Chapter 15
The next morning arrived. The LZ Lola was quiet from last night's attack.
Michael lay in his bunk. He stared at the top of the Lola Hilton tent while he could not get last night's attack out of his mind.
"Good Morning, Vietnam!" Armed Forces Radio Network Pat Sajak the DJ yelled from the radio that one of the guys in the tent had turned on.
Pat gave a few kind words to the troops out in the field, then played the Honky Tonk Woman song on the radio.
Michael got up and grabbed his towel, soap, and toothpaste and brush out of his locker. He slipped his bare feet into his pair of Ho Chi Minh racing slicks.
He walked out of the Lola Hilton and headed to Shitter Way then after that had plans to head to the Soapy Palace. The burnt smell of the remains of the Party Palace filled the air of LZ Lola this morning. A crew of enlisted guys was already meeting in the Operations tent to get a replacement party tent built. The LZ had some extra tents in storage for this type of situation.
Michael took care of his morning hygiene tasks. He got dressed in his flight suit and headed to the Eloquent Army Cuisine tent. Another morning of that excellent breakfast, the Army provides the troops free of charge.
After breakfast, he made a quick trip to Shitter Way. Then Michael met Crazy Jay outside the Eloquent Army Cuisine tent.
"Are you ready?" Crazy Jay asked Michael.
"Yep. I like these types of missions," Michael replied with he walked with Crazy Jay to the parked Hueys.
Michael and Crazy Jay walked over to Crusher 3.
"Where's Jerry? He should be doing the preflight," Crazy Jay said out loud while he didn't see Jerry by the Huey.
Crazy Jay and Michael walked around Crusher 3 looking for Jerry.
They found find him dozing off on the cargo area floor.
Crazy Jay motioned at Michael to be quiet.
He tiptoed over toward the cargo area to Jerry. He slammed his fist down on the floor of the cargo area inches from Jerry's sleeping head.
Jerry jumped up in a panic, thinking there was another mortar attack.
Crazy Jay laughed at the sight of Jerry, who looked dazed and a little confused.
Michael smiled at the sight of Jerry.
"Did you preflight? We're taking off soon," Crazy Jay asked Jerry while he yawned.
Jerry wiped the sleepy out of his eyes, stretched and yawned. "Yeah, she's ready. Where are we going?"
"We have an easy day. Ash and trash at Cam Rahn," Crazy Jay said while he walked over to his side of Crusher 3.
"What are we picking up?" Jerry asked.
"The mail, some food, beer, and four fucking new guys," Crazy Jay said while he slipped on his flight helmet.
A Jeep drove up and parked nearby while Michael slipped on his flight helmet.
PVT Jimmy Young jumped out and grabbed a mailbag from the back of the Jeep.
"Here's the outgoing mail," Jimmy yelled out at Jerry.
Jimmy walked over to Crusher 3 and dropped the mailbag in the cargo area.
Jimmy rushed back to his Jeep, jumped back behind the wheel, and drove away.
Jerry secured the mailbag then he sat behind the machine gun.
Michael and Crazy Jay got into their respective seats behind their controls.
A few minutes later, Michael had Crusher 3 started, and the blades were soon spinning.
A few minutes later, Michael ascended Crusher 3 up into the air and headed east.
It was a quiet and enjoyable ride to Cam Rahn without any sightings of VC.
Later that morning, Michael landed Crusher 3 at the flight line at the Cam Rahn Air Base.
Michael shut down the Huey, and he got out with Crazy Jay and Jerry.
"Let's go check on the fucking new guys," Crazy Jay told Michael.
"I'll to take care of the mail, the food, and the beer," Jerry said while he removed the mailbag out of the cargo area.
Crazy Jay and Michael headed off towards the Flight Operations building.
Jerry headed off in another direction with the mailbag in hand.
Crazy Jay and Michael entered the Flight Operations building. They found their four FNGs waiting.
"I'm Lieutenant Jay Granger, also known as Crazy Jay. This is Mister Michael Grayson," Crazy Jay addressed the new troops.
Michael looked at the new guys, and his mouth dropped, and he could not believe his eyes. He wiped them and did a double-take. "Kevin? What are you doing here?" Michael said all excited to see his childhood friend Kevin.
