Watters, Earl, SGT

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE ARMY.

Uncle Sam Wants You

What influenced me to join the Army was that the Vietnam War was going on and I knew that my Draft number was coming up. I also came from a rather large family with many Veterans that served during the time of War. I also felt it was my Duty to following the footsteps of my family members that served. So I volunteered for the 2 year draft. I thought it was the smart thing to do at the moment. I would soon learn a hard lesson.

WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BASIC TRAINING AND WHAT UNITS, BASES OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?

My Family is rich with Military History.

I served my 2-year stint, my Father in World War II, my brother served in the 11th Airborne in the Cold War, my Grandfather's Brother served with the 5th Cavalry during the Civil War. Most of my Uncles served in World War II, so if you love your country, you serve if asked, or not asked. Why I left the Military? It's because I knew that if I went to Viet Nam one more time, I wouldn't make it back a second time. I was the only one from my platoon who didn't go to the hospital from WIA or Malaria or KIA. It was life-changing for me. Sometimes I'm still fighting some of those battles. I had my fill of danger and combat while in Viet Nam: I was in these operations from 1965 to 1966: Combat Operations #1: 1965-1966; Operation Scrimmage, Binh Khe, Quick Kick, Matador, White Wing, Lincoln 1, Mosby 1, Crazy Horse, Nathan Hale, and Henry Clay. Memories:

IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY?
Nov 2-Nov 3rd 1965. Alpha Company made the 1st-night air assault in Viet Nam into a landing zone under attack by NRVN Forces to reinforce a unit from the 1st Squadron of the 9th Cavalry in the La Drang Valley. We had 17 men shot while landing. We lost Sgt

Military Operations Banner

Samuel Bess lost Sgt Gary Platt. Landed from 12 pm to 0100. Lt John Hanlon was shot up really bad. We hooked up bayonets as they tried to overrun us at 0300. We held our position until 0600. Combat Operations #2: Vic Thuan Hahn, Dec 1965. Lost my Lt Stuart Tweedy, Sgt James Thompson, Lost Sgt Dale Fugate. Had two of my good buddies, Gary Schauer and Nathan Villagomez wounded. Combat Operations: #3: White Horse (LZ Horse Bonson). May 1966. Lost good buddy David Canales, Had several more men shot up and my 4th Lt John Doubet took one through the arm. I go to Benson, AZ every year to David Canales grave to talk or leave a Flag at his grave.

Yes, I was in combat several times. I knew that when we went to Ia Drang Valley we would lose a few buddies. I'll tell you one thing, I found God in Ia Drang on Dec 19th, 1965, and Nov 2nd and 3rd 1965. I got to the point where I knew I wasn't going to make it home alive. One night I laid out my .45 in the dirt next to me and my M-60 machine gun. All my buddies were hooking up their bayonets. I didn't have a bayonet for my machine gun, but I had my .45. At 0300 the Viet Cong tried to overrun us. We fought back like hell and beat them back. We chased them back to the Chu Pong Massif. The division called us back and told us not to go any further. We didn't know but there were 2,800 Viet Cong on that mountain and only 100 of us from Alpha Company. It was our lucky day on Nov 3rd, 1965.

DID YOU ENCOUNTER ANY SITUATION DURING YOUR MILITARY SERVICE WHEN YOU BELIEVED THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY YOU MIGHT NOT SURVIVE? IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME.
One pro-tickler night it was around1200 or 0100, our new capt. Blest we had no one liked him he was an artillery officer they put him in charge of a weapon company didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground he had us moving at night down the ho chi Minh trail now Capt. ted Danielsen my first Capt. he would never have us move at night you couldn't see bubie traps or pungy pits on the trail, so I always walk off the trail to be safe will the trail came to the river. I was on point, so I stopped and passed back. What does the capt want us to do because? On the side of the river was Cambodia, and the river was wide at this point, around 100 ft. He says to me, go across to the other side. Hence, I have my M- 60 with 300 rounds and all the other gear, and I'm thinking how dam deep this river is, so I go in and start wading. We had a full moon that night. It was shinning off the river. I could see upstream and downstream around 5 to 600 ft. I got two things I'm thinking about now? Am I going to get shot when I'm in the middle of this river, or am I going to drown? I put my M 60 over my head, and though if I go under ill let go of the dam M60 and swim downstream with the current until I can get out will the water was at my hips and kept going deeper and deeper until it was at my neck just below my chin then the water started going down as I climb to the other side of the river and up the sandy bank I lay down with my M60 to lay fire if we needed it will I'm waiting for the others to come across now I'm in Cambodia it's 1966 I'm not supposed to be here if I'm killed are they going to say I was KIA in Vietnam or Cambodia? So I waited for like 10 to 15 min for the rest to come across. Finally, one trooper comes across and says the capt. Want you to come back? I say, WHAT the hell is going on? I know what it was. The SOB wanted to see if I could make it without being shot and why to send a machine gunner across instead of a man with an m16. That's how bad he was. I was so glad to leave nam I was first to rotate because I made every mission we went on. There is more I could talk about, but it would take days

OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?

