Sergeant's Cool Clobbers Enemy By PFC David· Sumrall · OASIS - Thanks to the coolness and combat savvy of a ser- geant with 36 months of experience in Vietnam, a harrowing game of hide and seek that might might have endeil in disaster for a short range patrol (SRP) from the 4th Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, ended instead with fom' enemy killed in action. Sergeant Kim Potaczela, a native of Brisbane, Australia, who is serving his fourth tour in Vietnam with the U.S. Army, was leading a SRP on a routine overnight mission 14 miles southeast of Camp Enari when the deadly game began. · The patrol was preparing a night location in an area of large Gunships boulders and ·Ught vegetation . E~SY DOES IT - An infantryman from the Third Brigade provides assistance as a helicop­ when they first sighted the ene­ \' ~· ter from the 4th Aviation Battalion, fly ing in support of the brigade, lands in a field of my. "About 100 meters from our : ~ , elephant grass in the Central Highlands. (USA Photo By lLT Jim Hughes) position we saw two figures in the moonlight," explained Ser­ geant Potaczela. "We laldi low Smash and observed them until we were sure they were enemy sol­ diers, then we called fer mortar THE STEADFAST fire." Enemy As the movement all around them came closer and closer, AND CAMP ENARI - The Ruth· the men threw fragmentation less Riders from Troop A, 7th grenades and took cover in LOYAL Squadron, 17th Cavalry, while dense brush. flying in support of the 4th In­ From this position they reset FAMOUS FIGHTING FOURTH fantry Division's 1st Brigade, their Claymores and called for killed seven NVA , southwest of artillery support " It was a diffi· Camp Radcliff, the brigade base cult situation, but we got the Vol. 1, No. 19 September 21, 1969 camp. message through, andi the mor­ While searching the area, 1st tars an<\' artillery gave us tre­ Lieutenant William H. Luken of mendous support," · said PFC Self Satisfying Assis'fC:mce Cincinnati, Ohio, and his observ· Ernest Barrios of .Gard'ena, Ca­ er, spotted a storage structure m. and fields showing recent use. Moving to the south, the patrol At this time, the aero-rifle pla­ forded. a stream and agairi took toon, led by Sergeant First Class cover. Once again they set their Artillery Unit Helps Orphanage· Lowell E. Bowman of Crestline, Claymores. Soon they heard the _ Ohio, was inserted to recon the enemy. "From the noise I esti­ . By lLT Kurt Browall area. During their search, they mated the enemy force 'to be . CAMP RADCLIFF-"! asked my interpreter, a s"rgeant in the Army, of the Republic of Vietnam uncovered three hootches and _aboqt squad size," said Sergeant · (ARVN).. why the children wece _removing their hats and bowing as they passed me on the dirt path," four bunkers. Potaczela. " We let them ap­ said S~rgeant · John H. '.'Jock'' Handley of Brimingham, Mich. While this was taking place, proach until we could see two of · Truopg Due Hien replied, ''These children shJw :heir respect in this manner because you are · Warrant Officer James R.. Muse them silhouetted against the sky. their teacher. Only wis~ elders' "!nd instructors are afforded Jhis-com:ten·." •. of Marietta, Ga., who at that We detonated a Claymore just Sergeant Handley is a membe~ of Jleaaquarters· Battery, ·~nd Battal'ion, 17th Artillery, at eamp time was. flying • lead LOH, as ' they walked in front pf it." ~ Radcliff, near An Khe. - ,. · · · · . moved south and spotted five to The SRP once ;igaf.\t encoun­ The artillery unit, whkh proyides base camp defense for men 9f the 4th Infantry Division at Camp six enemy soldiers, trying to tered the enemy. "We received Ra~cliff, is also providing much-needed support for more than 60 children who depend on the Phuoo take cover under the heavy fo­ heavy AK47 fire as we moved Thien orphanage for their support. · liage. Mr. Muse immediately out," said Sergeant Potaczela, "Until mid-July," says Sergeant Handley, " the orphanage was assisted by the 4th Battalion, 60th opened fire with his minigun "and we returned· fire with our Artillery, v;hich helped with its medical needs, then we moved in." : . · · killing three. Ml6s. That was the last we · "One afternoon· I was driving through the vicinity of the orphanage and saw a small sign. I The Cahra gunships led by 1st tieard' of them." decided to see what it Jed to. It Jed to Phuoc Thien orphanage and, ultimately, to our support of it," Lieutenant Donal W. Osborn of The next day a platoon patrol Sergeant Handley said. • · Joplin, Mo ., rolled in and