"Surprise, surprise," PFC Kevin Coogan said. Kevin rushed over to Michael. He still had his carrot top, and freckles sprinkled all over his pale skin.
Crazy Jay watched while Michael and Kevin hugged. "We don't hug the new guys," he told Michael.
"Kevin and I grew up back home in California," Michael told Crazy Jay then glanced back at Kevin. "I thought you in Germany?"
"Well, it's a bit of a long story. I'll have to tell you later," Kevin said and looked a little ashamed.
Crazy Jay removed a piece of paper from his flight suit. "I guess that takes care of PFC Coogan," he said while he glanced at the paper that had the list of names of the new guys.
"You must be Private Kenny Press, Private Jeremy Kinston, and Private First Class Hank Chadwick?" Crazy Jay said.
"Yes sir," Jeremy, Kenny, and Hank all replied in unison.
"Good, now let's get you guys to your new comfy home," Crazy Jay said then headed to the door.
"I don't fucking believe it," Michael told Kevin while Kevin picked up his duffel bag
Michael and Kevin walked to the door while Jeremy, Kenny, and Hank picked up their duffel bags.
Kevin looked excited to be riding in a Huey while they all walked over to Crusher 3.
Jerry arrived in a Jeep that stopped by Crusher 3. In the back of the Jeep was ten cases of beer, a new mailbag, two cartons of canned coffee, and powdered eggs. There were also other odds and ends like cigars, cigarettes, and toilet paper.
Jerry removed a mailbag from the rear of the Jeep while the Private started to unload the cases of beer.
"Help unload the Jeep," Crazy Jay told the new guys.
Kevin and the new guys unloaded then duffel bags into the cargo area of Crusher 3 unloaded the Jeep.
The second the Jeep empty and the cargo of Crusher 3 packed, the Private drove away.
"Jerry, meet our fucking new guys, Kevin Coogan, Kenny Press, Jeremy Kinston, and Hank Chadwick," he said.
"I'm Jerry Bradshaw," he replied while he shook hands with the new guys.
"Fucking new guys?" Kevin asked Michael.
"We're all called that at first," Michael replied while he opened his cockpit door.
"Let's go," Jerry told the new guys while he got inside and sat behind his machine gun.
Michael and Crazy Jay got in the cockpit. Kevin and the other guys got inside the cargo area and got buckled in the cargo seat.
After a few minutes, Michael had Crusher 3 started, and the blades were slicing their way through the air.
Michael lifted the Huey off the flight line and flew off.
Kevin sat in the cargo area and looked proud that his best friend was finally a helicopter pilot. "I thought I'd never see the day where I would ride in a chopper that you flew," he called out.
Michael gave Kevin a left Thumbs Up sign while he kept an eye on his flying.
Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy glanced out the cargo area and enjoyed the view of Vietnam from the air.
"This looks like peaceful country," Kevin called out.
"And beautiful countryside," Kenny added.
Jeremy and Hank nodded in agreement.
Michael and Crazy Jay glanced over at each other and knew that attitude would change in a day or two.
"Enjoy the peaceful ride while it lasts fellows," Crazy Jay called out. Michael headed Crusher 3 west.
Kevin, Hank, Jeremy, and Kenny glanced at each other and knew what he meant. They were not excited about that part coming true.
A little while later, Crazy Jay's eyes lit up when he saw dirt road down below and an M35 A1 Deuce truck without the canvas top. The Deuce truck was full of soldiers and had two Jeep escorts in front with machine guns. The vehicles left a trail of dust down the dirt road.
Crazy Jay glanced over at Michael with a smirk. "I'll take the controls," he told Michael.
Michael knew Crazy Jay was going to pull off another one of his antics, but could not figure out what.
Crazy Jay had control of the Huey. Michael looked around the area to determine his insane move. Then he spotted the Deuce truck with the two Jeeps down below on the dirt road.
"Oh, no. What are you up to?" Michael asked Crazy Jay.
"A little initiation time for the FNGs," Crazy Jay replied with a smirk and wink.
"Shit. Here we go again," Michael said while he tugged on his harnesses to make sure he was snug in his seat.
Crazy Jay dove Crusher 3 down at the Deuce truck and the two Jeeps.
