tet 68, the precursor to Tet, and the after math of Tet, the system was significantly stressed and working to over capacity.
On 4 May 68, a 122mm rocket hit the water tower in the officer’s shower. It was located about 10-15m from the officer hooches. This was bad for a couple of reasons..
1. It destroyed our shower, which we had only completed a couple of months prior and were very proud of. It had hot and cold running water and was well loved.
2. We had 55 gal drums of dirt around our hooches, and sandbags on top of that. This should absorb a rocket or mortar blast that hit the ground. Totally useless against a modified “air burst”.
3. The schrapnel from the rocket combined with the schrapnel from the metal water tank, just added to the destructive ability.
It was around 2 am and I had just gone to bed shortly before. The blast knocked me out of bed and my left hand and arm went numb. I wasn’t in a lot of pain, just a numb feeling. As I lay in the floor my roommate (top bunk across frm me) landed on me. I figured he was dead and schucked him off and under the bunks. My other room mate headed out to the bunker. I callled to him that I was hit and Williams was dead, get help. Williams moaned to let me know he was still alive and Jim returned with a bunch of folks to assist.
I moved under my cot to get out of the way, didn’t figure a one armed guy was going to be much help. They got the roommate’s sucking chest wound stopped and him on a stretcher and headed out. They asked if I need help, told them no. By this time there was a little pain as the numbness wore off, but I wasn’t bleeding and thought I was OK.
They said get to the bunker, which I thought was a great idea, so off I went in my underwear and flip flops.
By the time I got to the bunker, I was starting to hurt and blood was seeping out of my left side. In the bunker I asked if anyone had a flashlight so I could see where I was hit, prior to this it had been too dark to see my wounds. The light shown a hole through and through my left wrist and lots of pin pricks up and down my left side. Someone said you need to go to the hospital… I agreed.
I decided to walk to the hospital, about a half mile away and about half way there decided that was not a good idea and I started feeling worse. Met one of our CE who had the 3/4 ton and he took me the rest of the way.
There I was treated by “Schooney” Pike, or soon to be Pike as she married a good friend of mine,Joe Pike, one of our pilots. She advised me and the Dr, that I needed to be med evac to Long Bien, as there was not an orthopedic surgeon on staff and I definitely needed ortho work. Plus rockets were still falling and the hospital was just one of those big blow up thinks, like a big balloon, no protection.
That started my journey.
Shower Before
Shower After
I was medevuced through Long Bien, Saigon, Camp Zama Japan, Letterman, and finally arrived at Brooke Army medical Center. I spent 6 months in the hospital and underwent multiple surgeries on my left wrist. They wanted to fuse it, but that would mean no more flying, at least for the Army, so I opted to have them do the best they could and did regain about 50% use of my wrist.
If you want to read the full story of my oddessy its on my website..