Sitting Sentry Duty

My most favorite was Fort Campbell, Kentucky as we had clean sheets, hot showers, and hot food. My least favorite, of course, was Viet Nam.

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.

My M-60, Tool of the Trade.

On May 15th, 1966, we were going to move next to the Mekong Delta on an early morning air assault. I landed first to lay down fire with my M-60 if needed. One of the Hueys with 12 men from my Platoon crashed while coming in for a landing. It was bad seeing it roll end over end tumbling down the mountain with bodies flying out, legs cut off, broken backs and you name it. I was the only one from my squad left that day. Half my platoon was lost. I still see it when I close my eyes every day.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR MILITARY CAREER?

Cpt Ted Danielsen's Medals, CO.

You know, I wasn't looking for any medals. My buddies who died should have gotten the medals. The one who stands out is Capt Ted Danielsen, my Company Commander. He took care of his men. He wouldn't have us do anything he wouldn't do, and if we didn't have enough food to go around, he would do without. He received two Bronze Stars with 'V' Device and a Silver Star for Valor. We all loved him and Lt Hanlon. He was shot up real bad. A bullet went through his spine, and he couldn't move but was still giving orders to us men before he passed out from the pain. Our medic, Raymond Ortiz, who was shot 6 times, was still helping the wounded before he passed out from blood loss. I could go on and on, but those men from Fort Benning were heroes to me. Damn, they were great.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR OTHER MEMORABILIA, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?

Presidential Unit Citation

Of all the medals I received, I think the Presidential Unit Citation for Extraordinary Heroism under Fire from President Lyndon B. Johnson. I have it hanging on my front room wall. Why? because a lot of my buddies gave up their lives for this Citation.

WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?

Many gave me a positive influence.

LTC Mertel was my Battalion Commander. He would fly over every mission we were going on a few days in advance to make sure he would know the area in case something would happen. He checked danger zones for the landings and or air assaults. He was an old WWll man. I hated to hear that he was deceased. We talked online for many years. When he died, his daughter sent me his banner books and some pictures and plaques. He was a great leader.

And, there was LT John Hanlon, who took us into the first-night combat landing on Nov 2nd and 3rd at 1200 hrs to O100, 1965. He wouldn't give up after being shot three times. What can I say? LT Stewart Tweedy was another great man. The day he was killed, he was leading us upfront, not from behind. These men I have all the respect in the world for. Only GOD knows how great they really were.

CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
My squad was going out on ambush. It was about 0100 in the morning. We came to this small creek. We had only moonlight to see by as we stopped to see where we would cross. This big python slid off the bank into the river. It made a

The Snake Incident

big splash. Now, I looked around at my squad. I could see all those eyes lighting up thinking, "Damn, if we get into this creek, this damned Python is going to get one of us". It was too wide to jump across, so we found this tree that had fallen down and threw or let it fall from one side to the other.

So, Sammy Daniels gets on this tree and starts moving across this creek with his M-16, frags, 20 twenty-round clips, and all his gear when he gets right in the middle of this tree. It starts to break and he falls into this creek and goes underwater and we can't see him. Then all of a sudden he shoots out of the water climbing the river bank. We started laughing, I mean really loud, all of us. We couldn't stop and even our sarge was laughing. We could have all been killed that night. Sammy thought that snake was going to get him.

WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?

My Office Tools while in Viet Nam

I worked at a lot of jobs when I first got out. First at Suzuki Motorcycles in La Marinda, CA as a mail clerk. Then as a meat cutter at George A Hormel and company. Then a welder for a while. Then went to plumbing, heating, and welding school. I started my business for many years then worked for Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys in Apple Valley, CA. I was lost for many years as you can see. I had a bad accident, woke up in the hospital with two broken arms and a concussion.

I thought I was in Saigon in an Army Hospital, that's when my life changed. Some of my buddies found me through the White Pages on the internet for a reunion at Fort Bragg in 1995. I went to it. It was one of the greatest moments of my life seeing these men who I fought with 30 plus years earlier. We were having beers, hugging one another. When it was over, I cried myself to sleep.

WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?

VFW Member at Large and TWS

I belong to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Together We Served Memorial website. I am assisting two WW2 Veterans in capturing their Military Legacy and posting it to this Website. I meet with the Rio Rancho coffee club every Friday with all the Vets. Each branch of the service is represented. I try and help any Veteran who needs help getting on with their lives.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE?

Relax when you can get it.

I try to live every day to the fullest. When I was in Viet Nam, it was a bad day every day. My buddy was shot laying next to me. I said, "No matter how bad things get, it can always get worse". I could have been lying there myself. So, I live every day thinking of one of them and call the ones who made it home as often as I can.

BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE ARMY?

Shopping in Saigon markets.

Follow orders, keep your head down and leave no man behind. By all means, love, honor and respect your county and the leaders that you are to follow.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.

TWS and the US Army

It brought back a lot of old memories and a few more tears. We had 331 KIA's and one MIA, Ellis S Randall, from 1st Battalion, Eight Cavalry in Viet Nam. One day I hope that they find him. God Bless him and the USA and TogetherWeServed which helped me tell my story.

KC 8.21.21