Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
7:45 | What are they going to do? Send me to Khe Sanh? Yes. Navy Corpsman Jeff Lippka was attached to the Marines that were relieving the force at Khe Sanh. It was all confusion when he got there and his platoon was moved around several times. The rocket fire began as soon as he walked through the gate.
Keywords : Jeff Lippka Corpsman Vietnam helicopter (chopper) Khe Sanh flak jacket rocket fuel truck Medical Evacuation (Medevac) bunker
It was slow going at college for Jeff Lippka. He was staring at the draft and, since he had an interest in the medical field, he enlisted in the Navy with the idea of becoming a Corpsman.
There was a lot more training after boot camp for Jeff Lippka. First stop was Hospital Corps School and then on to Fleet Marine Force, where he learned the field skills he would need to be a Corpsman in combat.
He was never supplied with the test he was suppose to take for promotion to E-4 so Jeff Lippka was a little steamed as he prepared to depart for his combat tour. He heard about the Tet Offensive on the news and it was still going on when he arrived in the sticky heat of Vietnam.
Newly arrived Corpsman Jeff Lippka had to wait at an outlying camp because the base at Con Thien was being shelled. It continued daily while he was there. He went out on patrols with the Marines and on one of these, a lot of noise in the brush got everyone's attention. Was it the enemy?
Corpsman Jeff Lippka went to firebase C-2 near Con Thien as Operation Pegasus was kicking off. The choppers were late and as soon as they arrived, so did the incoming. As he ran for cover, he stopped at a latrine which was already full of Marines escaping the fire. As he turned to head for a bunker, he heard the screaming of an incoming rocket behind him.
The living conditions were Spartan in Vietnam. Jeff Lippka talks about the lack of clean clothing and the variety of meals in the C-Ration boxes. At least they came with cigarettes.
The chopper was so full that Jeff Lippka was sitting on the laps of two Marines right next to the open door. As it came into the LZ, the pilot hovered just above the ground. He judged it to be six or eight feet and he stepped out.
Jeff Lippka listened intently as the platoon leader further up the line reported casualties. They needed another Corpsman so he got all his gear and set out alone. Later during this operation, the platoon suffered more casualties from friendly fire and heat stroke.
Navy Corpsman Jeff Lippka was going out on an overnight ambush so he requested a couple of hand grenades, just in case. It was the last time he did that. He had to tote an M-16 but the Corpsmen were getting tired of that. They were supposed to have .45's.
The Marines had stopped for the night and some of the guys were playing cards. One of them whacked Jeff Lippka with a stick and words were exchanged. It got worse.
The word came that Khe Sanh was going to be closed. Jeff Lippka's new location was Camp Big John on the Cua Viet River. It was in a much safer area and that was welcome news. Then he was transferred to the 1st Medical Battalion at Phu Bai. Life was a lot less tense.
The conditions were much improved over life in the field but Corpsman Jeff Lippka still had a problem. He was working in the ICU and that was fine but that promotion he missed out on was coming back to haunt him.
His R&R came late in his tour but it was excellent. Jeff Lippka was able to spend five days with his wife in Hawaii. When he got back to Da Nang he found out he was moving to An Hoa which was fine except for one thing.
Jeff Lippka will never forget the awesome sight and mighty sound of F-4 Phantoms flying close air support. They seemed like they would surely hit the ground when they dived on their firing runs.
When Navy Corpsman Jeff Lippka got back to the States, he was lucky enough to be stationed near his home at the Twin Lakes Naval Air Station. When he finished his service, he continued in the medical field as a Physician Assistant.
Navy Corpsman Jeff Lippka recalls some of the hijinks and weird stuff that went on in Vietnam. He reveals which song sticks with him from that time and how he tried to keep his brother from also being sent to Vietnam.
