April 21. Forty - third Anniversary of the Battle of Binh Son I.


As a 7 - year veteran with prior Air Force experience Cpl. Bradley -- First Platoon Fox Company 2/1 USMC -- had tried to warn us months ahead of time, re the fighting qualities of the Peoples Army of Vietnam a.k.a. PAVN and / or NVA:


"I want all y'all Marines to listen up now!

" You heah?

"'An that includes all y'all absent minded intellectual muthah truck-as, too, o.k.?"

This with a pointed glance in my direction. :)

"These here NVA will be carrying packs.

"Just like us.

"Be wear'in uniforms.

"Just like us.

"'An wear'in helmets.

"Just like us.

"'An using field radios.

"Just like us.

" 'An they'll be using fire team tactics.

"Just like us.

"People it's like this: any time we hit them hard they gonna hit us back.

"Even harder..."


By ten o'clock local Vietnamese time this very day 43 years ago, out of 8 Fox Company rifle squads committed to a frontal assault albeit reinforced with weapons attachments -- plus assorted volunteers -- 33 were dead and 56 were wounded.

Most likely in many cases from multiple gun shot wounds.

So, I guess you might say:

Corporal Bradley was dead on...