Mission Number 2

We were called out on a mission because while scouting out an area, one of our helicopters came under fire. We were inserted into the area and started to move into the village from where the small arms fire had come . Before we could get into the village we heard small arms fire from another location.  Once again one of our choppers were being fire at. We were redirected to this area. Upon our arrival there, the Scout Pilot told us that some Viet Cong (VC) jumped down a hole after taking some shots at them. We moved over to the area of the hole and had our interpreter try to get them men the give up. They refused. We threw a few grenades on top of the hole cover. They didn’t bother us anymore. Then one of the pilots said they saw a VC  jump into the small river (large creek) and directed us to that location. One of our NCO’s jumped into the waters and started walking along the bank while feeling underneath the bank. Finally he said I have him. He pulled hard to dislocate the VC from under the bank and tossed Her up on shore. Yes, it was a young woman with an AK-47 rifle still slung over her shoulder who had jumped into the river. She had pulled herself under the bank and drown herself. When we rolled her over she had her eyes wide open. When I looked into her eyes it was if she was saying to me, “Why me”. Those eyes still haunt me to today.