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Cam Ranh Bay AB Air Base: On August 30th, 1968, I was assigned machine gun
bunker duty on the bay side of Cam Ranh Bay AB. The bunker
had a mortar pit attached. The night passed and was uneventful.
As morning approached, I was waiting for my ride to take
me back to the hooch where I could get something to eat,
use the facilities,
and get some sleep before it got too hot.
Photo F-4 Phantom
being loaded with bombs. Click to see the cockpit.
The jeep came to pick me up at approximately 5:30 AM.
While riding in the jeep and before the jeep reached
the paved road, I unloaded my .38 revolver and M16 rifle.
I did this to speed the checking in of my weapons once
I had returned to the Security Police Headquarters. I
wanted to get to bed and get some sleep. When we finally
reached the paved road, I got out of the jeep. I thought
I could save time by hitchhiking back to headquarters
faster than staying with the jeep. The jeep then turned
north to the Korean compound to pick up another Air Policeman.
This area was located just a little south and west of
the Cam Ranh air terminal.
I started to walk south with the idea of hitchhiking.
I walked for a distance because there were no vehicles
on the road at that early morning hour. Eventually I
came upon an Air Force Law Enforcement E5 who had an
Army six-by truck stopped. He was talking to the soldier
and busy, so I passed by not wanting to interrupt his
working.
After a little distance, I eventually turned around.
When I did, I noticed that the Air Policeman and soldier
were fighting in the middle of the road and that the
soldier had taken the nightstick away from the sergeant.
I watched as the Air Policeman drew his .38 revolver
from his holster and pointed it at the soldier. In the
middle of the road the soldier dropped the nightstick.
When the soldier took a few steps backward, the sergeant
was able to retrieve his nightstick and reattach it to
his web belt. Having viewed this, I quickly offered my
assistance.
The sergeant and I ushered the man into the back seat
of his covered Air Police vehicle and the sergeant returned
his .38 revolver to its holster without strapping it
in. I positioned myself beside the jeep passenger door
to prevent the individual from escaping. While standing
there the soldier and I began to talk. He said, "What
am I going to do? Both of you have guns and I don't have
one." I replied, "Don't worry, we are all Americans."
(We were supposed to be on the same side.)
The sergeant, who was standing beside the driver's
door, reached into the jeep to retrieve the radio mike
positioned on the passenger's side of the dashboard.
As he did this, the soldier, who was sitting directly
behind the driver's seat, reached up and grabbed the
sergeant's .38 out of his holster and pointed it at me.
Without any hesitation, he fired.
I knew immediately that I had been shot but didn't
know where exactly. I could feel the powder burn on my
face and hands. I stood there for a few seconds and decided
that I needed to do something. I rolled to my right and
dropped my M16 rifle. Clutching my abdomen, I fell to
my knees. In the movies most people that are shot usually
lay down, so I laid down. I lay there for a few seconds
when the soldier shot at me again, this time missing.
I realized that if I wanted to live, I would have to
do something.
I returned to my knees and pulled out my .38 revolver.
As I looked over my right shoulder, I could see that
the soldier had gotten out of the jeep and picked up
my M16 rifle. I don't know if he realized the rifle
was unloaded and that I was carrying 8 loaded magazines.
The Air Police sergeant had somehow fought his .38 revolver
away from the soldier and was now beating him in the
head with it. The soldier used my M16 to block the hits
to his temple.
I unsnapped my pouch of .38 shells and grabbed the
first shells that fell out. I then opened the cylinder
of the revolver and began shoving shells in. I rotated
the cylinder to have a shell lined up for firing. Closing
the cylinder, I turned and while still on my knees, aimed
for the soldier's midsection and fired. The soldier stood
there for a few seconds, then very stiffly fell backwards
toward the ground dropping my M16. As he lay on the
ground, he began digging his heals into the dirt, trying
to get up. I made it over to him and stuck my .38 revolver
in his face saying, "If you get up, I will shoot you
again." With that, he stopped struggling.
As the E5 Air Policeman struggled to get the radio
working, I fired several shots into the air to draw attention
for help. Eventually the sergeant obtained contact on
the radio and a Security Police strike team was dispatched.
I lay back down on the ground and waited for the team's
arrival. When the strike team arrived, I surrendered
my .38 to the team's sergeant. We then waited for what
seemed an eternity for the ambulance to arrive.
The Air Police Commander figured I saved the life of
the Air Police E5 sergeant at the risk of my own life.
For my actions I was awarded the Air Force Airman's Medal.
While in the hospital several days after the shooting,
the doctors took the .38 bullet out of my back and presented
it to me as a souvenir. The bullet had entered just to
the left of my belt buckle, which was about 2 inches
below my flack jacket, and went through both belts that
I was wearing (gun belt and pants belt) and lodged so
close to the outside of my back that it could be felt.
The doctor told me that I had 12 holes in my intestines
that had to be patched. I was very lucky that no vital
organs were damaged.
The soldier, who was from the Chicago area, had been
in country for 13 months and AWOL from his artillery
unit at Ahn Khe for 11 months.
While in the hospital intensive care unit, the soldier
was located in the bed next to me. I could reach out
and touch him. When we were moved to a regular gunshot
ward, he was located in a bed across the isle. When we
cranked up our beds, we faced each other.
I testified at his court martial. Because he had been
previously busted and was having half of his pay provided
to his wife and child, there wasn't much the Army could
do to him. He did received 6 months in jail, which had
to be served in country at Long Binh near Saigon. Before
he would be allowed to return to the United States, he
would have to serve all of his AWOL time with his unit.
I currently receive 20% disability from the government.
On February 26, 1969, the Stars and Stripes wrote an
article about the shooting. They credited my survival
to my extensive Air Police training. I think of my survival
as a matter of wanting to live and my willingness to
do anything to make that happen.
Stars and Stripes articles:
February
26, 1969 and Two.
I
was awarded the Airman's
Medal, and the bullet that was taken out of my back.
Steve Gattis was there when I was presented the medal.
Ken Boyer |
