The Bonding of Warriors
A Unit History
The Early Years (1966-1967)
Ch 10
by Winslow "Rick" Stetson
The shooting continued for about 15 minutes at an estimated seven to ten enemy soldiers before the patrol broke contact and moved to the extraction LZ, each man grasping the belt of the man in front as they moved through the darkness. The patrol was safely picked up and Parrish was quoted afterwards, 'None of our men got excited. Everyone functioned just as he was taught. If they hadn't, we never would have escaped that area.'
Matsuda understood the stress produced by his men operating 'up close and personal' with the enemy. So in addition to providing them with spacious living accommodations and a club in which they could relax after completing their patrols, the commander arranged for the LRRPs to receive two out of country R&R's whereas most soldiers were allocated just one. He also saw to it that his men had priority when they made their R&R selections so that most were able to visit the country of their choice. Movies were a popular way to relax between missions and there was convenient viewing next door at the headquarters company where a sheet tied to a wooden frame served as the screen while the audience sat outdoors.
Through the ages, military units have had pets as mascots and the 9th Infantry Division long range patrol was no exception. A number of Vietnamese dogs found their way onto Bearcat looking for handouts and one, a white, medium-sized mutt with a black circle around one eye, wound up spending his time with the long range patrol. He was quickly adopted and named 'Lurp' by the men.
Lurp was loved by the soldiers and he appeared in a great number of photos and slides. Never camera shy, it was almost as if he enjoyed posing. He was included in unit activities and even took rides in a helicopter. Once when Stetson rode in the back of a Huey to pick up a patrol, he took Lurp along with him. As the patrol members scrambled on board the hovering chopper, broad smiles broke out as they spotted their favorite dog. 'Lurp,' they said while giving him a friendly pat on the head. Unfortunately, the story of 'Lurp, the Long Range Patrol Dog,' did not have a happy ending as he was run over by a deuce and a half in Dong Tam. His memory, however, will remain with the soldiers who knew him for they considered the dog to be the long range patrol's best friend.
Just as soldiers reporting to the 9th Infantry Division went through the Old Reliable Academy before beginning operations in the field with their units, those selected to become members of the long range patrol would undergo an intense period of training in the unit's own recondo school before they could join a team. Applicants had already been screened prior to joining the LRRPs. CPT Matsuda required a GT score of at least 100, which was above average, because the men had to be able to read a map, plus have the ability to assume leadership of a patrol should the occasion demand it. There was also the interview process which would attempt to weed out those who did not possess the temperament required to be a LRRP. It took an individual who enjoyed the challenge of infiltrating into enemy territory, remaining calm as bad guys passed by a stone's throw away, and someone able to endure the hardships presented by sleeping on the ground during rainstorms with no cover or protection against the ever-present mosquitoes and leeches other than the insect repellant they carried.
It took stamina to endure the hardship of spending nights in the jungle with little sleep or at best, restless sleep. The slightest unfamiliar noise would have the patrol immediately awake with senses straining to determine if danger was present. If a soldier was to snore or talk in his sleep, one of the other patrol members would place a hand over his mouth while shaking him awake. And the frequent downpours in the middle of the night made sleep difficult. Emory Parrish summed it up nicely in the 'Flop Hat Jungle Rats' article when he said, 'Out in the jungle the weather changes drastically. It's real hot during the day and at night it's freezing. Around one in the morning the temperature in the jungle may drop suddenly by as much as 15 degrees, from 75 down to 60. You're sweating during the day; your clothes are all wet. Then at night it turns cold. You really feel it.'
The applicant had to be a team player, able to follow orders given by the patrol leader and carry out his assigned responsibilities within the patrol. The men depended on each other for survival and there could be no weak links. Finally, those desiring to become a LRRP had to be in good physical condition. Overweight soldiers who could not move quickly in and out of helicopters were not good candidates and it helped to have excellent hearing and vision. Once a soldier had passed the screening process, he was ready to attend the 9th Infantry Division's Long Range Patrol Recondo School and begin the training required to become a LRRP.
While patrol members put the finishing touches on the classroom building and obstacle course to be used by students going through the Recondo School, the unit commander worked to produce a Program Of Instruction (POI) that would detail every aspect of the training. The POI ended up as a 19-page document. Its cover page read:
1. The 9th Infantry Division Recondo School Program of Instruction is a two week course designed to train personnel in the specialized skills and techniques of reconnaissance work.
2. This program of instruction was derived from the varied experience of 9th Infantry Division LRRP teams operating in the Republic of Vietnam from 1 January 1967 until 1 October 1967. Lessons learned from other LRRP units and 5th Special Forces have been incorporated into this program of instruction.
