We have been learning about Marshall’s Rich Maurer, who grew up in Colorado and began college there, but enlisted in the Army in March 1968, believing he would be drafted anyway upon graduation.

Rich completed Basic Training and courses in radio operations before receiving assignment orders to Vietnam in October 1968. He arrived in Vietnam in November and the Army assigned him to the communications platoon of Headquarters Company, 326th Engineer Battalion. The 326th Engineers was a unit of the 101st Airborne Division, based at Camp Eagle in the far northern, I Corps region of South Vietnam. The platoon’s mission was to provide communications support to the engineer battalion and its three engineer companies.

Rich spent most, but not all, of his tour supporting Battalion radio operations at base camp. He described going out to support new fire bases.

“I went out on two fire bases. That was jungle out there and we’d get on a hill. First, they would blow it up as much as they could. I think they may have used Agent Orange on it, too, because I remember getting there and the foliage wasn’t like jungle. The engineers were there long enough to build it. Once it was built, they pretty much left. They’d fly in mini-bulldozers with flying cranes (heavy lift helicopters). There might be a couple of dozers there, flattening the top of the hill and making it suitable for the artillery and the infantry. I was the radio operator for the engineers.”

Rich explained how the radio operators ended up at these fire base construction sites.

“The ones that went out on the firebases were volunteers. I volunteered twice to do that. A lot of us did because we were bored. (Rich laughed) But also I wanted to see what the heck was going on out there.”

He described how the engineers arrived at the new fire base site and the primitive conditions they found.

“I had a big antenna with me. So, not only did I have my own stuff to take out there, I also had to carry this big antenna. It was eight to ten feet tall assembled. We’d go out in the Hueys and you’d see all those Hueys going in to the landing zone. They dropped us off at the bottom of the hill because the top wasn’t ready for helicopters. We had to go all the way to the top of that darn hill, (Rich laughed) climbing over the trees knocked down from the shelling and it was hot and humid. It was not a pleasant day. (Rich chuckled) We used shelter halves; slept on the ground; and ate C-rations while there.”

Rich recalled a dramatic incident during his first fire base support mission.

“We were there for seven days because after they dropped us off we got socked in with fog. Unfortunately, we had snipers around (and) one of the infantry guys was badly hit. They needed to get him out. The next day we could barely see above the ground, but they had a chopper willing to come in. So we had people lined all the way down the hill listening for him because we knew what direction he was coming from. We were yelling to whoever was on the radio to tell him to go up, down, or whatever because we could hear him. He finally got in and they were able to get the guy out.”

The field artillery unit arrived at the new fire base before the engineers completed construction. Their arrival led to unhappy results for Rich

“The artillery (came) shortly after we got there. That’s the place where my hearing got clobbered. (Rich chuckled) We were sleeping too close to the guns and they started firing at two in the morning. I felt like I jumped six feet in the air when it went off because we didn’t know they were going to fire. My ears were ringing and my hearing’s never been the same since. Once the fog lifted, (helicopters) landed on the firebase and we flew back.”

A couple months later Rich volunteered for another fire base site.

“It was in a different place, more hilly and rougher. Plus there were rockets being fired from a hill on the other side. I witnessed airstrikes because they went in and nailed it several times. They were also firing artillery at them. One of the artillery rounds came short and landed right on top of the engineers. It was friendly fire. I wasn’t with them, but our lieutenant and several other engineers were there. The lieutenant got wounded badly enough that he had to be taken out of there.”

Rich explained how enemy and friendly fire were not the only dangers on a new fire base.

“They were blowing trees to clear the firebase area. Whenever they’d say, “Fire in the hole,” you’re supposed to look to where the explosion is going to be. Well, I didn’t that time and the thing blew. I heard people yelling to duck. I saw this big piece of tree coming at me and I dove. They said it went right over my head. I lost my glasses. They’re still on that hill.”

He returned to base camp near the end of his Vietnam tour.

The Lyon County Museum is organizing an exhibit about the impact of the Vietnam War on Lyon County. If you would like to share Vietnam experiences or help with the exhibit, please contact me at prairieviewpressllc@gmail.com or call the museum at 537-6580.