Allen Funderburgh, Marine Montelones first name was Dominic. We lost him to Covid, actually more due to the poor medical treatment at VA in Hawaii. They wouldn’t give monoclonal antibodies until he was almost dead !
Yes, I was there with Dominic, 20 June 68, Dong Ha. We were perimeter guard for the dump. He was down at the tower, machine gun I think. Our bunkers were on top of an old railroad track.
My bunker was about three from the command bunker./tent.
I was standing that day outside the command tent.
It had been quiet. I wore only jungle trou and boots, my flak jacket was in my bunker when the first rounds hit. They were zeroed in on us. We just jumped in the bunker by the command tent. The bunker almost immediately took a hit, We came out, I grabbed a flak jacket going out, thick smoke already made it hard to see, I fell into a fighting hole by the bunker. Another marine fell on top of me. He had a sharpnel wound on top of his head. The fighting holes as you know are small, not much space. Tried to find bandage for him in one of the pouches hanging from the jacket, I pulled it out, it was an ammo clip ! I said damn, just what we need, more ammo, i dropped it and pressed on his head. My flak jacket rode up my side as I reached for him. Luckily there had been two clips in the pouch as a piece of shrapnel slammed into it. The dump was totally going in no time.
Several thousand tons of all types ordinance plus large fuel bladders was right beside us ! It was non-stop hell ! There is no way to describe those next several hours.
We were going to die, no one to fight just trying to breathe, guess if you were water boarded none stop never stopping the water, and
Slammed side to side with massive explosions, burned with sharpnel, trying to get it off you but can’t move more than a couple inches because inches about your head are thousands of different size buzz saws going non-spot ( shrapnel flying by ). You wait for the one that’s coming for you.
Anyway, hours later Lt Schribner came with a couple other marines in an APC. Rounds still going off just not as much . They came into hell to get us. I recall him hollering ‘ Marines lets go’ and we did. I know we ran over all types hot burning ammo on the way out but we made it . After having some shrapnel removed and some burns treated we were back at it within the week.
I left Nam Jan. 69, I didn’t want to come back to the states. I wanted to try and forget a lot of that crap while stationed in Okinawa for six months. Did damn good job of that until years later while I was setting in a dentist chair that feeling of being confined came back ! I left and have never gone back nor will I ! I awake all too often when I manage to sleep with dreams of being in some type of confined space.
Other than that, doing ok, not bitching but I am thankful for what I do have.
Hope anyone needing some help will reach out
There are programs that can help, and there advocates to help assist you.
I miss my friend Dominic
Semper Fi
Comments
Leave a comment