“This book is a
nonfiction work based on my experiences in
“We left the
perimeter at first light, going out through the east gate of
Page 80
“Our
new company commander arrived… and announced several changes…”
“Someone needed to
get the word to Sheperd [Captain James G.
Shepard] that this kind of shit wasn’t going to fly. He wasn’t at
Benning, and we weren’t stateside troops.”
Page 81
“Captain
Sheperd added to our misery by raining some of his crap down on our heads. He
handed out three Article 15s by
Page 82
“Captain Sheperd
[Shepard] announced at morning formation that animals, other than scout or
tracker dogs, were not authorized in the U.S. Army. We would have to get rid of
Page 82
“I [Gary Linderer] had been assigned to TOC
(Tactical Operation Center) shed with Sugaar from 2400 hours to 0600 hours…[Sugaar with a flashlight] offered
to escort the captain to his tent… “The two men left the building the CO in the
lead. Twenty seconds later, an explosion shattered the night. I saw a flash
over my shoulder as shrapnel and gravel blew into the TOC shed through a wire
screen… I heard a scream….”
“I found Sugaar
bent over the CO at the entrance to the officer’s tent… I picked up the
flashlight where my team leader (Sugaar) had dropped it and swept it over
Captain Sheperd. His right foot was nearly severed just to the front of his
ankle… About then several other LRPs ran up… Doc injected a morphine syringe
into Sheperd’s thigh. He soon quieted down to a steady whimper…. “that fuckhead
won’t be kicking any more ass around here.”
Page 83
“There was no
morning formation… Word had filtered down to us that a CID investigation team
would arrive sometime in the afternoon… If the sons of bitches had investigated
Sheperd, maybe none of this would have happened in the first place.”
“Around 1300, two
jeeps arrived carrying six CID personnel….”
Page 84
“When it was my
turn, I walked into the supply tent and stood at attention across the table
from the man dressed in fatigues who appeared to be in his midtwenties. I
didn’t know whether to salute him or call him “sir” or not because there was no
rank or insignia on his uniform.”
“Next he wanted to
know if I liked Captain Sheperd. I told him that I doubted very seriously if
his own mother liked him. He seemed somewhat taken aback by my response, and I
began to wonder if I hadn’t gone a little too far.”
Then, he politely
asked, “Private, did you place the mine in your company commander’s tent?” That
did it! Now I was pissed. That smug son of bitch wasn’t going to get away with
that crap. I answered, “No… no. I had thought about it, sir, but I’m really not
too keen about standing in long lines.”
“When the
interviews were nearly complete, a case of CS gas grenades exploded over near
the ammo bunker. All the LRPs and the CID personnel quickly unassed the area.
Luckily, a stiff breeze was blowing towards the perimeter wire, and the cloud
of CS dissipated to the northeast.”
“Order was soon
restored and the interviews continued. At 1830 hours, the CID people returned
the personnel files to the orderly room, gathered up their notes, and departed
for whatever rock they lived under.”
Page 85
“At morning
formation, the first sergeant announced that our company was on stand down
until further notice. No more missions? No one figured on that happening.”
“Top” also
announced that the CID’s comments after the interviews were somewhat
interesting. He said that they concluded that at least forty percent of the men
in the company were psychotic. Another forty percent suffered from delusions of
grandeur. The reminder were merely criminally insane.”
END OF EXCERPTS
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Don C. Hall and Annette R. Hall
Website created by Annette Hall
September 3, 2004