I knew that July 1967 day at Fort Benning Georgia was going to be a bad day when the tear gas attack interrupted my early morning smoke break. The order had been given to take a break and, “smoke em if you got em”. The entire company of three hundred and sixty men seemed to slump down so as to lounge among the tree roots and pine needles on the pine forest floor. The sound of more than three hundred zippo cigarette liters flicking at the same time attested to the fact that we all smoked. We all had em because cigarettes were issued in the “C” rations distributed at every meal.
Training protocol had taught us troops that at the slightest detection of a gas attack to put on the gas mask that we all carried, and clear it in order to remain a viable and functional individual fighting force. That particular morning our company, “Charlie Company”, had already experienced several gas attacks. Five canisters of gas exploded among us unsuspecting soldiers in that particular attack. We all just jumped up and ran. I left my gas mask, backpack and rifle lying on the ground. As the toxic gas dissipated I returned to retrieve the items that I had abandoned in the excitement.
When we reorganized after the attack, we were briefed on a training search and destroy mission. We were to advance at twenty five yard intervals through a thick pine forest, searching for an enemy command post. My position in the line of advancing troops was on the right flank. After a long while I realized that I was alone and had become separated from Charlie company. I had no choice but to continue the advance in search of the objective, just hoping to keep pace and rejoin the others at some time.
I crept along, weighted down with a eighty seven pound pack on my back, steel helmet on my head and carrying a heavy rifle in July ninety eight degree heat. It was well known that the area was infested with mines, crude booby traps, pungy sticks and explosive trip wires. Extreme caution was in order and the slightest mistake could be lethal, or at the least, reveal my position and announce my presence to the enemy force in the area.
Ahead I discovered a break in the pine forest with a hundred yard wide strip of grassland to be negotiated. The grass was short but I could remain concealed if I crawled toward the forest on the other side. I cautiously proceed, crawling along, pausing at irregular intervals, just long enough to raise my head to have a look and keep track of my position. The sandy soil chewed away at my knees and elbows. At about two thirds the way across the grassy area, from some unknown source, I detected the burning sensation of tear gas. Recognizing the threat, I quickly donned and cleared my gas mask. My eyes were burning and watering. I felt sick to my stomach, but I was lucky enough not to have inhaled enough gas to cause me remove the mask in order to vomit.
Because of my now poor eyesight that was created by the gas attack, and the mask itself, I was unable to see the building that had been constructed and camouflaged in the tree line until I was almost under it. The structure was built on stilts, about seven feet off of the ground. There was one window opening overlooking my position and one door on the opposite side. I just laid in the tall grass and observed the building for a long while. There was no movement and the building seemed to have been abandoned. I removed my backpack, rolled over on my back and scooted under the building. I could see through the cracks in the floor that there was no one inside. I checked my map and compass. This was without a doubt the objective of the search and destroy mission and my chance to take it, single handedly! Rather than chance using the door I decided to shimmy up to the window to gain entry. I was carrying enough C-4 explosives to set charges and blow that structure all to hell.
I placed my backpack below the window opening and hung my rifle by the sling on the window ledge. I got a running start, pushed off of the backpack, and grabbed the bottom of the window. I pulled myself up into the window to a sitting position. When I tried to put one foot down on the floor all hell broke loose. I couldn’t see down because of the gas mask that I was wearing and I failed to spot the trip wire insideand below the window sill. The explosion blew me up and out of the window backwards. I fell seven to eight feet to the ground, landing flat on my back. The explosion and fall knocked the wind out of me. The landing banged me up pretty bad and broke my tail bone. I just laid there on the ground, trying to figure out what exactly had happened to me and to assess my situation. It took some time for me to pick myself up off of the ground and hobble away. The pain was unforgettable.
I have very little memory of the time after the explosion and the rejoining of the other troops later that afternoon. Somehow, I managed to rejoined the company. I never said a word about what had happened to me or that I had gotten separated. X rays after my military service reveal the broken tail bone but I can’t claim the injury as a service connected injury because I didn’t report the incident, therefore there is no record of the injury.
Sp-5 James M. Cripps
US Army 1967-1970
VA THE REDNECK WAY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO IT ALONE! 