LZ - Khe Sanh (ic-all newly deployed)

[Dave Syrinx]

Geographical Region



Rough map of the area and hills
<-N (Orientation)



Combat Base Khe Sanh


Tactical map

Latest intelligence on enemy troops

[Dave Syrinx]

View of the LZ




April 12th 0600 inbound Battle Camp Khe Sanh

Sgt Thompson peeks out from the PX as the heli with the NFGs approaches. He rubs the back of his neck, it has been a soaking night. Too warm for comfort. At least the beer is cold. He cracks it open and lets it chill his throat. He puts it on the steps and takes a seat next to it. Vietnam is all about waiting. Waiting for reinforcements, for the end of the tour...for death.

He leans back towards the concrete wall and waits.

[Dave Syrinx]

Inside the Bell Huey (UH-1) 476 -

Pilot PFC Wallace of the Marines 20th Special Operations Squadron (AFSOC) takes the heli down towards the landing zone. He leans between the seats and turns to the men in the back.
"Stay low when you exit, don´t want to have any mishaps. Give them hell."

He turns back to the controls and hover over the LZ gushing up a cloud of sand. The morning sun just barely has risen above the tree tops. What can be seen of the camp is that they are arriving at a battle ground not a combat base. This place looks more like a bombed out airstrip than any kind of organized military base.

[Pickman37]

Tobias Berkowitz was huddled inside the belly of the Huey, alone with his thoughts. The whipping propellers of the chopper were deafening inside the hold, forcing casual conservation to be held at volumes above shouting, not that any of his fellow soldiers looked like the talkative types....

He fought the realization that he was now a world away from family and friends. Boot Camp at Paris Island in North Carolina felt like an eternity from NYC but this was something else....

Suddenly, the pilot turned around and shouted...

"Stay low when you exit, don´t want to have any mishaps. Give them hell."

Upon setting down, Tobias gathered his gear and exited the chopper. Amid the swirling dust, two thoughts entered his mind....

What is this...? This doesn't look like a military base...

Tobias swallowed hard...

..and why is it this hot and humid so early in the morning?

He had a bad feeling about this....

[Mr. Handy]

Private Eric Whitehouse looks out at the LZ carefully for any sign of the enemy. When the signal is given, he makes one final check of his equipment and leaps out, making sure to crouch low. That alone has saved his life on more than one occasion. A smaller target is harder to hit, and he's about as big as they come. He sticks close to Sam in case he needs reloads from the M60 ammo that Eric is lugging. He's more than just a pack mule, however. He's an expert with the M16 he cradles in his hands, and he's prepared to use it if he sees any threats to him or his buddies. He particularly needs to take out anyone who might target Sam, so that he can keep the machine gun firing. He doesn't much like killing, but he'll do it to protect his friends from Charlie.

[Dave Syrinx]

Khe Sanh PX-

Thompson sees how the new guys exit the heli. He empties the last of his beer and gets up. He walks across the walkways created to keep the place appear to have some structure and not only dirt roads. Basically the only construction at the base is the runway. Whatever standing above ground are tents and sandbags. Every walkway is lined with foxholes and the entire base is a maze of tunnels and trenches. That and the bunkers. Every post and zone has a bunker. Those poses as "Structures".
Who was the genius that decided to make this spot ideal for the last combat base next to VC territory? Must have been those gung-ho SOGs.

He is passed by a four wheeler as Mamba Jack drives to sign in the new squad. His new brothers in arms.
Hopefully they have the sense to stay alive longer than the last batch.

Outside the helicopter -

Whitehouse, Berkowitz, Becket and Sam lug their gear out of the open doors of the Huey and cover their faces as good as possible against the small sand storm created by the rotors. "C´ya!", Wallace shouts as he lifts off with the doors still open. The gush of reinforced down force from the ascending heli makes it no more pleasant on the ground.

Eric couldn´t spot any enemies on the way down, but they could be anywhere. That he didn´t see them didn´t mean they weren´t there. The last reports spoke of large amounts of VCs surrounding the base from the west and north west. No numbers were mentioned, only that the base was to be held - for strategic purposes.

The climate change makes Tobias wish he hadn´t left Queens. As the two point men slowly walks off the LZ, a four wheeler careens towards them with a marine wearing colonel insignias.

Berkowitz and Becket take a 360 view of the base from the LZ. Sand bags and trenches all over the place. Just south of the barbed fence next to the LZ runs a railway track. The entire base is a trench. On the far side of the base they can make out the runway and the air control tower - which looks like a look out tower made of wooden poles.
To the north west a sign saying motor pool is leaning toward a sheet of corrugated metal. On their right hand close to the air strip is a red and white flag with Charlie Med written on it.

[Seon]

"So guys," Sam muttered as he scanned the wasteland around him. "Nice place. Nice scenary, nice bombed out forests, and strategic value. Whatever that means."

