By SP4 Bud Dotson
LZ 4-11 -- Sunbaked clay is whirled into a dusty freezy as a bulky "Chinook" helicopter hovers over the waiting 105mm howitzer. Marble-sized stones and clods of dirt are flung in a 15 meter radius as the chopper applies power and carefully lifts the cannon from its resting place.
Men on the ground "pop smoke" near a neatly laid stack of ammunition. A second Chinook lands nearby, and combat proven cannoneers file into the waiting bird. With all aboard, the chopper lifts off and hovers over the netted ammunition. A goggle-clad man hooks the valuable cargo to the passenger laden aircraft and another artillery "jump" is on its way.
"Jumping" from one landing zone to another is old hat to the men of D Btry., 6th Bn., 11th Arty., the artillerymen have more than 15 "jumps" to their credit and have been on ten LZ's since last May.
Their most recent move began a short time ago when 1SG Eldon Perrine (Tacoma, Wash.) and seven men landed on Hill 54 west of Quang Ngai City. When the cannoneers arrived at their new home, they were greeted by members of the 3rd Bn., 1st Inf., 11th Inf. Bde.
Heavy foliage and large rocks, 120 degree-plus temperatures and the constant threat of enemy attack made working on the new LZ miserable and practically impossible. But through "hard-core" determination and a keen awareness that the job had to be done, the advance artillery party began its task of clearing firing positions for the battery's guns.
Using entrenching tools, picks, shovels and back-power, the men leveled the rock covered ground. In the course of a few days, the untamed hill began to take on the appearance of an LZ. With the firing positions cleared, the suntanned cannoneers turned their attention to the construction of personnel bunkers.
Through the construction period, more personnel joined the advance party. Eight days after the first artillerymen arrived on the LZ, the first 105mm howitzer and its crew were moved to the hill. That night the camp was hit by heavy enemy mortar fire but the newly arrived cannon quickly silenced the enemy attack.
Photos By
SP4 Phil Tipton
11th Bde. IO