The program of instruction broke the two-week school into 12 major subject areas totaling 205 hours as follows:
| Subject | Hours |
| Administration | 3 |
| Communications | 7 |
| Physical Training | 8 |
| Medical Training | 3 |
| Intelligence | 5 |
| Patrolling | 56 |
| Supporting Fires | 8 |
| Air Operations | 5 |
| Weapons | 13 |
| Map Reading | 23 |
| Combat Operations | 57 |
Each subject was detailed in a separate annex that specified the number of classes, their length and the material that would be covered. For example, the 5-hour 'Intelligence' block of instruction was divided into three classes: VC Weapons and Tactics (2 hours), Terrain Analysis (2 hours) and Combat Intelligence (1 hour.) The annex also gave a 'scope' for each class. The scope for terrain analysis stated: 'Teaches the students how to use a map and aerial photos and make a detailed analysis of the area of operation. Instruction includes a practical exercise of making a detailed overlay of likely VC routes, base areas, and positions.'
The physical training portion of the recondo school included a swimming test (must be able to swim 80 meters), a PT test (sit ups, push ups, pull ups, rope climb and one mile run) confidence course (must negotiate a 30' high log walk, climb and descend a 40' vertical rope ladder with equipment, traverse a three log belly buster and a 20' rope commando crawl.) In addition, there would be daily road marches with full equipment, starting at two miles and concluding on the seventh day with a seven mile march that had to be completed in less than 90 minutes. On the eighth day the running portion of the program would begin starting with one mile and concluding on the final day with a five mile run. Students would begin each session of physical training with repetitions of Army drill. 'Starting position, move. At my command, exercise.'
The largest portion of the formal instruction was devoted to patrolling. Classes included camouflage and concealment, escape and evasion, equipment, organization and security, methods of infiltration and exfiltration, patrol preparation and survival. Patrolling also included five hours of immediate action drills where students were taught how to break contact when the enemy was encountered from the front, rear or either side along with the principles of escape and evasion to be used if normal exfiltration was not possible. The students were broken down into five man teams with each team running two live fire exercises. The live fire exercise included use of the M16 rifle, fragmentation grenades and white phosphorous (willie peter) grenades.
Live fire was also used in a patrolling class called 'jungle lanes.' The scope for this two-hour block of instruction stated, 'Formal instruction in quick fire techniques and engaging camouflaged targets. Each student is accompanied by an instructor and is walked through a jungle lane set up with pop up targets in dense vegetation. The student must find and engage the target quickly and effectively.'
Students had to pass a two-part final exam (map reading and general subjects) with a minimum grade of 70 before they could graduate from the Recondo School, but the real test if they would make it as a LRRP was the 57-hour phase called 'Combat Operation.' It began with a warning order for a patrol mission and as detailed in the program of instruction, the class 'requires the student to go through the entire process in the conduct of a successful reconnaissance operation. The students remain in the field approximately 2 days on an actual mission. Every recon team has a faculty advisor who evaluates the students on all phases of their performance.'
The training patrols were inserted into what was considered a 'cold' area of operations, one in which there had been little enemy activity in recent months. There were no signs, however, posted telling the enemy to, 'Keep out. Patrol training area.' If Charlie knew there was a patrol with four 'newbies' getting their feet wet for the first time, he might well come looking for such an inviting target. The training patrols at the MACV Recondo School in Nha Trang also tried to insert into relatively cold AO's but the enemy was unpredictable and sometimes contact would be made and casualties taken. The students knew the mission was for real and hearts pounded a bit faster as camouflage was applied, weapons were test fired and the patrol moved out for that first insertion.
When the recondo students had passed their written tests, the physical tests and the combat operation, they were ready for a graduation ceremony where they received congratulatory remarks from the LRRP commander along with a coveted black beret distinguishing them as a member of the long range patrol. Even though they wore a beret and a long range patrol scroll on their sleeve, Matsuda knew the true test of whether the soldier could cut it as a LRRP would come only after that first contact had been made with the enemy. He had seen some return from a close call 'jumpy and shaky' and did not want to go out again. If that was the case, there would be no ridicule, no name calling, the soldier would simply be transferred out of the unit.
Patrols operated in the field under guidelines developed by Matsuda in the unit's Standard Operational Procedure (SOP.) The 31-page SOP outlined all aspects of patrol operations and had ten annexes dealing with such areas as infiltration and exfiltration methods, air operations, patrol organization and security, patrol equipment, fire support and reporting.
The Organization and Security annex listed the responsibilities and duties for each member of a five-man patrol as follows:
A. Point man. The first man in the order of march is the point man. He is responsible for frontal security, locating booby traps and immediate danger areas. He must maintain and follow an accurate azimuth and initiates halts in immediate danger areas.
B. Team leader. He uses his discretion as to his position in movement. Usually, the most advantageous position for controlling movement is second in file. He ensures every team member knows his location at all times, guides the point man as necessary, notes distances covered, carries radio and makes radio checks, keeps an accurate and up-to-date patrol log. He must make an over flight of the area of operation, an inspection of all weapons and equipment, and rehearsal of all team actions and reactions. He carries a pill kit which contains:
D. Senior observer. He is responsible for assigned flank security, carries the spare battery for the PRC 25, and any other equipment such as a claymore, etc.
E. Assistant team leader. He is responsible for rear security, carries the URC 10 back up radio, erases the team's trail, keeps an additional patrol log and pace count, takes over as team leader if and when the team leader is wounded.