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Mike Pomakis

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There was a sniper shooting at them from across the river. He wasn't very good because he had no kills but he was annoying enough that a squad was dispatched to take him out. Mike Pomakis recalls that as soon as they got him, the enemy came swarming out like ants. Luckily they had an excellent mortar gunner back on their side of the river. (4:03)

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When he returned from Vietnam, Mike Pomakis was in no hurry to get home. He stayed in San Francisco for a couple of weeks with some girls he knew before he finally went to see Mom and Dad. He didn't have any trouble with anti-war protestors but the tight job market for veterans cause him to move to Newfoundland, which worked out well for him. (6:07)

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We did our best over there. Mike Pomakis doesn't want the people who died in Vietnam to be forgotten. That Vietnam Veterans Memorial? The names are the memorial, not the Wall. (4:07)

David Ray

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David Ray played football for two years in college but his grades started slipping and he had to start thinking about the draft. He thought he might as well do it up right and so he enlisted in the Marines. About the time he was standing on the yellow footprints, he decided that he had bitten off more than he could chew. (5:39)

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His MOS was 0341, Mortars, but he never touched a mortar while he was in Vietnam. David Ray was now a rifleman and a jungle grunt. When a buddy of his who went to a different unit was killed after one month in country, he was shocked. One month? (8:12)

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While on jungle patrol, David Ray noticed that the point man was tilting his helmet back when he was on point. Why was that? It wasn't long before he found out why and when he became the point man, he tilted his helmet the same way. (8:58)

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The radioman was wounded and evacuated for awhile. He was David Ray's best friend and foxhole buddy who decided one day that the M-16 was too much to carry with the radio and got a .45 instead. (2:29)

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For their booby traps, the VC preferred to use American hand grenades. They would shorten the fuse as much as possible for a quick reaction when the trip line was hit. They would also use artillery rounds but, by 1970, punji pits were no longer used. (Caution: strong language) (5:57)

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The Kit Carson scout had led them to some caves where bad guys might be holed up. David Ray grabbed a .45 and headed down the slope. He peered through an opening and saw an NVA standing on the other side. When the man refused to come out, he shot him in the leg. Working his way around to the other chamber, he realized there were four of them. (Caution: strong language) (6:45)

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The Marines had been choppered to a mountain top and David Ray was walking point. He was fortunate on this operation to have a dog and his handler with them. The dog had advanced up the trail when he suddenly stopped and growled. (2:50)