By: Gerald Hill
April 10,1965 we landed in Vietnam as a member of the 9th MEB, I was a rifleman with Fox 2/3 fast forward a few weeks our reinforced Company had just boarded amtracks for a river landing 15-20 minutes later the operator had been tossing us around underwater when he said were stuck in the mud at the bottom of this muddy river, I can’t remember how many of us for sure were stuck inside 15 or more but it was hot, sweaty, and scary! One of the other amtracks had finally pulled us out.
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Stationed with HQ, 27th MAR, at Camp Margarita, Camp Pendleton in 1969. Margarita was a plateau, and one weekend in the spring we had a lot of rain. Enough that the only 2 roads going to the plateau were cut off by flooding. High winds kept the choppers grounded.
To get supplies to Margarita, an amtrack went to the Chappo Flats road and tried to get through, but it got stuck in the mud. Not to fear, a track retriever was sent to rescue the stranded track. But that didn’t work, and both crews abandoned their tracks and slogged through the water to escape. If I remember correctly, they were stuck there a little over a week before the water went down enough to get them out.
I was in Amphibian Tractors in 1951, Camp Delmar, operating the L. V. T. 3 (No closer over the top). Coming into the beach when a swell came up behind you, it lifted the back of the tractor up, so that the window was under the water and the water was coming over the cockpit pouring into the tractor. Thank God for the several strong pumps that were able to pump the water out as fast. The thing that was most scary is when the window was under the water, you had to guide the tractor straight, by feel alone. The current would move the tractor to the sideways, and to counter this movement, braking the one track straightened the tractor out toward the shore without site, and keeping the Tractor from capsizing. This was extremely scary when the 3-C came into use with its accordion style cover, which would make it impossible to get out if captsized. Respectfully submitted. Colin J. Kozloff