American Valor Quarterly Issue 2 - Spring 2008 | Page 28

U.S. Army Center of Military History

melodramatic—but it helped me, because when I got back there, I consider myself very fortunate, for many reasons. For one, I’m
I was with my own men who made my job a lot easier.
here. Two, when I joined the 1st Cav—it was the 2nd Infantry
and then became the 1st Cav—I trained under Hal Moore for
Unfortunately, as I said, I didn’t have the pleasure of serving over a year. My company went through the air assault training
under Hal Moore, and did not meet him personally where he and he was a terrific leader and trainer, and he trained us hard.
would know who I was until after the book was written. And And it paid off. I remember the runs, and the physical activity,
when Joe contacted me to participate in the writing of the book and the discipline. He instilled that in us. And that meant a lot.
to make my contribution, I declined. Because on that day that we And then of course, I was with him in combat. He was a fantastic
walked out of LZ X-Ray, I lost 17 young men who I often commander, and he made the right decisions. He didn’t commit
wonder what they could have been had they survived. The thing the whole battalion when I had my platoon cut off, but he played
that haunts me is, did I do enough to save these bright young the battle the way a great commander does. When I got into the
Americans? And I remember Joe, when he talked to me, because fight at LZ X-Ray, I went in with Bruce Crandall, a great aviator
I told him about these nightmares that I was having, he said that I had been training with already, who I had been getting cigars
I could approach this two ways: you could think about those 17, from as well, along with his people, including Ed Freeman. And
or you could think about the other 90 or so that did make it then, once we were in there, and the battle developed, who did I
because of what you did. That came home to me last year when have on my left but Tony Nadal, a classmate of mine from West
I met the grandson of one of my troopers, who said to me that Point and a great soldier, and I had my left flank covered. At a
“my father is here, that I am here, because of what you did for particular time in the battle when we were engaged, I moved
my father.” And so I thank you for this opportunity to be here, around to an open area, because I happened to have direct contact
and these guys who are sitting here at this table are among the with a North Vietnamese scout, and my M-16 fell apart—not a
greatest Americans. We talk about the Greatest Generation, but good situation—so I moved around the left, and there was Bill
for me, they are sitting at this table. Thank you.
Beck with his machine gun. So I said, “Bill, they’re in that creek
bed.” And of course he started firing in that direction. I was
Joseph Galloway: George, you were the hardest nut to crack. going to mention Joe Marm, who received the Medal of Honor,
He hid from me for six months, but I wasn’t going to give in. because I watched him assault the anthill in a move to go after the
I’m glad that he finally took that phone call.
platoon I had that was cut off. And then, of course, we had Joe
Galloway reporting all of this. I remember when we brought the
Next up is Col. John Herren, another great platoon out on stretchers, all these reporters had come in by
friend, and another great leader on the Chinook, and they all were trying to get the story, but I wouldn’t
battlefield, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, talk to them. It was all very traumatic moment for me with my
7th Cavalry. A steady, strong, good leader, men being taken out on the stretchers, but Joe never harassed me
and a good commander all the way like that, and of course he was a great reporter.
through, and a good friend to ride
the river with. John, take it away. I think one of the reasons that this battalion did so well was
because of the men we had, and the NCOs. I had
Col. John Herren: Thank noncommissioned officers who had fought in Korea. I had one
you Joe. First off, I’d like to platoon sergeant who enlisted at the age of 16 to go into the
recognize a special guest Army and go to Korea. He got over there and they found out he
here today, Specialist was 16, and they sent him right back. I had another one who
Travis Webb, a double blew a bridge at the Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War who,
amputee
from unfortunately, was killed with the platoon that was cut off. He
Walter Reed, who was killed covering the platoon’s move into a defensive position
was with the 7th so they coul