M id May always brings my thoughts back to 1969 and the Tam Ky battles of C Co and the other units of the 1st/501st. Thinking about them today, something from a long lost English lesson popped into my head-Tennyson's poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade."

Initially it seemed just an appropriate recollection of and tribute to brave soldiers, one of many war stories and poems applicable to the Tam Ky event, I'm sure. "All in the valley of death rode the 600." With 70% casualties, 65 KIA and more than 200 WIA between 18 May and 11 June, that place certainly was the valley of death. I remembered more lines.

"Was there a man dismayed?" With a few exceptions the men I saw did what I know now was an unbelievable job; they fought with skill and courage matching any battle in which American troops have ever found themselves. But at that time, it was simply a day-to-day exercise in survival overlaid with military discipline, peer pressure and our belief that this was the right thing to do because this is what our country sent us to do.

Duty, honor, country.and we knew our country would never do us wrong.

"Not though the soldiers knew someone had blundered." The men of B and D Companies knew right away that blunders were happening and men were dying as a result. Pape's epitaph is a string of four letter words, sad but justifiably earned. Roy survived but with a similar four letter reputation. This is as bad as it can get but the truth is, soldiers are hard but fair in their evaluation of their leaders.

What about Singer, who had no qualifications to command a battalion and did only because he needed this command time to make 06? He was the biggest blunderer of all. Or was he? What about the men who sent him and the others to us? It makes no sense that we should have had to endure this but Tennyson speaks to the issue in words we understand; "Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die."

I wonder what I would say to him if I met him today? Does he know, care? If alive, he's an old man and I just don't know.but then I recall when he got his phony Silver Star in August '69. I knew then and now what kind of a man he is and I guess I'd like to tell him to his face that I know.

Reality is that neither Singer nor Roy would ever show their faces now because they know we know and they know they'd be confronted. Not like then LTC Huff who came to the BN in August; two stars on his CIB, tough as nails and couldn't say his predecessor's name without spitting. What would have happened at Tam KY if we'd been under Huff?

Thinking more about the poem, I remembered being told that Tennyson's main intent was to point out to the public, the incompetence of the military leaders of 1858 through the needless slaughter of this unit. Nice idea but it probably didn't work. Then, like now, these people were probably made of Teflon and only got richer and more powerful. Even harder to take is the fact they probably didn't care. It left me on a sour note for sure.

Until I thought about the rest of the lines that address the main point, the idea that survives today, long after the incompetence is forgotten. This poem calls attention to the bravery of men long dead. "Exceptional personal courage on the battlefield.." Words used 34 years ago by Colonel Huff. We understand them and Tennyson's lines but 95% of the population has no clue and maybe that's for the best. But they make me remember the goodness and courage of so many men.

"Flashed all their sabers bare, flashed as they turned in air, sabering the gunners there." We saw the 20th century version of this again and again, men rising to the occasion, doing incredible things--what had to be done--without thinking of the consequences. My #1 lesson learned and take-away from Viet Nam; 95% of the men I knew from combat were inherently good.

We saw too many people to name do too many brave deeds to remember. When we get together now we learn of more bravery and sacrifice. We can be proud of friends and ourselves because time after time, we headed for the enemy with sabers flashing. Was there ever a more incredible experience than living through a firefight?

"Cossack and Russian reeled at the saber stroke, shattered and sundered." The NVA, who owned this place on 18 May were shattered and sundered by 11 June. Tam Ky had become their Valley of Death and the word went out, "Avoid contact with the Americans with the chickens on their sleeves."

We had done what we were sent to do and like Tennyson said, "Then they rode back but not...the 600." The tallying is difficult because replacements got hit...and replacements for those replacements but by my count, about 400 men from 1/501 went in. Sixty-five rode out wrapped in their ponchos and 240 plus rode out in medevacs. Maybe 120 of the original rode out the way they came in, sitting in slicks wondering what was coming next?

It don't mean nothin'.or does it?

Switching authors for a moment, there's a passage in The Hobbit in which Gandalf asks Bilbo to go on a quest and peace-loving Bilbo wants no part of it. Gandalf gives many reasons, none that are well received, then shouts a final challenge to him; "To say that once in your life you carried a sword instead of a walking stick."

That means something to me. I understand that well and I am proud to have once carried a sword with the finest men I have ever known.

I am proud to have ridden in the Valley of Death with these brave and decent men.

I am proud to have sabered the gunners there, as and when I could because, when the bullshit is all said and done, that is what an infantryman does.

Like all of you, I have no idea why I survived and so many other good men did not. We all know the questions and we all know that there will be no answers in our lifetime.

Thirty-four years after Tam Ky, I am proud to have found so many men from this, the most significant period of my life and to have found that they are still good and decent and caring people.

Most of all, I feel so privileged and honored that these men have accepted me as one of them. I have never been in better company and do not need or want anything more than this. I can meet this time with a positive attitude.

Don Gourley
May 17, 2003