The Lord giveth, but the Firebirds taketh away –
Summer ’69 Firebirds mantra
The Firebirds
Weapons of War
Laos
Mike Force = Mike Farce
Stealing Rockets
The Party Room
Following the May 13 catastrophe at Tam Ky, my attitude toward The War changed dramatically. Told my platoon leaders they could keep all their awards and medals – don’t bother for me. The best award I received during my tour was a set of Tiger Fatigues for rescuing a Ranger team surrounded by the bad guys. Surrounded as the team leader was whispering his location into the radio – that’s how close the bad guys were to the team. Got’em out with no casualties – when asked what the team could give me – a set of Tiger Fatigues personally delivered to me by the young Sergeant.
No colored ribbons or shiny emblems can replace the gratitude of personally saving those six American Ranger’s lives – better than any medal the Army could award. Still occasionally hear from one team member.
(C) Copyright – 2023 – Vic Bandini