ex­ traced tne SRP's movements "Phuoc Thien is a nondenominational children's hom e," said Sergeant Handley, "which ac­ pended over the area killing four and confirmed four enemy sol­ cepts chil~ren between six and ten years old who have lost both parents, or for one reason or another more NVA. diers killed in action. receive no other support." · On the same day the 2nd Bat- R __...,.,..., __ _ talion, 17th Artillery presented .angers the orphanage a washing ma­ chine they also gave about 1,200 pounds of food. Harass Another project is already under way. Installation of elec­ trical wiring to better utilize the generator. E The men also plan to construct nemy a kitchen for the home. Once the kitchen is completed, an Army ' cook plans to . go to the By SP4 Al Erickson orphanage to .teach principles of HIGHLANDER HEIGHTS . food preparation both to the staff Landing Zone (LZ) Bunker Hill, and to children who are old 15 miles west of the Famous enough to help with the cooking. Fighting Fourth Division's 2nd Brigade at Highlander Heights, However, to inake a kitchen was relatively quiet before a functional, hot water is a neces­ t e a m o f S e c o n d Brigade sity. Rangers was inserted on the "At present, the orphanage LZ's crest. has cold showers," Sergeant Their first night proved to be Handley said. " We're going to a taste of what was .to come. convert the facilities they now Private First Class William have into both hot and cold Dennis of Dayton, Ohio, de­ running water." _ scribed it. " Late in our first night we Phuoc Thien orphanage is like heard movement 200 meters any other institution of its type; across from us on a small hilltop for support it draws on a number that ran parallel to our LZ. We of sources, ranging from indi­ were connected to it by a ridge. viduals to civic groups and line that ran down the side of our church congregations. position then up !o that hill. We "It's becoming a more viable called in artillery but we were unit," said Sergeant Handley. not sure of the results." "Projects such as taking in The following morning was as laundry, growing crops and quiet as their insertion, but the starting a pig farm anticipate second night was more active the time when the orphanage than the first. • WHAT NEXT? - The monsoon rains cause many a problem for 4th Division field troops and will be entirely self supporting,'· Specialist 4 Steve Smock of this soldier is no exception. With his Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) stJ'ck in "the mud 1-e concluded. (Continued. on Beck Page) . h<; is faced with the problem. of what to do next. !USA Photo By 4th Div IOI Page 2 THE STEADFAST AND LOYAL September 21, 1969 ' . ·, .· By Chaplain (CPT) Virgil G. will among his people? I'm not responded by saying, "ChaplainI, Iverson going to recite the stories, but I'm glad you asked me that only to point them out, for I be­ question. When I was at the per­ How many times lately hav? lieve that these men could have sonnel center at Ft. Lewis be­ you heard the phrase, "It don't been tempted to say while walk­ fore I came over here, I had a mean nolhin' "? As you care­ ing some pretty trivial yet couple of days to do some good rully examine it in its context, it scathing paths, "Aw, it don't thinking. I even went to the will be noticed that it is used as mean nothin' ". But as we have Chapel there. I went to the front a reaction toward certain dog­ the advantage of looking at the and knelt at the altar and asked Protect Yourself matic statements. Thes? stale· total perspective of their lives, God to be with me. At that time ments may be used to proclaim we see that even the trivia, the I marked the place, day, and l\f alaria continues to be one of the most serious health threats an authoritative opinion to which disconcerting, had gigantic in­ time of day in my little New one may reply, "It don't mean to soldiers of the Famous Fighting Fourth Division. Since fluence late ~ on in life. Their ex­ Testament. I left a blank space nothin'." Also these statements perience dill mean something. the, beginning of the year, nearly 1,000 cases have been called under that line to record the day may be uttered io expr2ss pride Look at Da'vid and · Goliath. Gi­ arid the time or day that' (would ta my attention. What is most significant, ho,.}ever, is that nearly in attainme~t .or good fortune. deon needed assuriuice before come back to the same spot at all cases might hav~ been prevented if a few common sense rules And, again/ the wet blanket he met the armies of Midian.