Read Major Lynch’s statement about the mortar platoon reaching a high volume of fire — we were the only ones on that hill who could fight back against a devastating mortar attack and that’s just what we did.

And then there is the memory of the 25 guys under the ponchos on the LZ. It could have been any of us, but fate chose them that day. There would have been many more of them were it not for the bravery of every man in the 81s platoon.

“I think you and I and maybe someone else shared a very small and very shallow hole at LZ Margo with a guy named Cooper who i remember as a forward observer, who caught a wound in the ass from the shrapnel either while in our hole or he dove in the hole with us right after getting hit.

I remember trying to console him after the shit stopped, telling him he had a million dollar wound (though not knowing what the f i was talking about) and then I remember with another Marine holding him up and helping him walk to the DMZ past all the body-bags because we were going to get our wounded out first, no matter how long it took, even if it meant sleeping overnight with our dead bodies in the body bags by the LZ, which I think we did.

– Walt Philbin

“Anyway since we were totally exhausted (both mentally and physically) I guess sleeping wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I mean in those days we could sleep on the jungle floor and not give it a second thought.”

–Eric “Smitty” Smith

“I will be back with more info about Ken Curcio and his family’s efforts to find out anything about their Marine Frank Skocich who was killed at LZ Margo.”

–Eric “Smitty” Smith