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Willy-pete in the cockpit

By lex, on October 4th, 2007

BillT has a rollicking tale to tell of combat assaults and red LZs and Marine artillery.

A helo guy, I know. Amazing.

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October 4th, 2007 | Category: Military

15 comments to Willy-pete in the cockpit

  • Idaho
    October 4, 2007 at 8:10 am

    Yikes! How did he survive?

  • Casca
    October 4, 2007 at 8:21 am

    You may not be aware of this, but in the USMC Officer MOS assignment process, we do this thing called “Quality Spread”. That way every MOS gets its share of stars, and, well, not so much.

    A close friend, John, spent many a Saturday morning doing remedial land nav at TBS. This was the harrassment package for not having the skill set to figure out what all those squiggly lines on the map mean. Long story short, six months later he was at Ft Sill becoming one of those queens of battle. Whenever there was a report of a round going long off the range, or a like mishap with the large bullets… you can guess the rest.

  • SGT Jeff (USAR)
    October 4, 2007 at 8:38 am

    How many rounds of 175mm did they fire… ineffectively?

    Not a good showing…

  • SeniorD
    October 4, 2007 at 8:50 am

    Great story! Some of it I actually believe.

  • Snake Eater
    October 4, 2007 at 9:35 am

    I’ve had some experience calling in 175 fire missions in the way back…a fearsom barrage weapon in the abstract, but essentially useless and often dangerous when employed in RVN.
    BillT got luckey thats how he survived…Willy Pete is an especially nasty round . Best

    PS, Casca, Please take note… Army Field Artillery is the King of Battle… Army Infantry is the Queen of Battle

  • Snake Eater
    October 4, 2007 at 9:38 am

    …and the Queen has the King by the balls.

  • Casca
    October 4, 2007 at 10:32 pm

    Literalists are regularly avoided at cocktail parties.

  • MajHarvey
    October 5, 2007 at 2:00 am

    ahem…

    As a (former) Marine artillery officer meself, let me hasten to add that arty has pulled more hairy chestnuts out of the fire than your humble scribe can count. That said, and having been an FDO (fire direction officer) at some point, it is an ongoing battle to try to force a 100-lb. round land where/when you want it to after taking into account such diverse elements as the components of a 1-knot tailwind and the rotation of the earth, among other things.

    Can’t explain the airburst, tho’ — mebbe they were using the wrong kind of fuze or something.

    Dunno about y’all, but I’d rather be the king of something than the queen anyday…

  • Snake Eater
    October 5, 2007 at 7:26 am

    Maj Harvey, The “Queen” in the Queen of Battle reference refers to the all powerful chess-piece…not a closet queen or something gay as you imply…as an Armor officer in SF in the way back I was just a useless f**king “Tread Head” ( now known as a DAT) to the pea-brained infantry types… but hey… like their Naval Aviator counterparts… it got them through the day. Best

    PS, Air burst w/p rounds…certaintly not done with AC above. Agree likely a mistake in fusing or old ammo from the Korean war.

    PPS, Casca, I think I’ve established my bona fides as a proud and unrepentant Pedantic Peckerwood…if that makes me a literalist then so be it…to strive for accuracy in all things is no vice…strongly suggest you consider the same.

  • Casca
    October 5, 2007 at 7:36 am

    Be chary about giving advice. A fool won’t listen, and a wise man doesn’t need it. ~Franklin

  • MajHarvey
    October 5, 2007 at 1:23 pm

    Snake-

    Ok, I get the chess reference. I was actually referring to the monarchs of a country – the king was the one with all the power, while the queen was, well… the queen. No inference of closet-types intended.

    I used to have fun on one of my deployments in competing with an infantry company commander to see who could come up with the best quote supporting their particular MOS.

    Some of my favorites:

    “Artillery decides everything, and infantry no longer do battle with naked steel.”
    “Do not forget your dogs of war, your big guns, which are the most-to-be respected arguments of the rights of kings. ”
    -Frederick the Great

    “In many situations that seemed desperate, the artillery has been a most vital factor.”
    -Gen Douglas MacArthur

    “I do not have to tell you who won the war. You know, the artillery did.”
    -Gen George S. Patton

    “Artillery is the god of war.”
    - Josef Stalin

    And finally, a poem:

    “You can’t describe the moral lift,
    when in the fight your spirits weary
    hears above the hostile fire,
    Your own artillery.

    Shells score the air like wavy hair
    from a forward battery.
    As regimental cannon crack
    While from positions further back,
    in bitter sweet song overhead
    crashing discordantly
    Division’s pounding joins the attack;

    Mother like she belches shell;
    Glorious it flies, and well,
    As, with a hissing screaming squall,
    A roaring furnace, giving all,
    she sears a path for the infantry….”

    - Aleksandr Tvardovskiy, from the poem “Vasily Tyorkin” 1943

  • Snake Eater
    October 5, 2007 at 3:03 pm

    Maj Harvey, I offer the following, given to me some time ago, by an old SF NCO I know who has way too much time on his hands:

    THE DIFFERENTIAL THEORY OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES

    THE SNAKE MODEL

    Upon encountering a snake in their Area of Operations ( AO inSF lingo) the:

    Leg(non airborne of all types) : Runs screaming away from the snake.

    Paratrooper: Kills the snake.

    Armor: Runs over the snake, giggles, and looks for more snakes.

    Infantry: Ugh ! Me see snake…me like snake…Ouch! Me no like snake.

    Army Aviation: Has a Gobal Positioning System (GPS) grid to snake..Couldn’t find the snake…flies back to base for crew rest and a manicure.

    Ranger: Plays with the snake, then eats it.

    Seal: Expends all ammunution, several grenades and then calls for naval gunfire in a failed attempt to kill the snake. The snake in retailiation bites the Seal and retreats to safety.

    Corps Artillery: Kills the snake but in the process kills several hundred civilians with a massive attack by three Field Artillery Bragades in support. Mission is considered a success and all participants, clerks and jerks included, are awarded Silver Stars.

    Marine Recon: Follows the snake and gets lost.

    Combat Controller: Guides the snake elseware.

    Para-Rescue: Wounds the snake in the first encounter, then feverishly works to save the snake’s life.

    Army Special Forces: (if you got this far you too have way to much time on your hands) : Makes contact with the snake, builds rapport, wins it’s heart and mind, then trains it to kill other snakes.

    So there it is, for what its worth, exactly as given to me…good / lame snarky fun I think to help kick off the long weekend… Best

  • lex
    October 5, 2007 at 3:07 pm

    Now that was worth waiting for.

  • Steve
    October 5, 2007 at 4:16 pm

    and now we know where Snake Eater came from.

  • Michelle
    October 5, 2007 at 5:38 pm

    … clapping for Snake…
    I know. Too much time. On my hands. NOT.

    Now, where’s my drink?
    Please don’t toy with me, it really is a long weekend, isn’t it?
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