The eyes of Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy widen in surprise with the sudden nosedive of the Huey.
"Are we under attack?" Jeremy yelled out in a bit of a panic while craned his neck to look out the cargo area for signs of threatening VC.
Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy looked around for signs of some threatening VC.
"No. Something different," Michael yelled out.
Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy looked a little confused on why the Huey took a sudden dive.
"Are we having engine trouble and going to crash?" Hank yelled out and gripped the edge of the canvas seat with white knuckles.
"Nah," Michael yelled back. He got a little smirk while he watched while Crusher 3 race toward the Jeeps and Deuce truck.
Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy were still clueless about why the Huey was diving down to the ground. The rest of the new guys braced for a crash.
Jerry glanced back. He chuckled at the sight of the new guys holding on tight with white knuckles to their seats with fear in their eyes.
The Army soldiers were smoking cigarettes, bullshitting, or dozing off in the Duece truck.
SSG Ralph Jenson saw Crusher 3 was fifty feet off the deck and headed at them. "What the fuck is he doing?" SSG Ralph Jenson said.
All the soldiers in the back of the Deuce truck looked when they heard the familiar of the approaching Huey.
They watched while Crusher 3 hovered behind the Deuce truck and followed it down the dirt road.
Some of the soldiers snapped pictures with their cameras.
The soldiers in the Deuce truck watched Crusher 3 move to the left and flew even with their truck.
"Grab the controls," Crazy Jay told Michael.
Michael took control of Crusher 3.
Crazy Jay then removed a cardboard sign he had tucked away. He held it up.
The soldiers looked at the "God Bless You" sign that Crazy Jay held up in his door window while he saluted them.
The soldiers in the back of the truck cheered at the Huey.
"Let's get out of here," Crazy Jay told Michael.
Michael moved Crusher 3 to the right and started ascending into the sky.
Inside Crusher 3, Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy thought that maneuver was cool.
"What was on the sign?" Kevin called out.
Crazy Jay turned around and showed them his sign.
Kevin, Jeremy, Hank, and Kenny thought that was even cooler while Crazy Jay tucked away his sign.
The four new guys sat there and watched while Michael flew Crusher 3 back to LZ Lola.
A little while later, Michael descended Crusher 3 down to LZ Lola.
Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy saw concertina and razor wire with underground bunkers and machine guns around the perimeter of the LZ. They were not impressed.
The guys then saw rows of Army green canvas tents with sandbag revetments around them.
They noticed landing areas with metal revetments for the Hueys. Some Hueys were there, and they saw bare spots meaning some were out on a mission.
They saw eight soldiers playing football in a dirt area.
They saw a bunch of soldiers walking around and catching some sun.
Michael landed the Huey in one of the opened landing areas.
Michael shut the Huey down, and the blades slowed. Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy grabbed their duffel bags and hopped out of the chopper.
"Welcome to Landing Zone Lola, the home of the Cong Crushers," Jerry said while he got out of the Huey with the new guys.
"Let's get your guys checked in," Crazy Jay said after he got out of the Huey.
Michael got out of the Huey and still could not believe his eyes that his best friend was here in Vietnam with him.
Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy followed Michael, Crazy Jay, and Jerry away from the Huey and headed to the tent area.
Jerry stayed with Crusher 3 for a Jeep to arrive to unload their supplies.
They walked past the "Welcome to LZ Lola. Home of the Cong Crushers" sign. They noticed the Cong Crushers cartoon artwork on the sign and thought it was cool.
Then the strong stench of a sewer smell hit them like a brick wall.
"What is that awful smell?" Kevin asked Michael while he pinched off his nose.
Hank started having the dry heaves.
"We burn the shit from the latrines," Michael replied while he pointed in the direction of the stench.
Kevin, Hank, Kenny, and Jeremy looked where Michael pointed. They saw some privates standing by three small barrels that were on fire.
Kevin missed the comfort of Germany when he saw his new home away from home.
"Welcome to Nam, my friend," Michael said. He got a chuckle at the guys who could not believe their eyes at the sight of burning shit.
"We'll take you to meet Colonel Harrington then you can get settled into your bunk. Then we'll go have some beers and catch up," Michael told Kevin while walking down the dirt aisle between some tents.