[Kadael]

James steps behind Eric, eyes darting around the jungle. His fingers scramble over his uniform, digging sand out of the folds.

When he catches sight of the colonel, he straightens and snaps off a salute.

[Mr. Handy]

"It may look like a pile of crap," Eric says to Sam, "but it's our pile of crap. If Charlie thinks he's going to take it away from us, we'll show him." He salutes when he sees the colonel approaching.

[Seon]

Sam was about to retort when he spotted the colonel approaching. He quickly saluted along with Eric.

[Dave Syrinx]

The colonel gets off the now immobile four wheeler and steps up to the saluting newcomers. He steps a few steps closer than comfortable and scrutinizes the four. He mutters and yanks up a document from a leg pouch.



"As you were." He taps his helmet. "Khe Sanh welcomes you with her legs spread wide. Enjoy her while you have your dicks still attached." He lets a big grin show and adds, " You´ll get your gear at 3Bt/26Ms, boys. Sgt Thompson of 2/3 will show you to your quarters. He´ll be here presently." He reads from the document, "Becker, Whitehouse, Berkowitz?" He double checks the roster. "I have only three names on my list. Still there are four of you." "We have room for all Uncle Sam sends. i´M Colonel Jack Kreuter, I´m in charge of sending you on your first mission along with some old timers. Sgt Thompson and Sgt Mullins will be your guides behind enemy lines. You´ll be leaving at 0800. Get your bearings and gear and do a helluva job. Sgt Mullins will brief you on your mission orders."



While sputtering out the welcome speech he produces a pen and checks off the names. "Becker, Berkowitz and Whitehouse." He eyeballs the four while reading their names. "Which one of you jokers is not on the list?"

[Kadael]

"Beckett, sir." James shuffles his feet in the sand, unsure whether his name is listed incorrectly or if he isn't on the list at all. "I'm Beckett."

He glances nervously at the other three recruits who came down with him.

[Mr. Handy]

"I'm Whitehouse, sir," says Eric. He looks around at the others to see which of them is the one who isn't on the list.

[Seon]

"Huh, that's weird," Sam said. "There must have been some kind of mistake. My name is Sam Hobbes, sir!"

[Pickman37]

"Huh, that's weird," Sam said. "There must have been some kind of mistake. My name is Sam Hobbes, sir!"

"Private Berkowitz, Sir!!!" Tobias barked, even as the words left Hobbes' lips...

Berkowitz had been caught off guard. The sight of the base had distracted him, especially the "Charlie Med" flag..

...More like a twisted Club Med...!

Tobias stifled a laugh in a momentary lapse of humor....

.....and the Colonel's words flew by his racing mind. He realized he was instinctively at attention, thanks to basic training but not remembering he did it, but once he snapped back to reality, he remembered hearing the other soldiers I.D. themselves and he followed suit....not realizing he was speaking out of line, at an awkward moment...

His body and posture tightened even harder to seem more at attention and hoped no one noticed....

[Dave Syrinx]

Kreuter stops at Hobbes. "Going under cover, son? CIA affiliations? Did Langley send you - to check up on me?" He scribbles down Hobbes´ details on the roster. "No, really it must be a transfer glitch. Someone back at HQ messed up. Good thing we have some spare beds here at camp." He turns to see how far Thompson has reached from the PX.

He pockets the document.

"The four of you, follow Sgt Thompson to your bunker and he´ll fill you in on the mission. Sgt Mullins will catch up with you as you leave." He gets back up on the four wheeler and starts the engine. "Any questions?"

They all see Thompson closing in at a leisurely pace.
He gives the leaving heli a wave and nods at Colonel Kreuter in the motorbike.

[Dave Syrinx]

Sgt Thompson stands waiting as Col Kreuter drives back the way he came.

[Dave Syrinx]

[OOC: Scuse the time glitch, folks. I´m set to continue, you are about to get your packs from Sarge ASAP. Feel free to drop some random chatter while Thompson gets ready to escort you guys.]

[committed hero]

"Saddle up ladies. Now that the Colonel is gone the real work can get started. We leave in five.

Beckett & Berkowitz - secure your meds."

[Pickman37]

"Yes Sir!....But permission to speak sir..."

Berkowitz paused and continued, not wanting to hold the group up in plain sight...

"Sir, I initially started out training to be a field medic but was moved and trained as a "Tunnel Rat" due to my small stature. I do have medical training but was not issued a medical kit, sir!"

Berkowitz waited for Sgt. Thompson's reply and half expected Beckett to say the same thing...

He's got to be slightly smaller than me. Tobias thought of Beckett. How did he get out of "Rat" duty if he isn't one. Unless he's one helluva medic...Or maybe just standing next to Whitehouse makes anyone look small....

Committed Hero,Welcome aboard. You arrived late but there was an earlier post from the boss. We're all gonna use blue for speech and green for thoughts so we're all on the same page. Damn Army!...All about conformity :D Anyways, glad to see you in the game!