Email from Carl Nagel...
From: Carl Nagel
To: Homer Steedly
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 3:19 AM
Subject: Russell Pickering KIA Dec. 2 '69 D-1-8
Homer.
Gary Lysne and I (Carl Nagel, D-1-8) were having a phone visit yesterday and he happened to
mention a platoon leader killed in early December '69. It brought back some of my memories of
the incident as viewed from the Bn trains area at Radcliff. Maybe you can fill in more of the details.
Below is pasted an excerpt from an email I sent Gary after our phone call.
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Russell Pickering KIA Dec. 2 '69.
I started to flash back when we were talking about that night. They were ambushed no more
than a klick or so from the Bn trains area at Radcliff. About 10pm someone from Bn Hq rushed
in and told us one of our platoons was pinned down just outside the wire. We turned on one of
the spare radios and listed to the whole nightmare. The Lt was hit in the leg and trying to call
in the world. You could hear the panic/fear in his voice. Denise or Radcliff was firing illumination
and marker rounds. Air support (choppers) was denied due to risk factor (after all it was a black
night, can't really blame them). It seemed like a long while later (probably only 15-20 minutes)
a Snoopy AC47 gunship started working out in the area. After a bit heard a different voice calling
a check fire the Snoopy was too close. The Lt was passed out by then from loss of blood. I don't
remember who was on the Bn side of the conversation but he managed to calm down the Platoon
Sergeant or Squad Leader who took over from the Lt. He has my admiration whoever he was.
There were 5-8 of us in the Company Supply hootch and we all grabbed up our war gear, radio and
an M-60 and wanted to head out thru the wire to help. Bn wouldn't allow it. We would just make
a bad situation worse we were told.
I don't remember much about it after that. I had completely forgotten about the incident until you
mentioned the Lt. being on the KIA list. That was one frustrating night for everyone."
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Thanks bunch,
Carl Nagel
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