Lifelong resident Rushsylvania Daniel Green recalls hot and humid nights in the An Hoa Valley of Vietnam laying down artillery support for fellow marines or blindly shelling possible enemy locations.
Daniel Green of Rushsylvania, an artillery operator with the U.S. Marines 11th Artillery Regiment at An Hoa Marine Base in Vietnam, will be honored at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 31, during the local observance of Vietnam Veterans’ Day. (EXAMINER PHOTOS | REUBEN MEES)
“Most of our missions were at night,” the Vietnam veteran said.
“The artillery spotters called in missions and we would fire shells around them. When we would get a hit, we would know exactly what coordinates to aim for; other times we would shoot blindly into the night. Not a night went by that we weren’t shooting and we would shoot at least 300 rounds a night.”
Green, who is being recognized Saturday, March 31, during Logan County’s annual Vietnam Veterans’ Day observance, was a member of the 11th Marines Artillery Regiment attached with the 5th Infantry in late 1969 and early 1970, stationed at the An Hoa Marine Base southeast of Danang near the place where Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos meet.
He said most days on the marine base were relatively quiet during the day, sleeping or receiving ammunition shipments, and manning the 105 mm howitzer cannon at night.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, it was boring, but every once in a while we would get into something bad,” Green, a corporal during his service, said of his time serving the country.
Read complete story in Thursday’s Examiner.
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