We have been learning about Bruce Pochardt’s Vietnam service. After graduating from Lynd in 1966, he farmed until the military draft took him in 1968. He completed Army training with his friend and classmate, Francis Maeyaert. The two deployed to Vietnam in August 1968.

About midway through Bruce’s 365-day Vietnam tour, his commander called on him to use his mortar training as his mortar crew was assigned to Firebase Long for about three months. He described the fire support base.

“That was a small fire base. We just had our one [81mm mortar tube] and then the 4.2”, the Four Deuces, (larger mortars) were within shouting distance. It was flat and then we sandbagged around [the mortars], fortified them.”

Bruce described their fire missions, which were intended to harass and interdict enemy movement at night.

“Every night we fired at nothing. They had pre-set places, ‘You’re going to shoot here at this hour and you’re going to shoot there at that hour.’ We did that every night.”

The troops engaged in other combat actions as well.

“We would patrol from there, too. A squad would go out and then come back – see what they can see and look for trails, signs, anything.”

Life at Fire Base Long was rugged, but safer and offered amenities that were unthinkable when they had been patrolling in the bush.

“We built a sandbag – call it a bedroom. There were at least two levels, two bunks. We even built a sandbagged shower, which was a five gallon pail with a hole in the bottom. We made that little building out of boredom. We had perforated steel plates for a framework. Their basic use was for making temporary runways. You fold them up; they lock together; and then lay them back down. We’d put sandbags up against it to make a little building.”

Fire base troops had access to meals other than C-rations. But this benefit came with a cost.

“We had a regular mess tent up there and cooks. But we had to do KP. My best friend and I had pot and pan duty one night. That was the most tired I’ve ever been in my life. I don’t know how they could burn that much food onto these stainless steel pans.” (Bruce chuckled)

Bruce explained they even had access to a portable Post Exchange.

“They’d bring us Sundry Packs, big cardboard boxes with everything from candy to cigarettes to matches. Certain times they would come out with a helicopter with a Conex. There were things in there you could buy [like] radios and stereos. They’d set it down; we’d buy some things; and then they’d pick it up and take it away. I bought a radio; got it home; and it lasted thirty years.”

But the war also visited Fire Base Long with deadly effect.

“One time the four-deuce’s burn barrels exploded. The 4.2” “Four Deuce,” they called it, the bigger mortar, had what they called “cheese charges.” They looked like a piece of cheese with a hole in the center and a tear on the side so they’d fit on [the mortar round]. They could add or subtract “cheese charges.” They were always throwing them in their burn barrel. One day – we didn’t know if it was an in-coming round or all those ‘cheese charges’ decided to blow up — but it blew up and blew their sandbags all to pieces. I remember one guy was all but covered up. I’m sure he got to go home. They had several injured who were Medevac’d.”

Bruce’s mortar crew’s fire base assignment eventually ended.

“I got to stay on [the] fire base for three months until the colonel said we’re not doing anything up there. Then we went back on the line, which Francis was on all the time.”

Back on the line meant more combat patrolling and, sometimes, the possibility of something even more dangerous.

“One really scary time was when we were on a fire base and they came to us and said, ‘Well, the Marines are pinned down and they’ve gotta have help.’ It was just about dark. The guy added, ‘They are going to pick us up with helicopters and drop us in there in the dark.’ I said, ‘Well, this is my last day.’ The guy said, ‘If you smoke, light ’em up.’ One guy asked, ‘Can we start smoking? (Bruce laughed) I finally just went to sleep and when I woke up the next morning, nothing had materialized.”

Bruce recalled another incident that concerned them, but which did not amount to anything.

“We used gas masks once in Vietnam, but they were old ones and you couldn’t get enough air. We were prepared that the enemy was going to use gas that day, but they didn’t. One Lieutenant said, ‘Well, you’re going to want them on for walking past those two dead (enemy soldiers) that have been there for five days.’ So, we kept them on that long.”

Bruce’s unit confronted its most dangerous operation less than three months before he and his Lynd friend, Francis, were scheduled to leave Vietnam. Bruce, Francis, and the rest of the men of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Regiment were a part of the assault force against Hill 937 in a ten-day fight the troops and media came to call The Battle of Hamburger Hill.

The Lyon County Museum is organizing an exhibit about the Vietnam War and 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.